The tenth anniversary of the iPhone is by far the most innovative iPhone ever made, and it’s worth the price.

With the iPhone X, Apple is returning to the innovation that made them famous. The tenth anniversary of the iPhone delivers with the most imaginative design and hardware yet, and the it truly feels like a step in the right direction for Apple. The $999 price tag makes it the most expensive iPhone ever, and with good reason. Along with its trademark camera quality and battery, the iPhone X is probably the best smartphone on the market.

The screen

The most notable thing about the iPhone X is its biggest selling point and also its most controversial feature. Apple has decided to join Samsung and other Android phone companies in making full body screens, with one notable difference. The small notch at the top of the screen, which houses the microphone, front facing camera, and light sensor, sticks out like a sore thumb. Luckily for users, the user interface integrates it perfectly.

Performance-wise, the screen is the best ever on an iPhone. The Samsung made display clocks in at 458 pixels per square inch, making it Apple’s best display by far from an analytical standpoint. What made the screen feel different from any other I’ve used is how quickly it adapts to your surroundings. Whether its walking between rooms or walking outside on a bright day, the screen brightens or dims very quickly.

Overall, the screen goes beyond being a sales gimmick and adds a lot to the experience.

The user interface

With the introduction of the full body screen, the home button leaves. This is replaced with a small line at the bottom of the screen, which acts as a home button when swiped up on. To multitask, swiping right or left seamlessly transitions between apps. Apple handled the departure of the home button very well; the “new home button” is perfectly integrated to the user interface. The line doesn’t get in the way at all, and is responsive when it needs to be.

The notch at the top of the phone is also perfectly integrated into the user interface. While it may look like an inconvenience, it serves its purpose. The time, battery, and internet connection symbols fit into the corners of the phone with little room to spare, and every app doesn’t interfere with it. The notch may be an eyesore, but its barely noticeable after a few hours of use.

Despite the small learning curve when it comes to using the iPhone X for the first time, the user interface is very intuitive. Anyone can enjoy using the iPhone X, and they shouldn’t have any problems with it.

The camera

Apple’s trademark camera quality returns in stunning fashion with the iPhone X. While the 12 megapixel dual camera is not technically as strong as the 16 megapixel camera found on the Samsung Galaxy S9, the camera excels for low light and quick shutter photos. As for photo editing, the iPhone X comes equipped with the standard editing software found on all devices with iOS 11, with additional editing apps available on the App Store.

The iPhone X introduces a new feature for front facing camera: facial recognition. With the iPhone X, just a glance at the screen can unlock the phone. Impressively, the device does not sacrifice security for convenience.

I asked some other people to try to unlock it in multiple angles and lighting situations, and the phone’s security held strong and only unlocked for me. Facial recognition can also be used to purchase apps, although it works less often than when unlocking the phone. I sincerely hope that this software will be carried forward into future generations of the iPhone.

The design

The iPhone X separates itself from other iPhones with its full body display, and it does so with minimal interference. The phone is slightly taller than the iPhone 8, but is the same width. Because of this, the phone sometimes feels like its too narrow, and it’s hard to reach some parts of the screen when being held with one hand.

The glass back and side of the iPhone X make for an incredibly clean design. While it does add some weight to the phone, it doesn’t make it overly bulky. Some people may not like the glass back because of its fragility, but that problem is inherent with any smartphone and is fixed by any case.

Without a case, the phone’s buttons are extremely responsive to the point where its very easy to accidentally lock the phone or turn up the volume. This is only a small inconvenience though, and it’s easily fixed with any case.

The battery

Traditionally, Apple has reigned supreme over android when it comes to battery quality and life, and the iPhone X continues this tradition. From personal experience, the battery can last almost two days if used rarely. When charged to 100% in the morning and used moderately throughout the day, users can expect to make it to the evening without needing to charge. While the battery itself may not compare very well to its competitors hardware-wise, the software manages its power very well through screen brightness moderation and background app use. Users should expect the usual from Apple when it comes to the iPhone X’s battery.

Conclusion

When it comes to the iPhone X, the small things are what push the phone into being worth it. $999 makes it an extremely expensive phone, but I think that the price is palatable if you’re buying it on a payment plan. After one month of using it, I can recommend this phone to iPhone and Android users alike.