Apple iPhone X Key Features That Have Been Done Before By Other Brands
In Apple's September 12, 2017 press release, the Cupertino company described their 10th anniversary iPhone - called the iPhone X - as "the future of the smartphone".
And yet, after taking a look at its list of key features and supposed 'landmark innovations', I realized that many of them have actually been done in the past by competing brands in the mobile industry. It's true!
I'm not talking about the exact technology behind the features - as I know that Apple has made sure that their execution is 'original' and 'superior' - but just the features at face value.
Let's take a look at some of them.
All-Screen Front
Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Apple iPhone X is its bezel-less 5.8-inch display, which takes up almost the entire face. With 1125 x 2436 pixels resolution and high 458 ppi pixel density, this screen is also the first OLED panel to be used on an iPhone.
Apple's rendition of the bezel-less smartphone screen may be the most refined and visually pleasing to date -- but one should note that there are other companies that had successfully come up with the same all-display handset face way before the iPhone X's announcement.
In 2014, Japanese tech giant Sharp released their Aquos Crystal Android smartphone, which is the first ever mobile device to have a true bezel-less screen. Check it out:
On the other hand, in 2016, disruptive Chinese electronics company Xiaomi launched the Mi Mix with a massive 6.4-inch screen occupying almost its entire face, leaving little room for a black frame on its sides.
Finally, earlier this year - 2017, Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 and S8+ flagship models that both have curved Infinity Displays with rounded corners. And let's not forget, there's also the LG G6 and Essential Phone with largely the same all-screen faces.
Dual Camera Module
Like the iPhone 8 Plus, the Apple iPhone X has Dual 12 MegaPixel cameras at the back with Optical Image Stabilization along with varying focal points as well as f/1.8 and f/2.8 apertures.
This set-up makes 2X lossless zoom possible and allows the 10th-gen iPhone to take portrait shots with digital bokeh effect where the background of the subject is beautifully blurred as well as Portrait Lighting that lets you add various lighting effects to the face of the subject even before snapping the shot.
Apple's two-lens cameraphone set-up is perhaps the most useful out there currently but the Cupertino company is definitely not the first to come up with a Dual Camera module for a full-fledged smartphone.
In March 2014, respected Taiwanese tech company HTC released their One M8, which is the first smartphone to have a Dual Camera module with non-3D functionality. The two optics of this model work together to allow the user to add bokeh effect to shots by identifying the subject and the background and approximating the distance between them.
Face ID Unlock
From watching the Apple iPhone X keynote presentation, I'd say the coolest feature of this much-awaited model is its TrueDepth Camera in front which makes it possible to unlock the device via Face ID or facial recognition, a security feature that Apple claims to be better than a Fingerprint Scanner. With it, the user can simply look at the front of the device to unlock it.
But did you know that a similar feature debuted on the Android platform way back in 2011?! Believe it!
Face Unlock was actually one of the more interesting features of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system and Google showcased this through the first Samsung Galaxy Nexus model in November 2011! The technology was not quite as sophisticated and secure as what's inside the iPhone X but the concept is more or less the same: You just look at the camera in front to unlock the device.
Water-Resistant Build
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are the first two handsets from Apple that are IP68 Certified Water and Dust Resistant.
Amazingly enough, despite having a more luxurious glass-metal-glass sandwich design, the all-new Apple iPhone X is also protected against water and dust ingress!
Water-resistance is a great feature to have on a smartphone considering that water-damage is one of the more common causes of electronic breakdown. It's nice that Apple has given this to the iPhone but let's not forget that Sony has been making water-resistant Xperia Android handsets since 2011! Truth be told, the legendary Japanese tech company is actually the first brand to come up with a smartphone shell that's protected against the entry of water.
Wireless Charging
Should your sleek Apple iPhone X run out of juice at the end (or in the middle) of the day, you can always charge it quickly using a Qi wireless charging pad.
Yes, the Apple iPhone X is the first smartphone from the company to support cord-free charging; A feature that's been available on other top-of-the-line smartphone for almost five years now.
In fact, Nokia first adopted Qi in its eye-catching Lumia 920 Windows Phone handset in 2012 while Google and LG followed later that year by incorporating the technology in the best-selling Nexus 4.
So there you have it.
These are just five of the seemingly unoriginal features of the 10th Anniversary iPhone model; Features that have been done before by other tech giants.
Having made this list, I'd like to ask hardcore Apple fans and mobile technology enthusiasts these questions:
1. Do you think Apple is still an innovative company or have they stagnated following the death of Steve Jobs?
2. Will you be getting the iPhone X even if competing flagship smartphones by other brands could very well be more feature-packed compared to it?
3. Is the Apple iPhone X's $999 USD price tag justified?
Let me know your thoughts about the current state of Apple via our comments section below. Let's talk!
And yet, after taking a look at its list of key features and supposed 'landmark innovations', I realized that many of them have actually been done in the past by competing brands in the mobile industry. It's true!
I'm not talking about the exact technology behind the features - as I know that Apple has made sure that their execution is 'original' and 'superior' - but just the features at face value.
Let's take a look at some of them.
All-Screen Front
Perhaps the biggest selling point of the Apple iPhone X is its bezel-less 5.8-inch display, which takes up almost the entire face. With 1125 x 2436 pixels resolution and high 458 ppi pixel density, this screen is also the first OLED panel to be used on an iPhone.
I would like to give credit to Apple Inc. for several photos that I used in this post.
Apple's rendition of the bezel-less smartphone screen may be the most refined and visually pleasing to date -- but one should note that there are other companies that had successfully come up with the same all-display handset face way before the iPhone X's announcement.
In 2014, Japanese tech giant Sharp released their Aquos Crystal Android smartphone, which is the first ever mobile device to have a true bezel-less screen. Check it out:
On the other hand, in 2016, disruptive Chinese electronics company Xiaomi launched the Mi Mix with a massive 6.4-inch screen occupying almost its entire face, leaving little room for a black frame on its sides.
Finally, earlier this year - 2017, Samsung launched the Galaxy S8 and S8+ flagship models that both have curved Infinity Displays with rounded corners. And let's not forget, there's also the LG G6 and Essential Phone with largely the same all-screen faces.
Dual Camera Module
Like the iPhone 8 Plus, the Apple iPhone X has Dual 12 MegaPixel cameras at the back with Optical Image Stabilization along with varying focal points as well as f/1.8 and f/2.8 apertures.
This set-up makes 2X lossless zoom possible and allows the 10th-gen iPhone to take portrait shots with digital bokeh effect where the background of the subject is beautifully blurred as well as Portrait Lighting that lets you add various lighting effects to the face of the subject even before snapping the shot.
Apple's two-lens cameraphone set-up is perhaps the most useful out there currently but the Cupertino company is definitely not the first to come up with a Dual Camera module for a full-fledged smartphone.
In March 2014, respected Taiwanese tech company HTC released their One M8, which is the first smartphone to have a Dual Camera module with non-3D functionality. The two optics of this model work together to allow the user to add bokeh effect to shots by identifying the subject and the background and approximating the distance between them.
Face ID Unlock
From watching the Apple iPhone X keynote presentation, I'd say the coolest feature of this much-awaited model is its TrueDepth Camera in front which makes it possible to unlock the device via Face ID or facial recognition, a security feature that Apple claims to be better than a Fingerprint Scanner. With it, the user can simply look at the front of the device to unlock it.
But did you know that a similar feature debuted on the Android platform way back in 2011?! Believe it!
Face Unlock was actually one of the more interesting features of Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system and Google showcased this through the first Samsung Galaxy Nexus model in November 2011! The technology was not quite as sophisticated and secure as what's inside the iPhone X but the concept is more or less the same: You just look at the camera in front to unlock the device.
Water-Resistant Build
The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus are the first two handsets from Apple that are IP68 Certified Water and Dust Resistant.
Amazingly enough, despite having a more luxurious glass-metal-glass sandwich design, the all-new Apple iPhone X is also protected against water and dust ingress!
Water-resistance is a great feature to have on a smartphone considering that water-damage is one of the more common causes of electronic breakdown. It's nice that Apple has given this to the iPhone but let's not forget that Sony has been making water-resistant Xperia Android handsets since 2011! Truth be told, the legendary Japanese tech company is actually the first brand to come up with a smartphone shell that's protected against the entry of water.
Wireless Charging
Should your sleek Apple iPhone X run out of juice at the end (or in the middle) of the day, you can always charge it quickly using a Qi wireless charging pad.
Yes, the Apple iPhone X is the first smartphone from the company to support cord-free charging; A feature that's been available on other top-of-the-line smartphone for almost five years now.
In fact, Nokia first adopted Qi in its eye-catching Lumia 920 Windows Phone handset in 2012 while Google and LG followed later that year by incorporating the technology in the best-selling Nexus 4.
***
So there you have it.
These are just five of the seemingly unoriginal features of the 10th Anniversary iPhone model; Features that have been done before by other tech giants.
Having made this list, I'd like to ask hardcore Apple fans and mobile technology enthusiasts these questions:
1. Do you think Apple is still an innovative company or have they stagnated following the death of Steve Jobs?
2. Will you be getting the iPhone X even if competing flagship smartphones by other brands could very well be more feature-packed compared to it?
3. Is the Apple iPhone X's $999 USD price tag justified?
Let me know your thoughts about the current state of Apple via our comments section below. Let's talk!
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