Practical reasons for passing on the iPhone X

There’s no denying the hype generated by the 10th-anniversary release of the iPhone. Apple and iPhone fans came in droves and even camped out during the worldwide release, and many units have since sold out in many places all over the globe. But is the whopping price of $999 really worth it? 

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The easy answer is an outright no. Aside from the unprecedented, almost snobbish pricing for a smartphone, it comes with an almost-obligatory AppleCare+ extended warranty that would require buyers to shell out another $200 for a two-year coverage. Not getting this warranty will lead up to $549 charges for major repairs on the iPhone X.

Secondly, it’s not as though its Android competitors are lagging behind. The iPhone X has lots of new features not seen on the iPhone before, yes, but the world of the Android has seen its own advances for some time now such as OLED screens, wireless charging, and “all-screen” bezels.

Arguing against any product of the industry giant that is Apple might seem futile as devoted iPhone enthusiasts will still get the phone, anyway. What would be awesome though is if the company manages to match or overtake the rapid growth of its Android competitors. If this happens, maybe more average consumers will understand better why there’s a need to pay such high amounts for a smartphone.

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Hi, James P. DeVellis here. Working for a huge tech company, I get all sorts of questions about gadgets, apps, troubleshooting, etc. For similar reads on innovative technologies and the like, drop by this webpage.

Why you shouldn’t be worried about iPhone X’s faceID

Apple recently showcased its new flagship phone, the iPhone X, at the newly-constructed Steve Jobs Theater. The latest smartphone comes with complete with edge-to-edge OLED display and a new facial recognition system called the faceID. Apple has removed the touchID saying that faceID will be more secure. The company went as far as saying there’s 1 in a million chance of a passerby on the street gaining access to the iPhone X, compared to 1 in 50,000 with touchID. 

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But even with the iPhone X’s high-end TrueDepth Camera System, some people aren’t convinced that faceID is secure enough to replace touchID, remarking that the feature is already available on many Android devices. To be fair though, the facial recognition in Android devices can be fooled with a picture and can’t be used in the dark, which were both overcame by the faceID. Apple even said that it tried to use a - mask used by Hollywood actors to try to fool faceID, and it didn’t work. 

So how secure is faceID? First, it won’t unlock unless you’re looking at it. Second, the TrueDepth Camera System has some advanced technology housed in the notch. Here are the three main technologies that make the TrueDepth Camera system: 

Dot Projector: More than 30,000 invisible dots are projected onto your face to build your unique facial map. 

Infrared Camera: An infrared camera reads the dot pattern, captures an infrared image, then sends the data to the Secure Enclave in the A11 Bionic chip to confirm a match. 

Flood Illuminator: Invisible infrared light helps identify your face even when it’s dark. 

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Hi, my name’s James P. DeVellis. I’m a self-confessed IT guy, and that means receiving tons of tech-related questions from family and friends. Visit my blog to see some of them.