The long-awaited new iPhone has now been officially launched as the ‘iPhone X’ and, as expected, comes with Apple’s latest software – iOS 11.
The company’s 10th-anniversary smartphone is the first to debut an OLED display, wireless charging technology and a vertical dual rear-facing camera and has been released alongside the updated iPhone 7s and iPhone 7s Plus, now christened the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus.
Over recent months we’ve seen numerous betas and leaks regarding iOS 11, so it’s fair to say that we already knew quite a lot of what to expect. Siri now not only has natural and expressive male and female voices but has been upgraded to use ‘on-device learning’ to be more contextual. If someone messages you asking where you are, this virtual assistant is now clever enough to know. Native translation has also come to iOS 11, supporting English, Chinese, French, German, Italian and Spanish.
An upgrade with Apple Pay means that it now supports P2P payments through a new iMessage app. Users can authenticate payments through Touch ID and money will be transferred through ‘Apple Pay Cash Card’.
Other changes include a revamped Control Center that compresses everything into a single pane, much like a Mac, making the UI much easier to use, allowing you to pick certain apps without going back to the home screen as before. You can also drag things between different apps and drop them elsewhere, and when different apps are on the screen together, they work just as well as if they were alone.
Additionally, Lock Screen notifications have been reworked, there is support for speakers in HomeKit and a handy ‘Do Not Disturb While Driving’ app that hides your notifications when you’re on the road.
We’re still yet to mention the augmented reality features that have been built into the software that can be used to make virtual objects appear in the real space around you. The iPhone X includes special sensors that make this AR tech even better.
Even if you’re not prepared to fork out for the newest OLED model, you can benefit from some iOS 11 features such as changes to the camera and photos. This is, of course, if you have models including the 6s, 7 and 7 Plus or the newest 8 and 8 Plus.