The new iPhone X is great but has one unfortunate flaw

Today, Apple unveiled its shiny new iPhone X. The most notable announcement was its introduction of Face ID to replace Touch ID and the removal of the home button.

Every year, Android device users switch to iPhones. But that has seen a lull recently since Apple hasn’t updated its design in quite a while. With the iPhone X, that migration is expected to resume. However, the glossy new iPhone isn’t what it seems.

I’ll admit: Face ID is really amazing. Its accuracy, speed, and security really do equal a fingerprint scanner, yet it has one glaring issue: the screen must be on for Face ID to work its magic. Android’s rudimentary facial recognition system is the same, but most Android phones also offer fingerprint sensors. And Android fingerprint sensors work with the screen off, allowing for a very seamless experience, from grabbing your phone to using it.

Touch ID required a turned-on screen to work, so what’s so bad about Face ID? The reason is that most people used the home button to turn on the iPhone and subsequently use Touch ID to unlock the phone. However, in this latest iPhone, there is no home button, so users have to fumble for the side power button. With such a sleek and glassy phone like the iPhone X, more fumbling means more risk of dropping the phone and shattering either the front or back.

The new iPhone also has a strange way of handling notifications and quick settings. Swiping down on the left brings your notification shade while doing so on the right brings quick settings.

EMUI users will notice that this sounds pretty familiar: pre-Nougat Huawei device owners had to deal with this setup. It was one of the biggest gripes with EMUI, just under the lack of an app drawer.

The need to “aim” to get what you want also contributes to a more broken-up experience.

Finally, the phone might look flashy, but it really is the same-old, same old. Plenty of Android phones have no bezels. And remember the Moto 360 “flat-tire” controversy?

iphone x
Photo: LifeHacker

That’s what’s going on with the iPhone.

If you’re thinking of switching to the iPhone X, keep these points in mind. You’re spending close to a thousand dollars on something which you could get for several hundred less.

Want to get the phone? Don’t.