LONDON: Apple on Tuesday announced the iPhone X, a new radically redesigned smartphone with no home button and face ID recognition.
Unveiled at the Steve Jobs Theater in Cupertino, California, the phone wowed the audience with new features including a 5.8-inch edge-to-edge glass screen, augmented reality (AR) support, a glass back, wireless charging and a dual camera.
Tim Cook, the US tech firm’s CEO, said, “The iPhone X is the smartest phone ever made and is the future of the smartphone.”
Phil Schiller, senior vice president of worldwide marketing, said of the phone’s facial recognition access system: “The chance that a random person in the population could unlock your iPhone X and unlock it with their face is one in a million.”
The new iPhone X display enables the “home” button by simply tapping on the screen. Multitasking is made possible by swiping up and the phone’s side-button is now dedicated to Siri. Users of the iPhone X will also enjoy two more hours of battery life compared to the iPhone 7, Apple said.
The phone will start shipping to select countries from Nov. 3, with the US price set at $999 for the 64GB, with pre-orders accepted from Oct. 27.
Apple also introduced the new iPhone 8, with the 64GB model priced from $699, along with the 8 Plus starting at $799, and a new cellular-enabled Apple Watch Series 3.
Aside from the US, the first countries in which the iPhone X can be preordered from Oct. 27 include Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Kuwait. Other selected countries include Bahrain, Canada, China, France, Germany, India and Japan.
An Apple UAE spokesperson said that the iPhone X will be available in silver and space gray in 64GB and 256GB models starting at 4,099 dirhams ($1116) from Apple.com and Apple Stores and is also available through Apple Authorized Resellers and carriers.
The UAE-headquartered Sharaf DG confirmed that the iPhone X would be available to order on Oct. 22 and retail at around $1116 at its stores in the UAE. The consumer electronics group also said in a statement that it would retail the iPhone 8 Plus at $930 and the iPhone 8 at $775.
Nilesh Khalkho, CEO of Sharaf DG, told Arab News: “With the UAE being part of the first phase of launch, customers can get their hands on the iPhone immediately.
“The iPhone has been one of the most popular devices in the UAE for many years now, and with the new iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X we see customers have three new devices to choose from at varying price points.”
Khalkho said Sharaf DG would introduce “affordable” 18- and 24-month credit-card instalment plans to offer the new iPhone X at 191 dirhams ($52) per month, the iPhone 8 at 133 dirhams per month and the iPhone 8 Plus at 152 dirhams per month for the 24-month plan.
He added: “The new iPhone X is the all-new premium launch which has some amazing new features. We see this being a big draw for UAE residents who always like to go for the latest, cutting edge devices. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus also bring about big improvements in processor, memory and camera features.”
Prashant ‘PK’ Gulati, a Dubai-based technology investor, told Arab News that he expects the iPhone X to be extremely popular worldwide, “especially because some buyers are known to buy alternative models, particularly when there is one model that is drastically different, such as the iPhone X.”
Gulati said: “The new AR component will bring AR into the mainstream — it’s what a lot of people are waiting for. There was a lot of expectation around AR and the new method of authentication — face recognition.
“People are addicted to Apple like drugs. Apple has created have created extreme connectedness between the hardware and the software. It has worked for them — that’s why they are the most successful company in the world.”
Apple has sold 1.2 billion iPhones with an average price point of $600, which makes it the most successful product sold at that price range ever, Gulati said.
“Every success comes to an end but I don’t think Apple is near the end. In about five years I believe the smartphone won’t exist, there will be wearables instead, and Apple is already in that market with its smartwatch.”
Market intelligence firm TrendForce predicts Apple will sell around 227.5 million iPhones in 2017, up 5.6 percent on last year and higher than the smartphone industry growth forecast of 4.8 percent. Apple itself is forecasting revenues to be higher between $49 billion and $52 billion in the fourth quarter compared to $45.4 billion in the third quarter due to the new phones.
Macquarie Research’s Benjamin Schachter said, “We think that with innovations around AR, wireless charging, viewable screen size, display, and more, the next iPhone is clearly poised for its largest upgrade cycle yet.”
Kuwaiti ‘Appleholic’ looks forward to next hit
Self-confessed ‘Appleholic’ Nawaf Al-Suwaiyed is more excited about the iPhone X than most. “I can’t wait to have this phone. I’ve been waiting 12 months for it,” he told Arab News.
The 33-year-old from Kuwait said he owns every single iPhone ever made, along with many other Apple products, and has splurged over $65,000 on indulging his habit.
“I love the ecosystem, the services they provide, the access to aftercare and services. I like the iPad, iTunes and Apple movies.”
“My wife is very patient, she has got used to my obsession. She knows it’s Apple first, the wife second and Arsenal football team third,” he joked.
