iPhone X Review

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode is a long, lively discussion of the iPhone X’s design, Face ID, app compatibility, camera behavior, and Animoji, framed by Verge staff’s hands-on week with the device and its unusual 24-hour review window. The hosts largely agree it’s a striking, high-end iPhone with tradeoffs: beautiful hardware and useful Face ID, but costly, demanding user adaptation, and still constrained by incomplete app optimization and iOS 11 quirks.

Main Topics: iPhone X first impressions and industrial design (Priority: 5/5): The panel praises the phone’s visual impact, especially the edge-to-edge display and overall hardware aesthetic, while noting drawbacks like the camera bump, thick-ish bezels, and unattractive silver/white finish. Face ID behavior and usability (Priority: 5/5): Face ID is described as fast, secure, and generally reliable, but it requires users to adapt how they hold and look at the phone, and can be inconsistent in certain lighting or while walking. 24-hour review window and Apple’s embargo strategy (Priority: 4/5): The Verge team explains Apple’s unusually short access period for the iPhone X, how it changed their review workflow, and why they treated it as a unique opportunity to involve audience feedback quickly. App compatibility and 'software bezels' (Priority: 5/5): A major concern is that many apps are not yet optimized for the iPhone X’s screen, leaving ugly black bars or misaligned layouts that make the device feel less premium in actual use. Animoji and messaging culture (Priority: 4/5): Ashley and the group debate Animoji as the phone’s most fun feature, discussing their use in iMessage/MOV files, their appeal as reaction content, and how they may play into selfie and emoji culture. Camera and portrait mode comparisons (Priority: 4/5): The hosts compare iPhone X front and rear camera results against the Pixel 2, iPhone 8, and Note 8, with no consensus on the best image quality but agreement that each has different strengths. Broader device ecosystem and compromise in flagship phones (Priority: 3/5): The conversation widens to HTC’s U11 Plus, the Razer Phone, Xbox One X, and other products to illustrate how modern flagship devices all involve tradeoffs, taxes, and adaptation.

Key Arguments: The iPhone X is a genuinely good iPhone, but its core experience still feels like iOS rather than a radical departure. The display and hardware are visually striking enough to make the device feel special, even if the non-screen elements are less successful. Face ID is mostly a success: easy to set up, fast, and a meaningful upgrade over Touch ID for many users. The biggest real-world issue is not the notch itself, but app optimization and the awkward unused space created by the new layout. Apple’s ecosystem increasingly asks users to adapt to the product via dongles, gestures, and new interaction patterns rather than adapting the product to users. Animoji are fun, likely to be widely shared, and may become a major new messaging behavior rather than a gimmick. Camera quality is strong, but subjective preferences differ: Pixel 2 photos may be more dramatic while iPhone portraits can look more flattering. The phone’s $1,000 price makes every compromise feel more consequential than on earlier iPhones.

Data Points: iPhone X review window: 24 hours - Apple gave The Verge only a one-day window to test and publish initial impressions/review materials. iPhone X display size: 5.8 inches - Discussed as larger than the iPhone 8 Plus’s 5.5-inch display but with a taller aspect ratio and smaller usable area. iPhone 8 Plus display size: 5.5 inches - Used for comparison with the iPhone X screen dimensions. App update timing estimate: two and a half years - Dan says it took Delta about this long to update after the iPhone 6 era, as an example of slow enterprise app support. Price of iPhone X: $1,000 - Repeatedly referenced as the expensive early-adopter cost of the device. Face ID engagement window: about five seconds - Phil explains the IR system and how long it remains active after wake actions. Animoji count mentioned: 11 - The hosts enumerate available Animoji options including monkey, robot, cat, dog, alien, fox, poop, pig, panda, bunny, rooster/chicken, and unicorn. Razer Phone refresh rate: 120 hertz - Discussed as a standout feature of the new Razer Phone’s display technology. Xbox One X review timing: tomorrow - The episode mentions Tom Warren’s Xbox One X review as part of upcoming coverage. Battery percentage visibility: requires pull-down gesture - On iPhone X, battery percentage and Bluetooth status are surfaced in Control Center rather than the status bar.

Pivotal Quotes: "It's a really good iPhone." — Neelai Patel: Core takeaway summarizing the device after a week of testing. "This is just a portal to iOS 11." — Paul Miller: Commentary on the iPhone X’s screen-centric design and the comparatively minimal role of the surrounding hardware. "Everything about this phone requires you to like learn a complex system of moves. It's like wizarding school." — Neelai Patel: Describing the new gesture-based interaction model and the learning curve around Face ID, app switching, and reachability.

Implications: The iPhone X represents Apple’s premium future: visually impressive, mostly successful, but demanding user adaptation and willing to trade convenience for design. Its real test is whether developers and consumers will accept the new interaction model.