Is the Apple iPhone X a viable contender for the business smartphone market? We put it through it’s paces to find out.

Here at The Executive Magazine we love technology, and have embraced smartphone phenomenon with the release of our digital platform. We all use smartphones for day to day tasks, and they’ve become an invaluable tool in the world of journalism. When we had the new iPhone X delivered to the office we couldn’t wait to open it up and try it out.

Opening the box is still the exciting experience it always has been with a new phone. The first thing we notice is the premium quality feel of the handset. It’s mixture of glass and cold metal paired with soft curves and subtle bevelled edges. The next thing, and the most contentious issue is the lack of a home button and fingerprint ID scanner. As we first saw in the iPhone 7, the headphone jack has long gone. A real problem for many looking to upgrade from the 6 or earlier.

Available in both 64 and 256gb iterations, the X is the most expensive smartphone on the market, but rumours are circulating that a cheaper, less spec’d version will be released this year.

The 5.8-inch OLED display is somewhat of a game-changer, it’s certainly by far the best screen ever used on an Apple product. It’s vibrant, colourful and crystal clear. Independent tests have reported that it’s the brightest and more colour-accurate OLED on the market with good off-centre brightness shifts. The screen is also longer that it’s predecessor’s, with it extending around the earpiece. The HD screen make reading documents and watching video presentations a joy.

Aside the from the visual appeal, the phone also excels init’s functionality, with a huge range of new features, gestures and navigation, making it easy and natural to use. The facial recognition feature, although impressive, isn’t really practical for me. I tend to have my phone on the desk next to my keyboard, and check notifications with the phone laid flat, usually unlocking it with my thumb, now I have to pick the phone up and hold it to my face every time I want to check it. Slightly annoying.

When it comes to typing emails, the narrower screen does present some keyboard issues – there’s slightly less room than before, but you will quickly adjust and be tapping away quickly in no time.

FaceTime for conference calls and virtual meetings is as reliable as ever, and although I’d never be interested in the Animoji feature, especially in my professional life, it is a great demonstration of the camera’s power and use of technology.

The latest version of Apple’s IOS is the main draw with this phone. It has been refined and honed to work harmoniously with the handset, and the results make for an incredibly versatile yet simple to use phone. The new hand gesture controls make it really east to use with one had, essential for me as a magazine editor, as I’m usually trying to do more than one thing at once, usually with my phone in one hand.

Conclusion

Overall the phone is a great step up for Apple. Its intuitive IOS allows for a natural progression from my previous handset, and all my business related apps work seamlessly, all presented in a larger, sharper display. The battery life is always going to be a contentious issue, but it’s something we’ve all learned to live with. It is however better that the iPhone 7, which is a little added bonus.

The iPhone X makes for a great business phone, it links my calendars, syncs my emails and does everything else I need it to do to allow me to work out of the office, all whilst looking great and performing well.