Up until last week, Apple had done a pretty good job of keeping the iPhone X and its various features from leaking. The HomePod firmware did provide some details about the iPhone X but compared to the previous few years, the leaks surrounding the handset were very low and dubious.
That was until this Saturday when apparently a disgruntled Apple employee leaked an iOS 11 Golden Master build. Since then, we have had a flurry of leaks detailing almost every feature of Apple’s upcoming iPhone lineup possible including the OLED iPhone, which the rumour mill has been calling the iPhone 8 so far.
In case you missed all the leaks, check out our roundup of the top 5 things that the leaks have revealed about Apple’s upcoming iPhone X.
#7 It’s called iPhone X
While the rumour mill and media publications have been calling the OLED iPhone as iPhone 8, it turns out Apple’s naming scheme this year is slightly different. The company will be calling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus successors as iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
As for the OLED iPhone, it will be called the iPhone X. Considering the handset will be launched on the tenth anniversary of the iPhone, the ‘iPhone X’ name does make sense. Add in the premium price point and the limited availability of the handset initially and suddenly the iPhone X branding seems ideal.
#6 4K Video recording at 60fps
Apple added the ability to record videos in 4K resolution on the iPhone with the iPhone 6s in 2015. This year, the company will be taking things to the next level by offering the option of recording 4K videos at 60fps on its 2017 iPhone lineup.
So far, all smartphones launched in the market — including the likes of the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 and LG V30 — have only been capable of recording 4K videos at 30fps. Forget smartphones, one can only record 4K videos at 60fps on a handful of DSLRs out there which are exorbitantly expensive. Thus, Apple offering this option on the iPhone X, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus is definitely commendable.
#5 Portrait Lighting
Apple is also going to give the Portrait mode an upgrade on the iPhone X. The feature will be renamed to Portrait Lighting and allow users to change the background lighting effect. The various lighting effect available will include Studio Light, Stage Light, Contour Light, Natural Light, and Light Mono.
The feature will likely debut in beta first like Apple first did with Portrait mode last year.
#4 No Touch ID on iPhone X
While it was clear that Apple would not be shipping the iPhone X with an under-display fingerprint scanner, many hoped that the company would integrate the Touch ID scanner into the elongated power button or move it to the rear of the device. However, various screenshots and videos of iOS 11 GM build posted so far have confirmed that the iPhone X is only going to come with Face ID, with Touch ID missing entirely from the device.
Now, since Apple has been using Touch ID on the iPhone since 2013, it is likely that the company is extremely confident about Face ID and its performance in real life use that it decided to entirely ditch the fingerprint scanner from the iPhone X. However, there are always going to certain scenarios when Face ID will end up failing and a fingerprint scanner would have been useful.
#3 True Tone Display
With the iPhone X, Apple is not only making the switch to OLED panels but also bringing its True Tone display feature from the iPad Pro to it. As detailed before, True Tone automatically adjusts the color temperature of the display depending on the ambient lighting condition to reduce eye strain.
While this feature might not seem like a big deal, it is extremely handy to have in real life and greatly reduces the strain on one’s eye while reading.
#2 A11 Chip and 3GB RAM
The iOS 11 GM leak has confirmed the iPhone X will come with a 6-core A11 chip. This will not be a Fusion chip, with all the six cores being independently addressable. Out of the six cores, four are low-power ‘Mistral’ cores while the other two are high-power ‘Monsoon’ cores. The handset will also come with 3GB of RAM.
Just to clarify on the A11: it's two high-power Monsoon cores and four low-power Mistral cores, all independently addressable. No Fusion
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) September 10, 2017
The A11 chip will again likely end up breaking all previous benchmark records and probably even give some of Intel’s lower rung Core processors a run for their money in terms of performance.
#1 Status Bar functionality
Ever since the HomePod firmware revealed that the iPhone X will come with a notch display design, developers and Apple enthusiasts have wondered how the status bar on the handset will function. Thanks to the leaked iOS 11 GM firmware, we now have an idea about this.
Apple will be splitting the status bar into two on the iPhone X to accommodate the notch display design. The status bar on the left of the display will show the time and location, while the one on the right will show the battery percentage, Wi-Fi, and cellular signal strength.
There's a nice little animation when you connect it to power pic.twitter.com/GFimRxbCAm
— Guilherme Rambo (@_inside) September 9, 2017
Whenever a new icon is displayed on the status bar, there is a slick new animation, though it is not overdone so as to distract users from what they are doing. Similarly, whenever one is on a call or using an app to record the screen etc., the left or right ear of the status bar will change colors. It will also be presumably interactive in nature.
Here’s a closer look at the new ‘split’ status bar. The charging glyph zooms in for a second when you plug in /via @_inside pic.twitter.com/orBnHGxaYB
— Steve Troughton-Smith (@stroughtonsmith) September 9, 2017
Bonus: Animoji
Apart from offering Face ID, Apple will also be using the bevy of facial recognition sensors on the iPhone X to offer Animoji. The feature lets one create custom 3D animated emoji based on their facial expressions which they can then share over iMessage with their friends and family. As mentioned, the feature will likely be exclusive to the iPhone X since it makes use of the 3D facial sensors located on the front of the device.
What do you think about the iPhone X based on the leaks from over the weekend? Will you be buying one now if it is priced at $1,000+?
