Are those angels I hear singing on this beautiful day, Tuesday, Sept. 12? Maybe they are, or maybe they're just my inner squeals, because the Apple iPhone X features were announced at the brand new Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California. Yes, my dear Apple addicts, that means we needn't rely on the rumor mill any longer. Apple is releasing iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X ahead of the holidays.
The innovative tech brand put any and all speculation to rest when CEO Tim Cook and his colleagues took the stage to debut the surprise iPhone X. As anticipated, the new phone is set to retail for a lofty $999 (yep, the same price as a Macbook Air), but its mind-blowing features — i.e. facial recognition — just might be worth the luxe price tag. Come Friday, Oct. 27, it'll be available for pre-order.
In a press release uploaded to the Apple Newsroom following the enlightening keynote presentation, Apple's chief design officer Jony Ive explained the motivation behind the futuristic new device. Ive said in a statement,
For more than a decade, our intention has been to create an iPhone that is all display. The iPhone X is the realization of that vision. With the introduction of iPhone ten years ago, we revolutionized the mobile phone with Multi-Touch. iPhone X marks a new era for iPhone — one in which the device disappears into the experience.
What's New
The all-glass iPhone X is loaded with groundbreaking features tech fans are sure to appreciate. However, its sleek appearance ensures it looks great, too. It's reinforced with a surgical-grade stainless steel band, so you're going to love holding it. Speaking of newness, let's breakdown what's to come, per Apple's keynote and handy press release.
1. OLED Technology With Super Retina Display
The iPhone X edge-to-edge design is a first for Apple. The 5.8-inch Super Retina display offers users the clearest picture yet.
2. No Home Screen Button
As many previously speculated, the iPhone X does not have a home button. Instead, you can literally swipe up to get to the home screen. While not having a button will take getting used to, you have to admit it looks so, so sleek without it. Apple has a series of "fluid gestures" that will act in place of your normal home button taps.
3. Face ID
Sans home button, iPhone X's edge-to-edge display is able to focus on your face instead of your fingertips. Apple confirmed the new phone's facial recognition technology using a TrueDepth camera. Here's how it works, according to their press release:
Face ID projects more than 30,000 invisible IR dots. The IR image and dot pattern are pushed through neural networks to create a mathematical model of your face and send the data to the secure enclave to confirm a match, while adapting to physical changes in appearance over time. All saved facial information is protected by the secure enclave to keep data extremely secure, while all of the processing is done on-device and not in the cloud to protect user privacy.
Translation: Your iPhone X unlocks when you look at it. Amazing!
4. Portrait Lighting On Both The Front And Back Cameras
That 7-megapixel camera that makes Face ID a possibility also makes for some seriously professional looking selfies, while the 12-megapixel rear-facing camera is basically a compact DSLR with legit apertures, color filters, and a quad LED True Tone Flash. We're all photographers now, y'all. Video-wise, the cameras can also shoot in 4K.
5. Animojis
Another confirmed rumor is the addition of pre-installed Animojis (aka animated emojis). Using the aforementioned cameras, users can animate their emojis to mimic their facial movements and even record voice messages — all within the iMessage app. Compatible emojis include the unicorn (OMG!), panda, poop (yes, really), and more.
6. Wireless Charging And A Longer Battery Life
In addition to all their other product launches, Apple announced their wireless charging pad, AirPower, on Friday, Sept. 12. It won't be available until 2018, but the announcement foreshadows the future of charging as Apple sees it: Wireless.
Though AirPower won't be out by the time iPhone Xs start shipping on Nov. 3, 2017, the wireless charging component is compatible with similar mats from Belkin and mophie, Apple said. Though you might not need to charge up as much as you used to, because the iPhone X comes with two extra hours of battery life!
It's safe to say Apple has really outdone itself with this surprise device. As a reminder, you'll be able to pre-order the iPhone X on Oct. 27. It retails for $999 and will ship on Nov. 3 — just in time for the holidays.
