Cody Lee

Cody Lee, iDownloadBlog.com’s longest-serving Editor, joined the site in 2008. He specializes in uncovering the best deals on Apple products, apps, and accessories. With years of experience in technology journalism, Cody helps readers save money while staying informed about the latest trends and updates in the Apple ecosystem. Cody’s history with smartphones goes almost as far back as he does. As the son of a Nokia employee, he was exposed early on to handsets like the N91 and the Communicator. He has since been involved in nearly every aspect of the mobile phone industry. While going to college, he worked at a Nokia factory, building handsets, and later moved on to a sales position at a major wireless carrier.

Scope, Emojiboard, Retrospecs, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup features a task manager focused on user behavior, an emoji keyboard that recognizes sketches, and a nostalgic photo editor. And as always, we've picked out two great new games for you to check out.

Scope

Scope is an easy-to-use task management app that helps you increase your productivity throughout the day. Designed with special attention to user behavior, Scope efficiently strips away the unnecessary clutter to empower users to focus on their todos. Whether using the app to keep track of grocery lists or school assignments, simply create a new list and populate it with the items that are important to you. In addition to tasks, you can set notifications to remind you of your single or repeat events. Scope is available for $0.99.

Emojiboard

Emojiboard leverages the machine learning capabilities exclusive to iOS 11 to bring you a whole new way to find the right emoji. You just have to sketch. And it doesn't matter if you're drawing skills aren't great— it's been trained to recognize thousands of sketches in different styles. Just a few strokes are typically all that's needed. Whether your 'smiling poop' is an elaborate series of nested ellipses or just a triangle with a face on it, Emojiboard knows what you mean. Emojiboard is available for free.

Retrospecs

Retrospecs lets you convert images so they appear as they would on home computers and consoles from the 70's and 80's. Simply take a picture (or select one from your photo library) and you can display it as it would appear on over forty legacy systems including the Commodore 64, IBM PC, Commodore Amiga, Atari ST, Sega Mega Drive, Nintendo Game Boy and even the original 1984 Apple Macintosh. The free version of the app comes with limited system filters, but you can unlock everything—including a custom editor— for $2. Retrospecs is available for free.

Flower

Experience this award-winning game, now available on the App Store. Flower lets you take control of the wind as you explore and navigate beautiful, lush environments using motion controls. Journey through varied landscapes at your own pace, interacting with and changing the environment as you go, and find balance and harmony in your surroundings. This is an interactive escape that takes you on an emotional journey like no other game you've ever experienced. Flower is available for $5.

Modern Combat Versus

If you're looking for something a little more....active, like an FPS? Check out the latest installment in Gameloft's Modern Combat series. Modern Combat Versus allows you to drop into fun, action-packed gameplay that will fine a new era of mobile shooters. Choose your Agent, master your role, and dominate the battlefield with your team. From skilled attackers to supportive defenders and covert assassins, there's an Agent profile for every style of play. Modern Combat Versus is available for free (with several IAPs).

More apps to check out 5 excellent iPad Pro apps for college students Crack down on text message spam with SMS Shield Steve Reich’s Clapping Music is a challenging game to improve your rhythm Super Mario Run is getting a temporary price cut and lots of new content on September 29th Weather Atlas provides useful information in a beautiful way

Apple seeds first betas of iOS 11.1, macOS 10.13.1, and tvOS 11.1 to public testers

Cody Lee ∙ September 28, 2017

Apple on Thursday seeded the first betas of iOS 11.1, macOS 10.13.1, and tvOS 11.1 to public testers. The updates come just a day after the arrival of the developer betas, and shortly after iOS 11, macOS 10.13 and tvOS 11 hit consumer devices.

Public betas are available to those who are enrolled in Apple's free Beta Software Program. Once you're signed up, and your devices are registered, you can access future iOS, macOS and tvOS betas using each platform's over-the-air Update mechanism.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oLZiWzXp0fo

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In yesterday's developer beta, we discovered iOS 11.1 includes some small changes, such as no more haptic feedback on wrong passcode entry on the Lock screen, and multiple emoji keyboard suggestions. There's also new animations and Health app UI tweaks.

As for macOS 10.13.1 and tvOS 11.1, the updates seem even less significant. But as usual, if we spot any notable changes in the software, we'll be sure to pass them along.

Amazon unveils new Echo speaker, 4K Fire TV, and other hardware

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

At a special event on Wednesday, Amazon unveiled a slew of new hardware featuring its Alexa voice assistant. The products include a new Echo speaker, with a more refined design and cheaper price tag, a new 4K Fire TV with HDR support, and an all-new Echo Spot device. We'll break them down for you below.

Echo 2

The new Echo looks like a smaller version of its predecessor, with a refreshed design that resembles that of Google Home and Apple's HomePod speaker. It does everything the first generation model did—connects to Alexa to play music, make calls, set alarms, control smart home devices, answer questions and much more—plus it has a dedicated bass speaker, improved mic design, and multi-room capabilities.

Launches October 31. Pre-order for $100.

Echo Spot

The Echo Spot is essentially a mini Echo Show. Measuring just 4 inches tall, the Spot was designed to fit anywhere in your home. Its features include Alexa with 2nd generation far-field voice recognition, a built-in speaker, a crisp color 2.5-inch screen, a built-in camera for video calls, and much more. Use it as an alarm clock and wake up to video news briefings or in the kitchen as a high-tech timer and cooking assistant.

Launches December 19. Pre-order for $130.

Fire TV with 4K

The all-new Fire TV looks more like a dongle, but is powerful enough to be considered a set-top box. Its features include support for 4K Ultra HD (up to 60 fps), HDR, and Dolby Atmos Audio, access to the most popular streaming services and Amazon's ecosystem, and of course it has Alexa to help you do everything from order pizza to controlling your lights. It also has an ultra-fast processor and 802.11ac Wi-Fi, so you can expect smooth and responsive performance.

Launches October 25. Pre-order for $70.

Other Tidbits Echo Plus - looks more like the original Echo, shares similar features with the Echo 2, plus it can act as a ZigBee hub, allowing it to quickly discover and pair with compatible devices. Launches October 31. Pre-order for $150. Echo Connect - connects your home phone to a compatible Echo device to call any phone number, just by using your voice. Launches December 13. Pre-order for $35. Echo Buttons - hockey puck-shaped devices that consist of a single large, light-up button. Owners can use them to play games in conjunction with an Echo device—think of a buzzer for trivia-type games. Comes in packs of two. Amazon says these are coming later this holiday season.

The new Echo speaker is set to arrive ahead of Apple's HomePod speaker launch, and will cost less than a third of its price. The new 4K Fire TV also undercuts Apple's recently unveiled 4K Apple TV quite a bit on price. It'll be interesting to see how consumers vote with their wallets this holiday season.

What do you make of Amazon's new products? Plan on purchasing any?

Pixel, Samplebot, Burst Your Bubble, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup features a programmable robot, a fun but powerful music creation app, and an interesting new 1-on-1 chat experience. And as always, we've picked out two great games for you to check out.

Pixel

Wanting to learn more about programming or robotics? Or looking for a fun and educational app for kids? Meet Pixel—your own personal interactive robot. Pixel starts off without any intelligence or emotion, so it's up to you to program some personality and life into the robot. Using a drag-and-drop, blocked-based programming language (Scratch), fun interactions can be programmed in. Pixel is available for free.

Samplebot

Longtime readers know that I'm a sucker for a good music creation app. I'm not very good with the creation part, so I'm always looking for new ways to make the process easier. Samplebot kind of fits that description. It's essentially a finger-drummable looping sequencer, which in layman terms means it can record and playback sounds. Features include the ability to record and import samples, loop, sequencer, built-in drum patterns, MIDI control, trim and balance your samples, and of course the ability to quickly share your creations with the world. Samplebot is available for $2.99.

Burst Your Bubble

Here's an interesting (and timely) app. Burst Your Bubble is a chat app that aims to match you with someone who has an opposing opinion. Users are given a controversial topic—let's say hotdogs or hamburgers—and asked to choose a stance. If the user picks hot dog, they will be matched up with someone who chose hamburgers, and the pair can then engage in a 1-on-1 discussion. You can vote on trending topics or even submit ideas of your own. The team says you can terminate chats to avoid harassment, but they hope their app will facilitate more civilized debates than not. Burst Your Bubble is available for free.

NBA 2K18

Following up the release of NBA 2K18 on the major consoles, 2K this week release the hit game on mobile. It's obviously not going to be as broad as its bigger siblings, but the early reviews look promising—4 stars in the App Store. Features include deeper MyCAREER mode, new "Association" mode, new soundtrack and more. Whether you're a basketball fan, or just a casual gamer looking for a new sports title, this one is worth checking out. NBA 2K18 is available for $8 (with some IAPs).

Pocket Mine 3

If you're looking for something a little different to play this weekend, check out Pocket Mine 3. It's the sequel to the sequel of the hit game. You tap blocks to dig and explore dozens of gorgeous locations in an exciting world. Trigger stunning chain reactions, craft and equip powerful gear, unlock treasure chests, collect and trade rare artifacts, and more. Pocket Mine 3 is available for free (with some IAPs).

More apps to check out Iryss: an app that uses Machine Learning to identify objects App updates that support ARKit, Drag and Drop, and other iOS 11 features start appearing in the App Store Faviconographer adorns your Safari tabs with site icons

The best iPhone 8 cases available right now

Cody Lee ∙ Updated January 28, 2019

Once you’ve made the decision to purchase the iPhone 8, the next thing you’ll want to consider is what kind of case you’re going to get for it. With a starting price tag of $700, and an all-new glass-covered design, you’re definitely going to want to get some protection for your new handset.

There are several types of cases already available for the new iPhones, including thinner slim-fit cases, bulkier rugged cases, and those with built-in credit card slots meant to replace your wallet. So we decided to round up some of our favorites in an effort to help you out with your selection.

Wireless Charging

Wondering if a case will disable your new iPhone's wireless charging feature? The answer is no. Wireless charging works just fine with most* cases, although case thickness and charging pad brand can affect performance.

Totallee Scarf Ultra Thin iPhone Case

Whenever a new iPhone comes out, one of the first brands I look to for cases is Totallee. I like the Scarf because it's well-made, has a minimal, logo-less design, and it's ultra-thin. It's so thin, in fact, that I wouldn't count on it to protect your phone from any significant drops. Think of it more like a skin (that you can easily add/remove) that protects your device from bumps and scratches.

Buy for $18 (sale price). Also available for the iPhone 8 Plus.

Speck Presidio iPhone Case

If you're looking for something that offers a little more protection, I recommend checking out the Speck Presidio. Speck is another brand that I look to for cases when a new iPhone drops, and the Presidio is among my favorites. It's thick enough that it should help your device survive minor drops and bumps, but not so thick that it's a burden. I also like the extra grippy texture on the back, the slight lip over the display, and the subtle design. It's a bit on the expensive side, especially compared to some of our other picks, but I think you get a premium case for the premium price tag.

Buy for $40. Also available for the iPhone 8 Plus.

Spigen Ultra Hybrid iPhone Case

The Spigen Ultra Hybrid is another solid case that I think hits the sweet-spot between thinness and protection. As its name suggests, it features a hybrid construction made of a shock-absorbing, rigid bumper and a transparent, plastic back. The cutouts for the rear camera and mute switch are very precise, and the button covers are ultra-responsive and help keep out the dirt and grime. The design is again very subtle, free from busy graphics or patterns. Plus, thanks to the rigid bumper, this case should protect your iPhone from most normal drops.

Buy for $12 (sale price). Also available for the iPhone 8 Plus.

OtterBox Defender Series iPhone Case

For those in need of serious protection, I recommend checking out the OtterBox Defender Series. This case has long been a staple in the rugged case space, thanks to its triple-layer defense construction made up of an inner shell, an outer shell cover and a built-in (touchscreen-friendly) screen protector. This is the real deal here—the case has everything from port covers to block dirt and debris, to a complementary holster, with a belt clip that doubles as a kickstand. The Defender Series case is OtterBox-certified for drop protection and comes with a lifetime warranty.

Buy for $24 (sale price). Also available for the iPhone 8 Plus.

Silk Vault Slim Wallet iPhone Case

Silk has quietly become one of the most prolific case sellers on Amazon, offering a wide selection of designs for various smartphones. I particularly like their Vault Slim Wallet case for the iPhone. Sure there are thousands of wallet cases out there, but this one features a slim plastic design with a shock-absorbent reinforced ribbed structure for added protection. It also has high-grip textured sides, and you can store up to 3 cards and cash in the rear wallet slot. A handy thumb hole helps you pick out and access the card you want. The bottom line is this case should provide ample protection from drops, and allows you to leave your wallet behind.

Buy for $15. Also available for the iPhone 8 Plus.

Apple Silicone iPhone Case

If you want a simple, well-designed case that is guaranteed to fit your iPhone, why not get a case directly from the maker of the handset? That's right, Apple makes cases. And having owned a few myself, I can vouch for their quality. This is the silicone model, so it has this nice soft, silky-grippy texture to it on the outside. And on the inside there is this soft microfiber lining to help protect your phone from scratches. It's fairly thin, so don't expect a ton of protection from this case, but it should be enough to keep aways scratches and bumps from minor drops.

Buy for $28 (sale price). Also available for the iPhone 8 Plus.

Obviously these aren't ALL of the cases available for the iPhone 8. But we wanted to provide a short, curated list of cases we know to be solid. If you think we missed something worth mentioning, tell us in the comments below!

Shapr, StatMuse, Check, and other apps to check out this weekend

Cody Lee ∙ Updated October 17, 2018

This week's edition of our Apps of the Week roundup features a Tinder-like app for networking with like-minded people, an engaging sports app, and an ephemeral todo/task manager. And as always, we've picked two great new games for you to check out.

Shapr

This isn't a new app, but it's an interesting concept that I think is worth checking out if you haven't yet. Shapr is a personalized, mindful way of networking. Based on your interests and experience, the app provides a daily dose of inspiring, like-minded people to meet nearby in your area. Whether you're seeking friends or employees, each swipe is a new opportunity and a new discovery. Think of it like a dating app, but for professional networking. Kind of cool, right? Shapr is available for free.

StatMuse

Sports fans looking for a new way to follow and learn about their favorite teams and players may want to check out StatMuse. This app allows you to talk with your favorite players and personalities for your daily sports conversations. Keep up with the latest scores, stats and original content about the teams you love through personalized musings, and get instant NBA, NFL and MLB trivia answers dating back to 1876. Features the real voices of greats like Peyton Manning, Jerry Rice, Drew Brees, and more. StatMuse is available for free.

Check

Now I know what you're thinking: great, ANOTHER todo list app. But I like options, and for the folks out there in search of more options for todo list apps, this one might be worth Check-ing out (see what I did there?). Check is an ephemeral to-do list app of sorts. You can rapidly create new tasks and add a duration period. At the end of that duration, your todos will expire and disappear. Ultimately you can revive the tasks you don't finish from your "task graveyard" but the whole concept of getting your tasks done before they're gone is the motivation here. Maybe this works for you, maybe it doesn't. Either way, Check....it out. Check is available for free.

Iron Marines

From the creators of the award winner Kingdom Rush trilogy comes the most extraordinary space odyssey. A real-time, dynamic and deep strategy game that will transport you to amazing and unknown planets. Immersive, engaging gameplay, ridiculously appealing art, and a touch of silly humor. Brave soldiers, mighty mechas and powerful aliens await your command to face the greatest challenges. Yes this is a trashy freemium game with tons of IAPs, on top of an initial purchase price, but early reviews are through the roof. Iron Marines is available for $5 (with several IAPs).

Drag'n'Boom

In Drag'n'Boom, you play as a rebellious teenage dragon and burn everything your path! Roast the neighboring lords and steal their gold in order to mass the greatest treasure ever held by a dragon. It's a unique mobile gaming experience. The left side of the screen controls your movement: jump, fly and charge your prey, and the right side lets you spit fireballs: pillage, burn and ransack. There are over 50 levels to power through and a leaderboard, so you can challenge your friends for high score. Drag'n'Boom is available for free.

More apps to check out Apple’s free app of the week: INKS. Automatically download fresh desktop wallpapers every hour with Irvue

Videos: first impressions of Apple Watch Series 3, iPhone 8, and iPhone X

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2017

Apple unveiled quite a bit of new hardware during its iPhone X event. There's the new Apple Watch Series 3, the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, and the all-new iPhone X. After the event Apple allowed members of the press to go hands-on with the new devices, and as usual, we've put together a roundup of their initial impressions.

Apple Watch Series 3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1g7n0QZvvE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=62cWuFjzOgs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xtXbnLe64jw

iPhone 8 and 8 Plus

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxwnTw6gaQg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-NxvaVWjBM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-A3jDa2-Yc

iPhone X

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L7JFN7tQLs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_HTXMhKWqnA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9bYO7uSnrg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AZTGeQ5msaU

The Apple Watch Series 3, iPhone 8 and 8 Plus all launch next week. The iPhone X is slated to launch in early November.

Watch the videos from Apple’s iPhone X event

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2017

Apple has posted various videos shown during today's iPhone X event to its YouTube channel. These include ads for the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X, the Apple Watch, and the touching Dear Apple feature, where Apple Watch users read aloud their letters to Apple, telling them how the wearable has changed their lives.

Of course you can watch a replay of the event in its entirety, but for the folks who want to just get to the meat of today's big announcements, these videos serve as a great jumping off point.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-x8Ik9G5Dg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUvD80mNKBM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UL3K5QJKOLg

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmEqgjT61FA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4wEI5zhHB0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW6hFttt_KE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0DN-BZrM4o

Stay tuned to iDB for more coverage of today's event and the iPhone X.

Apple introduces new Sport Loop band for Apple Watch

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2017

In addition to the new Apple Watch Series 3, Apple also introduced a new band for its popular wearable today. They're calling it the Sport Loop, and it sports a soft, breathable nylon weave with an easily adjustable hook-and-loop fastener. It comes in Flash (yellow), Orange, Electric Pink, Midnight Blue, Black, Seashell (white), Dark Olive and Pink Sand colorways, and it retails for $49. It's available for order now, but shipping is a week or so out.

Additionally, there are some new color options for current Apple Watch bands. The Sport Band is now available in Rose Red, Blue Cobalt, Ultra Violet, Dark Olive, Soft White and Gray. There's a new Pure Platinum and Black Nike Sport Band. Woven Nylon is now available in most of the colors mentioned above, as well as Berry, and there are also some new colors for the the Classic Leather Buckle, Leather Loop, and even the Hermès band.

You can check out all of the new Apple Watch bands here. So who is getting one?

iPhone 8 starts at $699, pre-orders start Friday, in stores September 22

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2017

While the iPhone X stole the show at today's event, Apple also unveiled cheaper new handsets in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. They too feature some nice upgrades from their predecessors, including wireless charging and the new A11 processor.

For those wondering, here is the pricing and availability information for the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus:

Available for pre-order beginning this Friday, September 15 Available in stores and online on Friday, September 22 The iPhone 8 starts at $699 for 64GB, $849 for 256GB The iPhone 8 Plus starts at $799 for 64GB, $949 for 256GB Colorways include Silver, Gold and Space Gray

Here are the countries where the phones will be available at launch:

Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, the US and US Virgin Islands.

And starting September 29, the phones will be available in:

Andorra, Bahrain, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hungary, Iceland, India, Isle of Man, Israel, Jersey, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Malta, Monaco, Poland, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia and Slovenia.

So, who is going to be picking up an iPhone 8 or 8 Plus?

iPhone X starts at $999, available for pre-order October 27

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2017

Apple's next-generation iPhone X is packed full of advanced features like Face ID and an edge-to-edge OLED Super Retina display, and it can be yours for as little as $999. Yes as the rumors predicted, the handset's starting price tag comes in at just under $1,000. That's for the 64GB version, there is also a 256GB version that will set you back $1,149.

Your only color choices will be silver and space gray, and you'll be able to pre-order the iPhone X beginning October 27. The handset will actually be in stores on November third. Here is a list of the countries where will be initially available:

Andorra, Australia, Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Guernsey, Hong Kong, Hungary, Iceland, India, Ireland, Isle of Man, Italy, Japan, Jersey, Kuwait, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Mexico, Monaco, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Puerto Rico, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, UAE, the UK, the US and US Virgin Islands.

So, who plans on getting an iPhone X?

This is iPhone X

Cody Lee ∙ September 12, 2017

During today's event legendary "one more thing..." section, Apple announced the iPhone X (pronounced iPhone 10). Matching up with the majority of the rumors, the handset features an OLED edge-to-edge to display and several other advanced features.

Display

The Super Retina Display, as Apple calls it, is a 5.8-inch OLED panel with a resolution of 2436 x 1125 and 458ppi. It supports Dolby Vision and HDR10 tech for better colors, has a one million-to-one contrast ratio, 3D Touch of course, and supports Apple's True Tone color.

Face ID

Because the display is edge-to-edge, there is no more Home button. Its tasks will be split up among a few features: Siri is now activated by the side button, going to the Home screen and exiting apps is now done via a slide gesture, and unlocking the phone is now done with Face ID.

As the rumors predicted, Face ID is used to unlock your phone via facial recognition. Using a host of new sensors, Face ID recognizes authorized users quickly for access to your phone, Apple Pay and other protected apps. It uses a TrueDepth camera and a neural engine inside the new A11 processor, and Apple says it adapts over time and works regardless of if the user is wearing a hat or glasses.

And the fancy new face-recognition tech isn't just for security, it also has some fun applications. Apple has introduced Animoji, which basically embeds your voice and facial expressions into an animated emoji that you can share with friends in a mini video-like form. It sounds gimmicky, but it actually looks pretty cool.

Here's more from Apple on Face ID:

Face ID revolutionizes authentication on iPhone X, using a state-of-the-art TrueDepth camera system made up of a dot projector, infrared camera and flood illuminator, and is powered by A11 Bionic to accurately map and recognize a face. These advanced depth-sensing technologies work together to securely unlock iPhone, enable Apple Pay, gain access to secure apps and many more new features. Face ID projects more than 30,000 invisible IR dots. The IR image and dot pattern are pushed through neural networks to create a mathematical model of your face and send the data to the secure enclave to confirm a match, while adapting to physical changes in appearance over time. All saved facial information is protected by the secure enclave to keep data extremely secure, while all of the processing is done on-device and not in the cloud to protect user privacy. Face ID only unlocks iPhone X when customers look at it and is designed to prevent spoofing by photos or masks. Cameras

The new 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera that enables Face ID features wide color capture, auto image stabilization and precise exposure control, and brings Portrait mode to the front camera for stunning selfies with a depth-of-field effect. On the rear you have a redesigned dual 12-megapixel rear camera system with dual optical image stabilization. The ƒ/1.8 aperture on the wide-angle camera joins an improved ƒ/2.4 aperture on the telephoto camera for better photos and videos.

A new color filter, deeper pixels and an improved Apple-designed image signal processor delivers advanced pixel processing, wide color capture, faster autofocus in low light and better HDR photos. Plus, the new quad LED True Tone Flash offers twice the uniformity of light and includes Slow Sync, resulting in more uniformly lit backgrounds and foregrounds.

Other features

The iPhone X starts at $999 and comes in 64GB and 256GB flavors. Pre-orders will begin on October 27, with the phone actually launching on November 3.