Tech Guide

I bought the iPhone X six months ago, here's what I think about it now

Key Points
  • Six months ago, CNBC's Todd Haselton bought the iPhone X after he reviewed it for CNBC. Here are his thoughts on it now.
  • He still likes the display, the form factor and the user interface.
  • The battery life could be better, and it gets hot sometimes.
The iPhone X has its quirks, but six months later it's still the best phone you can buy
VIDEO1:2101:21
The iPhone X has its quirks, but it's still the best phone you can buy

I reviewed the iPhone X for CNBC on Oct. 31 and then bought one when it hit store shelves three days later.

It's been exactly six months since then and, while the Apple iPhone X bothers me sometimes, it's still the best phone you can buy.

What I still like:

In my review I praised the screen as the "coolest new feature," but I'm not sure that's true anymore. I dig that it's a bright and colorful display, but Face ID is by far the best feature. I use it all the time to unlock my phone in a split second and to quickly buy things with Apple Pay.

Also, in case you're wondering, the notch on the display didn't really bother me initially and still doesn't. It's no wonder Android phone makers are copying it.

The camera is still excellent, though I've found that I frequently smudge the lens and constantly need to clean it for a better photo. I don't have the same issue with my Galaxy S9 Plus, so I'm not really sure why it's happening.

I still prefer the user interface to iPhones with Home buttons, too. The swipe up from the bottom of the screen to return to the home screen feels natural at this point.

Animoji mimic your facial reactions, they're a ton of fun!
Todd Haselton | CNBC

Other things like Animoji are still fun, though I use them far less frequently than I thought I would. The stereo speakers are still good and I appreciate that the audio is more natural sounding, coming from both sides of the phone instead of just one, while I'm watching movies or playing music.

What I don't like

I love the glass back and steel sides
Todd Haselton | CNBC

There are some things that bother me with the iPhone X. Wireless charging is still really slow even with chargers that are designed to juice the battery up faster. This is an industrywide problem, and I'm glad there's still the option to charge wirelessly if I want to.

I originally found that the battery was able to last about a day, but now I usually have to recharge by the time I get home from work around 6:30 p.m. I use my phone to stream music at my desk during the day, so maybe that's contributing to the added drain. I keep a charger and battery pack in my backpack now just in case, and I miss the battery life of the iPhone 8 Plus sometimes.

The headphone jack is gone for good
Todd Haselton | CNBC

I've also noticed that the iPhone X tends to get pretty hot on the back when I'm playing games or watching movies. It can sometimes get uncomfortable to hold, especially if I'm playing a round of Fortnite (I know, I'm probably too old for that game.)

The notch isn't visible in video if you don't blow it to full screen
Todd Haselton | CNBC

My iPhone also doesn't look new at this point. There's some cracking in the glass next to the camera on the back and a chip on the border of the display on the front. I've always preferred carrying an iPhone without a case, so that's the price I pay.

It's no wonder it's a success

Look at that screen!
Todd Haselton | CNBC

It's no wonder the iPhone X is still Apple's best-selling iPhone. It's expensive, more than $1,000 all in, but it's also the best phone you can buy right now. It's held up really well over the last six months, even as new entrants like the Galaxy S9 entered the market. The only thing holding it back from being a truly perfect device is the so-so battery life.