Duuuude, if you haven’t heard enough criticism about how much the iPhone X is going to cost, buckle up. Apple’s newest product is even more expensive in other countries. I mean yeah, it’s a computer and a phone and a gaming device in your pocket. But it’s also priced starting at a bit over $1000 in U.S., and the price just keeps rising as you look at other countries.
Is this hefty price worth what the Ten has to offer? Based on the promotions, the camera features alone might make the newest member of the iPhone family a worthwhile purchase for photographers who want pocket-sized cameras.
I felt slimy for the amount I paid to replace my iPhone 5 after drowning it. And yes, functional iPhone 5s still exist for purchase in 2017, but you can no longer find cases for them in physical stores. Disclaimer: since the 5’s release in 2012, I have refused to upgrade or get any other phone.
“I’m not a 5 fanboy, I’m just resistant to change.”
Since I have no context for Apple’s recent models, I may be too easily impressed with the X’s offerings. But man does it look cool. This is the first iPhone to offer an edge-to-edge screen, OLED technology, Face ID sensors, and wireless charging. Plus, there are three cameras built into the thing.
The X includes two rear cameras, a wide-angle and telephoto, both with optical image stabilization (OIS). OIS allows for better low lighting pictures, and new image compression technology halves file sizes. The wide-angle camera has an ƒ/1.8 six-element lens and a speedy 12MP sensor, while the telephoto utilizes a seven-magnet solution ƒ/2.4 camera.
For context, purchasing an f/1.8 lens alone will cost you at least $125, and f/2.4 lenses start around $400 at the cheapest.
That’s not including the camera itself, or any other lenses you might want. So at bare minimum, I figure at least half of the phone’s cost could be attributed to the upgraded rear cameras.
For the front-facing, there’s now Portrait Lighting, a beta feature for “studio-quality light effects,” utilizing depth-sensing cameras and facial mapping. Portrait Lighting sharpens focus on the subject, blurring backgrounds for professional looking studio shots.
Read also: Has production of the iPhone X even begun yet!?
Oh, and there’s also image signal processors to detect motion, lighting conditions, and other people in the scene to optimize photos, plus pixel processing, faster autofocus, and improved HDR. Plus, new filters, live photo editor, and animojis add some fun to the pictures.
Factoring in the cameras along with the processing power of the rest of the phone for games and apps, it makes sense that the X costs a stupid amount of money. It’s a tiny computer in your pocket. But tiny things break, and phones go out of style as newer upgrades are introduced.
As someone who killed two phones in water-related incidents within the span of a few months, expensive electronics are not really meant for me. However, the iPhone X is splash, water, and dust resistant. I mean, don’t abuse it, but a spilled drink or quick dunk in the pool no longer mean a death sentence for your phone.
However, Apple is still pushing those trash AirPod headphones, so even if I felt like emptying my savings account, it certainly won’t be on the iPhone X for this reason alone.
Update: An iPhone X has been spotted in the wild, video below
