Click to Skip Ad
Closing in...

The 10 best new features of Apple’s iPhone X

Published Sep 12th, 2017 3:17PM EDT
iPhone X Specs
Image: Apple Inc.

If you buy through a BGR link, we may earn an affiliate commission, helping support our expert product labs.

It’s funny how months of leaks exposed nearly every last detail about Apple’s new iPhone X… and yet the company still managed to blow people away when it unveiled the handset during Tuesday’s big event. Yes, we knew exactly what the iPhone X was going to look like, with an impressive all-screen design showcasing a gorgeous OLED display. Yes, we knew it would be made entirely of smooth glass and polished stainless steel. We also knew it would pack a class-leading six-core A11 processor, more storage and RAM than ever before, and exciting new augmented reality features. We knew all that and more. And yet seeing it come together as Apple unveiled the iPhone X on stage in the Steve Jobs Theater at the new Apple campus, it still felt just as impressive as it would have if everything announced on Tuesday had been a surprise.

Apple’s tenth-anniversary iPhone X is far and away the most exciting and stunning iPhone Apple has ever made, and in this post we’ll cover all of the phone’s best features.

Super Retina Display

Apple’s first iPhone with an OLED display is finally here, and the Super Retina Display is a sight to behold. It measures 5.8 inches diagonally, and it features a pixel density of 458 ppi with a 1,000,000:1 color ratio. It’s also a True Tone screen, which means it automatically adjusts its color temperature based on the lighting you’re in at any give time.

No Home Button

We knew this one was coming, of course, and Apple has replaced all of the home button’s functionality with gestures. For example, a swipe up from the bottom brings you to the home screen. Or, you can swipe up from the bottom and pause to open the app switcher. Ditching the home screen allowed Apple to produce a phone with an all-screen front, and it’s a welcome change.

Build

Apple’s iPhone is constructed entirely of sturdy glass and stainless steel. It comes in black and white, and the stainless steel polished to match the color of the phone.

Face ID

Face ID is an enhanced facial recognition feature that utilizes Apple’s new True Depth camera system. It features eight different cameras and sensors that combine to instantly recognize the owner’s face. The new A11 Bionic chip features a built-in neural engine that powers the system. Importantly, the system still works if you’re wearing glasses, if you change your hair, or even if you grow a beard. Low light also isn’t a problem, since there’s an infrared element.

Face ID will work for unlocking, Apple Pay, and with any third-party apps that implement it, just like Touch ID.

Animoji

The iPhone X’s new True Depth camera system also enables a fun new feature called Animoji. There are a dozen different animated emoji to start, and once you send them they mirror your own expressions and movements.

Cameras

The iPhone X includes a new dual-lens camera system on the back of the phone. It has dual optical image stabilization, making it just the second smartphone ever to feature dual OIS. The cameras still have 12-megapixel sensors, but they feature a ton of enhancements to improve color reproduction and reduce noise.

New Portrait Mode

Portrait Mode is also enhanced, with a new portrait lighting feature that lets you add lighting effects to your Portrait Mode shots. But it’s not just the rear cameras that get exciting new features related to depth effects. Around front, the True Depth camera also lets you take selfies in Portrait Mode!

A11 Bionic Chipset

64 bits… 6 cores… new Apple-designed GPU… new ISP… it’s a beast. You can see benchmarks right here. Prepare to fall off your seat.

Battery Life

Despite the smaller housing, Apple has somehow managed to increase battery life by 2 hours! Sadly, that’s compared to the iPhone 7, not the iPhone 7 Plus.

Wireless Charging

Fiiiiiinally. Apple’s new iPhone X supports Qi wireless charging so it works with just about all the equipment that’s already out there. On top of that, however, Apple has a new charging mat that’s capable of charging an iPhone X, an Apple Watch, and AirPods (with an optional new wireless charging case)… all at the same time on one mat!

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.