Tag: iPhone X

FACIAL RECOGNITION: ANDROID MANUFACTURERS ARE CHASING AFTER APPLE

The iPhone X has yet to hit the market, so nobody knows how well Face ID actually works. However, buzz around 3D facial recognition is making the vast majority of Android manufacturers nervous. This is only to be expected, given what we know about how the industry works.

As the experts at KGI have found out, face recognition using special 3D sensors is the current hot topic of the smartphone industry. According to the survey, since the presentation of the iPhone X, the search queries for the new 3D sensors used for face recognition have tripled. At the same time, interest in the “traditional” fingerprint sensor – which has only been used in smartphones for four years – is also declining rapidly.

It was obvious at the time of the presentation how this would go. It’s the same old story. The face recognition technology that – remember – has been available on smartphones for years, is presented by Apple and will then be adopted by the Android manufacturers. Like the fingerprint sensor, face recognition will be seen on an increasing number of Android smartphones in the coming months. That’s not very creative, but companies feel that their hands are forced by Apple’s market power and popularity.

Technology has got to be fun

By the way, Face ID is not just about facial recognition. The Animojis introduced by Apple with the new iPhones may seem silly at first, but they show that the technology can also be used for a lot of other things, even if it’s something silly-sounding like animated animal faces with their own facial expressions. Let’s face it: if a technology does not promise the masses a bit of fun, then it won’t make a splash in the market.

However, there is another side to this story: the unfulfilled hope of a breakthrough in some technologies, such as the “under-display” optical fingerprint sensor. The Galaxy S8 was already supposed have a sensor like this, but the engineers couldn’t implement it in time for release. As a result, Samsung users have to contort their fingers in search of the poorly placed sensor on the back – a lazy compromise. Similarly, Apple wanted to include a under-display fingerprint sensor in the iPhone X in order to offer an alternative to Face ID, but also ran out of time before their release deadline.

You won’t get anywhere without OLEDs

Such newfangled fingerprint sensors would probably not be available for the mass of consumers anyway, as the technology can only be used with OLED panels. This makes it difficult to provide mass-produced solutions outside of expensive, high-end smartphones, especially as Samsung enjoys a very dominant position in this area.

But fingerprint authentication, OLEDs displays, only serve to demonstrate once again what has always been reliable in the past: Apple doesn’t set any technical records on paper, but it sets the actual market trends. No matter what the Android competition does, if Apple starts off in one direction, then the others are compelled to follow.

Apple is technically ahead this time

This will not necessarily change if Samsung succeeds in actually getting the under-display fingerprint sensor to debut on Galaxy Note 9 for the first time, as a report by Business Insider suggests. It seems that facial recognition in the Samsung devices is much less advanced and less secure than in Apple. Business Insider states that Apple has an advantage of 18 to 30 months over Samsung when it comes to facial authentication. The new fingerprint sensor would thus only be a transitional solution until Samsung can catch up to Apple’s solution – which was also the case with the introduction of Touch ID.

It’s going to work like this: Samsung does it first, then Apple will make it better later, and only then does everyone else have to have it.

What do you think? Does the Android competition really have to follow every Apple trend? Or would a little more self-confidence do good here?

Apple iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs Samsung Note 8: Phablet spec showdown

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8 was the best phone you could buy for about a week. Now Apple has come along and spoiled Samsung’s party with not one but two new phablet-sized phones: the iPhone 8 Plus and the iPhone X. While the new iPhones still don’t come with a stylus, Apple did upgrade them in just about every other way. So how does Samsung’s flagship stack up to Apple’s latest handsets? Let’s take a look.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Size

If you’re looking for the absolute biggest phone you can buy, Samsung wins here. It’s Note 8 has a whopping 6.3-inch display, a good deal larger than the iPhone X’s 5.8-inch one. But screen size doesn’t tell the whole story.

With nearly an inch more screen than the iPhone 8 Plus and way more pixels than the X, you’d expect the Note 8 to be a significantly bigger package, but the dimensions are remarkably similar to the Plus:

  • Note 8: 162.5 x 74.8 x 8.6 mm
  • iPhone 8 Plus: 158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm
  • iPhone X: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3 mm

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Display

Both the Note 8 and the iPhone X feature remarkable displays, with the iPhone X representing Apple’s first foray into OLED screens. Samsung edges the iPhone X when it comes to resolution, but we’ll need to compare the two in person to see which comes out on top when it comes to color and brightness. In pure numbers, however, Samsung takes the crown, both in size and resolution:

  • Note 8: 6.3-inch, 2960 x 1440 Super AMOLED, HDR, 532ppi
  • iPhone 8 Plus: 5.5-inch, 1920 x 1080 LCD, 401ppi
  • iPhone X: 5.8-inch, 2436 x 1125 OLED, HDR, 458ppi

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Performance

Comparing iPhones to Galaxy phones has never been an apples to apples comparison, but on paper, Apple’s A11 Bionic chip is a screamer. With six cores and 4.3 billion transistors, it looks to give the Note 8’s Snapdragon 835 a real run for its money, at least in terms of raw power. In real-world use, however, the phones will be pretty close in speed, but the Note 8’s 6GB of RAM could pull it closer in benchmarks. Apple has traditionally been stingy with its RAM thanks to the intense iOS optimizations, with the iPhone 8 Plus topping out at 2GB. The A11 chip also integrates an Apple-designed GPU with a three-core design that should give games a boost.

  • Note 8: Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (octo-core, 10nm, up to 2.45GHz)
  • iPhone 8 Plus: A11 Bionic chip (septa-core)
  • iPhone X: A11 Bionic chip (septa-core)

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Battery

We won’t know exactly how big the new iPhones’ batteries are until iFixit’s customary tear-down, but based on Apple’s claims, the iPhone 8 Plus will last “about the same” as the 7 Plus, while the X will last “up to two hours longer,” and both phones now support Qi wireless charging like the Note 8. The Note 8’s 3,300mAH battery gets around 9 hours of real-world use, more than enough to get through a full day of use, and the 7 Plus was equally long-lasting. If the X truly lasts two hours longer than the 8 Plus, it could put it over the top.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Storage

All three phones offer a base model with 64GB of storage. However, the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X add a 256GB tier that isn’t available on the Note 8 (at least not in the U.S. anyway). However, the Note 8 includes a microSD slot so you can upgrade the storage as much as you’d like, and for a lot less than the $150 Apple is charging for 192 extra gigs of storage.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Camera

Apple and Samsung have been slugging it out over camera performance for generations of phones, and this year is no different. Let’s start with the specs:

  • Note 8: Dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, f/1.7 and f/2.4, dual optical image stabilization, 2X optical zoom
  • iPhone 8 Plus: Dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, f/1.8 and f/2.8, optical image stabilization on main lens, 2X optical zoom
  • iPhone X: Dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, f/1.8 and f/2.4, dual optical image stabilization, 2X optical zoom

All three phones have very similar cameras, with the Note 8 edging out the iPhone X slightly when it comes to aperture. Additionally, all three phones feature a “bokeh” mode—Portrait on the iPhone and Live Focus on the Note 8—but the Note 8 offers the ability to adjust the level of background blur, which isn’t available on the iPhone. However, the iPhones have a new feature called Portrait Lighting that simulates various instances of studio-style lighting after portraits are shot.

When it comes to video recording, the iPhone 8 Plus and X both film in 4K at 60fps, while the Note 8 tops out at 30fps. Additionally the iPhones have slo-mo video support for 1080p at 240fps, while the Note 8 only supports 720p.

As always, however, the proof will be in the pudding. Apple has introduced an improved image signal processor for the new iPhones as well as some auto-focus and lighting tricks, but we were pretty impressed with the Note 8’s new camera too.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: AR and VR

The Bionic in the iPhones’ new A11 chip means it has a neural engine with a dual-core design that performs up to 600 billion operations per second for real-time processing to help with Face ID, Animoji, and augmented reality. Samsung doesn’t specifically tout any AR benefits of the Note 8, but Google’s new ARCore will allow the phone to take advantage of the emerging tech, but it remains to be seen if it will be as advanced as Apple’s ARKit. The Note 8 does beat the iPhone 8 Plus and X when it comes to VR, however. Pop the phone into a Gear VR headset and you’ll be able to watch 360-degree videos and play immersive games, something no iPhone can do yet.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Biometrics

The iPhone 8 Plus includes the standard Touch ID fingerprint-scanning sensor. However, since Apple has eliminated the home button on the iPhone X, that phone doesn’t have Touch ID. In its place is Face ID, which uses the TrueDepth camera system to build a “unique facial map.” The Note 8 features an array of options for unlocking your phones, including fingerprint, retina, and face. The fingerprint scanner isn’t in the greatest spot and we had loads of issues with facial recognition, but the retina scanner worked flawlessly during our testing (though others haven’t had the same result). Apple promises that it’s just as secure as Touch ID, but we’ll have to test it out to be sure.

iPhone 8 Plus vs. iPhone X vs. Note 8: Price

While much has been made of the iPhone X’s $999 price tag, it’s really not all that much higher than the Note 8’s $930 price. But the iPhone 8 Plus is practically a bargain compared to both of them:

  • Note 8: $930 (64GB)
  • iPhone 8 Plus: $799 (64GB), $949 (256GB)
  • iPhone X: $999 (64GB), $1149 (256GB)

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How to pick between the iPhone X and iPhone 8

Apple introduced three brand new iPhones yesterday. Three! They include the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which have faster processors and better cameras than last year’s iPhone 7 — and now you can charge them wirelessly. And then there’s the iPhone X, a $1,000 smartphone that Apple is basically trying to market as a gadget from the future that arrived a little early. It’s the first iPhone ever to have an OLED screen, and even better, that stunning display basically runs edge to edge. iPhone X comes with other radical changes like the removal of the home button in favor of a new feature Apple is calling Face ID, which scans your face to unlock your iPhone instead of the traditional Touch ID method still used on the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus.

So since there are three new iPhones arriving (almost) at once, you’ve probably been putting some thought into which is the best choice. For the purpose of this article, let’s go into it from the perspective of someone dead set on buying a new iPhone within the next couple months. You’ve ruled out the Pixel 2s and Note 8s of the world and have decided on Apple. Well, where do you go from there?

Why you might want to buy the iPhone 8:

  • The iPhone 8 is the first iPhone to support wireless charging. Apple changed up the iPhone’s looks a bit this year with a glass back instead of just making the whole thing aluminum. So you’ll be able to plop the iPhone 8 down onto any Qi-compatible wireless charger and it’ll start juicing up. Many of the places where you’d find wireless chargers (like Starbucks and inside some newer cars) already support the same Qi technology as the iPhone, so it’ll just work.
  • It has the same powerful A11 Bionic processor as the iPhone X. That sounds like something from a Mission: Impossible movie, but all you really need to know is that it’s the fastest chip that Apple has ever put in an iPhone — and the iPhone 7 already felt plenty fast. This new chip is also optimized for all the cool augmented reality tricks that you might’ve seen demos of. Soon, those will make their way to actual apps and games in the App Store. All recent iPhones can do AR, but Apple claims the 8 and X have been “optimized” for it.
  • You get the same primary camera as what’s in both the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. The 12-megapixel f/1.8 camera has a “larger and faster” sensor than the iPhone 7, says Apple, so if all you care about is having one good camera, this should be excellent. It’s got optical image stabilization and can record 4K video at 24, 30, or 60FPS — just like the other new phones.
  • The display supports Apple’s True Tone feature, which adjusts the screen’s appearance and color temperature so that it always looks pleasant and less blue / harsh to your eyes in a variety of lighting environments.
  • Unlike the iPhone 8 Plus, the regular iPhone 8 is still relatively easy to use in one hand. The iPhone X should be too, but it’s also hundreds of dollars more expensive.
  • iPhone 7 cases still fit.

Why you might not:

  • It’s only got the one rear camera, so you lose out on Apple’s Portrait mode and the new Portrait Lighting feature, which can change the lighting of a subject’s face in your shot.
  • The 4.7-inch screen is smaller and lower-res (1334×750) than the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. If you like things to look big on your screen and get lost in YouTube videos or your Instagram feed, the iPhone 8’s display might not be ideal.
  • It has the smallest battery of the three new iPhones. Apple has promised users will experience “about the same” battery life as the iPhone 7, so you might find yourself buying a battery case.

Why you might want to buy the iPhone 8 Plus:

  • Aside from their different displays and dimensions/weight — and those are important — the iPhone 8 Plus offers pretty much every single major new feature that the pricier $1,000 iPhone X does. It’s got the processor. It’s got the wireless charging. It’s got dual cameras on the back and can do the same new Portrait Lighting effects as the iPhone X. The 5.5-inch LCD screen has True Tone.
  • It has the familiarity of a home button and the versatility of Touch ID. Maybe you’re not convinced the iPhone X’s gestures and virtual home bar are really an upgrade. Plus, sometimes people just want to unlock their phone without having to look directly at it.
  • It has the best battery life of all three new models.
  • iPhone 7 Plus cases still fit.

Why you might not:

  • This thing feels like a “Plus” phone more than ever before when compared to the all-screen competition from Samsung, LG, Essential, and now Apple’s top-tier iPhone X. Other smartphone designs are getting more efficient, but the iPhone 8 Plus remains just as unwieldy as its three predecessors.
  • Although the 5.5-inch 1080p LCD has superb color accuracy, it’s not going to be as vibrant or eye-catching as the iPhone X’s new OLED screen.
  • It’s not really all that much cheaper than the iPhone X. If you get a 256GB iPhone 8 Plus, you’re already inching very close to that $1,000 mark.

Why you might want to buy the iPhone X:

  • Visually, it’s Apple’s most impressive and futuristic iPhone design ever thanks to the 5.8-inch edge-to-edge OLED screen on the front and its stainless steel frame.
  • It’s a big screen in a small overall form factor. The iPhone X measures a bit bigger than the iPhone 8, but it’s nowhere near the dimensions of the iPhone 8 Plus. It should be fairly comfortable to use in one hand. And in that hand is pretty much all display.
  • The OLED screen has better contrast than the displays on iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and it supports HDR video.
  • You can unlock your phone with your face. If you like being the first to try Apple’s latest technology, Face ID is the biggest adjustment that iPhone users will have to make in years.
  • Animoji and Portrait mode on the selfie camera. All of the sensors that make Face ID possible are also used for Animoji, which are moving emoji that mimic your facial expressions, and allow you to take portrait shots with blurred backgrounds (and Portrait Lighting) using the front-facing camera. Other iPhones can’t do that.
  • The telephoto portrait lens on the iPhone X’s dual-camera has a better aperture than the iPhone 8 Plus. (f/2.4 vs. f/2.8).
  • Both rear cameras have optical image stabilization, which should allow you to use the telephoto lens in darker conditions. On the iPhone 8 Plus, only the primary camera does.

Why you might not:

  • It’s the most expensive iPhone ever.
  • There’s no home button or Touch ID. Unlocking your phone requires looking directly at it. Every time. Unless you want to go old school with the passcode.
  • Apple’s gestures for going back to the home screen and multitasking look somewhat awkward in early examples and demonstrations. At the most basic level, they’re definitely not as simple as just hitting a button with your thumb.
  • The notch that houses the front-facing camera and other sensors. It’s just kind of there all the time, and Apple is embracing that. That should be perfectly fine in apps, but the notch is likely to obscure content from time to time. We’ve already seen that it sticks out into videos if you play them full-screen in landscape orientation. Are you the kind of person who can ignore that? I’m not sure I am.
  • AppleCare+ is more expensive than for previous iPhones.
  • It doesn’t come out until November.

What do all three new iPhone models have in common?

  • Same processor: A11 Bionic
  • Same primary 12-megapixel camera
  • Same 7-megapixel selfie camera
  • Same video recording capabilities: 4K at 60, 30, and 24FPS. 1080p slo-mo at 240FPS
  • Wireless charging
  • “The hardest glass ever in a smartphone, front and back.”
  • IP67 water and dust resistance
  • Same maximum screen brightness
  • 3D Touch
  • Fast charging
  • 64GB or 256GB storage options

So if you’re already set on getting one of these new iPhones, for me it would come down to the iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X. The iPhone 8 is a little too small for my big hands, and I need a larger screen. Picking an ultimate winner between those two might come down to the wire before preorders for the former kick off early Friday morning. The iPhone X’s OLED screen is beautiful, but a home button and Touch ID still feel somewhat critical to me — at least until I’ve handled the X firsthand and can judge the gestures and face recognition myself. The release date of iPhone 8 / 8 Plus and iPhone X are far enough apart that if you start off with one of the 8s and come to regret it, you’ve still got enough time to return it and hold out for the X.

Shame that Apple didn’t just put the home button and Touch ID on the back of the iPhone X, though. That would’ve been just about perfect.

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