I got the iPhone X 256GB that I ordered about 3-4 days ago. I finally set it up yesterday and I’m going to give you my thoughts and opinions on it so far. But first let me go through a little bit of my history with the iPhone.
My first iPhone was the iPhone 2G in 2007. I live in Canada so in order to even get one I had to get a friend who was heading to the US to smuggle one back for me. When I got it I then had to wait because to use it on the networks in Canada it had to be Jailbroken (JBen) and unlocked. This was back in the day when JBing was done with Boot Neuter and Pwnage Tool. When a mis-step with Boot Neuter meant you had a truely bricked iPhone, a very expensive, very fancy paper weight. I have owned an iPhone every year since then. I’ve JBen my iPhone, made custom icons, custom theme packs. I’ve helped friends and family JB or fix their iPhone, iPod or iPad. Putting an iDevice into DFU mode is like second nature to me.
My other iPhone is a Red iPhone 7. So what do I think of this iPhone X with no home button and a humongous screen? Well so far in my usage I really like it. The swiping to return to home screen, activate the app switcher or for control center to me is actually pretty intuitive. I do also have an iPad Pro so I’m used to swiping for the dock, side by side apps, etc. However since the home button scare of the iPhone 4 I discovered Assistive Touch and I have used it on every iDevice I have owned since. It’s a part of my usage so much so that when I get a new iPhone or iPad I instinctively look for it. On the iPhone X it is turned on and I have used it on occasion. Surprisingly though I’ve found it so much easier to swipe for the home screen, control center and app switcher. This is a big deal because you are talking about breaking a 7 year old habit!
The only annoyance I have had is that swiping up on the apps in the app switcher does not close them. You have to press and hold then tap each one to close. If you swipe up then the app switcher closes and you’re back at the home screen. I know iOS is designed in such a way that you’re not supposed to be closing apps. However there are times when an app is misbehaving and must be closed. There are apps *cough cough* Facebook *cough* that burn up resources. Users have been taught to swipe up on the apps to close them from iOS itself. Now they change the action and that leads to a bit of frustration. In the grand scheme of things it’s not a big deal just a minor annoyance.
I’ve never owned an iPhone Plus. Personally I find that size too big for a phone. The iPhone X with it being almost the same size as my iPhone 7 is a nice size. The screen, oh my that screen, it is beautiful. The Face ID is fast, reliable and many of the apps I use with Touch ID already transitioned to it. I haven’t used it with Apple Pay yet and double tapping the power button to complete purchases is again a little annoying. Again it’s not a deal breaker and in time I’m sure it will easily become second nature to users. The most important thing though is I don’t have an evil twin so my iPhone X is safe!
Unfortunately for me I will be returning the iPhone X. Here in Canada the 256GB model rings in at a little over $1700. It’s not that I find it expensive. I haven’t been on contract with my carrier for years. Which means I have been paying full price for my iPhones since before I could remember. Right now I just don’t have that cash to buy the phone. I could just put it on a credit card sure. As a car enthusiast though that price tag is about the price of a set of coilovers. Most importantly as a father there are a lot of more important necessities that the money could go towards right now. It would have to be extra money or disposable cash for me to buy now. I could get the 64GB model which clocks in at a little over $1500 after tax. My iPhone 7 is the 128GB model and I don’t think I’ve scratched 30GBs yet. I could sell my iPhone 7 and that would put a decent chunk in the cost of the iPhone X. Except I don’t want to sell my iPhone 7. Like the original iPhone, which I still have, I find the red iPhone 7 to be iconic. The color which hasn’t been offered on any other iPhone yet makes it special to me. Therefore I’m going to keep it and when I do upgrade to the iPhone XI or whatever comes next. It will sit in my basement beside my original iPhone. How then do I plan to get the next iPhone which will undoubtedly cost the same as the iPhone X? I’ve got lots of options but I have also started saving my extra coin.
Alright so what do I think about upgrading to the iPhone X? I think if you’ve got any other iPhone other than an iPhone X it’s worth the upgrade. The screen, the Face ID, the speed, the size, the intuitive user experience, the screen. Every user is different though and at the end of the day there are many considerations. The cost probably being number one on a lot of lists but only you can make that decision. If I had the money laying around I would definitely not be sending this iPhone back.
Real thoughts & opinions on the iPhone X I got the iPhone X 256GB that I ordered about 3-4 days ago. I finally set it up yesterday and I'm going to give you my thoughts and opinions on it so far.
