APPLE PICKING
Apple iPhone X on sale NOW! UK price, iPhone 8 comparison and new features explained
THE NEW generation of iPhones have been unveiled and tech fans are finally getting their mitts on the latest offerings from Apple.
The iconic device has been given a spruce up to mark the 10th anniversary of the iPhone, but what features does the iPhone X have? We've got all the details...
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When was the iPhone X released and how much does it cost?
Apple revealed the iPhone X on September 12 at 10am eastern time - 6pm in the UK.
The Californian firm unleashed the brand new product at a glittering ceremony held in its new "spaceship" headquarters.
The iPhone X was available to order in the US from October 27 and costs $1,000 in the States, which equates to about £750, but is being marketed in the UK at an eye-watering £999.
That's twice the price of the original model that was launched ten years ago.
The tech giant's chief executive Tim Cook said the latest flagship handset was a milestone for the company a decade after the first iPhone was released.
But tech fans face a wait before they can snap up the new design as it will not ship until later this year.
Devices have been available for pre-orders from October 27 and went on general release from yesterday (Friday, November 3).
Related: iPhone 9
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What are the features of the iPhone X?
A big new feature of the iPhone X is a system called "Face ID" that lets you unlock your handset using your face.
Apple claims Face ID can’t be fooled in any way, meaning you won’t be able to get into someone’s phone by scanning a photo of them.
You’ll need to upload a picture of your face which will be stored on your phone - not Apple's servers - hopefully satisfying those with Big Brother fears about the company keeping a database of everyone's selfies.
Apple promised there’s a one-in-a-million chance of the someone else unlocking your phone with their face.
Another major attraction for the pricey device is an exciting new front-rear 3D camera that can do all sorts of imaginative things with your face.
The facial recognition sensors can animate the emojis you send in messages, meaning your adorable panda picture can actually read out your words and move its lips.
These are known as Animojis and replicate your expression on an emoji.
The iPhone X, as well as the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, will have wireless charging - with the X also boasting increased battery life and a A11 Bionic chip, which motors along at 2.4GHz.
Apple owners will have to juice up their batteries using a wireless charging pad, called AirPower and can charge the iPhone, Apple Watch and Airpods all at once.
Unfortunately, AirPower isn't available yet, but you can still use standard charging pads to juice your batteries.
The iPhone X tech features and specs
The iPhone X
- All glass design
- 5.8-inch Super Retina display
- Face ID that recognises your face
- 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera that enables Face ID features
- Splash, water and dust resistant
- Dual 12-megapixel cameras with Portrait mode with Portrait Lighting, bringing dramatic studio lighting effects to iPhone, allowing customers to capture stunning portraits with a shallow depth-of-field effect in five different lighting styles
- Wireless charging
- A11 Bionic, the most powerful and smartest chip ever in a smartphone
- Animoji
- 64GB and 256GB models starting at £999
What's the difference between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X?
The first and most obvious difference is the size of the screens. The iPhone X's screen covers the whole face while iPhone 8 is more like traditional iPhones with a frame.
The internal systems for both phones are similar but they do have different displays.
The iPhone X's is higher quality and is the first Apple phone to switch from an IPS LCD display to an OLED display – the same technology used by Samsung to make its "infinity screens".
But the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus come with the classic IPS LCD panels.
The camera is also upgraded on the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X but the standard iPhone 8 will have a regular camera, similar to those of its predecessors.
The iPhone X will have an additional exclusive feature, with the upgraded front-facing camera being able to achieve similar effects to the portrait mode on the back camera.
Apple has revealed the price of replacing the device's glossy, edge-to-edge OLED screen - which will cost a whopping £286.44.
That's more than £100 pricier than fitting a new display on the iPhone 8, which will set you back £176.44.
Hands-on with the new iPhone X at Apple's launch event with The Sun's Dan Jones
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