In 2007, Steve Jobs, the late CEO of Apple, Inc. appeared for one of the tech giant’s now-signature keynote presentations to give a revolutionary talk. He introduced the now famous device as such: ”Today, we’re introducing three revolutionary products of this class.
The first one is a widescreen iPod with touch controls. The second is a revolutionary mobile phone. And the third is a breakthrough Internet communications device…. These are not three separate devices, this is one device, and we are calling it iPhone. Today, Apple is going to reinvent the phone…”. Jobs was right that they were going to reinvent the phone. Apple knocked Blackberry off as the top smartphone and now commands the spot of one of the top-selling smartphones of all time with the iPhone.
On Tuesday, September 12, Apple unveiled their new round of flagship smartphones. Three devices were announced: iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and the highly anticipated iPhone X (Avoid the faux pas of calling it iPhone “X”, as Apple has made clear that it is the iPhone ten, in honor of ten years of iPhone).
The iPhone 8 combo follows the same body of the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus with main improvements in the processor, graphics, camera and the added feature of wireless charging. The new devices are capable of shooting video in impressive 4K 60 fps with the beta feature of Portrait Lighting, which allows individuals to create studio lighting effects for pictures. Wireless charging requires the addition of a glass back and Apple claims screens are, “The most durable glass ever in a smartphone.”
The spotlight of the presentation was given to iPhone X. Building upon the prior mentioned features in the iPhone 8, the X does without the home button to allow for an edge to edge screen display, following in the footsteps of Samsung’s Galaxy S8 devices.
Replacing the fingerprint scanner that was built into the home button are advanced facial recognition software alongside the selfie camera. “[The fact that the] iPhone X only has Face ID is concerning,” said Brock Hoffman, a fourth-year civil, current iPhone 7 owner., “What do you do if you want to unlock your phone in the dark? I think there should be another method to unlock it.”
To optimize the full screen, Apple developed a Super Retina screen that provides immersive colors and responsiveness. The internals are improved upon from 8 duo and so is the overall device.
The main difference is the screen. The iPhone X upgrade comes at a premium: its starting price is $999. Many have been critical of this hefty price tag, but given Apple’s track record and fan base, they will probably sell an exorbitant number of them. Conversely, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus start at $699 and $799, respectively. These devices will hit stores Sept. 22, while iPhone X will go on sale in October.
