iPhone X

[skyscraper101]

The truth is they're running out of cool things to make you want to upgrade a phone now. Stuff like talking emoji, face recognition, and edge to edge screens aren't things that massively improve a user experience. The last decent incentives were the phablet plus size iPhone models, and the two cameras on the 7 Plus to create depth effect photos.

There is literally nothing on offer here with these phones which I have either wanted or needed. I'd rather spend less money on the new Apple Watch 3 which has a better reason to buy one now it has cellular connectivity. I don't hugely want one but it's still a much better upgrade than anything currently on offer with the iPhone.

 

[editor]

Like their face recognition demo?

I don't care who's doing it, but I think face recognition would be a major pain in the arse if that's the only unlocking means. Shame Apple don't use this method:

Considering that people wake up their phones dozens or even hundreds of times a day, all the moments you spend unlocking your device really add up. The Galaxy Note 8, like every other Android 7-powered device, allows you to designate certain locations as Trusted places using the "Smart lock" feature.

So you can make sure that, when it's in your house, you don't need to unlock

 

[skyscraper101]

I don't care who's doing it, but I think face recognition would be a major pain in the arse if that's the only unlocking means. Shame Apple don't use this method:

Considering that people wake up their phones dozens or even hundreds of times a day, all the moments you spend unlocking your device really add up. The Galaxy Note 8, like every other Android 7-powered device, allows you to designate certain locations as Trusted places using the "Smart lock" feature.

So you can make sure that, when it's in your house, you don't need to unlock

That's exactly why you don't want to have to keep holding the screen up so the camera points at your face everytime. It's a massive ball ache compared to before when you could unlock the phone holding it in any position you like. Or not holding it at all. I doubt I even unlock mine even 50% of the time while looking directly at the camera. I quite often don't even pick it up to unlock it. It sits on my desk and I press a finger onto it to read something at an angle.

It will take some readjustment to get used to face unlock, and I predict many people will start to miss the old convenience of the home button.

 

[2hats]

Shame Apple don't use this method:

Which is fine provided you can really trust everyone in said location (largely why I've never enabled it on my phone).

 

[EastEnder]

Useful & informative:

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I'd rather spend less money on the new Apple Watch 3 which has a better reason to buy one now it has cellular connectivity. I don't hugely want one but it's still a much better upgrade than anything currently on offer with the iPhone.

So you'd need to take out a new phone contract just for a bloody watch?

 

[EastEnder]

So you'd need to take out a new phone contract just for a bloody watch?

Money is no object to the faithful.

 

[skyscraper101]

So you'd need to take out a new phone contract just for a bloody watch?

Details are thin right now but I think it'd more likely be an addon price to an existing contract, if you wanted additional 'cellular' options. EE say £5 a month (per below). I'm yet to be convinced that I want one mind, but that was the biggest feature missing from previous generations of iWatch in my opinion so if I was to get one, I would only get a cellular one. It's good to see you can now have a standalone device which can still take calls and texts if you want to leave your phone somewhere (i.e. if out running or swimming or something).

 

[editor]

Details are thin right now but I think it'd more likely be an addon price to an existing contract, if you wanted additional 'cellular' options. EE say £5 a month (per below). I'm yet to be convinced that I want one mind, but that was the biggest feature missing from previous generations of iWatch in my opinion so if I was to get one, I would only get a cellular one. So its good to see you can now have a standalone device which can still take calls and texts if you want to leave your phone somewhere (i.e. if out running or swimming or something).

I can take calls on my watch. But it's not something I'd ever want to do publicly. It only comes in handy when my phone rings when I'm at home and I can't find the thing. If you want connectivity when you're out running, it's hardly a major hassle just to shove the phone in your bag/pouch/strap it on your arm or whatever.

 

[skyscraper101]

I can take calls on my watch. But it's not something I'd ever want to do publicly. It only comes in handy when my phone rings when I'm at home and I can't find the thing. If you want connectivity when you're out running, it's hardly a major hassle just to shove the phone in your bag/pouch/strap it on your arm or whatever.

I sort of agree, much as I like the option of being able to use that function, I'm not sure how much I'd really use it in real life.

I do like the idea that I could leave a phone at home and go swimming or whatever and take a call in the pool, but then how often does that happen. And I'm so used to taking my phone everywhere anyway, I don't know why I'd leave a phone at home much.

 

[editor]

I sort of agree, much as I like the option of being able to use that function, I'm not sure how much I'd really use it in real life.

I do like the idea that I could leave a phone at home and go swimming or whatever and take a call in the pool, but then how often does that happen. And I'm so used to taking my phone everywhere anyway, I don't know why I'd leave a phone at home much.

If a real emergency cropped up when I was out, I don't think I'd want to be trying to attend to it with just a watch, no matter how connected it was.

 

[editor]

Here's the world wide prices:

Australia: $1,266

Canada: $1,082

China: $1,285

France: $1,387

Germany: $1,375

Hong Kong: $1,099

India: $1,391

Ireland: $1,410

Italy: $1,423

Japan: $1,024

Mexico: $1,325

New Zealand: $1,311

Russia: $1,387

Singapore: $1,224

United Kingdom: $1,327

What the iPhone X costs around the world

 

[Magnus McGinty]

I've never been convinced by the watch. The phone already does everything and better bar reading my heartbeat.

 

[cybershot]

The watch series 3 appealed to me for the first time, but I've not worn a watch since the first mobile phone I had in 1998. So I'm probably not going to start now. I've never really enjoyed wearing a watch, i just find them cumbersome and in the way.

 

[chilango]

Details are thin right now but I think it'd more likely be an addon price to an existing contract, if you wanted additional 'cellular' options. EE say £5 a month (per below). I'm yet to be convinced that I want one mind, but that was the biggest feature missing from previous generations of iWatch in my opinion so if I was to get one, I would only get a cellular one. It's good to see you can now have a standalone device which can still take calls and texts if you want to leave your phone somewhere (i.e. if out running or swimming or something).

I'd be very interesting in adding a watch to my new deal when I negotiate it. As I've said elsewhere its the GPS (and fitness) function that interests me. Not bothered about taking calls etc. But being able to ping my location to people would be handy.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Using the watch as a gps and heart rate tracker for Starva whilst cycling is about the only remotely appealing fucntion for me. And I can do both of those better with a proper dedicated bike head unit from Garmin or Wahoo.

I still stand by my first impressions of it and smart watches in general - they're the answer to a question nobody asked. One of those ideas that should be useful but in reality is far too constrained by the form factor.

 

[editor]

Using the watch as a gps and heart rate tracker for Starva whilst cycling is about the only remotely appealing fucntion for me. And I can do both of those better with a proper dedicated bike head unit from Garmin or Wahoo.

I still stand by my first impressions of it and smart watches in general - they're the answer to a question nobody asked. One of those ideas that should be useful but in reality is far too constrained by the form factor.

Some people find them useful even if you don't.

 

[2hats]

Using the watch as a gps and heart rate tracker for Starva whilst cycling

I think you should probably eat at sensible times in conjunction with exercising for optimal outcome.

 

[beesonthewhatnow]

Some people find them useful even if you don't.

I don't doubt that, but everything I've been shown seems to be a compromise and fairly clunky.

"Being able to quickly check a text message" is about the one things that works. Well, whoop de fucking do. This is hardly groundbreaking stuff.

It's annoying because I want a smart watch to work. It's techy and scfi and something as a kid you imagined the future would have. But here we are and they're basically rubbish.

 

[editor]

I don't doubt that, but everything I've been shown seems to be a compromise and fairly clunky.

"Being able to quickly check a text message" is about the one things that works. Well, whoop de fucking do. This is hardly groundbreaking stuff.

It's more groundbreaking than being able to pull a stupid face at a phone to get an emoji or, in the case of the new iPhone, more convenient than having to pull the phone out of your pocket and line it up to your face before you can access the content.

I like the fact I can switch tracks from my watch, use it as a more accurate fitness checker, get Uber info and lots of other relatively minor, but useful updates. Moreover I like the look of my watch which - to my eyes - is far more attractive than Apple's rectangular effort, being of a conventional round format with rotating bezel.

 

[cybershot]

It's more groundbreaking than being able to pull a stupid face at a phone to get an emoji or, in the case of the new iPhone, more convenient than having to pull the phone out of your pocket and line it up to your face before you can access the content.

I like the fact I can switch tracks from my watch, use it as a more accurate fitness checker, get Uber info and lots of other relatively minor, but useful updates. Moreover I like the look of my watch which - to my eyes - is far more attractive than Apple's rectangular effort, being of a conventional round format with rotating bezel.

So you don't look at your phone to look at what content is on the screen? Eh!!

At the moment, I pick up my phone, I have to press the unlock button and hold my finger on it to unlock it. On the X, I touch the screen anywhere and when i look at the screen, it unlocks. I don't have to line it up from what I understand.

Ok it's not groundbreaking, but it's certainly more convenient.

 

[skyscraper101]

So you don't look at your phone to look at what content is on the screen? Eh!!

At the moment, I pick up my phone, I have to press the unlock button and hold my finger on it to unlock it. On the X, I touch the screen anywhere and when i look at the screen, it unlocks. I don't have to line it up from what I understand.

Ok it's not groundbreaking, but it's certainly more convenient.

Surely you have to line the camera up somehow so it can look at your face. Looking at the screen won't be enough because you can see the screen from all angles but the camera won't necessarily be able to see your face. That's where I foresee massive grumbles because you're going to have to physically position your phone in a certain way just to unlock it now. And if you unlock your phone dozens of times a day, this will turn into a huge inconvenience.

 

[editor]

So you don't look at your phone to look at what content is on the screen? Eh!!

At the moment, I pick up my phone, I have to press the unlock button and hold my finger on it to unlock it. On the X, I touch the screen anywhere and when i look at the screen, it unlocks. I don't have to line it up from what I understand.

Ok it's not groundbreaking, but it's certainly more convenient.

You haven't read the context of my post. I was comparing it to reading a message on my watch, which doesn't involve any pulling out of phones from pockets and then having to line up my face to unlock it and read the message.

And if I'm on my Android phone and in a trusted zone I don't even have to unlock the thing. Heck, I can even glance it from an angle which wouldn't work with the X.

 

[EastEnder]

So you don't look at your phone to look at what content is on the screen? Eh!!

At the moment, I pick up my phone, I have to press the unlock button and hold my finger on it to unlock it. On the X, I touch the screen anywhere and when i look at the screen, it unlocks. I don't have to line it up from what I understand.

Ok it's not groundbreaking, but it's certainly more convenient.

Do you have to have your eyes open for the face ID thingy to unlock your iphone? If someone was asleep, their iphone carelessly left by their side, could I nick it, point it at their ugly mug & then go on an ipay spreading spree? Or would it be more of a Face Off scenario, involving chloroform, amateur surgery & a willing "face mask" recipient?

 

[cybershot]

Surely you have to line the camera up somehow so it can look at your face. Looking at the screen won't be enough because you can see the screen from all angles but the camera won't necessarily be able to see your face. That's where I foresee massive grumbles because you're going to have to physically position your phone in a certain way just to unlock it now. And if you unlock your phone dozens of times a day, this will turn into a huge inconvenience.

I've been watching demo videos, this is prob the best one I can find where the guy is clearly not holding it up to his face at all, and got it the normal position you'd have your phone when you look at it.

 

[cybershot]

Do you have to have your eyes open for the face ID thingy to unlock your iphone? If someone was asleep, their iphone carelessly left by their side, could I nick it, point it at their ugly mug & then go on an ipay spreading spree? Or would it be more of a Face Off scenario, involving chloroform, amateur surgery & a willing "face mask" recipient?

Your eyes have to be open. Masks and photos don't work. Apparently. I'm sure plenty tech sites will try and figure out a way once it's launched. All about the clicks innit.

Bendgate guy is now a millionaire from his YouTube channel.

 

[skyscraper101]

I've been watching demo videos, this is prob the best one I can find where the guy is clearly not holding it up to his face at all, and got it the normal position you'd have your phone when you look at it.

It's really hard to tell what he's doing, but its clear to me he's holding it pointing towards him which is already rubbish because most of the time I unlock my phone I am not doing that, if I'm holding it at all. As I said, I often have it sat on my desk facing the ceiling and I unlock it with a fingerprint. Having to pick it up everytime I want to look at it would be a huge PITA.

 

[cybershot]

It's really hard to tell what he's doing, but its clear to me he's holding it pointing towards him which is already rubbish because most of the time I unlock my phone I am not doing that, if I'm holding it at all. As I said, I often have it sat on my desk facing the ceiling and I unlock it with a fingerprint. Having to pick it up everytime I want to look at it would be a huge PITA.

On the 3 instances he uses face ID, he doesn't lift it up, only when doing the crappy emoji thing.

With you on that one re at desk, you can still unlock it with a code too! So no need to pick it up, but still extra faff of pressing digits.

 

[skyscraper101]

With you on that one, you can still unlock it with a code too! So no need to pick it up, but still extra faff of pressing digits.

So then thats at least four key taps in different parts of the screen (unless you have all digits the same) instead of just one tap on the home button

Also Apple pay sounds way more complicated now...

Here's how you'll use Apple Pay without Touch ID on the iPhone X

Specifically, you'll tap the button on the side of the iPhone X twice and then look at the phone. At that point, assuming Face ID doesn't glitch out on you, you'll put the phone near the terminal in question, much as you did before.

I'd love to see that during the rush hour commute on the tube.

All this for some edge to edge display which nobody was really crying out for.

 

[cybershot]

I'll give you all an honest opinion when I use it. But you'll be waiting a while, finding out if we'll even be able to get them in here for launch, and our guy don't know. It's unlikely as we tend to have to wait an age for a Macbook Pro to arrive anyway, Apples way of channeling stock in this country is a joke!

Tbh Apple Pay the way it is now is already a PITA. More often than not I end up unlocking the phone rather than starting the apple pay process, and have to say sorry, lock the phone again, and hope i don't balls it up a second time. Pressing a button that doesn't unlock the phone in the first place, would have been a better way of implementing it from the start, and then pressing the touch ID.

And again, you're looking at your phone already as you do all this, so I can't see it being a problem, unless as above, it decides to crap out on you. For the most part I can't be arsed with it anyway and just get my wallet out.