iPhone X Series
The iPhone X Series is a groundbreaking collection within Apple's smartphone lineup, introduced as part of Apple Inc.'s tenth anniversary of the iPhone. Notably characterized by its full-screen design and the introduction of Face ID, the series marked a significant shift in Apple's smartphone design and technology.
iPhone X
Launched in 2017, the iPhone X was the pioneer model in the X series. It introduced a bezel-less display and the replacement of the Home Button with the innovative Face ID technology for biometric authentication. The phone featured a Super Retina OLED display, a first for iPhones, providing significant enhancements in color accuracy and contrast.
Specifications
The iPhone X, with its A11 Bionic chip, delivered unprecedented power and intelligence, facilitating faster processing and improved efficiency. It supported wireless charging, a feature enabled by its glass back. The device was initially available in space gray and silver, but a planned gold version was never released publicly.
Camera and Features
The iPhone X introduced a dual-camera system with 12-megapixel sensors, featuring a wide-angle and a telephoto lens. The telephoto lens allowed for 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom, including optical image stabilization. While the iPhone X supported features like Portrait Mode and Animoji, it lacked the Smart HDR and Night Mode which would later be introduced in its successors.
Software and Updates
Initially shipped with iOS 11, the iPhone X supports iOS versions up to iOS 16. It does not support iOS 17 and higher, which has been a point of contention among users due to its near-identical hardware to the seventh-generation iPad, which supports later iOS versions.
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
The successors to the iPhone X, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, were released in 2018. They included improvements in their A12 Bionic chip and offered enhanced camera capabilities. These models featured a new Gold color option alongside the existing color options.
Both models maintained the design ethos of the iPhone X, with the larger iPhone XS Max offering a more expansive display. Enhanced water resistance and extended battery life were notable improvements over the original iPhone X.
Notable Innovations
The iPhone X series was instrumental in mainstreaming features such as Face ID, which replaced the traditional Touch ID fingerprint sensor. Face ID operates by projecting and analyzing over 30,000 invisible dots to create a precise depth map of the face, offering high security and user convenience.
The series also introduced the 120 Hz touch-sampling rate, double that of previous models, although it did not incorporate the ProMotion technology, which offers variable refresh rates, found in the iPad Pro series.
Critique and Reception
The iPhone X series was highly praised for its design, display, and innovative features. However, Face ID received criticism for its limited range, requiring users to hold the phone between 25-50 centimeters from their face.