Major advances and drawbacks of iPhone X

Apple Inc on Tuesday rolled out its much-anticipated iPhone X (the X is a "ten", not an "x") , a glass and stainless steel device with an edge-to-edge display that Chief Executive Tim Cook called "the biggest leap forward since the original iPhone".

The launch contained few surprises, with leaked details on the phone and other products proving largely accurate. But surely there are some highlights of the most expensive Apple phone that really wow the potential consumers.

iPhone X ditches the iconic home button in favor of a screen that takes up the entire front of the phone, in the biggest change to Apple's handset to date.

The new phone has an advanced form of facial recognition that uses an overhauled front camera system to wake and unlock the phone when you look at it.

A new "super retina" screen claims more detail and bolder colors, and at 5.8 inches is bigger than even the 5.5 inches on iPhone Plus models.

The screen on the iPhone X is about the size of the current iPhone 7 plus, though the phone is smaller.

• 3D tracking technology will be used to unlock the phone;

• Edge-to-edge display screens that cover the whole front of the phone

• No home button;

• Face ID unlocks the phone using facial recognition software. Works with Apple Pay;

• New Portrait Lighting feature Machine learning creates facial landmarks and enhances light effects on the face;

• Wireless charging;

• "Super Retina" display Supports HDR in Dolby Vision and HDR10 and True Tone

  
  

However, think twice before you empty your wallet (or go to the kidney doctor). Here are four drawbacks of the new phone that even some loyal Apple fan may hold back from pulling the trigger.

We're used to paying a premium for Apple devices, but this one may be a record. The price of $999 has raised the eyebrows of many iPhone fans.

You'll have to be extra careful with your thousand dollar investment, because the iPhone X now has two breakable surfaces on which to drop it. The X may have a sturdier stainless steel frame, but it now has a glass back.

While most of us will gladly forgo a home button in favor of a bezel-less display, they should've at least kept the Touch ID as an alternative to the new Face ID.

In an embarrassing moment for Apple senior vice-president Craig Federighi, the face ID unlocking did not work on his first attempt during the on-stage presentation.

The biggest bummer about the iPhone X is that you won't be able to get it until Nov 3, practically a lifetime in nerd years. And that's assuming everything goes smoothly.

Apple also introduced the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which resemble the iPhone 7 line but have a glass back for wireless charging. The cheapest of the iPhone 8 models have 64 gigabytes of memory, up from 32 gigabytes in previous models, and will sell for $699 and $799.