With fall kicking in, avid Apple fans know that it’s that time of the year when the technological juggernaut releases its latest innovations. On September 12, Tim Cook, the chief executive of Apple, surprised the audience and the world by releasing not only the iPhone 8, but the iPhone X as well.

The iPhone 8 had enjoyed its time in the limelight, with rumors and concepts pertaining to the phone spreading through the internet. With its release, such predictions can finally be confirmed and denied. For the iPhone 8, and the larger iPhone 8 Plus, both impressive pieces of hardware enjoy wireless and rapid charging, an improved camera for better, higher resolution pictures, and a new processor known as the A11 Bionic, allowing the phone to run faster than ever. Apple has certainly listened to the pleas of its customers, and has responded with much needed ramifications to its latest invention. If you’re all too impatient to show your friends just how technologically current you are, don’t be too anxious! The iPhone 8 is hitting the stores as early as September 22.

However, the iPhone 8 wasn’t the only innovation revealed during the Apple iPhone’s 10th anniversary. Tim Cook proudly presented the iPhone X, which boasted an OLED screen that covered almost the entirety of the phone’s face. The infamous home button has been removed, making this difference arguably the biggest one between the iPhone 8 and the iPhone X. A new feature to the iPhone X is the availability of animoji, which are only made possible thanks to the iPhone X’s superior front-facing camera. An animoji is just your regular emoji, with the capacity to mimic the movements of your face through the front-facing camera. With the departure of the home button also marks the end of finger-print passcodes, but worry not: the iPhone X uses your face instead! With its camera, the iPhone X thoroughly analyzes the individuality of a person’s visage, offering a protective system which is actually more effective than using one’s fingerprint.

Despite the improvements of the iPhone X stated above, it is still reasonable to hold reservations regarding this phone. The iPhone X is of paramount quality but with a price to match, being set at $999 on the market in November. If you’re planning to save, or planning to ask your parents to save, I suggest you start that yesterday. However, it is undeniable that one can make the argument for the logic behind the price. After all, the elimination of the home button as well as minimizing the size of the front-facing camera allows the screen to enjoy real-estate it never has before. Consequently, a bigger screen would lead to a bigger price.

Dublin is a society which is well regarded for its capacity to improve and change rapidly, so it would be natural for the students of its high school to do the same for its technological devices. The release of the iPhone 8 has come conveniently around the time when school has kicked in, so maybe it wouldn’t be a bad idea to tell parents that with a new school year comes a new phone. The iPhone X, although coming later, is no doubt an innovative wonder, and one that at least a few of our students will have the luck to own. But who exactly will? Well, we’ll find out by the end of the year!

If you’re interested in what some students had to say, here are some of their opinions!  

Claire Rosefield, a junior, said, “I have an android phone, so I don’t understand the hype for the new phone. The iPhone adds a lot of new features with every new release, but I find a lot of it unnecessary.”

Dominique Calaguas, a junior, said, “I’m more hyped about the iPhone X. I can’t wait for it to finally be released since I’ve had my iPhone 6 for over 2 years now and it’s time for an upgrade, and I think the iPhone X is the way to go rather than the 8. Although I’m also a fan of Windows products, I prefer Apple when it comes to phones because their design is really sleek and the interface is super user friendly.”

Junior Tiffany Tsang said, “Apple decides to put glass on both sides of the phone so it can crack even more. I think this can be a safety hazard, what if the glass breaks and goes through someone’s hand?”

Joey Hung, a senior, said, “The new iPhone 8 is like the iPhone 7 but a solid what?  $800-$1000? The iPhone X, however, is cool, especially its new face feature. The camera quality on both is superb. But ultimately, I’m good with the iPhone 6 I have now, although Apple’s ability to constantly think of new ideas, especially regarding the iPhone, is phenomenal.”