If you haven't already purchased a new iPhone since early September, you're probably weighing the two flagship releases at this year's Apple event. As you contemplate which of iPhones to buy in the coming days — Apple's tenth-anniversary iPhone, the X, became available for pre-order on October 27, and starts shipping on November 3 at 1800 hrs IST — here's a run-down of key factors that could affect your choice.
The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus have been on sale since September 22.
Price
There's a marked price difference between the base price for iPhone 8 (₹60,000 on Flipkart), iPhone 8 Plus (₹70,000) and the whopping ₹1.2 lakh for the iPhone X, which begins shipping on November 3.
According to a survey by savings platform Cuponation, the iPhone 8 is cheapest — ₹45,200 — in the United States among 20 countries where the devices are being sold.
Display and features
While the processing power for both the series would technically be the same — they run on the A11 Bionic chip which is reportedly 30% faster than the previous iiteration — the major USP for the iPhone X is possibly its OLED display and much higher resolution of 2,436 x 1,125 pixels. The other two phones have the same old IPS LCD display.
The X's edge-to-edge screen would also make for an enhanced viewing experience — users of Samsung Galaxy S8 and the LG V30 would know how this feels.
Concerns
However, the absence of a bezel robbed the device of crucial space to squeeze in electronic elements such as Touch ID sensors. Wall Street Journal has cited insider reports that Apple tried in vain till the last minute to integrate Touch ID under the screen, but was eventually forced to compromise, and go with Face ID which wouldn't require a bezel.
However, doubts remain over the functionality of Face ID on the iPhone X — the biometric technology had come a dud during its demonstration at Apple's September 12 event in Cupertino.
And while there have been beta-users who subsequently confirmed that it worked for them, there still remain potential security concerns — the user needs to have their eyes open in order to unlock their phone, as Apple reassured U.S. Senator Al Franken . However, buyers would have to decide whether they are willing to pay so much more for a device that carries a risk of data/privacy loss.
The Touch fingerprint ID feature is present on the 8 and 8 Plus devices.
Familiarity
For a loyal iPhone user, the X may take some getting used to, be it with the new gestural swipe functionalities, the absence of a home button, or Face ID, or the much altered User Interface. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, on the other hand, are similar to the previous 6S generation (as The Verge and company co-founder Steve Wozniack lament) and give you the enhanced A11 processing power without the Face ID risk factor and conducive UI.
However, here's something that might actually make the choice redundant. According to reports, there are expected to be further delays in the production of the iPhone X, due to component supply chain snags. As few as 2-3 million handsets will be available worldwide in November.
