As you may know I’ve had an iPhone X for around 6 weeks and this week I decided to return it back to Apple within it’s return period. I picked one up to write some some freelance work and as a technology enthusiast also wanted to give one a try. I know I ranted about the price but I didn’t want to dismiss it out of hand, especially when it provided some extra work opportunities.I had the 256GB in space grey, picked up Apple Care + and used no case. It wasn’t cheap, £1380!Here’s why I returned it.
Price of entry is too high
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that I was using a phone that was as much as my MacBook or iMac. Yes, there is a lot of technology but at a starting price of £999 I feel it’s about £100 too much.
FaceID
I’m glad to be back on TouchID with my iPhone 7. I can unlock the iPhone as I’m getting it out of my pocket, it doesn’t demand my attention. I also don’t miss swiping up from the bottom to get to the home screen. Call me paranoid but I also wasn’t comfortable being blasted in IR multiple times a day, it’s a small amount but there isn’t any good reporting on the effect of IR blasts into your eyes yet. Generally I feel that it doesn’t do any long term damage but after experiencing some dry eye I thought it couldn’t be helping.I really don’t miss FaceID or Animoji.
That bar at the bottom
Pretty much all the time there is a bar at the bottom of the screen to indicate you can swipe on it. I’m sure it’ll get fixed in iOS 12 but I find it annoying.
RSI
I experienced some shoulder pain using it over this period, maybe due to extra weight. In hand was fine, much better than a Plus for me.
In hand
It feels delicate and more slippery than the jet black 7. After using it for a while I think it’s the sides that make it slippery rather than the back. You need to be a fan of cases, I’m not.
It was only about the camera
Turns out the most enjoyable element of the iPhone X was the dual lens camera. I used zoom and portrait mode a lot and it was something I missed on my iPhone 7 having used a plus for a period of time. Aside from portrait I didn’t feel the shots were noticeably better than my iPhone 7. Low light still sucks and I could get closer if I wanted a zoom. At the end of the day I was paying £1380 for a camera update, more than I paid for my Canon 70D + lens.
Navigating iOS
I never fully took on board the new gestures. I hated closing apps, it was slower. App switching using 3D Touch on the edge of the screen feels more natural to me on my iPhone 7. I felt I was less efficient on my iPhone X. I’m sure over time I’d adjust and will have to if I want to use iOS going forward but I’m just not there yet.
What next?
I’m at a point where I might have bought my last iPhone. More than likely the entire range will adopt FaceID over the next two years and I’m not sure how I feel about that. I like my home button and TouchID. The iPhone 7 is still a great iPhone and an even better price now, especially in the used market.You might call me old fashioned but I hope Apple keeps TouchID on at least one model for a while yet.So whilst a marvel of technology that comes at a price the iPhone X just isn’t for me at this point in time. I’ll miss the camera and larger display but I feel at home on my iPhone 7. I feel efficient and comfortable, it’s where I want to be right now.
