iPhone X

[marylander1940]

That’s so Apple (AAPL), right!? Charging a grand for a 64-gigabyte phone? Or $1,150 for a 256-gig one? (Actually, Samsung started it—with its $960 Galaxy Note S8.)

 

Fortunately, if you’ve been thinking it’s time for a new iPhone, the iPhone X is not your only option. Apple also released two other models Tuesday, the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. They offer better cameras and faster chips (than last year’s phones), and also permit pad charging. But they lack the OLED technology and the edge-to-edge screen—and cost $700 and up.

 

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s grand unveiling took place at the new Apple campus in Cupertino—the enormous, still unfinished “spaceship” ring. It was the first event Apple has held in the mind-blowingly beautiful Steve Jobs theater.

 

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/999-eyebrow-raising-iphone-x-david-pogues-hands-review-010122923.html

There’s no home button, with Apple instead using a new 3D scanning system, called Face ID, that unlocks your phone display using facial recognition. There’s also a new A11 Bionic processor that’s more powerful than the previous generation chip, support for wireless charging, and a new animated emoji feature for messaging. The cameras are also upgraded, with dual 12-megapixel rear cameras with dual optical image stabilization, and an improved front camera that supported portrait mode, too. On the battery front, Apple says that the iPhone X will last up to two hours longer than the iPhone 7.

[MikeyGMin]

Yeah. I'm not really impressed. The only thing that interests me is the wireless charging and that's not worth the price. I am going to pick up a 7 when they lower the prices though.

[+ Charlie]

What happens if I get reconstructive surgery?

[GeneKlein]

What happens if I get reconstructive surgery?

 

You shell out another grand for a new one.

 

Seriously though, at what point will people complain enough that Apple and Samsung will cap their prices? 1k for some minor gimmicks is mind boggling. We've yet to hit the point where something truly revolutionary has been released.

[+ pitman]

Anyone who gets excited about such trivial enhancements seriously needs to get a life.

[+ oldNbusted]

The press coverage of this launch is beyond terrible. You would hardly have any idea they also offer 5 or 6 other models covering the price range all the way down to $350. If you just read the lede, you would conclude that the new starting price for any iPhone was $1K.

 

Most tech reporters are giving most sports reporters competition for worst embarrassments to journalism. There are plenty of valid criticisms to level at Apple (Why is Siri still so stupid after all these years? Why has retail store staff knowledge deteriorated so much? What does Eddie Cue actually do? ) but they usually require some nuance to describe, so don't work with modern provocative news practices where everything is BREAKING NEWS.

[+ OliverSaks]

Yeah. I'm not really impressed. The only thing that interests me is the wireless charging and that's not worth the price. I am going to pick up a 7 when they lower the prices though.

Wireless charging...

(On a charging pad that has to be wired... jeebus people!)

[+ oldNbusted]

Wireless charging...

(On a charging pad that has to be wired... jeebus people!)

 

Sure, but you only have to plug the pad in once, not every night. Having watched many people struggle to get plugged in and then forget to unplug and looking for a cord that hasn't been frayed into uselessness, this is a nice to have feature.

 

But this is an example of another issue for telling the story of development of the iPhone over the last decade. I do think that is easy to dismiss how hard it is to sustain progress as Apple has done, which I think is best summed up by the phrase relentless incrementalism. I could only imagine the apocalyptic news coverage if an entire iPhone generation had to be recalled as happened to the Galaxy Note 7.

 

This is in the face of an issue of scale. If Apple wants to include a component in the iPhone, they have to be able to reliably acquire something like 100 million of them in a year. That's a lot. To some extent, the iPhone X may help address this because it can include more advance technology that isn't yet able to scale up to the mainstream iPhone models. The rumor is iPhone X production is limited to about 10K a day, so likely only a few million a year can be made. This might help them work out issues in scaling up production for the advanced technology.

[+ Tarte Gogo]

Interesting: In many states, when arrested, the cops are not allowed to force you to open your phone if it is locked by password or fingerprint. But if it is unlocked, they are allowed to look at any data and use it to charge you.

 

But if you have setup face recognition unlock, they could just go: "sir is this your phone?" and point it at you face to show it to you, then it unlocks automatically and they can just check all your communications.

[+ oldNbusted]

Interesting: In many states, when arrested, the cops are not allowed to force you to open your phone if it is locked by password or fingerprint. But if it is unlocked, they are allowed to look at any data and use it to charge you.

 

But if you have setup face recognition unlock, they could just go: "sir is this your phone?" and point it at you face to show it to you, then it unlocks automatically and they can just check all your communications.

 

This is not quite true, they can compel you to unlock with your fingerprint, so Face ID is no different from Touch ID in that regard.

[+ Tarte Gogo]

This is not quite true, they can compel you to unlock with your fingerprint, so Face ID is no different from Touch ID in that regard.

Can they? Ouch, that's a breach of privacy I would not have allowed as a legislator.

 

Hmm, maybe people should switch their phone to pure passcode. At least you can just answer "Miranda rights" if they ask you to open your phone.

[abc645351]

You can also just turn off the phone. After it turns back on it will need to be unlocked with the passcode for the first time before you can use Touch ID or Face ID

[+ oldNbusted]

Can they? Ouch, that's a breach of privacy I would not have allowed as a legislator.

 

Hmm, maybe people should switch their phone to pure passcode. At least you can just answer "Miranda rights" if they ask you to open your phone.

 

It appears to be based on the idea that external info is not privileged, like your fingerprints, while your password is something you know in your private thoughts. I'm not a lawyer, so I find this distinction to be cutting it a little fine.

 

Having said that, the concept that your password is privileged is under attack right now in a case in Philly. Eventually, it's going to take legislation to address this and I can only hope it comes down on the side of privacy being a right.

[rvwnsd]

Wireless charging...

(On a charging pad that has to be wired... jeebus people!)

I had a Palm Pre back in 2009 that did this.

[MikeyGMin]

Sure, but you only have to plug the pad in once, not every night. Having watched many people struggle to get plugged in and then forget to unplug and looking for a cord that hasn't been frayed into uselessness, this is a nice to have feature.

I agree. I can see having the pad on my nightstand where I place my phone at night and much of the time when I'm at home. It's a trivial thing, but it would be nice to just set it down and know that it's charging. However, I can't tell from the pictures, and haven't done a ton of reading, whether they have eliminated the lightning port. I'm assuming yes because they are touting that the phone is more water resistant and I believe that port has been the Achilles heel of the phone when it comes to water damage. If that's the case, the wireless charging could actually be inconvenient at times. I know that there are many times when my battery is almost gone and I am using the phone while it is plugged in and charging.

[+ oldNbusted]

I agree. I can see having the pad on my nightstand where I place my phone at night and much of the time when I'm at home. It's a trivial thing, but it would be nice to just set it down and know that it's charging. However, I can't tell from the pictures, and haven't done a ton of reading, whether they have eliminated the lightning port. I'm assuming yes because they are touting that the phone is more water resistant and I believe that port has been the Achilles heel of the phone when it comes to water damage. If that's the case, the wireless charging could actually be inconvenient at times. I know that there are many times when my battery is almost gone and I am using the phone while it is plugged in and charging.

 

Waterproofing isn't like it used to be. At one time there was a service you could send your solid state iPod shuffle to that would waterproof it in such a way you could swim with it. It's just tricky to integrate that into a production process expected to spit out half a millions phones a day...

 

The lightning port is still there and they are saying if you buy a USB-C charger (cha-ching!), the new models can be charged to 50% in 30 min.

[+ ArVaGuy]

As a consumer there's no way I'd pay $1,000 plus for a cell phone. As an Apple stockholder, I hope they sell millions of them.

[Kevin Slater]

“Apple is so ahead of the curve that the iPhone 8 is outdated before it’s even available.” The Onion

 

Kevin Slater

[escortrod]

You shell out another grand for a new one.

 

Seriously though, at what point will people complain enough that Apple and Samsung will cap their prices? 1k for some minor gimmicks is mind boggling. We've yet to hit the point where something truly revolutionary has been released.

Complaints about price won't achieve anything. People not buying the devices would, however. But why bother capping prices? You can buy an SE for $350, so it's not like Apple is forcing people to spend $1k on a cell phone. (Obviously there are other brands around too).

[+ oldNbusted]

Complaints about price won't achieve anything. People not buying the devices would, however. But why bother capping prices? You can buy an SE for $350, so it's not like Apple is forcing people to spend $1k on a cell phone. (Obviously there are other brands around too).

 

Spot on and Apple is painfully aware of how quickly market share can be taken away. After all, they just did it in the last decade, check out this Forbes cover from Nov. 2007, after the original iPhone was released:

 

 

[+ ArVaGuy]

Here's a thought. The complaints in this thread regarding Apple's $1000 iPhone X are the equivalent to similar comments about escort rates.

 

"I'd never pay $200 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $250 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $300 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $350 an hour to hire an escort."

 

Just saying.

[+ oldNbusted]

Here's a thought. The complaints in this thread regarding Apple's $1000 iPhone X are the equivalent to similar comments about escort rates.

 

"I'd never pay $200 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $250 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $300 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $350 an hour to hire an escort."

 

Just saying.

 

 

I've paid all of those rates. No wonder I like the iPhone.

[Kevin Slater]

Here's a thought. The complaints in this thread regarding Apple's $1000 iPhone X are the equivalent to similar comments about escort rates.

 

"I'd never pay $200 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $250 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $300 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $350 an hour to hire an escort."

 

Just saying.

 

"He's the SE of escorts."

 

Kevin Slater

[escortrod]

"He's the SE of escorts."

 

Kevin Slater

I'd happily be the SE of escorts, but for me the SE is the best iPhone.

[MikeBiDude]

Here's a thought. The complaints in this thread regarding Apple's $1000 iPhone X are the equivalent to similar comments about escort rates.

 

"I'd never pay $200 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $250 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $300 an hour to hire an escort."

 

"I'd never pay $350 an hour to hire an escort."

 

Just saying.

*exactly*