I’ve been using iPhone X for four years now. I’ll tell you why I’m not going to change it yet

In just a couple of months, 2023 has ended, and I’m still using the iPhone X. Apple introduced it back in September 2017 along with the 8 and 8 Plus models, but the anniversary iPhone went on sale then only in stores.

It’s funny that at first I also used an iPhone 8 for a while, and only then switched to a ten. But I didn’t buy it at the start, a little later – in January 2020 for 36 thousand.

Since that moment, more than one generation of iPhones has already come out, but I still continue to walk around with ten. Just last year in October, I moved with my iPhone X 64 GB in white to the iPhone X 256 GB, also white, which was replaced in the ASC, which I purchased for 30 thousand.

I sold an iPhone with a change in the definition of memory for 20,500 rubles – that turns out to be 9.5 thousand. Developed on a new phone. It was decided to stay with this model for certain reasons:

1. Comfortable design and premium materials.

The display, with small symmetrical bezels, a glass back and a surgical steel frame, looks and feels stylish and expensive. And at the start it’s expensive – the first iPhone costs a thousand bucks. Now it is available for much less money, for example, the price of basic Samsung models.

Don’t forget that the iPhone X was a flagship, so it was created and produced as a flagship should, without any compromises.

The assembly is at the highest level – nothing plays or creaks even after so many years. A mirror-polished surface may show scratches and abrasions, as was the case with the iPod Classic or the first iPod Touch.

Nowadays you won’t find a steel case even in new devices for 50 thousand – everywhere, as a rule, aluminum is used, which is softer. Somewhere and completely plastic frame coated with metal.

Polished steel in the case is, of course, beautiful, but not entirely practical.

The phone has a round body in the spirit of the latest fashion trends – comfortable, nothing presses in the palm. The dimensions allow it to fit into almost any pocket and not weigh it down too much, and also not hamper your movements.

I use my iPhone with international cases: silicone or leather, depending on the time of year or my mood. The cases do not fit the phone to the size of a shoulder blade.

2. Ideal for the perfectionist

My inner perfectionist rejoices at the symmetrical grilles on the iPhone X

For a similar price, you can find a used iPhone XS, which has the same appearance, but slightly improved characteristics. But there is a small detail in the appearance – the iPhone XS has two new plastic recesses for antennas on the steel frame, one on the top and one on the bottom.

So this is due to a smaller reduction in the number of grilles of the lower left microphone. This didn’t really affect the quality of the voice during calls, but outwardly it doesn’t look so aesthetically pleasing.

3. Still a good light

The first OLED in iPhones. A clear bottom light rather than a waterfall light with curved edges. Good color rendition, the black color here is really black. The frames are thinner than in the XR and 11. The display, even by today’s standards, is quite good. Let me remind you of the characteristics for numbers lovers:

• Diagonal 5.8 inches
• Resolution 2436×1125 pixels
• 458 ppi density.
• Contrast ratio 1,000,000:1.
• Brightness up to 625 cd/m²
• True Tone and 3D Touch

Yes, there is no Always on the display and 120 Hz, or at least even 90 Hz. But the new iPhone 15 and 15 plus also have a 60Hz display. I have an iPad with 120Hz headphones and I know what it is.

But I don’t experience any discomfort when using the iPhone X with a 60 Hz display.

4. Convenient face unlock.

The check contains an IR camera, IR emitter, light sensor, speaker, microphone, front camera and projector.

So many years after the release of the first iPhone with Face ID, there is no such identification method in the Android world. Although there were, of course, the only malfunctions, the dot projector there was 2 times weaker – 15 thousand dots versus 30 thousand for the iPhone.

Unlocking using only the front camera, which is provided on Android, does not work in the dark. Also, this method does not allow you to log into banking applications.

Only the new Google Pixel 8 series can now use the front camera to log into banking, only my Face ID works everywhere, in the system and applications, and regardless of lighting.

An alternative video fingerprint sensor would, at best, be built into the side power button. But more often it is under the display, and in most cases not in a very convenient place.

5. Not embarrassing photos and great videos

The iPhone X camera has two lenses: a 28mm wide-angle lens with ƒ/1.8 aperture and a 56mm telephoto lens with ƒ/2.4 aperture. The neural nuclei do not work so aggressively with photos here, so you can get a possibly less beautiful and clear photo in difficult conditions, but at the same time more honest and lively.

In normal conditions, you can get enough pictures with good detail in the shadows – it’s not a shame to print these out and then put them in an album or give them as a souvenir to someone. There is no night mode, so you shouldn’t expect any miracles from the camera at night.

Over the course of several years, I have become so accustomed to the iPhone X camera that when asked to take a photo on another phone, it becomes unusual. And it’s not a matter of phone models, but a different focal length.

For example, the iPhone 14 Pro has 24 mm, the 13 Pro has 26 mm. It seems like you look, everything is perfect for a good shot, but I feel that something is still wrong in the photo. I take a photo from the same point on my iPhone – and even according to the owners of other phones, the result looks more interesting.

The telephoto lens provides 2x zoom – can be used as a magnifying glass for small text

Absence ultra-wide It doesn’t make me sad. Most of the time, I find it easier to move away a little than to move closer. I enlarge it 2 times, I use it often: for example, at work I recorded the external state of speakers and microphones or serial AirRods headphones.

Both lenses have optical stabilization, rather than just one main camera like the newer 11 and 12 iPhones. On iPhone X, it’s less of a hassle to get a clearer image when switching lenses when recording video.

By the way, video has learned to record memory up to 4K in 60 frames on both sensors, which is now rarely seen in the Android world, even in a budget of up to 50 thousand. But out of habit, I often shoot in 1080p at 30 frames.

6. The A11 processor can still

Based on the results of synthetic tests, you should not expect phenomenal results from 2017 devices. However, the A11 Bionic processor with six cores and 3GB of RAM is quite enough for my tasks.

I usually use it constantly based on Telegram, banking applications, YouTube, camera, safari and Yandex music. Before going to bed, I can look at the reels in messages from friends, and also send something to them.

I’m not a mobile gamer and I don’t play games, although I do have Sudoku and Solitaire for occasional boredom when I’m without the Internet somewhere on the road. I can’t say that the phone is somehow slow to use. Perhaps after so many years I’ve just gotten used to its speed.

iPhone X is the perfect phone, but with nuances

It’s already been 4 years since I’ve been using the fix for my smartphone. It describes the entire list of my tasks and desires. At the same time, I didn’t have to pay an astronomical amount of money for it.

The total purchase costs were 45.5 thousand: 36 thousand initially, plus 9.5 thousand when updating a model with a more capacious drive. It turns out to be just over 11 thousand rubles a year for a premium design, high-quality materials, a good camera and a convenient unlocking function.

But the iPhone X is also not without its drawbacks:

The 2716 mAh battery does not set any autonomy records. But it all depends on the use of the cable – you can either land it at zero in a couple of hours, or stretch it out until the evening.

There is no longer support for the new version of the system. The iPhone X did not receive an update to iOS 17. Now, when you sign in, there will only be security updates in place. But I’m not particularly worried, since using the application only requires version 14 or 15 of iOS.

Supports only one SIM card. No eSim. Sometimes the idea arises of having, for example, a separate room for work. So far for several years I have been comfortable with one SIM card, but for others this may be a must.

Even despite all the shortcomings, I don’t see much point in switching to something else yet. Ten still works great in the Apple ecosystem – be it Latitude, AirDrop or Continuity.

After 4 years I already know how it works and what is expected of it. He became such a loyal, reliable, friend you can rely on.