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iPhone X Review: Still Worth A Buy In 2023?

Is the iPhone X worth buying in 2023? Let’s investigate, shall we? 


iPhone X Review – UPDATED FOR 2023

The iPhone X is now a good few years old (almost four); it launched in place of what was meant to be Apple’s iPhone 9 – the phone that never happened. In phone years, several years is basically an eon. But like most things iPhone-related, the iPhone X has aged well. It looks more or less the same as the iPhone 11/12/13/14, and it still performs great.

If you’re after a bargain, the iPhone X is now very cheap to but there’s one major caveat: Apple has now ended support for the iPhone X.

As we wave goodbye to 2023, we’re also bidding adieu to the iPhone X. This once-revered device, the former star of Apple’s illustrious lineup, has hit its second end-of-life milestone. The first blow came when Apple discontinued it, and the final nail in the coffin is Apple’s decision to halt iOS updates for this model.

Despite its illustrious past, the iPhone X has lost its shine for those hunting for a

refurbished iPhone. Without the lifeblood of iOS updates, it’s effectively been relegated to the tech graveyard. Within a year, apps will cease to function, the device will be exposed to bugs and security flaws, and it will miss out on the shiny new features that come with iOS updates.

So, where does that leave those on the hunt for a budget-friendly iPhone? The iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR may seem like the next logical step, but they’re living on borrowed time, with their support expected to run dry in 2024.

For those balancing the scales of cost and modern features, the iPhone 11 Pro Max stands as a robust choice if 5G isn’t on your radar. If you’re keen to ride the 5G wave, the iPhone 12 Pro or iPhone 13 should be on your shortlist. These models still have a good few years of support in their tank, ensuring you’ll squeeze every drop of value from your investment.

After the box, you’ll find out updated review of the iPhone X from 2022…

iPhone X
3.5

The iPhone X is essentially a more powerful version of the iPhone XR. It has a better display – it uses an OLED panel, while the XR uses an LCD one – and it has a slightly better processor. The camera is improved too, adding in better low-light performance and more lenses for improved video and picture quality. 


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6 Reasons Why The iPhone X Is Still Good Value

  • The first reason is that the iPhone X still has a great camera, featuring a dual-lens setup with optical zoom and image stabilization.
  • The second reason is that the iPhone X’s OLED display is still considered one of the best displays on a smartphone.
  • The third reason is that the iPhone X is still fast and capable, thanks to its A11 Bionic chip and 3GB of RAM.
  • The fourth reason is that the iPhone X is still receiving software updates, with the latest iOS 16 update coming to the device.
  • The fifth reason is that the iPhone X is still a stylish and premium device, with its stainless steel and glass design.
  • And number six? The iPhone X is now properly cheap – seriously, LOOK at these prices. If you’re looking to tighten your belt right now, going with this model does make quite a bit of sense.

Add in the fact that the phone can now be picked up for less than $250 refurbished and you’re looking at a great deal, if you’re in the market for a solid, reliable phone that’ll get years of software updates and support.

CAVEAT: It doesn’t have 5G and the A11 isn’t as fast as the A13 or the new A14, but it will be more than enough for the type of thing most people use their phones for.

In this respect, I would say, yes, the iPhone X is still well worth a look in 2023, providing you understand that it is four years old, and that its camera, while adequate, is no way near as good as what you get on the iPhone 11 or iPhone 12.

If you can live with this, the iPhone X – at less than $300/£300 – is basically a steal.

Things To Keep In Mind

As noted above, the iPhone X is now a good few years old. It doesn’t have 5G and if that is important to you, you’ll have to go with one of Apple’s more modern phones – basically, the iPhone 12 and up, as these are the only models that come with 5G.

You can get some pretty great deals on Apple’s iPhone 12 range right now, so that’s something. But these newer models will be no way near as cheap as the iPhone X. And if you’re looking to make big savings on your next iPhone, going with the iPhone X is one of the easiest ways to do this.

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How does the iPhone X’s camera hold up in 2022? Surprising well, as it goes. The fact that it is running on 2017 hardware proves just how good Apple is at developing camera tech. The iPhone 12 and iPhone 13 will run rings around the iPhone X but for the average user, the iPhone X’s camera performance will be more than adequate.

The iPhone X features a telephoto lens, portrait mode, and a completely redesigned sensor (from the iPhone 8 Plus, the phone that it replaced). With video, you have support for ultra-smooth 4K recording and 240fps slo-mo video.

For 99.9% of users, the iPhone X’s camera is still more than good enough for 2022. It does lack the more advanced features of Apple’s newer models, however, like LiDAR and ProRes – but that’s to be expected.

The phone itself looks as good as it ever did. Apple hasn’t changed the look and feel of its iPhone too much since 2017, so the iPhone X still looks as smart as ever. The battery life is great too, as is its OLED display, and the fact that it will run at least the next three to four major iOS platform updates, taking you into the backend of the 2020s.

And at a price of less than $300/£300, the iPhone X serves up some excellent value for money in 2022. Ideal, if you’re looking to tighten your belt this year.


Full iPhone X Review (Original Review From 2017) 

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Design

The iPhone X was the iPhone that broke the mold. It was the first iPhone NOT to have a Home button, setting the trend for years to come. On top of this, it was the first iPhone to carry an OLED panel; in this case, a beautiful 5.8in 1125×2436 slab of awesomeness.

Physically, the iPhone X looks, unlike anything that came before it. The Home button is gone, so the entire frontage of the phone, save for the notch at the top, is all display. This means Apple can fit a larger display into a smaller space. And that makes the iPhone X great for users that don’t want a huge phone.

Physically, the iPhone X cuts a commanding presence with its bright, OLED panel and smooth lines. The size of the handset – 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm – and its weight (174g) will take you by surprise; it is both smaller and lighter than the iPhone 8 Plus. Again, this is what you can do when you get rid of buttons.

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Available in black or white, unlike the iPhone 8’s myriad color options, the iPhone X feels almost more akin to Apple’s first-ever iPhone. By limiting color options, Apple has kept things simple; it clearly had a vision for this handset’s aesthetics and it didn’t want anything messing with it. I respect that. And I love the way both color options look.

The bulk of the iPhone X’s chassis is made from glass in order to improve the efficiency of its built-in Qi wireless charging. On top of this, the glass finish gives the iPhone X a truly otherworldly look and feel when compared to older iPhone models, which used metals like aluminum for their construction.

Beyond this, you have full water and dust resistance which means the iPhone X can survive underwater. Having IP67 water and dust resistance is a big deal. How Apple did it with this design, however, I have no idea. I also love the fact that the power and volume rockers remain in the same place. Even Apple Pay and Siri are still accessible via a physical button on the iPhone X; there’s a dedicated button located on the side.

Many reviewers were critical of the iPhone X when it first came out, but I think they were too harsh. As a new design language for Apple, the iPhone X’s look and feel is near-perfect from a visual and ergonomic perspective. It’s ideally sized for hands of all sizes, there’s a ton of screen real estate to work with, and the fit and finish is akin to a Swiss watch.

Display & FACE ID

As noted earlier, the iPhone X was Apple’s first-ever OLED iPhone. It is also the first iPhone to not have a home button. Instead, you have FACE ID, which lives inside the notch located at the top of the display. Much was made of this notch when the iPhone X first landed, but its utility is brilliant in everyday use.

FACE ID is quicker as well. Apple’s technology is very, very impressive. Even more so when you consider that it is the first iteration of FACE ID. Once you get used it after a few tries, you’ll never understand how you lived without it. Even adding your face to FACE ID is simple; just a few seconds and it’s done. Compared to setting up TouchID, which could take up to three minutes, it is a breeze.

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FACE ID isn’t perfect. Unlocking your phone when it is laying flat on a table is tricky, and it does, on occasion, not work in super-dark conditions. Other than that, I don’t have any real complaints about FACE ID or the fact that it has replaced TouchID. And as an added bonus, the tech that powers FACE ID can create animate emoji versions of your face too. Apple calls these Animojis.

As for how Apple’s OLED display performs? It’s fantastic. It makes the outgoing iPhone 8’s LCD display look utterly archaic. The brightness and detail is incredible. And the blacks? They’re void-like, which further improves the contrast of the display and you will notice this when watching movies and/or playing games.

DisplayMate, an independent phone display tester, said the iPhone X has the best display it has ever tested, surpassing even Samsung’s OLED panels. My own experiences with the phone match these claims; colors are utterly vivid and lifelike, viewing angles are brilliant, unlike on the Google Pixel 2 XL, and the colors are natural and engaging. Essentially, it’s the perfect display.

Specs & Features (Compared To iPhone XS)

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Performance

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Apple’s A-Series SoCs have been dominating the mobile space for years now, and the A11 Bionic chip is no different. Paired with 3GB of RAM, Apple’s outstanding A11 chipset delivers blistering performance across the board. At the time of initially reviewing this phone, it was the fastest on the market – by quite a margin.

Nowadays, that title goes to the iPhone 11 range. But the iPhone X is still just as powerful as the latest and greatest Android phones. How so? Simple: Apple has its A11 chipset and iPhone perfectly optimized to work together. Nothing was left to chance. And the result? Seamless performance that not only kicks ass but is also extremely power efficient.

If you’re worried that the iPhone X is older than current-generation iPhones and that this will affect its performance, DO NOT worry – this phone will still deliver the goods with respect to power for years to come. That’s how Apple designs phones: they’re built to last and run for a long time. And the iPhone X will be good to go for years to come.

Cameras

The iPhone X’s camera is a very capable beast. Apple has been making solid, reliable cameras for a good few years now. But with the iPhone X, it has come to market with something very impressive, indeed. And the shots you can capture with it have never looked better.

You have two 12MP rear cameras packing OIS (optical image stabilization) and phase-detect autofocus. One is a wide-angle f/1.8 camera and the other is a 2x telephoto camera. The big idea here is better depth perception, better low-light performance, and more detail inside your shots.

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The iPhone X’s camera is not quite as good as Google’s Pixel 2 or Pixel 3, but it is damn close and is easily on a par with Samsung’s Galaxy S10 and Huawei’s Mate 10. For most users, the iPhone X camera will be more than enough to capture beautifully detailed images that look professional and polished.

You also have things like Portrait Mode for capturing framed shots of people and objects, whereby the background is blurred out. On the front, you have a 7MP camera that can be used for selfies and video-calling. Performance here is decent, though I’d prefer to have seen a higher resolution camera on the front given how much the iPhone X cost at launch.

Verdict – Should You Buy The iPhone X?

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If you’re shopping around for a new iPhone in 2021 and beyond, and you want to save some money, I can wholeheartedly recommend the iPhone X. For me, the iPhone X is the best value iPhone you can currently buy – it’s now A LOT cheaper than it was when it first launched. And you’re still getting A LOT of phone.

I do really love the iPhone XR, but the iPhone X does have a better display and much the same overall performance. I think if you’re torn between the two, the iPhone X is the one to go for – it’s cheaper, has a better OLED display, and is just as powerful. Plus, Apple will be supporting the iPhone X – the phone that replaced the iPhone 9 – for years to come, so you’re covered for updates until, well… probably the mid-2020s!

And then, of course, there is the iPhone XS, which came out alongside the iPhone XR. You can check out the full details of how the iPhone X compares to the iPhone XS here.

Michael Grothaus

Michael Grothaus is an American author and journalist with a flair for exploring the intersection of technology, creativity, and digital culture. With a background in film, journalism, and creative writing, he brings a unique perspective to the world of mobile technology. His work has been featured in renowned publications like Fast Company, The Guardian, and Engadget. At KnowYourMobile, Michael leverages his extensive knowledge to guide readers through the complexities of mobile devices, helping them make informed choices in the fast-paced tech landscape.

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