iPhone X

[Ready]

A couple of thoughts after playing with it over the weekend:

1) The phone is all glass, which makes it fragile. Do a search for iPhone X drop test and you will see a bunch of testers dropping their phones on the concrete to see how fragile they are. The early reports indicate the glass front and back shatters on the first drop. Apple charges $549 to do a repair on the X, so it's best to get a very rugged case. I bought the Spigen Tough Armor case. The other one I was looking at is the Otterbox Defender. Both are a bit chunky, but I'd rather have a chunky case than a $549 repair bill.

2) Wireless charging is interesting, but not quite there yet. At present Apple only supports 5W charging, which is a very slow charge. There are a bunch of "fast" wireless chargers out there that support up to 10W, but apparently they only work on Samsung phones right now. Apple is going to increase the charging capacity to 7.5W in a future IOS release, but it's not clear whether any of the fast chargers out there will work on an iPhone. There are two on the Apple web site (Mophie and Belkin) that cost $60 and are certified to work at 7.5W when the IOS upgrade is released, but this seems ridiculously expensive for a charger. The rumor is that Apple is encrypting the 7.5W charging option so that only chargers that pay a licensing fee to Apple will work. So it's not exactly an industry standard charging scheme as was first advertised.

I ordered a basic no name 5W charger from Amazon for $15 just to try it out. I did stop by Best Buy over the weekend and placed the phone (with the case on) on a Samsung charger, and it did indicate it was charging. So it works, but I suspect it will be slow, so maybe best used on a night stand for overnight charging.

 

[mpeirce]

I ordered a 64gb. I haven’t used that much on my 6s, so I figure I can make it work on the X.

I think 64GB is fine for most people.

I got the 64GB model. My photos and music libraries live on iCloud so that doesn't fill up storage.

If you dabble in video, you might want the big model.

 

[Ready]

I also purchased 64GB. I have 5,000 photos and 137 videos on my phone and still have 15GB free. And I believe the phone will move the photos and videos to iCloud and free up space if need be. I also have 75 applications installed.

I would have preferred the low end model to have 128GB like the iPhone 7/Plus did, but they only went with 64 and 256. Very few people will ever use up 256GB on their phones, especially if they use iCloud.

 

[Sojourner]

Very few people will ever use up 256GB on their phones, especially if they use iCloud.

That's true only if they're willing to pay for iCloud storage beyond the free 5GB. Looks like it's $3/month for 200GB. Not much, but it will add up to hundreds of $$ over the years if you always opt for the lower-storage phones and take lots of pictures and have a large music library.

 

[audreyh1]

I’ve taken advantage of T-Mobile trade in offers a couple of times and have never had any extra fees tacked on.

Do you remember what the fees were and how they justified them?

Yes, they chargeed me like $5 the first month! It was a combination of telecom recovery fees, and state and federal fees on top of that recovery fee. I was shocked and immediately paid off the phone.

 

[tulak]

Yes, they chargeed me like $5 the first month! It was a combination of telecom recovery fees, and state and federal fees on top of that recovery fee. I was shocked and immediately paid off the phone.

I would have done the same. I’m pretty good about making sure I’m not being charged extra, but cellphone bills can be a challenge to decipher at times. I’ll make sure to double check once I get my first bill.

As for how much storage, I should also mention that I use iCloud and pay for extra storage per month. It’s worth it for me, since I’m able to access all my photos on all my devices (Mac/iPad/iPhone). Plus I can do full backups to iCloud for my iPad/iPhone.

I try and buy iTunes gift cards at a 10-15% discount. The holidays are usually a good time to find these, such as on Black Friday. You can also buy these online. That’s what I did last time from Costco, which made it really easy.

 

[REWahoo]

I would have done the same. I’m pretty good about making sure I’m not being charged extra, but cellphone bills can be a challenge to decipher at times. I’ll make sure to double check once I get my first bill.

Several cell providers, especially prepaid ones, have adopted a flat monthly charge strategy which avoids the opportunity for 'gamesmanship' in monthly billing. No more statement hide-and-go-seek...

 

[braumeister]

Several cell providers, especially prepaid ones, have adopted a flat monthly charge strategy which avoids the opportunity for 'gamesmanship' in monthly billing. No more statement hide-and-go-seek...

One of the things I like about T-Mobile.
Two lines, unlimited everything (including international roaming) for $60 a month, period.
Last year I was still a relatively happy AT&T customer paying $93.22 for the same two phones but only sharing 3 GB between them, plus another $80 or more every time we went out of the country. What a difference!

 

[Philliefan33]

That's true only if they're willing to pay for iCloud storage beyond the free 5GB. Looks like it's $3/month for 200GB. Not much, but it will add up to hundreds of $$ over the years if you always opt for the lower-storage phones and take lots of pictures and have a large music library.

Instead of the iCloud, I use Google Photos for free photo storage in the cloud. I also use Prime photos, which is free for Amazon Prime members.

 

[explanade]

Excellent review. Thanks much for that.
I was thinking of getting a Plus for my next one. I wanted a bigger screen for these tired old eyes but was concerned about it fitting in my pocket. The X sounds like an excellent compromise.

At least a year away from replacing our current models (DW has a 6S and I have a 7), but looking forward to it.

Actually the X is like the smaller screen iPhone. In landscape, Safari won't have tabs and Mail won't show the sidebar as they do on the Plus phones.

It's rumored that Apple will have an X Plus next year which will be over 6-inches in screen size.

 

[explanade]

I got the 8 Plus because I use TouchID and Apple Pay a lot.

FaceID is slower and has been spoofed by siblings who are not identical twins. It's a cool tech demo, not as useful when you're using Apple Pay.

Unfortunately, it appears Apple wants to replace TouchID with FaceID so that is probably what they will have going forward.

I may be hanging on to my 8 Plus for awhile.

 

[mpeirce]

Unfortunately, it appears Apple wants to replace TouchID with FaceID so that is probably what they will have going forward.

After having used FaceID for a few days now I have to say I'm very impressed with it.

I find it's quite a bit better for unlocking the phone. It's almost frictionless - it feels like I have an unlocked phone to use since the phone is unlocked by the time I finish swiping up to open it.

Likewise, it actually seemed smoother to use FaceID for validating ApplePay. You double-press the side button to bring up ApplePay and place the phone near the pay terminal.

Holding the phone this way seemed more natural to me than the old way of trying to grip the phone with my thumb on the TouchID sensor and hold it over the pay terminal (this was on a Plus phone, so it's size may have made this more ungainly to me).

 

[Midpack]

I just read an article about cases and wireless charging the 8, 8 Plus and X. It said wireless charging won’t work thru an aluminum or titanium case, you’d have to remove. You can use a wireless charger thru most non-metallic cases unless there is metal in the case, the case is very thick or you’re using a cheap (weaker) charging pad. It said you should be fine with a quality Qi charger and most non-metallic cases. I did see an Otterbox for the iPhone X that appeared to leave about 2/3rds of the back exposed, seems like that might compromise the purpose of having a case?

 

[mpeirce]

> I did see an Otterbox for the iPhone X that appeared to leave about 2/3rds of the back exposed, seems like that might compromise the purpose of having a case?

That particular Otterbox doesn't expose the back, but rather "features a clear back made to show off its beauty while providing serious protection" (heh).

I don't think anyone would make a case specifically for the iPhone X (or iPhone 8/8+) that had metal on the back since that would block wireless charging.

I've never used a cover for my iPhones. But was convinced to get one for the X since it has glass on both the front and back and it costs a bundle to replace the glass fo broken.

I went with the Apple leather case and I'm slowly getting used to it. I'm not 100% sure that I'll keep it since I love the feel of the iPhone X without it on. But it's OK. If I have to. I guess.

 

[Ian S]

A couple of thoughts after playing with it over the weekend:

1) The phone is all glass, which makes it fragile. Do a search for iPhone X drop test and you will see a bunch of testers dropping their phones on the concrete to see how fragile they are. The early reports indicate the glass front and back shatters on the first drop. Apple charges $549 to do a repair on the X, so it's best to get a very rugged case. I bought the Spigen Tough Armor case. The other one I was looking at is the Otterbox Defender. Both are a bit chunky, but I'd rather have a chunky case than a $549 repair bill.

A bit of a rant here. I don't have an iPhone X but my recently purchased Samsung Galaxy S8+ is also all glass and I find this trend to increasing fragility a real pain. What's the point of such "beautiful" design features if you're forced to get a clunky protective case that may or may not protect the phone in case of an all too common simple drop of the device of only a few feet and that covers up the "beauty" of it? My S8+ replaced an S5 which was frequently poo-pooed for its "cheap looking" plastic back. In fact, such plastic designs will almost always be superior to glass when it comes to impact resistance. After all, why do you think they make the add-on protective cases out of plastic? Frankly, I'd be quite happy to see a trend back to plastic for at least the backs of these phones - metal won't work with wireless charging so that's not an option now. And the curved glass screen on the Galaxy S line makes it difficult to install an effective screen protector that doesn't sacrifice some functional or esthetic feature. Please go back to a flat screen!!!

Now I really like the fast wireless charging in the S8+ especially now that the battery is no longer swappable like it was with the S5. I bought an inexpensive wireless charger off Amazon that charges more rapidly than standard chargers although not as fast as the high speed wired charger that comes with the S8+. The latter comes with the new usb3 connector that can be inserted either way another simple design change that really improves day to day use..

 

[explanade]

Yeah it's about looks, the bezel less design makes it look sleek and as if the front of the phone was all screen.

But it makes them more fragile. Someone did drop testing and it's the most fragile iPhone ever.

But people are buying up the iPhone X. Apple sells AppleCare extended warranties so that may be something worth considering though I'm not sure it covers dropping the phone.

 

[Katsmeow]

But people are buying up the iPhone X. Apple sells AppleCare extended warranties so that may be something worth considering though I'm not sure it covers dropping the phone.

Yes, it will. It will cover replacing the back screen on front screen (I think there is a limit on how many times it will do it though). There is a co payment but it is way less than $500.

I got my X through the Apple iPhone upgrade program and AppleCare is required and part of what you are paying for. I am happy enough to have it.

On the 64gb or 256gb front I was torn but eventually went with the 256gb. The 64gb is $49.91 a month while the 256 is $56.16. So, over the course of the year I will likely have the phone the 256gb is $75 more.

I was at that point where I had enough room to get the 64gb but it was going to be a little tight in terms of adding future stuff. 256gb is ridiculously large. I would have gone for 128gb in a heartbeat.

 

[audreyh1]

Several cell providers, especially prepaid ones, have adopted a flat monthly charge strategy which avoids the opportunity for 'gamesmanship' in monthly billing. No more statement hide-and-go-seek...

A phone purchase is separate from the monthly fee-included flat rate, so they could still play games with the "0%". You just gotta check their billing.

 

[audreyh1]

I got the 8 Plus because I use TouchID and Apple Pay a lot.

FaceID is slower and has been spoofed by siblings who are not identical twins. It's a cool tech demo, not as useful when you're using Apple Pay.

Unfortunately, it appears Apple wants to replace TouchID with FaceID so that is probably what they will have going forward.

I may be hanging on to my 8 Plus for awhile.

I will solve this problem by using my Apple Watch for Apple Pay like I do now - that's more convenient than pulling out my phone.

 

[explanade]

I will solve this problem by using my Apple Watch for Apple Pay like I do now - that's more convenient then pulling out my phone.

Some restaurant apps. like Panera or Chipotle now support Apple Pay so you can order ahead of time and pay with Apple Pay.

But at least you won't be authenticating while in line to buy/pay for the food.

 

[Ready]

I got my X through the Apple iPhone upgrade program and AppleCare is required and part of what you are paying for. I am happy enough to have it.

If you get AppleCare through the program it's built into the monthly price so it's an easy decision to make.

Since I'm on the AT&T Next program, I save about $8.00/month over the Apple Upgrade program but I don't get AppleCare unless I purchase it separately.

However, since I trade in the phone every year, I would end up paying $199 for two years of coverage on a phone I only plan to keep for a year. On top of that, I would still pay a $99 deductible if I destroy the phone. So it would cost me $199 for sure, plus $99 per accident, to avoid paying $549 for an uncovered repair. Those numbers don't make much sense to me. I'd rather pocket the $200 and take a chance on paying $549 vs $300 if I break the phone (which after 10 years of using iPhones I have yet to do).

If I was really accident prone, I might reconsider though.

 

[audreyh1]

Yeah - the phone companies don't sell Applecare because they have their own "care" offerings or "phone insurance" plan. I had to buy my Applecare separately. And it required me to call in to "demonstrate" that my phone was fully functional since I didn't buy it from Apple or from a vendor that sold me Applecare at the same time as they sold me the phone.

 

[Katsmeow]

We considered doing the Verizon upgrade program when we decided to do the Apple upgrade program. I liked how Apple handled the AppleCare situation so I don't face the economics of that which Ready faces.

Also, I like that each year when I upgrade I can choose to change carriers if I want to. Where I live now, Verizon gives me the best signal but that could change in the future.

 

[W2R]

Interesting article about the Face ID method of unlocking! Apparently it wasn't too tough for hackers to overcome.

https://www.wired.com/story/hackers-say-broke-face-id-security/

But really, to me this would not be a big deal if I had this phone. I never use my phone to log into anything or do any financial or other transactions, so hackers couldn't do anything but make phone calls.

 

[explanade]

I use apps. to make mobile deposits, check my balances.

I've even made payments on credit card accounts when I couldn't do it on the website for some reason.

I have about 5-10 financial apps. which I log into with TouchID. It really beats having to type in your different passwords at different institutions all the time.

On iPhone X, you'd be replacing TouchID with FaceID for these apps.

Also I log into 1 Password, which stores all my account passwords and also an app. which will unlock my front door, using TouchID.

Again, if I'd gotten the iPhone X, I'd be using FaceID.

I also use Apple Pay whenever possible, because you don't give the merchant your name or real credit card number when you use Apple Pay. So when a store like Target gets hacked, they wouldn't have your real credit card details, except that Target hasn't supported ApplePay, because they do want those details stored.

Yeah if this hack is confirmed by other researchers, Apple will have to make fixes.