Phonandroid iPhone X: our grip of the most expensive smartphone in the world

Discover our iPhone X test has been on sale in Arance since November 03, 2017.While queues are starting to fade in front of the shops and the first buyers receive their precious toy, we were able to take charge of the iPhone X and use it for a few days.So what is the most expensive smartphone in the world worth?Here are all our impressions.

He was one of the most anticipated smartphones of 2017.The iPhone X was announced with great fanfare on September 12, 2017 during a symbolic high -load keynote: it was simultaneously the presentation of the new products of the brand, including the iPhone 8, the inauguration of the ApplePark, the 10 years of the iPhone adventure and also a tribute to the late Steve Jobs.The iPhone X is now in store since November 3.Those who were able to pre-order also received it.We were able to take charge of the iPhone X for a few days.Is the iPhone X vauau are a price of 1159 euros?Is it really the smartphone of the future?

Our video handling of the iPhone X

IPhone X technical sheet

Several things hit the iPhone X technical sheet from the start: there is first of all its OLED screen, to which we will come back.But also its 3 GB of ram again and again, in which one seems paradoxically never cramped thanks to system optimizations.Photo sensors are the same as on the iPhone 8 Plus (now with optical stabilization on the two sensors).Finally, there is of course the True Depth 3D camera necessary for the facial recognition system Face ID.An innovative device, which puts a kind of Microsoft Kinect in the smartphone.

Then we finally find Bluetooth 5.0, introduced by Samsung with its Galaxy S8, which increases the flow and puts the range of accessories to 200 meters without consuming more energy.This technology also avoids interference between your various accessories.

Box contents

Apple has never known very much for the generosity of its accessories.The contents of the iPhone X box is there again no exception.There is a classic 5W charger (which does not allow fast recharging), a classic USB cable to Lightning (while the last computers of the firm made the big leap at all USB Type C), a pair of headphonesEarpods wired, and of course a Lightning adapter to Jack Audio, since the smartphone is devoid of plug.

To take advantage of wireless charging, any Qi charger will do the trick.But for fast recharge you must make at least the acquisition of a Lightning cable to USB Type C if you already have a sufficiently powerful power supply (for example that of a MacBook Pro).If necessary, you will still have to go to the checkout - these power supply blocks are not given: count around 60 euros.You can imagine that I would have liked that Apple offers at least in the box the Lightning to USB type C power cable.

Design

Apple has always been recognized for its know-how in the field of design.However, from the iPhone 6, it is often accused of the apple brand for having only proposed iterations of this model.The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, released three years after the iPhone 6 still looks like two drops of water.With the iPhone X, we can't say as much.For this anniversary edition of the ten years of the iPhone, the Cupertino firm has combined nostalgia and modernity.

The iPhone X looks very much like the very first iPhone.Its size is closer to that of an iPhone 6 but its curves are clearly those of the original iPhone, with a touch of Star Wars in the design.As if the white iPhone X was matching the stormtroopers and the sidereal gray iPhone, with the panoply of Dark Vader.

In this anniversary version, no plastic like formerly.Apple has chosen glass to be able to make its smartphone compatible with wireless charging.Besides, it is compatible with all the Qi chargers on the market: no need to make follies in this area if you wanted to take advantage of wireless charging.

The back is we told you in glass, the strongest in the world ensures Apple.We could not put the smartphone to the test, but the first drop test videos do not seem to allow to say as much.We could still take advantage of it to leave some beautiful fingerprints.Unsurprisingly the black model marks much more than white.But this is an observation that we make on all glass smartphones.

We must admit that Apple has found a beautiful formula by combining nostalgia and premium materials.The iPhone X is really a smartphone with exemplary finishes.Quite heavy, it reassures in the grip even if certain uses give us some small frights.For example when taking a picture in a portrait with one hand, the trigger at the bottom of the screen tends to tip the smartphone.We almost committed the irreparable a few times.

If its lines are resolutely elegant, the iPhone X is not perfect.Some faults blacken the table.Starting with the double photo sensor placed vertically on the back of the smartphone.It is not its position that annoys but its integration into the general design.The sensor exceeds too much and swears with the finesse of the general design.When putting the iPhone X on a place, you can see even more of this bad integration.

Another major defect, the famous notch on the front panel.The screen may be impressive, its integration may be stunning, this notch is clearly task.First when you watch the smartphone but also when you have to watch videos (we will come back to it).Surprisingly, in use we quickly forget this notch, especially after a few days.An impression shared by our American colleagues in their first iPhone X tests.Apple had the good idea to make it an integral part of the user experience (we will also come back to it).

Screen

This is the big novelty of the iPhone X.What sets the foundations of future models affirms Apple Apple.The iPhone X screen is borderless.Good news for brand fans, previous iPhone having a size/screen ratio among the worst.We have to admit, the firm has done a good job.The smartphone is doubt that which best embodies the idea of the “borderless”, the borders being almost nonexistent - the photos do not honor the work accomplished.You have to have it in your hands to notice it.Only shade on the board, the notch at the top of the screen where the different sensors and the face ID technology are housed.

But against all odds, we quickly forget this notch for use.It is even a kind of benchmark to find out in which direction to take the smartphone.Apple had the good idea to make a part of it a part of the user experience.It is a benchmark for certain gestures necessary for navigation on iOS.A slide from top to bottom from the right of the notch provides access to the quick parameters, the same gesture on the left of the notch allows access to notifications.Rather clever.

In addition, it is very easy to hide this notch thanks to an application that automatically retouching wallpapers.So we can ensure that the whole top part is black and appears outside the screen.But it is of course a matter of taste.

Touch ID having disappeared in favor of Face ID, other gestures are necessary for navigation.Apple optimized the user experience and after just a few seconds we master all the gestures.Sweep from bottom to top quickly from the bottom of the screen allows you to return to the home.Slip from left to right and vice versa allows you to go from one application to another.Slide to the middle of the screen gives access to the multitasking.Note that this last gesture is less effective than double support on Touch ID.But for the rest it is really well thought out and the user experience is more intuitive than before.

Technically, we go for the first time on an iPhone on an OLED screen.Again, Apple did a very good job.The screen is really sublime, the centerpiece of this iPhone X.Blacks remain less deep than on the Galaxy S8 or note 8, but the colors are also less garish, more realistic.It's a matter of taste.

On the other hand when we tilt the screen, we are surprised by the little color distortion.Their rendering is also supported by a system called True Tone and which slightly changes the shade according to the brightness and ambient colorimetry, so that the color rendering appears constant.

Face ID

The other big novelty of the iPhone X is Faced ID, or rather the 3D True Depth and its uses camera.Facial recognition technology that replaces Touch ID has caused a lot of ink to flow.We heard everything and its opposite on its subject.In fact, Face ID is really a surprising technology.Nothing to do with facial recognition technologies found on Android models.Face ID is really successful.

We have obviously tested the responsiveness of unlocking.We had some doubts about the effectiveness of the system.They were quickly raised.Face ID is stunning.Even when the iPhone X is placed on a flat surface, technology is very effective, it is instantaneous.No need to place your head excessively above the iPhone.We tested without and with glasses, the responsiveness is perfectly identical.It adapts to your beard, if it grows - we note that the reverse is less true: Face ID has not recognized our face after we have passed from a beard provided to a shaved face white.

Nothing insurmountable: it is enough to reset the system in a few seconds.Despite almost negligible failures, Face ID is undoubtedly the facial recognition system on the most successful smartphone of the moment.The little extra is that all the applications that were already compatible with the recognition of Touch ID fingerprints are by default with Face ID.

Suddenly, we quickly forget the very concept of code.Even on web pages, as soon as there is a code, Face ID recognizes your face, and everything is pre-filled in the second.The system also works very well in darkness, because everything is going in the infrared.It's really very practical.In addition, the True Depht camera does not allow facial recognition to ID.

We have of course tested the famous animojis.These animated emojis which take up the expressions of the facial and capture the sound of the voice are a good way to demonstrate all the power of the front ID.Frow the eyebrows and the small animal will do the same, instantly.It’s technologically speaking bluffing, but we still have trouble finding an interest in this functionality.Moreover, it is already possible to send it to your friends, whether they have an Android or iOS smartphone: Animojis are in fact transformed into video.Something to show off if you just bought it!

Apple has announced that access to this camera would be possible for third -party developers.We must therefore expect this already very practical sensor becoming more and more essential over time.

Our iPhone X camera test

The iPhone X has the best camera ever integrated into an iPhone.Although compared to the iPhone 8 Plus or 7, the difference is slim.The second sensor also has stabilization while on the 8 plus only one endowed.Our first impressions are rather good.

In general the photos are full of details and the color rendering is really faithful to reality.The regulars of the high -end Samsung or Huawei will undoubtedly find them a little cold, whatever you will see, with good light, the shots are still of high quality.The iPhone X will no doubt be among the best smartphones of 2017 for the photo.

After a first quick handling indoors, we were able to test its outdoor skills.We had to compare an iPhone 7 as well as a Huawei P10.The iPhone X is capable of breathtaking results in most light conditions.The colors are you will see it hot, without however being exaggerated.Without user intervention in terms of settings, the results are immediately good: with lots of naturalness and a high level of detail.

The integrated AI always seems there to adjust the settings and allow you to easily take the perfect photo, without stopping too much on the technique.We were ourselves surprised at the result, for example here, in the early morning, backlight:

Portrait mode

We were also able to test the portrait mode.Note that certain features of this mode are still in beta and that the results are logically unequal depending on the photos.Forget the studio mode with a black background, for the moment it is not to the point.The contours are too random and we are often entitled to drag around the subjects - you have to take it several times to obtain an almost correct result, and it is overall very disappointing:

On the other hand the other options of the portrait mode are successful.We compared the Bokeh between the iPhone X and the Huawei P10 and the Mate 10 Pro and the results are quite similar.Only colors change: they are closer to reality on the iPhone X, more contrasted on the Mate 10 Pro.This will again be a matter of tastes.On the photo side, from what we have seen, the iPhone X is therefore an excellent smartphone.

Video

On the video side, this vintage adds optical stabilization to the two sensors, as well as the 4K mode at 60 images per seconds.We have also noticed improvements in the reactivity.So what is it?You will see it in the following video, the movements are much more fluid.Stabilization does its job but remains discreet, so that you can get usable results, without deformation, as can sometimes cause digital stabilization systems.

The image rendering is slightly better than on the iPhone 7.Above all, we notice that brightness changes are both softer and more constant.We started by also wanting to compare with the rendering of the Huawei P10 that we had on hand.But we quickly went: the resolution of the image, and the lack of light did not allow him to hold the comparison.Since we were on a boat and with a single pair of hands, avoiding dropping a smartphone in the water seemed a good idea!

Audio

Apple persists in doing without Jack Audio, but this smartphone is of the future, isn't it?And the present is already full of Bluetooth accessories - Suffice to say that this is not a real problem.Especially when you already have some wireless accessories.If necessary, these are not very expensive (of course, it all depends on the quality you are targeting).

Of course, as for the iPhone 8, we regret the absence of AirPods headphones in the box, especially given the price of the smartphone.But we don't change an economic model that wins, huh?The earbuds provided in the box make the job - they are not particularly extraordinary, and if you already have an Apple at home, you already know them.

Nevertheless, there is one thing that we quickly notice on the audio side: the stereo speakers, introduced with the iPhone 7, took a hell of a potato: the sound remains nasal, but the quality seems amazing on a smartphone, especiallyThe maximum sound is much more powerful than on the iPhone 7 and even the iPhone 8!

IPhone X and autonomy

We immediately loaded the iPhone X in order to test its autonomy.Loaded around 7:50 p.m. on Sunday, it was still 47% at 5 p.m. the next day, despite a fairly intensive use, tests obliges.We finally recharged it very late in the evening - the battery was not yet completely emptied.We can therefore say that the 2750 mAh of the battery of the iPhone X therefore easily hold a good day and a half in intensive use, which is in the average of current smartphones.

Wireless recharge does not hold the comparison with the Dash Load of ONPLUS: Count about an hour and a half to recharge your iPhone X to block, with a macbook pro USB-C 85W power supply.Finally, on the wireless recharge side, no need to make costs: a 1A charger already holds the road very well.Personally we find the investment here in a wireless charging carpet quite necessary.

First of all because it is practical, but also because it allows you to leave the Lightning Port Free, especially if you want to connect the adapter to Jack Audio at the same time as it recharges.Rapid recharge, on the other hand, seems superfluous, especially in view of its access cost.

Network and GPS

The iPhone X is compatible GSM / HSPA and LTE Advanced (4G and 4G+) with descending theoretical flows of up to 500 Mb / s.From what we have seen after a few days of use, the speed and stability of the network are, in real conditions, practically identical to those observed on an iPhone 7.It will be difficult for us to reproach any in terms of network catch, our tests having taken place in agglomeration.

On the GPS side it is still very fast and precise, with also the presence of a barometer which allows to correct the altitude for even more precise measurements.In addition to the GPS system, the iPhone X is compatible with the Glonass Russian satellite constellation, the European Galileo system and the Japanese Qzss system.

IPhone X performance and benchmarks

We no longer present you the A11 Bionic chip whose performance we had tested in our iPhone 8 Plus test.This includes a neural processing unit which is essential for facial recognition Face ID.Yes, it is artificial intelligence that recognizes your face!Besides, this processor acts in a number of smartphone features.It allows the treatment locally of voice recognition, or to adjust the settings as closely as possible at the moment you take a photo or a video.In terms of benchmarks, we know it since the release, it's a real killing.Our tests have shown it again: 226707 on Antutu and 4189 /10424 on Geekbench 4.

He does better on Antutu than the iPhone 8 Plus when many people have shown the opposite: would it be due to slight differences between two versions of the same smartphone?On the Apple site we learn that there are two versions (in addition to the Stockkage, of course), A1901 and A1865 (we have an A1901).Otherwise, to realize, it is almost double the scores of an iPhone 7 (135928 in Antutu according to our test).And that exceeds a good head in the 181.000 points of the OnePlus 5.Obviously remains to exploit all this power at its maximum.

Conclusion

To say that the iPhone X is a bad smartphone would be lying.It is undoubtedly one of the best smartphones of the year.He is powerful with his new A11 Bionic chip we are talking about in our iPhone 8 Plus test.Its screen is sublime, it is borderless, its camera is excellent and Face ID is a successful technology not to say a real killing.A revolution ?For iPhone users no doubt, but for others not always.Finally Apple is only catching up on models like the Galaxy S8 released 6 months earlier.

But at the same time offers technologies like Face ID which are at the forefront not to say ahead of a smartphone.Sold from 1159 euros, its price makes it the most expensive public smartphone in the world.At this price, we are entitled to expect a flawless product.However, the iPhone X has.Starting with the integration of the photo sensor which comes to spoil the design of the smartphone - of course it remains a matter of taste.We can also talk about the notch at the top of the screen that makes task and spoils the multimedia experience a little.In video or in game to enjoy the full screen you have to expect to see its content slightly nibbled, or downright cut.

This price investment is all the more exaggerated since we are entitled for this price than at 64 GB of internal memory.Already count 8 to 10 GB for iOS and "vital" data, you will not have much left when you see the weight of a photo or video in 4K.To have an iPhone X fully exploitable, you have to orient yourself towards the 256 GB model (no intermediary at 128 GB it would be almost too beautiful) at a price of 1359 euros!

Do you want to take advantage of wireless recharge, a big novelty of the iPhone X?Count a few tens of euros more.Do you want fast recharge?Count almost 90 euros additional, the charger provided is not compatible ... unless you already have a MacBook / MacBook Pro USB-C at home (in which case you will be leaving for a USB-C to Lightning cable.Add to that a shell (a broken screen will cost you around 300 euros to be repaired) wireless headphones if you don't have one and the wired wired do not suit you and you will come out with a well -salted bill.

It would have been at the limit acceptable if the iPhone X really revolutionized the market.But the iPhone X is only revolutionizing the iPhone.And the price to pay is too high.Besides, Apple seems to be aware of it.The manufacturer told us that he bet more on sales from operators with subsidies, mainly in renewal.The purchase price decreases drastically: we go to prices close to the 500/600 euros.But for that you have to opt for packages at more than 70 euros per month.And that's the minimum.