Apple often works with the rhythm and precision of one of those Swiss watches it has just advanced – it is already the largest watch manufacturer in the world, above Rolex. Each fall puts a new generation of handsets on the market and lowers those of the previous year. The strategy works for you. Apple is not the company that most phones sell in the world, but the iPhone itself is, usually, the best-selling phone.
This year, however, the company has released two new generations of iPhone. On one side is the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, the continuation of the current 7 and 7 Plus. On the other hand, the new iPhone X (read iPhone ten), which the company claims is the “future” of mobile telephony.The ad has not caught anyone by surprise.
Details of the two phones were known for days, but one of the doubts was whether Apple would eventually condemn a phone in exchange for the other. Who wants an iPhone 8 when there is an X next?Our first contact with the terminals, however, makes it clear that the answer to that question is not as simple as it seems and does not have to do exclusively with the price.
The new iPhone 8
The jump from the iPhone 7 to the iPhone 8 (it seems that Apple has abandoned the nomenclature “s” used to alternate years) is significant, although in photos the differences seem few. The new phones have a brighter screen and better color, able to adapt the tone to the ambient light that prevails.
They have a new processor that promises to significantly increase the performance and change the aluminum in the back by a glass plate, according to Apple very resistant, which also get support for Qi wireless charging systems.They are a little heavier than current models because of this glass, but they also hold better and feel more comfortable in hand.
The iPhone 8 continues to have a single camera while the Plus returns to the charge with the dual camera, now complemented by an artificial portrait lighting system that allows you to simulate various types of light, including photos in studio eliminating the background.
In the controlled environment of the testing area, it is difficult to get an idea, but the camera should better solve the scenes in low light, and the focus was much faster than the 7. It is likely to become one of the mobile cameras’ year, if not the best, although not putting the second camera in the 8 is a missed opportunity. It also records video in 4K resolution at 60 frames per second and 1080p at 240 frames per second, allowing slow motion in high quality. It’s a great effect.The phones become available in only two capacities: 64 and 256 GB of memory. Prices are comparable to what the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus had at 32 and 64 GB.
The iPhone X
Well, what about the X? It does not represent such a big change compared to 8 Plus. Same processor and many of the same features as water resistance and wireless charging. The double camera also although in the case of the iPhone X both have a stabilizer and the telephoto camera has a greater aperture. It is, in short, a better device when taking photographs.
What does change is the feeling in the hand and the OLED screen, which is fantastic? It has dimensions of 5.8 inches but in a body we much greater than the iPhone 8. It is very comfortable in hand and, the most compact size makes it easier to reach all the corners of the screen, saving some extreme case.The color and contrast are surprising, although anyone who has seen a good OLED display, such as the Samsung Galaxy S in recent generations, already know what to expect.
The images look more “vivid” and have a different texture to that achieved with LCD screens.It is not the only phone that bets this year by a screen to the edge but one of the most ambitious. In the X everything is OLED except for a small tab at the top. Apple has decided to take advantage of the sides of that tab to expand the viewing area and is a bit strange when it comes to watching a video or a photo.
Difficult to know if it will be a matter of getting used to it or if the applications will end up leaving that area – where usually the icons of load and connection – in black.The disappearance of the home button and the fingerprint sensor also forces a change in the interface. Now to go to the main page, with all the apps, you have to slide your finger from the bottom up (the same gesture that is used today to activate the control center).
It costs a little getting used but it is a natural gesture and within minutes seems the most logical way to manage iOS.Without a fingerprint, Apple has opted for facial recognition as a means of protection on the iPhone X. The identification is fast and seems to have the necessary security guarantees, but it is one of the aspects that will need to be tested in depth before assess whether it is a step in the right direction.
With additional sensors for facial recognition, Apple gets other tricks from those who manage to sell phones. The newly animated emojis that copy the expressions of the user, for example, are hilarious. Applications such as Snapchat or Instagram can also create filters for selfs that are much more realistic and better suited to the face.Overall it’s a great iPhone. Possibly the best that has come out of Apple’s labs in recent years and worthy of being considered as a separate point in the evolution of the range. It is somewhat more expensive than the rest. It will cost 1,159 euros in its 64GB version. For many, an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus is possibly a more sensible option.
