Apple worked too hard to get the iPhone X ready.
When the company couldn’t roll out the iPhone X with the iterative iPhone 8 and 8 Plus models back in September, that was the first sign. When KGI Securities guru Ming Chi Kuo kept releasing pessimistic supply chain reports, that was more bad omens. When, on October 25, Bloomberg reported this:
“As Wall Street analysts and fan blogs watched for signs that the company would stumble, Apple came up with a solution: It quietly told suppliers they could reduce the accuracy of the face-recognition technology to make it easier to manufacture…”
I doubt I was the only person who sold Apple stock that day.
So on iPhone X pre-order night, I slept. And I plan to just go about my day on November 3 when the iPhone X hits stores.
Why? I predict a ridiculous level of hype. I predict short supply until January or February 2018. I predict quality production issues. I predict Face ID problems (I’ll be happy to be wrong). I predict the iPhone X will be smoothing out by March 2018, and that’s when I’ll consider buying one.
Or not. I keep looking at my 6s Plus and thinking there’s nothing wrong or lacking with it.
Update (Nov 5, 2017): It seems my concerns about the performance of Face ID was overblown. Most reviews are decidedly favorable on this new technology. Meanwhile, I found Nilay Patel’s remark about Face ID in bright sunlight amusing:
Recent Apple products have tended to demand people adapt to them instead of being adapted to people, and it was hard not to think about that as I stood in the sunlight, waving a thousand-dollar phone ever closer to my face.