Today Apple announced much of what many people expected after the Gold Master leak this past weekend. New features with three entirely new models are available, including a special model with some cutting-edge, innovative features. In the Cupertino, California event, at the new Steve Jobs Theatre, Apple announced iPhone pricing and release dates alongside its upgraded and new features.
The three new iPhone models were the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X, which Apple referred to as “iPhone Ten” throughout the event. The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus color options will be Silver, Space Grey, and Gold. The iPhone 8 storage options are 64 GB for $699 and 256 GB for $849, and the iPhone 8 Plus storage options at 64 GB for $799 or 256 GB for $949. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models will be available for pre-order on September 15, and released for purchase on September 22.
The iPhone X, features a 5.8-inch display, and will be available in Silver or Black color options, with 64 GB storage at $999 or 256 GB storage at $1149. The iPhone X model will be available for pre-order on October 27, and released for purchase on November 3.
The following are a few of my favorite features in the new iPhones.
iPhone 8 & iPhone 8 Plus
Glass Housing
These new standard models move to a glass back with curved and beveled edges and an aerospace-grade aluminum frame. Apple announced that this is its most durable glass ever, and it still maintains its water and dust resistance rating. The glass back also aids in the wireless inductive charging feature.
Display
The new iPhones will adopt the TrueTone Display feature currently available in the iPad Pro. This adjusts the color and temperature depending on lighting conditions in the surrounding environment. The screen sizes remain the same at 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches. The display received an upgrade in definition to Retina HD for improved color accuracy.
Power and Graphics
The new standard iPhones are receiving a 70 percent upgrade in processing power and a 30 percent improvement in graphics. The new A11 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture, and the iPhone's upgraded graphics, will improve load time, gaming performance, and battery life. Apple did not reveal the amount of memory in these new models.
Camera
The rear cameras on the new models are 12 megapixels. The iPhone 8 has a single lens, while the iPhone 8 Plus has two-lenses for ARKit integration and other more dynamic photography features. The front-facing cameras on both of the standard models haven't changed at 7 megapixels. Apple has upgraded the video capabilities on the new models with the ability to capture 4K footage at 60 fps (frames per second) and slow motion footage at 240 fps. Both upgrades effectively double up on what was available in the iPhone 7.
Battery
The battery hasn’t improved significantly in these new models, but Apple did improve how fast the battery charges. We can now expect a 50 percent speed boost. And, with the help of the glass backing, we receive the wireless inductive charging we have requested from Apple for years. It uses the Qi Wireless standard, so there will already be a host of products that work with the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. Apple did announce an AirPower charging dock that will charge the iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and AirPod charging case—all wirelessly. Travelers, rejoice!
iPhone X
Face ID
The front-facing camera area now has a number of features that work to map your face for security login. As such, there is no more Home button or fingerprint scan. One of the new features is a “dot projector” that projects 30,000 invisible dots onto your face to determine your identity and unlock your iPhone. Then, just swipe up and you’re at the Home screen. Command Center is now accessed from the top right corner by swiping down.
Gestures
The Home button has officially been replaced with a swipe-up gesture that is unlocked by the dot projector scanning your face. For all the Home button functionality we have come to know, iPhone X owners will have to learn some new tricks. Swiping halfway up the screen and holding activates what used to be the screen to choose between open apps. And swiping left or right across the bottom switches between apps. As we move into the future with this new gesture based navigation, we will no doubt come to find many more gesture based shortcuts.
Super Retina Display
The iPhone X is Apple’s first iPhone with an OLED display. The Super Retina Display measures 5.8 inches diagonally, and it features a pixel density of 458 ppi with a 1,000,000:1 color ratio. It also carries the TrueTone feature like the standard models. Apple has been waiting for a good while to integrate OLED displays into their phones, citing some serious disadvantages of the technology, including battery usage and color accuracy. They excitedly announced that they have overcome the disadvantages.
Animoji
Using the new dot projection and front-facing camera technology suite, Apple has made emojis come to life. With the iPhone X, we will be able to map our faces to emojis and imbue them with the life of our expressions. We can send the Animoji with audio to create a message as a talking unicorn, alien, chicken, or whatever other emoji captures our moods. The dot projection technology also improves facial mapping for other apps such as Snapchat.
New Portrait Mode
While the standard models received the lighting upgrade for portrait mode, the iPhone X becomes an epic selfie machine using their True Depth features on the front facing camera. With the combination of the True Depth and the lighting studio options built into the iOS 11 software, the iPhone X is sure to become a breakthrough milestone for the selfie, and how we share our experiences and expressions.
