Globe Telecom, Inc. a major telco in the Philippines confirms iPhone X pre-orders will start on November 24

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Globe hasn't announced the Philippine price of the iPhone X so far but it's estimated to breach the Php50,000 mark.

News about the iPhone X's release began pouring in shortly after telcos Globe and Smart announced some details for the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.

On November 10, Globe officially announced availability dates for the much-awaited iPhone X through their Facebook page – effectively confirming the date posted on Apple's official website. It will be available on December 1, with pre-orders beginning on Friday, November 24, roughly two weeks from now. Apple fans: Are your wallets ready?

Not to mention any premium or special editions, the iPhone X could arguably be the most expensive mass-produced phone to be released in the Philippines this year. Samsung's Galaxy Note 8 came out for P49,990, taking the same title in August. In the US, it was initially priced at $930. The iPhone X, which came out just a few weeks later, was priced at $999. Likely, the X will be officially breaching the P50,000-mark in the country.

Now, its Apple’s most expensive smartphone and is also the most fragile, according to drop and tumble testing.

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According to tests conducted by SquareTrade, Inc., published on Nov 6, 2017, the iPhone X screen, Face ID and glass back are vulnerable to damage when dropped, but its display is ranked by experts as best ever on a smartphone - close to textbook specifications of the best display possible.

Cnet (a technology site) saw similar damage from a three-foot drop test. The glass in front and back of the iPhone X broke, but the screen and other bits continued to work. Others found that the iPhone X performed a little better than the larger iPhone 8 Plus in some tests, mainly the back glass smashing.

Regardless, both testers recommended putting the £999 iPhone X in a protective case, also considering repairs cost of more than any other iPhone, with screen repair costing £286.44 and any other damage costing £556.44 to repair.

What's new?

It runs on Apple’s latest software, iOS 11.1. For the most part, it is just the same iOS running on all other modern iPhones, as well as the iPhone 8. Aside from removing the home button, there are a few other changes from regular iOS. The keyboard floats about the width of a little finger and doesn’t sit right at the bottom of the screen. There's a large grey area below.

There’s no space for icons such as Bluetooth, alarm and battery percentage because of the notch. The status bar on top doesn’t really exist anymore. The notch at the top splits the time and location services indicator on the left, and the battery, wifi and cellular signal indicator are on the right.

According to Dr. Raymond M Soneira, president of DisplayMate Technologies Corporation,

“Based on our extensive lab tests and measurements, the iPhone X becomes the best performing smartphone display that we have ever tested, earning DisplayMate’s highest ever A+ grade. The iPhone X is an impressive display with close to textbook perfect calibration and performance.”

The built-in battery is split into two. It seems hard to repair even for trained technicians as per reviews. It's also a bit heavier than Samsung Galaxy S8.

Is it worth it?

The iPhone X is still the best iPhone Apple has ever made, and it shows a much bigger leap forward compared to its predecessors' designs. It goes to show that the company never stopped innovating.

It feels so much more modern than its competitors, but by removing the home button, extending the screen to fill the front might trouble many die-hard iPhone users. On the bright side, the face ID actually works! It still runs the same apps as other iPhones. The processor, memory and the camera on the back is just the same as the iPhone 8 Plus'.

It’s innovative but not perfect: the notch can be annoying, especially when watching full-screen videos. Discovery of features on the phone is still difficult, and it’s hard to believe any smartphone can be worth £999, especially when similar specifications can be seen from competing brands for almost half the price.

It will surely depreciate in value.

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Don't hurry! The iPhone 4S went on sale on 14 October 2011 for £500. It was the craze. Now, it costs a mere Php4999 (USD97.56). Those who invested that amount (£500) in bitcoin in 2013 can now buy even 3 iPhone Xs from the profit alone!

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If even half that amount (£250) was invested in bitcoin in 2013, it would have surpassed the iPhone Xs value now. That's one reason I would wait until it depreciates in value before even thinking about getting one. I continue to re-invest what I earn, in order to afford better (and still cost-effective) gadgets in the future.

But if you’re always looking for an iPhone, can stomach splurging a grand on a phone or were already considering buying the iPhone 8 Plus, this might be the right iPhone for you. The iPhone X is only too expensive for so many people.

Summary

Pros: crystal-clear textbook quality screen, innovative all-screen design, great camera, long battery life, water resistant, wireless charging, foolproof Face ID.

Cons: It has no headphone socket, no fingerprint scanner, glass is fragile, very costly, no SD card slot or removable battery, no fast charger included, the notch could be an eyesore.

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