New Phone, Who’s This?: Apple Releases Next Generation of iPhones

by The Cowl Editor on September 21, 2017


Arts & Entertainment


The iPhone 8 and 8 plus showing off their water resistance.
Photo courtesy of AppleInc.

by Alexis Jais ’18

A&E Staff

For almost 10 years, Apple has introduced smartphones considered to be at the height of technological advancement and physical aesthetic. Since the first iPhone’s debut in January 2007, the tangible design, processing power, and general usability has changed drastically, forcing competitors to keep up with Apple’s changes.

Following the release of the iPhone 6 in September 2014, many long-time Apple users have expressed that the price increase is not worth the small changes in processing power and intricate aesthetic design. The iPhone 8, 8 plus, and X are advertised more than anything as high quality camera phones.

Apple’s prices soared from around $300 for the 64GB iPhone 6 to around $700 for the 8. Meanwhile, competitors such as Samsung offer roughly similar prices on their smartphones. Recently, however, they slashed the price of their S8 model, which came out this past April, to $700 in order to lure buyers away from the iPhone frenzy.

Although the differences between the Apple’s iPhone 6 and 8 and Samsung’s Galaxies might be hardly noticeable to the average smartphone user, the iPhone X has something new to offer altogether. With no home button whatsoever, the iPhone X relies on FaceID, a facial recognition feature that personalizes and protects your smartphone.

According to Apple’s website, the design of the X also has “the most durable glass ever in a smartphone, front and back,” which is made with,“surgical-grade stainless steel.” With a wireless charging option and “water and dust resistance,” the X definitely is unlike any iPhone previously released.

The X, however, does not have certain features like the card slot, which is a feature by Samsung which allows for an increase in storage. Samsung also has had their own face and eye recognition since April with their Galaxy S8.

The hype surrounding the newest Apple releases pushes other competitors like LG, Lenovo, Google, and Sony to release highly impressive smartphones. Although these companies have their own state-of-the-art smartphones, they have flown mostly under the radar as a result of the iPhone/Samsung takeover.

Huawei Mobile, a Chinese media company, is using social media to poke fun at Apple in hopes of advertising their own smartphones. CNBC reported that in a tweet, Huawei released a clip of an apple eaten to its core with the caption, “Feeling disappointed? We’ve got a real surprise exceeding anything you’ve ever seen.”

LG is also in the race against top competitors with their V30, which has a lot of the same technology as the iPhone 8 and Galaxy S8. Upon release, LG undercut the S8 and iPhone prices entirely, making it a top competitor right away.

Apple CEO Tim Cook has priced the iPhone X at $999, which has forced critics to ask: is it worth it? Steve Kovach of Business Insider feels the X is worth it based on the updated iOS that “remains the best smartphone operating system and the iPhone’s biggest advantage over its competition.” Ashley Cameron of The Verge, however, says, “I won’t be buying an iPhone X, even though it’d probably up my cool factor, because I don’t have $1,000. Oh, and I’d rather pay rent.” Smartphone users can decide for themselves when Apple premieres the official release dates for their new iPhones.