New iPhone faces up to early problem
APPLE’S first big test of its new smartphone was, at face value, an awkward fail.
The centrepiece of the company’s premium iPhone X – Face ID – flunked its first public trial as it did not recognise its boss, Apple software engineering senior vice-president Craig Federighi.
And embarrassingly, the new iPhone asked for his passcode during the presentation.
Apple has two months to refine any quirks and no doubt this will be on top of its list.
The company’s top iPhone has a screen that is brighter and bigger than ever but its most iconic feature is missing and could leave you wondering how to use it at all.
The technology giant launched three new iPhones, as well as an internet-connected Apple Watch upgrade, and a 4K TV-streaming device yesterday in the first event held at its sprawling Apple Park campus in Cupertino.
The iPhone X was the headline act – launched to mark the tenth year of Apple’s mobile phone – and chief executive Tim Cook dubbed it a “product that will set the path for technology for the next decade”.
“This is the iPhone X. It is the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone,” he said.
The new model will not arrive in Australia soon or cheaply, however.
It will cost as much as $1829, becoming the most expensive smartphone yet when it arrives on November 3. By comparison, the iPhone X will cost $350 more than the newly launched iPhone 8 Plus, $500 more than the smaller iPhone 8, and $330 more than Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy Note 8.
And while some of the iPhone X’s features are obvious selling points, such as its 5.8-inch OLED screen, new camera features, and wireless charging, others may baffle iPhone fans.
Its most controversial change is the removal of its home button and fingerprint scanner, which will be replaced by Face ID that promises to create a “mathematical model” of your features.
Rather than touching a thumb to its button, Apple iPhone X users must look into its front camera and infra-red sensor to be recognised, and then swipe a finger up its screen.
This action isn’t obvious, however, and even iPhone stalwarts will need to be instructed in how to operate the redesigned handsets.
In demonstrations, using Face ID also appeared to take longer to get the phone’s main screen, and failed to recognise the user unless they were looking directly at the phone.
Of course, we’ll reserve judgment until it can be tested thoroughly.
The upgraded dual 12megapixel cameras in the iPhone X are more obvious selling points, however, as they both feature optical image stabilisation to reduce your chances of a blurry image, and a new mode called Portrait Lighting that can create artistic shots with the back or front cameras, potentially elevating a user’s selfie game.