Apple unveils iPhone X, 8 and 8 Plus
Apple has officially launched its new flagship smartphone, the iPhone X (pronounced “ten”), at its California campus. The device features an all-glass design with an edge-to-edge display. Facial recognition software unlocks the phone, which also charges wirelessly.
At the same time, Apple announced its iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, two new smartphones that feature 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens respectively. The two devices also boast wireless charging and an all-glass design.
iPhone X
The iPhone X commemorates the tenth anniversary of Apple’s first iPhone and offers new technology and a radical redesign. The phone features a 5.8-inch OLED screen that extends entirely across the face of the phone.
To provide space for the edge-to-edge display, Apple has replaced the home button with facial recognition software called Face ID, which lets users unlock the phone. To ensure that this feature works when light is low, the phone incorporates a specialised infrared camera.
The facial recognition software also allows users to authenticate Apple Pay and create customised animated emojis called animojis. Users can scan their faces with the facial recognition software and design animojis that match their facial expressions in short laminated videos.
The phone will also incorporate Apple’s new iOS 11 operating system, which features a new control centre and the ability to make peer-to-peer payments with Apple Pay. The operating system is also designed with Apple’s ARKit framework, allowing iPhone X users to superimpose videos and virtual images onto real-world items.
Prices for the iPhone X in the UK begin at £999 for the 64GB model and increase up to £1,149 for the 256GB version. The available colours are silver and space grey. Apple will begin accepting pre-orders from 27th October and will begin shipping on 3rd November.
iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus
Apple’s iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus upgrade some of the principal features of their predecessors introduced in 2016, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus.
The phones have glass on both the front and back, and they are available in blush gold, space grey and silver. The upgraded speakers are 25% louder than their predecessors and project a deeper bass sound.
Both phones include an HD retina display and a 12MP camera that is calibrated for augmented reality and features a new colour filter, deeper pixels and a new sensor. The phones are powered with a faster all-bionic chip and incorporate Apple’s new iOS 11 operating system.
The two new smartphones support wireless chargers that use the Qi standard, and they also support Apple’s Airpower wireless charger, which it plans to introduce sometime next year.
The 64GB version of the iPhone 8 costs £699, while prices for the 64GB version of the iPhone 8 Plus begin at £799. 256GB models for both phones will also be available. Pre-orders will be accepted from 15th September, with shipping beginning on 22nd September.
When Apple announced its three new iPhone models, it also unveiled updates to the Apple TV 4K and the Apple Watch.