The unveiling of the new iPhone range
Apple unveiled three new handsets at their event in California this week. In a busy presentation, the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X were all unveiled on the iPhone’s 10th anniversary.
The presentation took two hours and also broke the news of a new Apple Watch and other niceties with the handsets being the centre of the action. Unusually for Apple, we knew a lot of what to expect in advance but it was still nice to see the products for real.
iPhone 8
The iPhone 8 is an evolutionary update for the iPhone 7 and breaks tradition by not being called iPhone 7S. Upgrades are minimal but useful and include a new A11 Bionic processor which is faster and more power efficient than the current range.
The big news is the screen upgrade. The iPhone finally goes HD along with the top-class visuals we know the Retina screen is capable of. With True Tone that modifies the image to best use ambient light, the screen is view able in any situation, including direct sunlight.
A new and improved camera is a welcome boost too. iPhone’s were always behind other flagship competitors and the upgraded camera sensor is good news. It still uses the 12-megapixel standard but uses a larger sensor. This should improve colour depth and image quality across the board.
Also new is wireless charging. Along with a new glass case, the wireless charging capability is going to be useful, if not game-changing on its own.
iPhone 8 Plus
The iPhone 8 Plus takes the place of what would have been the iPhone 8S. A larger phone with the same innards as the iPhone 8 but with a 5.5-inch screen instead of 4.7.
It looks and feels much like the iPhone 8 with the smooth glass case sitting nicely in the hand. It uses the same Retina HD screen too, but slightly larger. Colours, brightness and image quality look superb and the new True Tone and dual pixel technology allows you to use the phone in any light, anywhere.
The iPhone 8 Plus comes with dual 12 megapixels cameras instead of the single sensor on the iPhone 8. It is capable of 4K video at 60fps, 1080p video and even capable of recording slow-motion videos. On top of that, the smartphone is also AR capable.
iPhone X
The iPhone X was the star of the show. The super flagship phone is celebrating a decade of the iPhone and comes with a few new tricks up its sleeve.
Most noticeable is the new design. It is a welcome departure from the sameness of the other phones and utilises almost all of the front for the screen. It uses a 5.8 inch 2436 x 1125 Super Retina OLED display that covers almost the entire surface of the phone and does away with bezels.
If you liked the screen of the iPhone, the iPhone X is going to blow you away. It is a richer, deeper, more colourful experience that takes the best of HD and of Retina and brings them together. The iPhone X also adopts the glass case like the iPhone 8 and Plus. If it proves as scratch-proof as the marketing says, then it will certainly appeal to the mass.
Other innovations include Face ID which replaces Touch ID. The lack of the home button on the front means Touch ID wasn’t going to work. In its place is a camera-based feature that uses your face to unlock. Great in theory, it remains to be seen how effective it is in practice.
As you would expect, the iPhone X uses the new A11 Bionic processor, dual cameras like the iPhone 8 Plus and will have AR capability. Wireless charging is also standard.
All three iPhone’s raise the bar for Apple phones and introduce some much-needed boosts in power and screen quality. The introduction of wireless charging and AR capability means working with these phones and utilising business apps should become even more of an interactive experience.
