The Essential Things You Really Need To Know About Apples New IPhones

Apple unveiled its new iPhones to much fanfare this week. And fanatics of the California company’s devices were left drooling at the prospect of not one, but three shiny new smartphones. Here’s seven things you need to know about them before you take the (potentially very expensive) plunge.

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus outdated already?

The successor to the iPhone 7 had a brief moment in the sun before it was eclipsed by the iPhone X (pronounced iPhone 10). The 8 offers some handy upgrades on its predecessor, but will most Apple enthusiasts wait just a little longer for the ten year anniversary edition? Also, what happened to iPhone 9?

New design

The iPhone X was the release that caught everyone’s attention, even though most of the details were leaked prior to Apple’s big event. The new phone ditches the home button and has an all glass front, making it extremely easy on the eye. The phone also promises much more battery life, the new iOS 11 operating system, and we haven’t even mentioned the feature everyone is talking about the most…

Facial recognition

Now the home button has gone, so has the fingerprint scanner. That means everyone has to go back to using a passcode right? Wrong. Apple has introduced Face ID, where you look at your phone to unlock it. The system has already sparked security concerns, where thieves or police could force you to look at your screen to unlock it for them. Unfortunately, while you can change your passcode, you can’t change your face. Apple says it’s more secure than fingerprints, and Face ID projects 30,000 invisible IR dots to detect your face.

Wireless charging

This is a feature coming next year, but still exciting to finally happen. Solving the ultimate first world problem—tangled wires—wireless charging lets you place your device on a charging surface rather than plugging it in. It’ll work with the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, iPhone X, and in 2018 the AirPower mat will allow you to charge your phone, watch, and AirPods simultaneously.

The charging pad will be available in 2018

Depth of vision

The cameras on the iPhone X are designed with augmented reality in mind, meaning they have a depth of vision. This is going to make your Snapchat filters even more impressive, and allow developers to make great games and apps that augment the real world. And the TrueDepth camera enables something else as well…

Creepy emojis

Now you can make your emojis move their faces and talk like you do. This is slightly disturbing for all but the most dedicated emoji fans, but no doubt everyone will be curious to make these “Animojis,” that include a panda, a unicorn, and a robot, smile, frown, and more. The Animojis use the TrueDepth camera to analyze over 50 different facial muscle movements.

Price and Release Date

All that sounds pretty exciting, I’m sure we can all agree. So here’s the catch: the iPhone X will cost a hefty $1,000 in the U.S. and £1,000 in the U.K. (we’re not sure which currency converter Apple is using). You’ll also have to wait a little longer for the iPhone X—it can be pre-ordered from October 27. The iPhone 8 starts at $699 (£699) and will be available September 22.

About the author

Peter Ward

Tech Editor

Peter was born in Birmingham, England and was raised in North Wales. He studied journalism at the University of Sheffield before moving to Dubai, where he worked for several business magazines. After three years in the Middle East, Peter moved to New York to earn his master's degree in business journalism from Columbia University Journalism School. He has since written for international publications such as Bloomberg, The Economist and Newsweek. In his spare time Peter loves to play and watch soccer, go to the movies, read, and play video games.