Would you pay $1000 or more for a new phone? Apple (News - Alert) is counting on it with the iPhone X -- the "X" symbolizing the 10th anniversary of the iPhone. Fans of the company are falling all over themselves to justify the price, with many forgoing the more affordably priced (and available) new iPhone 8 models. But it's hard to say the X is anything "new" when you compare it to what Android (News - Alert) phone have been doing for a while.
The X will be available on November 3. Today, you can get a slightly cheaper and less rah-rah bragging rights Samsung (News - Alert) Galaxy Note 8 for a list price around $900. Samsung is throwing in $200 credit to buy extras on the Note given its ah, flaming, reputation and making sure everyone knows the battery on the 8 has been tested, double-tested and won't burst into flames.
How many features does the X and 8 share? Edge-to-edge OLED screens, no physical "home" button, wireless charging, 12MP dual-lens cameras, water and dust proofing, Both the X and 8 (and Galaxy 8) have facial recognition technology, but nearly everyone will freely admit Apple's Face ID technology is a lot better. Face ID might be too good in some respects, if you are worried about having your phone unlocked at a police station without a warrant, but that's a discussion for a different day.
If you want an iPhone (News - Alert) X, you can't even pre-order one until October 27. Media reports suggest orders for the currently available (and cheaper) iPhone 8 and 8 Plus aren't that great because Apple fans want the top of the line X and aren't going to settle for lesser phones. The OLED edge-to-edge display, better cameras, and Face ID are the features being touted as reasons why people are passing on the iPhone 8 family and waiting for the X.
The single unique feature that carries the X past both the iPhone 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 is Face ID, the technology used to unlock the X. Analysts believe it will take time for the market to accept FaceID as being reliable, not-hackable, and too easy for a third-party to simply hold up the phone in front of your face to unlock it. Huawei (News - Alert) released a video mocking Face ID on September 18 while plugging its forthcoming Mate 10- #TheRealAIPhone- on October 16, proving if nothing else Apple is setting the conversation topics.
Financial analysts are worried Apple might not be able to keep up with demand for the X while at the same time managing to suppress sales of the available-now iPhone 8/8 Plus series. Fewer units mean less profits and lower earnings, meaning Apple could end up with both unhappy fans and a most unhappy Wall Street if it can't crank out the phones fast enough.