iPhone X

Immediately after Apple unveiled Face ID last month, United States Senator Al Franken sent a letter to Tim Cook raising some concerns about security and privacy. A month later, and after publicly publishing a security white paper answering many of the questions, Apple has responded to Franken…

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Surveys of sales through carrier stores suggest that last year’s iPhone 7/Plus is outselling the new iPhone 8/Plus in the U.S. and UK. The claim is made by KeyBanc Capital Markets analyst John Vinh in a client note.

iPhone 8 sales will be limited by those waiting instead for the iPhone X, but KeyBanc says that two other factors are at play …

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The first batch of iPhone X units have finally been shipped out of China, according to local site Xinhuanet.

They are said to be destined for two different countries, with a combined shipment of just 46,500 phones. This is (fairly obviously) reported to be a much smaller batch than that for previous models …

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AT&T recently revealed some of its Q3 data, and the carrier says it saw 900,000 fewer smartphone upgrades compared to the year ago quarter. A recent Bloomberg piece suggests that the AT&T drop in year-over-year smartphone sales could be a sign that the iPhone 8 isn’t doing so hot.

If the iPhone 8 had been a hit out of the gate, then I would have expected AT&T’s upgrade number might at least have fallen less dramatically.

It does mention that AT&T’s Q3 only included about a week of iPhone 8 sales which isn’t enough to make a judgment, and that the data includes all smartphones, not just iPhones (although it’s amazing to think about one smartphone model being able to influence an entire quarter of carrier sales in one week).

While there are many factors at play, if iPhone 8 sales are lower than Apple anticipated, could Apple also have underestimated how many consumers are waiting to purchase the iPhone X?

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With the launch of the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, for the very first time, Apple’s flagship smartphones now supports Qi wireless charging. Apple sells a couple of Qi chargers in its store, including Belkin’s Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad, and Mophie’s Wireless Charging Base, but we also purchased several cheaper Qi-certified chargers from Amazon to compare.

Which wireless charger might be right for you? Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for more details.
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Nikkei is repeating claims of iPhone X production delays first reported last month; suppliers are apparently still struggling with ramping up yields.

Today’s report specifically pinpoints the 3D sensor components, which Apple calls the TrueDepth camera system, as the bottleneck. The news comes as an independent analyst claims iPhone X production is now at 400K a week.

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Jony Ive said in an interview that the iPhone X was both the realization of a long-held ambition, and the beginning of a new chapter in the future development of Apple’s smartphones.

That much was predictable. Apple always needs to be working towards the next generation of devices, so of course the iPhone X is going to be just the first of a new line of iPhones.

But it was something else he said that I think could suggest a new direction for Apple’s user-interfaces …

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In a brief interview that took place at the iPhone X launch but has only been published this week, Apple’s design head Jony Ive said that while the new flagship phone represents the achievement of a long-held ambition, it is only the beginning.

Ive said that the iPhone X is a huge change in the design of the company’s smartphones …

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Update: More stops on his French tour below…

During a trip to France in which Tim Cook is scheduled to meet French president Emmanuel Macron, the CEO also visited a small French company whose technology is reported to be key to Face ID.

Cook tweeted a photo of himself at the company, thanking the small team of 42 employees for helping to make the iPhone possible …

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Update: More photos of the iPhone X in the wild have emerged, this time on Reddit and via an anonymous tipster. Check them out below.

The iPhone X will officially become available later this month, but one user as seemingly gotten his hands on a unit ahead of time. Posted on Instagram and subsequently shared to Reddit, the brief video showcases a new wallpaper and more…

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KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo is today out with a new investor note in which he further analyzes the iPhone X supply chain and production struggles. Kuo also looks ahead to 2018, noting of when Apple will hit full production of the iPhone X as well as what’s in store for the 2018 iPhone…

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A new report from KGI today includes a drop in the firm’s estimate for 2017 iPhone X shipments, its forecast for 2018-2019 performance, and how far behind Android devices are all thanks to Apple’s new TrueDepth camera system. This powers the new facial recognition and tracking system for Face ID unlocking, Animoji, and more.

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Update: Separate tests by software engineer Dan Loewenherz show that a 10w charger is the sweet-spot if you’re looking to balance charging time against cost and portability. 

The iPhone 8 and the upcoming iPhone X both support fast charging via Apple’s 29W USB-C adapter and USB-C to Lightning Cable. Apple says that by using fast charging, your iPhone can charge up to 50% in as little as 30 minutes.

Unfortunately, the official first party charging accessories — its 29W USB-C Power Adapter ($49), and its 1-meter USB-C to Lightning Cable ($25) — cost nearly $75 combined. That’s a lot of money to spend on a fast charging solution, especially for one that isn’t exceedingly faster than Apple’s own 12W adapter + a regular USB to Lightning cable.

The good news is that earlier this week Apple noted that third-party power adapters that meet the proper USB Power Delivery (USB-PD) spec would work as well. That means that acceptable third-party power adapters, like Anker’s 30W PowerPort or Aukey’s 29W Amp Duo USB Wall Charger can save you money. In fact, you can buy two of these adapters for less than the price of a single Apple 29W USB-C Power Adapter.

But how do these third-party chargers really stack up to Apple’s own solution? Is it worth going-third party to save $25 or so? The answer, after many hours of testing, is yes. Watch our hands-on video walkthrough for more details.
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Totting up the cost of the Samsung-made components believed to be used in the iPhone X suggests that the Korean company will earn around $110 for each one sold.

The highest-profile Samsung component in the iPhone X is also the most expensive: the new OLED screen. This is a custom-made display built to Apple’s specifications. But the company also makes a range of other components for use in iPhones …

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Apple is proud of its environmental credentials, and publishes an annual Environmental Responsibility Report to describe its goals and the actions taken to achieve them. But the company has now gone further, and published a specific environmental report on the upcoming iPhone X.

The four-page report details everything from the breakdown of materials used to produce both the phone and its packaging, through to the greenhouse gas emissions involved in every stage from production to eventual recycling …

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Although LCD iPhones are now starting to feel like the poor relation of the shiny new OLED screens used in the iPhone X, it seems that the gap between the two might get smaller next year.

Apple is reportedly considering using a new form of advanced LCD panel that would allow the same kind of near-bezel-free designs as OLED does today …

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Apple yesterday shared details of how face recognition works on the iPhone X, but one thing that hasn’t gotten the attention it deserves is how Apple future-proofed its iOS authentication from the start.

This future-proofing is why all Touch ID enabled apps will automatically authenticate with Face ID without requiring developers to update …

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The new Xcode 9.1 beta has also been released by Apple today with support for the new operating system updates: iOS 11.1, watchOS 4.1 and tvOS 11.1. It also includes a more fully-fledged iPhone X simulator, which demonstrates the new lock screen and home screen experiences.

There are also some onboarding videos, for things like activating Siri or revealing Control Center, which will be shown to iPhone X users upon setup …

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Apple just dropped a detailed, six-page white paper entitled “Face ID Security” ahead of the iPhone X launch in November. In the security document, Apple explains how facial recognition with Face ID on iOS will work, how safe it is as biometric security, and what issues it may have for users.

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The WSJ has now backed a supply-chain report that poor 3D sensor yields were delaying mass production of the iPhone X.

Yesterday’s report said that Apple’s suppliers were hitting significant yield issues with the 3D sensors used in the TrueDepth camera module of the iPhone X. The problems were said to be so severe that production was being measured in the tens of thousands of units per day …

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