The third article for my iPhone X Review series will focus on a feature that is used by almost every iPhone user, the iPhone Camera.

One of the primary reason that users upgrade an iPhone is the capabilities of the camera. For many, including myself, their iPhone Camera is the primary camera they use. The iPhone camera has progressed substantially since the original iPhone in 2007.

iPhone Camera History

It has not always been the case that Apple has put an emphasis on the camera in the iPhone. While there has been a camera in the iPhone since the original iPhone, it has not always been of the highest quality. As an example, the original iPhone only had a 2 Megapixel camera, the same was the case for the iPhone 3G.

The iPhone 3GS improved the camera to a 3 Megapixel sensor with an ƒ2.8 lens that allowed autofocus. The iPhone 3G also added a video camera. Granted, it was only a 480 pixels at 30 frames per second, but it was a video camera nonetheless, and in 2009 it was a nice feature to have in an iPhone. The iPhone 4 improved a bit more with a 5 megapixel camera and added a flash, which would help in those low light situations.

The iPhone 4s is the release when Apple really began taking the cameras on the iPhone as an important appeal factor and could be something to help bring users to the iPhone. the iPhone 4s included an 8MP back camera at an ƒ2.4. This camera was capable of 1080p video recording. The back camera was upgraded, but the front facing camera remained relatively inept, in comparison to the back camera.

The iPhone 5 is when Apple began looking at the front-facing camera as just as important as the rear camera. As much as one might not like the term "selfie", it has become part of the language and has also become the primary use of the front-facing camera. Applications like Instagram have really pushed people share photos of themselves, and the easiest means of doing so is by using the front-facing camera. The iPhone 5's front camera had a 1.2 megapixelsensor with a resolution of 1280 by 960 pixels. The iPhone 5s added a new feature for the back camera, slow motion capture. This feature was limited to 720 pixels at 120 frames per second, but even at a lower resolution, it worked well and added some new capabilities that the iPhone did not have before.

The iPhone 6 was a game changer in terms of the iPhone in general, but in particular with the camera configuration. The iPhone 6 ushered in two different models, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 saw a modest improvement to the camera with autofocus improvements.

The biggest change came with the iPhone 6 Plus and an all new dual camera system. This was a first for the iPhone. The iPhone 6 Plus had two lenses, one standard focal length and a "telephoto" lens. The telephoto lens would be capable of doing 2x optical zoom. Combining the 2x optical zoom with the 5x digital zoom meant that the iPhone could get up to 10x zoom. There was one last change with the iPhone 6 Plus was the optical image stabilization. Optical Image Stabilization provides the ability to stabilize the image and video that is being taken by an iPhone 6 Plus. This means that instead of getting a possibly grainy or shaky video, it can be stabilized so that it appears closer to being done on a tripod, or some other very stable object. This makes the quality of both images and video even better.

The iPhone 6s improved both the rear and front cameras. On the back, the camera were upgraded to 12 megapixels, up from 8 megapixels. This also allowed for the recording of 4K video on the rear camera. The iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also allowed you to take an 8 megapixel picture while you were recording video, which would be very hand should the need arise.

The front camera on the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus also saw a significant improvement. The front camera was upgraded to a 5 megapixel sensor that was capable of recording 720p HD video. There was a new feature with this, a flash. However, this was not a traditional flash. Instead, the "flash" used the screen to simulate a flash. This "Retina Flash" would be very useful in low light situations and could help you create a more constant illumination when you decided to take a selfie.

The iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus changed the camera game a bit more. While there was still a 12 megapixel camera sensor, the quality had been significantly improved with an ƒ1.8 lens. This is a super fast lens. The second lens on the iPhone 7 Plus included a 56mm ƒ2.2 for the telephoto lens. Just as with the iPhone 6s, the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus front camera was improved. This time it was upgraded to a 7 megapixel sensor for even clearer photos.

The iPhone 7 Plus also included a feature specific to that model, a new camera mode. This way of taking pictures called "Portrait" mode. Portrait mode provides a way for an iPhone user to add a blurred background while keeping the subject of the picture still within focus. This is often referred to a "bokeh" effect. This was an entirely new feature to he iPhone. Portrait mode used some machine learning to try and determine where the person, or primary subject, ended and the background began. It would then blur out the background. The iPhone 7 Plus did all of this on the fly and you could preview Portrait mode before taking the picture.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus have the same cameras, for the most part, as the iPhone X. Let us dive into the iPhone X camera.

iPhone X Camera

The iPhone X takes what came before and gives it another huge upgrade. The iPhone X still sports a 12 megapixel camera sensor on the back. Alongside the 12 megapixel sensor there is still the ƒ1.8 aperture. The telephoto lens is now an ƒ2.4 aperture. This means that the telephoto lens should be faster in lower light situations, and should be able to take even better photos than before. The bigger improvement though is that the iPhone X has dual optical image stabilization. At first glance you may think that this is not a big deal, but in practice it is. Having the telephoto lens of the iPhone X also be optically stabilized will allow even better pictures, in all sorts of conditions. Besides better pictures, you will also get better video out of the iPhone X.

The front camera remains relatively unchanged, with the exception of a new feature, which is also present in the rear camera, Portrait lighting mode. Portrait lighting takes Portrait mode and allows you to add lighting effects to the picture you are taking. The best part is that you can add or change lighting effects after the fact and can even swap them around depending on what you find is the best filter for a particular photo.

When you use Portrait Lighting Mode, you can see a live preview of what the picture would look like when you use that particular filter. The actual filters that are available are:

• Natural Light
• Studio Light
• Contour Light
• Stage Light
• Stage Light Mono

Each of these lighting options provides a slightly different look and feel to the portrait you are looking at. The last two, "Stage Light" and "Stage Light Mono" require you to place the face of the subject that you want to focus on within a circle. This circle is used to identify the subject. The lighting then takes this area and focuses the lighting effect on the subject.

As mentioned above, you can also take any High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF) picture taken with iOS 11, or later, and apply that effect to that image. This can be done on an iOS device or on a Mac running macOS High Sierra.

The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus both have the 12 megapixel ƒ/1.8 aperture wide-angle rear camera, but the iPhone 8 Plus has a 12 megapixel telephoto lens, but is at ƒ/2.8 aperture. The iPhone 8 Plus also supports Portrait mode and Portrait Lighting. There is one last feature that is available on the cameras on the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

Here is an example of portrait mode and the same image with Stage Lighting applied.

Slow Sync

Slow Sync Flash will help make your photos even better than they were before. It does this by taking the True Tone flash and evens out all of the colors so that everything appears even better than before. This is accomplished by reducing the shutter speed to allow even more light and the iPhone's signal processor will take the information it gathers and apply proper lighting to all aspects of the picture; this includes the items in the foreground as well as those in the background. This should work quite well in low light situations as well as with Portrait photos.

Some Examples from the iPhone X

Final Thoughts on iPhone X Camera

The iPhone X camera is a great update from the camera in the older iPhone models, and even over the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. The iPhone X has one benefit over the iPhone 8 Plus, the dual optical image stabilization with the telephoto lens. This stabilization works for both still images as well as video. The new Portrait Lighting effects will add a bit of depth to your If you are upgrading from an iPhone 6s, or earlier model, the iPhone X will be a significant and worthwhile upgrade.

The addition of Slow Sync Flash will allow better photos in even more lighting conditions. The inclusion of the new Portrait Lighting feature allows users to take Portrait photos and apply specific lighting effects. With Portrait mode and the new High Efficiency Image Format, users can even apply different formats after the fact, should they decide to give a different lighting effect a try later. If your iPhone is your primary camera, you cannot go wrong with the iPhone X in this respect.

There are some additional items related to the camera within the iPhone X. Those items are related to the new feature called Face ID, which will be the subject of the next part of the review.

Below is the iPhone Availability for the evening of December 6th, 2017. This is accurate as of 5:00PM Central time. iPhone X on Sprint is now available, for most models. If you want an iPhone X before the holidays, it is possibly best to order it from Apple.

Changes for Apple

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 12 to Dec 14

Changes for the Carriers

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 6, 2017 to Dec 11, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 22, 2017 to Dec 28, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 6, 2017 to Dec 11, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Jan 2, 2018 to Jan 5, 2018
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/1 - 12/6 to Available now
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/4 to Available now
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/4 to Available now
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/04/17 to 12/08/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/04/17 to 12/08/17
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/13/2017 to Available

In the second article of my on going iPhone X review, I will focus on a completely new feature for iPhones and iOS, Face ID.

When an entity implements a way of protecting information, it is a trade off of two factors: security and convenience. The ideal is to make something secure yet not so burdensome for the user that they would not use it.

There is one thing that Apple takes seriously, when it comes to their customers. That item is security. When the iPhone was originally released the only security allowed was a four digit passcode. This made it quite convenient when you needed to unlock your iPhone. While there was only a limited number passcodes that could be chosen, there is an option for users to erase data after ten invalid passcode attempts. Even if a user decides not to erase the content, there is an every increasing timeout for each invalid guess.

As iOS matured, and technology in the iPhone advanced, additional passcode options were added. If you opted to you could create a longer than 4 digit passcode. While it is easy for many users to remember a four, or even six, digit passcode, it is not the best security method. While there are many times when a user may wish to use a secure and long passcode, given the potential number of situations where a user may have to enter in their passphrase, some users could be turned off by this. When this occurs they may end up reverting to a less secure passcode.

To help deter this behavior, but also to provide some convenience, Apple introduced a new feature in 2013 with the release of the iPhone 5s. The iPhone 5s introduced a new feature called Touch ID. Touch ID could be used not only for unlocking an iPhone, but could also be used for purchasing items from the iTunes Store, Apple Store, or even within apps. Touch ID is also capable of unlocking files within applications, or even unlocking applications themselves; provided the developer included this functionality.

Touch ID allows users to have a more convenient method of performing these actions. The biggest benefit of Touch ID is that users did not have to constantly enter in their passcode, or passphrase. Instead they could register their fingerprint with their iPhone and use their finger to authenticate themselves for purchases or for unlocking their device.

There are often times that an iPhone user may want to allow others access to their iOS device. This could be a child, spouse, or anyone whom with they trust their iOS device. How does Apple guarantee the security of the fingerprints that are put into an iOS device?

Touch ID Security

When somebody thinks that their fingerprint can be used to perform a transaction, they may be deterred because of misinformation. Apple's take on security is one where it wants its users to feel secure and know that their information will not be compromised. The manner in which Touch ID actually works is by not taking an image of your fingerprint, instead iOS creates a mathematical representation of the fingerprint that you are registering. This mathematical representation is held within the Secure Enclave of the A7, or newer, chip. Nothing has direct access to what is stored on the chip. There is a direction connection between the Touch ID sensor and the secure enclave and nothing in between. This is the first step in the securing of a fingerprint.

Users often want to use their iPhone to make purchases. This could be from the iOS App Store, the iTunes Store, or even from within an application. While many users may trust Apple with their information, they may be less trusting off a third-party developer. If a developer implements Touch ID, when they request a fingerprint, they do not get access to the Secure Enclave to pull in the fingerprint information. Instead the developer requests that user authenticate with Touch ID, and the developer gets back a simple "Yes" or "No" as to whether the Touch ID fingerprint hash matches the one saved in the secure enclave.

With Touch ID you could have up to five fingerprints registered for any single iOS device. This could allow various individuals to use the Touch ID sensor without necessarily needing to enter in the passcode or passphrase. Yet, there were still instances when Touch ID would require the passcode or passphrase again.

When Touch ID did not work

There are a number of situations where the passcode or passphrase to an iOS drive would be needed before Touch ID could be used. The most common is when a user rebooted the iOS device, the passcode or passphrase would be needed. A second occasion would be if the iOS device had not been unlocked with Touch ID in the last 48 hours. This was a security measure to allow users to feel safe knowing their data could be retrieved without the passcode or passphrase. The third would be if Touch ID failed to authenticate five times in a row. Again, this was a precautionary feature in case someone was trying to purposely, or inadvertently, unlock a Touch ID-protected iOS device.

There could be many possible other occasions when Touch ID would fail. One that was often encountered by users is if their finger was wet and Touch ID could not get a good match. One possible work-around for this specific condition was to register a fingerprint while your finger was wet. This would not work 100% of the time, but it could work in many cases.

One of the features of the iPhone X is the edge to edge screen. This results in there being no home button. How does one handle authentication without a home button and no Touch ID? This is where Face ID comes into play.

Face ID

Face ID is akin to Touch ID in the fact that both are biometric. Instead of using a fingerprint, Face ID uses different aspects of your face to unlock your iPhone X. If you upgrade from an older iPhone and you have allowed some applications access to Touch ID, those apps that you have allowed should request access to use Face ID. If you grant them access, it should work in the same manner as Touch ID. Let us look at the sensors that make up Face ID.

True Depth Camera

Face ID uses a number of sensors that are stored within the notch on the iPhone X. The sensors within the notch are collectively called the "True Depth Camera". There are a number of sensors included within the True Depth sensor.

There are some sensors within the True Depth Camera, but these are not unique to the iPhone X. This group of sensors is:

• Proximity sensor
• Ambient light sensor
• Speaker
• Microphone
• Front Camera

Let us look at the iPhone X specific sensors. These sensors include:

• Infrared Camera
• Flood illuminate
• Dot projector

Face ID Setup

When you setup Touch ID Face ID requires a lot less setup than Touch ID. With Touch ID you were required to place and lift your finger approximately ten times in order to allow Touch ID to get a good reading on your finger. With Touch ID there are only two steps. You have to scan you Face twice. That is all that is required to configure Face ID. When you setup Face ID you have to turn your head in a circle to allow the Tru

How Face ID Works

Learning

Face ID Security

Attention Awareness

Tradeoffs

Imperfection

Final Thoughts on Face ID

One of the features that Apple announced for iOS 11 is Person to Person Apple Pay. This is now available in iOS 11.2. Apple Pay Cash will allow you to both request and send money to others via an iMessage app. Whether you request or send money it will go onto an Apple Pay Cash card. With this card you can pay for items wherever Apple Pay is available. This could be within iTunes, in-app purchases, or any store that accepts Apple Pay.

One of the possible uses for Apple Pay Cash could be for parents to provide their children the ability to buy things within iTunes, without worry about having the items deducted from their credit card. Apple Pay Cash will also be a boon to allow you to send money to one of your friends, or family, for your portion of a meal or gift, or if you owe someone money and need to pay them. Setting up Apple Pay Cash is quite simple. There are only a few steps needed to setup Apple Pay Cash. Those steps are as follows:

1. Open Wallet.
2. Tap "Set Up Apple Pay Cash".

3. Tap "Continue".

4. Tap on "Agree" to Terms and Conditions (after reading it of course).

5. Wait for Apple Pay to Setup. You will then be passed back to Apple Wallet.

6. Wait for Card to be activated.

7. Once activated you are done. You can begin requesting or sending money in Messages on iOS.

That is all you need to do to setup Apple Pay Cash. With Apple Pay Cash you can transfer the money you receive out to a bank account, if desired. Once you setup your banking information, you will need to verify your identify. You can also leave the money on your Apple Pay Cash card and use it as you would any other Apple Pay terminal.

Adding Money

One of the benefits of having an Apple Pay Cash card is being able to add money, when it is needed. This is easy to do from within the Wallet app. To add money to your Apple Pay Cash card, perform the following steps:

1. Open the Apple Wallet App.
2. Tap on The Apple Pay Cash card.
3. Tap on the indicator button to bring up the information about your Apple Pay Cash card.
4. Tap on the "Add Money" button.
Select the amount you wish to add. The minimum amount is $10.
5. Tap on the "Add" button in the upper right corner.
6. Select the card to deduct the money from.

7. You will need to confirm with Face ID, Touch ID, or a passcode.

8. Once you confirm the payment, your Apple Pay Cash card balance will be updated.

There is one thing to remember when adding money to your Apple Pay Cash card. That piece of information is that the card that you use to add money must either be a debit or prepaid card. You cannot use a credit card for transferring money.

Apple Pay Cash is, currently only available within the United States. It should roll out to other countries over time. However, if you are in the U.S. and you are running iOS 11.2, you should be able to use Apple Pay Cash.

So I have started posting my iPhone X review. The first article focuses on the Screen. As mentioned in that article I normally write one giant review. But for the iPhone X, given its myriad of new features and just how much it change the idea of an iPhone, I opted to break it up into different articles. I have decided to bundle them all up into a single e-book, in case that is easier for you to read it in one fell swoop.

iPhone X: A Review for developers and users covers many of the new features of the iPhone X. Some of these topics include: the Screen, Face ID, Animoji, Apple Pay, Gestures, and Passwords, aspects of the iPhone X that developers need to consider, wireless charging, and some thoughts on going from an iPhone 7 Plus to an iPhone X.

iPhone X: A Review for Users and Developers is available as an e-pub book. You can buy the iPhone X: A Review e-book for $1.99 from Amazon or for $0.99 from Apple.

Normally I do a single large review of Apple devices. For products like the Apple TV, where the updates that have been made are minimal, and this approach makes sense. With the iPhone X, however, there are so many new features and so many aspects that have changed. To keep it to a short review would not be giving the iPhone X its due. With this information, my iPhone X review requires a different approach. To that end, my iPhone X review will be broken into multiple reviews with each focusing on a different feature. The first of the is about the screen, but before we delve into that, let us briefly look at the models of the iPhone that have existed.

iPhone Models

The iPhone X is not the tenth iPhone as one might expect. In fact it is actually the thirteenth iPhone model. That is is if you count the “Plus” models as the same as the standard sized phones. If you do count the Plus-sized models as their own, then the iPhone X is the seventeenth iPhone. In counting it as the seventeenth iPhone, that does not include the differentiation between the GSM and CDMA versions, nor does it count the various colors. The actual list of iPhones is as follows:

• iPhone
• iPhone 3G
• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone 4
• iPhone 4s
• iPhone 5
• iPhone 5s
• iPhone 5c
• iPhone 6
• iPhone 6 Plus
• iPhone 6s
• iPhone 6s Plus
• iPhone 7
• iPhone 7 Plus
• iPhone 8
• iPhone 8 Plus
• iPhone X

Each iPhone model has improved on the past ones and has brought its own new features to the iPhone lineup. The most common piece that is interacted with on each iPhone is indeed the screen.

Screen History

The history of smartphone screens is as varied as the history of computer screens. Different technologies have been used throughout the year. The iPhone has only used glass for the screen, in particular gorilla glass by Corning. Besides being the toughest glass available, according to Corning, it has helped shape the iPhone into what it has become.

The underlying technology for the iPhone has been LCD. The first three iPhones, the original iPhone, the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS, all had 480 pixels by 320 pixel screens. This was the exact number of pixels on each screen. The screen was upgraded to a 960 by 640 pixel screen with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4s. The iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s increased the screen resolution to 640 pixels by 1136 pixels; making it slightly taller.

The iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus changed the sizing again, to two entirely new screen sizes, 1334 pixels by 750 pixels for the iPhone 6; and for the first time on an iPhone a true 1080p screen, at 1920 by 1080 pixels, with the iPhone 6 Plus. The iPhone 6 Plus and subsequent releases, the iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone 7 Plus, and iPhone 8 Plus, assets needed to be at 3x resolution. These models then scaled these assets to accommodate the actual size of the screen.

This is where the iPhone stood, until the release of the iPhone X.

The Iconic Features

While the iPhone was definitely not the first smartphone on the market, far from it. However, the original iPhone, when it was unveiled in January of 2007, was shown as the first smartphone to go screen only with no physical keyboard. While there were definitely those who doubted that the iPhone would sell and last, they were wrong. Beyond becoming a best selling series of phone as well as the most profitable, the original iPhone became the iconic representation of a smart phone. The iconic features included the square screen, rounded corners on bezel, and the home button.

The size of the iPhone remained unchanged until the iPhone 5, when the screen size went to a 4-inch screen, up from the iconic 3.5-inch screen. The size was the same for the 5s, but changed with the introduction of the next iPhone, the iPhone 6 and its larger version the iPhone 6 Plus. These two sizes then became the iconic smart phone depictions.

This definition of an iPhone has been updated again with the iPhone X. The iPhone X has removed the home button and significantly reduced the front bezels. The entire front is now glass with no home button. The removal of the home button changes not only the look and feel, but also the interaction methodology.

iPhone X Screen

Besides the edge-to-edge bezel of the iPhone X, there is another change to the iPhone X screen, it is an OLED display. Apple calls the screen on the iPhone X a "Super Retina HD" display. One of the benefits of OLED is that the blacks that are shown can be even darker than those on traditional LEDs. What this means is that when you see a pixel, or set of pixels, that is black in color it is a bit darker than a black pixel on an LED screen. The same goes for white pixels as well. Ultimately, this means that the colors that can be shown can be even better.

One of Apple's other products, the Apple Watch, has had an OLED screen since its first model. One of the recommendations from Apple is to make sure that the background of any watchOS app is black. This is not only done to make watchOS applications aesthetically pleasing but it is also for an additional reason.

The benefits of OLED over traditional LED includes lower power usage, versus traditional LEDs. OLED is able to only turn on the individual pixels as they are needed. By not always having to power on every pixel, battery life can be extended. While nobody will argue that any iPhone that can get better battery life is a good thing, having more battery life on a wearable is even more important.

There is another feature that is new to the iPhone that has not been in an iPhone before, but is present on the 10.5-inch iPad Pro, and the 2nd generation iPad Pro. That feature is High Dynamic Range, or HDR. HDR allows colors to be go beyond the traditional limits and uses a wider color gamut to make colors even more rich and vibrant. While HDR is easily noticeable with photos and with video. If you have a movie that support HDR, or Dolby Vision, you will be able to watch it with the enhanced colors.

The Notch

One of the most prominent features of the iPhone X, and the one that most users immediately notice, is the notch. The notch houses a number of sensors, which will all be discussed in a later article. But the notch itself is absolutely new. Never before has an iPhone had an edge to edge display, and one of the decisions that Apple had to make was how to be able to get everything onto the screen of the iPhone X. One possible way was to just have a black strip above the screen, but taking this route would create an asymmetrical and would wholly out of place.

There is no doubt that Apple attempted to get the sensors that occupy the notch, under the screen. However, Apple was not able to accomplish this, like they may have liked. Instead, the notch creates two areas where there is some areas for controls.

The notch does create a very distinct and unique look to the iPhone. It is very likely, that in a matter of time, when someone thinks of an iPhone, they will think of the screen design of the iPhone X.

Screen Size

With the iPhone X being effectively sans-bezel, the physical size of the iPhone X is defined by the size of the screen. On the iPhone X the screen is 5.8-inches diagonally. This is three tenths of an inch larger than the screen on the iPhone 7 or iPhone 8. The iPhone X is closer in size to the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8, much much closer.

The iPhone 8 is 5.45 inches tall by 2.65 inches wide. The iPhone X is 5.65 inches tall by 2.79 inches wide. If you take the size of the iPhone X and compare to the iPhone 8 Plus, at 6.24 inches tall by 3.07 inches wide, you will notice that it approximately 18.8 percent smaller. This is a significant decrease in size. This size fits in between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone 8 Plus sizes.

There is one last aspect to the screen that should be noted. The actual screen itself is different in one last way. The screen itself has rounded corners. Each of the previous iPhones has had rounded glass, but each of the previous screens has been square. The rounded aspects were the bezels and the glass was the same radius as the corners of the iPhone.

With the iPhone X, this is the first time that the screen itself has been rounded. The new design introduces some new design challenges for developers. This aspect of the screen will be covered in another article.

Final Thoughts on the iPhone X Screen

The iPhone X's screen is the best screen that Apple has ever put on any of their products. The OLED display on the iPhone X really does make a huge difference when using the phone. The inclusion of HDR is absolutely noticeable if you are coming from a previous iPhone, and is seen particularly well when watching an HDR-enabled video.

The iPhone X's screen size provides the largest screen on any iPhone, up to this point, and all in a slightly larger package than the iPhone 8. This will not be much of an adjustment for those who are accustom to the mid-sized phones of the iPhone 8, but may be an adjustment for those who have been using a plus-sized phone. There will be more about that in a later article. The next topic to be covered is a new feature that is exclusive to the iPhone X, for now. That feature is Face ID.

Here is the iPhone availability for 12/03/2017. This is accurate as of 9:45AM. The biggest changes have occurred around the iPhone X with Apple. Ship times are down to about a week, which is a vast improvement from a month ago when the iPhone X was released. There is still some time to order and receive an iPhone X in time for the holidays.

Changes for Apple

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 13 - Dec 20 to Dec 12

Changes for the Carriers

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 4, 2017 to Dec 6, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 20, 2017 to Dec 22, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 4, 2017 to Dec 6, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 28, 2017 to Jan 2, 2018
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/8 to 12/1 - 12/6
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/8 to 12/4
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/01/17 to 12/05/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 01/02/18 to 12/26/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/08/17 to 12/05/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/08/17 to 12/15/17
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/13/2017 to Available

Here is the iPhone Availability for the morning of 11/29/2017. The iPhone X has slipped a bit on Apple, by only a couple of days. Even so, If you want an iPhone X in time for Christmas, now is the time to order. Some carriers have models available and they may be available before the holidays.

Changes for Apple

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 1-2 weeks to Dec 13 - Dec 20

Changes for the Carriers

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 7, 2017 to Dec 4, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 14, 2017 to Dec 20, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 7, 2017 to Dec 4, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 21, 2017 to Dec 28, 2017
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/27-12/8 to 12/8
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 11/27-12/8 to 12/15
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 11/27-12/8 to 12/8
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/06/17 to 12/01/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 11/27/17 to 12/08/17
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/06/2017 to Available

Black Friday and Cyber Monday is a good time to find some deals. I began looking at different movies that people may like.

Here are some of the deals I found. These will likely expire on November 28th, 2017. These are just a sampling of the deals that are available. All of the deals available from Amazon can be found on Amazon's Cyber Monday deals page.

	Title	iTunes	Amazon
	Schindler's List	$4.99	$4.99
	Bourne Identity	$4.99	$4.99
	Brooklyn	$4.99	$4.99
	Planes, Trains and Automobiles	$9.99	$4.99
	Lego Movie	$14.99	$5.99
	Hunger Games	$6.99	$6.99
	The Princess Bride	$14.99	$6.99
	Wonder Woman	$12.99	$9.99
	Lego Batman Movie	$19.99	$7.99
	Idiocracy	$4.99	$4.99
	The Martian	$9.99	$7.99
	Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory	$4.99	$6.99
	Office Space	$4.99	$4.99
	Day After Tomorrow	$4.99	$4.99
	The Imitation Game/td>	$4.99	$4.99

It is not often that an ad actually shows what a product can do, which is a sad thing to say in today's modern world. But this Sphero commercial actually does. The Sphero droids are a fun toy, if you have the means to buy one.