Replacement iPhone X

Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone X sets a new gold standard for the next decade of iPhones. Coming hot on the heels of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, the iPhone X stole the show despite sharing nearly identical internal hardware. The X (pronounced “ten,” like the Roman numeral) is a beautiful, modern sculpture, and iPhone owners finally have a reason to show off their phones again.

A stunning display

Turn on the iPhone X, and it’s easy to forget almost every other phone released over the past year. Apple didn’t kick-start the “bezel-less” smartphone design trend, where the edges around the screen melt away to offer an immersive all-screen experience, but it certainly helped popularize it. Other phones may have slightly smaller bezels, but we do like the approach Apple took here.

Most of the time, anyway. The controversial notch cut out at the top of the screen accommodateing the front-facing camera continues to split opinion, especially as it’s now on more phones. The notch on the Essential Phone is smaller, but doesn’t contain the same depth-sensing sensor technology as the Apple phone. It all becomes inconsequential after using the iPhone X for more than a few days, just as with any other notched display.  It takes some getting used to, but it’s not the irritation many want to believe it is. It helps that iOS gracefully splits the top status bar in half around the notch, and many native apps also tailor their designs to it, but it’s easy to feel a break in immersion when watching YouTube videos and movies on Netflix.

• 1. iPhone X with an unsupported app.
• 2. iPhone X with a supported app.

The OLED display goes a long way in making amends for these quibbles. The 5.8-inch screen has a 2,436 x 1,125-pixel resolution (458 pixels per inch), and it’s razor sharp. Colors are vibrant, blacks are finally as pitch-dark as many other OLED Android phones, and it’s easy to read in direct sunlight.  You’ll have a hard time pulling your eyes away from this scre