Ten years ago the world was undeniably changed with the launch of the first Apple iPhone. Unlike anything previously seen on the market, its full touch-screen and music-playing capabilities ushered in a new era of technology. At the official launch in 2017, Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs boldly claimed that they were about to reinvent the phone. He was right.
Though the number of Androids on the market dominates number of iPhones (86 per cent to 6 percent), nothing comes close to touching the hype that Apple can generate at each and every product launch. Today, tech fans around the globe anxiously awaited the unveiling of new iPhone 8, rumours of which have been swirling for months.
Apple is known for their playful, sometimes stunt-like unveilings — remember that time Jobs pulled the first MacBook Air out of a Manilla envelope? Of course you do, everyone does. Today was no different. What we expected was the iPhone 8, what we got was the iPhone 8, iPhone X and an Hermès Apple Watch, just in case a US$1,000 phone wasn’t fancy enough.
The iPhone 8 and iPhone 8+, which, to be honest, are outdated before they have even been released, boast an improved, water and dust resistant design made from extra durable glass, improved photo capabilities, and the ‘smartest, most powerful chip ever in a smartphone’. It’s great for gaming, and augmented reality, and you can charge it wirelessly. Pre-orders start this Friday, and hit the market on 22 September, but, of course, nobody cares because we’re all obsessed with the X.
With the iPhone X, Apple has done it again, they say. They’ve created a phone that is, “so immersive the device itself disappears into the experience,” according to the official site. What makes it so special? Well, it boasts an improved, water and dust resistant design made from extra durable glass, improved photo capabilities, and the ‘smartest, most powerful chip ever in a smartphone’. It’s great for gaming, and augmented reality, and you can charge it wirelessly. Sound familiar?
There are a few big differences, to be fair: it uses facial recognition to unlock and activate Apple Pay, and no longer has a home button. Oh, you can also take better selfies, and turn yourself into an emoji with their TrueDepth, face analysing software. Could be interesting, if the facial recognition works – but early reviews are divided, with many saying the feature is too buggy to rely on just yet.
It’s a phone perfectly in keeping with our selfie-obsessed culture, but is by no means the game-changing, trend-setting, life-altering creation Apple wants us to believe. It hits shelves this November, and pre-orders start 27 October. The phone costs between HK$8,588 and HK$9,888 depending on the model.
