One of my areas of interest is video games. I do own a number of consoles. The list of consoles that I own includes:

• Xbox One
• Playstation 4
• Nintendo Switch
• Wii U
• Playstation 3
• Wii
• Xbox 360

I do not generally use all of these. In fact, the only ones that I use on a regular basis are the first four listed. The Playstation 3 is effectively a Blu-ray player at this point.

My go to gaming console is the Xbox One. I do not buy that many games throughout the year. In fact, I generally only end up buying at most six a year. During 2017 I ended up buying more games than normal due to the Nintendo Switch being released. As a matter of fact, I only played eleven different games this year. I thought I would provide a ranking of the games that I have played throughout the year.

1. Super Mario Odyssey (Nintendo Switch)
2. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Xbox One)
3. PCalc (iOS)
4. LEGO Marvel Superheroes 2 Deluxe (Xbox One)
5. Zelda: Breath of the Wild (Nintendo Switch)
6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe (Nintendo Switch)
7. Typeshift (iOS)
8. Call of Duty: WWII (Xbox One)
9. Lego City Undercover (Xbox One)
10. Super Bomberman R (Nintendo Switch)
11. Puyo Puyo Tetris (Nintendo Switch)

The ranking that provided above is for many reasons. I will attempt to briefly give reasons for my rankings.

1. Super Mario Odyssey

Super Mario Odyssey is the best game that I have played this year. It worked flawlessly on the Nintendo Switch. It combined the best elements of classic 2D Super Mario as well as Nintendo 64 Mario, and it did this all to provide a great story and fun game play. There were only a couple of sections that I found that I could not accomplish. The new game play mechanics of using the hat did add a nice touch to the game. I hope Nintendo continues using the mechanic in another game in the future. I did not get all of the Moons, but that is okay with me.

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2. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus (Xbox One)

I have been of a fan of the Wolfenstein series since I first played Wolfenstein 3D back in the MS-DOS days. I have probably purchased more copies of Wolfenstein 3D than I care to admit. Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus was not universally loved, like Super Mario, but I enjoyed the story and the game play. You play as BJ Blazkowicz in a continuation of the story in the 2014 reboot, Wolfenstein: The New Order. The gameplay of Wolfenstein II was fun and some new mechanics added a nice touch to a first person shooter. I ran into some issues, which is why it ended up as second in my list and not number one.

To me the Wolfenstein Series, along with Duke Nukem and Doom, will always hold a special place and as long as there is another game in the Wolfenstein universe released, I will likely end up buying it.

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3. PCalc (iOS)

I do not play as many new iOS games as others do. On iOS I generally tend to stick to a couple of games, Solitaire and Tetris. PCalc is not a game, on its face. However, there is a full fledged game within the app. PCalc's author James Thomson has been working on versions of PCalc for 25 years now. Every time a new feature in iOS is added, James attempts to include it within PCalc, if it makes sense.

Within iOS 11, Apple added a bunch of new frameworks that would allow developers to add augmented reality within their apps. James has done just this. You can play a racing game, complete with track and even achievements. With the inclusion of the game in the "About" screen, I consider it a game. If you have an Apple TV, PCalc TV is the way to really play the game. Plus, besides the game, you get a fully fledged calculator and you definitely need one on the iPad.

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4. Lego Marvel Superheroes 2

Besides video games I love legos. As a kid, I loved playing with legos. As much as I love legos, Lego sets are a bit expensive and therefore I do not buy as many as I would like; plus I do not have the space for a bunch of sets. Now, if you combine Video games and Legos, it is a no brainer for me to get those. The strangest aspect to this purchase was that I am not a Comic book fan and do not really care to see most Comic-based movies. Therefore, I do not know about most of the characters that are included in these games. However, even with all of this, I did enjoy the Lego Marvel Superheroes 2 game.

The story was interesting and did make for a different gameplay. Despite my love for lego and video games, there was not really enough new to warrant having it go higher than it's current ranking. One of the things I try to do with Lego games is get 100% on them. However, the Lego Superhero games do not allow me to do this. The fact that it is a Lego game, is why it edged out the next game.

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5. Zelda: Breath of the Wild

Unlike the Wolfenstein series, the Zelda franchise is not one that I generally partake in. The biggest reason that I ended up playing some of Zelda is that when I got my Nintendo Switch back in March there were not many games out, particularly since Mario Kart was not going to be released until April. Therefore, in order to be able to play something I picked up a copy of Zelda.

Zelda: Breath of the Wild is a visually stunning game. The story really does allow you to become immersed within the world and urges you on. The open world nature of the game provides a way for you to be able to go and explore wherever you want. Eventually though, it did not hold enough appeal for me to continue playing it. For those that love Zelda, it is a great game to play and is one that you should go out and play.

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6. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe

One of the things that is not easy to do is differentiate racing games. Racing games all have a common game mechanic, end up in first. It is not easy to make your game stand out, however for Nintendo it is a bit easier. This is due to having a large breadth of characters. Mario Kart has been the go to Nintendo racing game, not only for the iconic characters, but because of the very

Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is not a brand new Mario Kart game, since it was available for the Nintendo Wii U, but the Nintendo Switch provided a boost to sales of the game. Mario Kart 8 is a traditional Mario Kart game complete with classic tracks as well as new ones. If you have played any Mario Kart games, Mario Kart 8 is one you should play as well.

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7. Typeshift (iOS)

There are only two iOS games on my list this year, and this is the second of them; Typeshift. TypeShift is a word puzzle game that provides you with a set of characters and the object of the game is make words using all of the characters. The catch is that the characters appear in vertical lines and have to shift each line to create the words.

While my explanation may not make a lot of sense, once you begin playing you will catch on quickly. Typeshift has become one of the games that I play daily, besides Tetris Premium and Solitaire by Mobilityware.

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8. Call of Duty: WWII (Xbox One)

You may be able to tel that my primary gaming genre is the first person shooter. One of the most popular franchises is the Call of Duty series. The Call of Duty series started off as a World War II series, but eventually turned to more modern and even futuristic storylines. Call of Duty: WWII brings the franchise back to its roots with World War II, but with modern mechanics.

For me, first person shooters are the single player stories, which is the antithesis of the focus of the series for many gamers. Much like Wolfenstein II, some players did not like the single player story, but I did not mind it. It was not the best story, but you do play as a number of different characters in different scenarios which was a nice adaptation for the series.

I have only played a couple dozen online matches for Call of Duty: WWII and it is not likely that I will play many more. The online matches offer no real differentiation from pervious games and is one of the big reasons that it is number 7 on my list. If you enjoy the Call of Duty series and were hoping for it to go back to its roots, this is one that you might enjoy.

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9. Lego City Undercover (Xbox One)

This is the second Lego video game that I have played this year, however it not the first time that I have played the game. Lego City Undercover originally came out in 2013 on the Wii U. When it was released on the Wii U it heavily relied upon the Wii U game pad for interaction. Without a game pad this time, interactions had to be adjusted.

I enjoyed playing through the game again and unlike Lego Marvel Superheroes 2, I did get 100% on this one. Because I had played it did not rank up as high as other games, but that does not diminish from how fun it is. If you take the vast open world nature of Grand Theft Auto or Zelda and place it within a world of Lego characters you will get Lego City Undercover. Lego City Undercover contains hours of fun and will keep you occupied for a long time.

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10. Super Bomberman R (Nintendo Switch)

With it being the debut year for the Nintendo Switch there are a number of games that are being released for the console. One of those games is a remake of a classic Nintendo franchise, Bomberman. Super Bomberman R is a rebooted Bomberman game. I never really played any of the previous Bomberman games, but I enjoyed the story mode on this one. There are 50 levels to play through where you have to complete puzzles to defeat the robot enemies. As with most games, there are some levels that are tougher than others, but overall it is a good puzzle game that will keep you entertained. There is an online multiplayer component, but I have not played online

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11. Puyo Puyo Tetris (Nintendo Switch)

The last game in my list for this year is Puyo Puyo Tetris. Puyo Puyo Tetris takes two franchises, Puyo Puyo and Tetris and intersperses gameplay of both games into one. I originally purchased this game because it was a Tetris game. However, I was quite disappointed with the game overall. I am sure if you were a fan of Puyo Puyo as well as Tetris you would enjoy it. However, for me, it was not anything that I enjoyed.

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Final Thoughts

Those are all of the game that I have played this year. The list may not be very long but I have played all of these games for more than a cursory amount of time. The one thing that I did not expect was to have two iOS games on my list, since my iOS devices are generally where I play most of my super casual games. Typically PCalc would not be included, but everything that James has done with the app, particularly with iOS 11, warrants its inclusion. It is not likely that I will play most of these games much in 2018, excluding maybe TypeShift and PCalc. I will likely go through Wolfenstein II again once the next one is released. I may dabble in Mario Kart and Super Mario Odyssey again, but once I finish a game I typically do not go back to it.

Depending on what games are released in 2018, as well as reaction to the list, I may do another list next year.

One of the issues with today's technology is that almost every device relies on a battery. Maybe there will be a giant leap in battery technology that makes them effectively obsolete. Unfortunately, it is not likely a giant leap will be found soon. Hence, we are stuck with modern battery technology. Most batteries in today's technology is based on lithium-ion technology. One of the issues with this technology is that it may no longer be able to provide all of the necessary power to devices. Up through September of 2016, if an iPhone was not capable of providing the necessary power to the device, it may act in strange ways. The most noticeable of these is that the device might end up shutting down. This is an unacceptable solution.

Starting with iOS 10.2.1, which was released in January of 2017, Apple made some changes in order to minimize the instances of iPhones inexplicably shutting down. The change that they made was to reduce the speed of the iPhones in order to reduce the burden on an iPhone's battery. By doing this, users will still be able to keep using their iPhones. Along with this, if you went to "Settings" -> "Battery" and iOS detected issue with the battery you would see a notice indicating that you might need to get the battery serviced.

All of this came to light due to a set of benchmarks that were run that showed that the speed of the iPhone was noticeably slower. Once these benchmarks were released, it played directly into the narrative that Apple was deliberately slowing down devices to force users to upgrade. This was not the case.

Even though this is not the case, Apple has acknowledged the issue with their approach. At first they released a support article the discusses Lithium-Ion batteries. While this is informational, it did not directly address the cause. In order to help rectify it, Apple has issued an open letter. In this, Apple indicates that they will be reducing the price for out of warranty battery replacements. Currently, it is $79. Starting in late January, this price will be reduced to $29. This will be valid on iPhone 6 models, and later, from late January 2018 to December of 2018.

This is a good step to help those who have purchased an iPhone 6, or later, to be able to continue to use their devices. As the message about the battery states "Early in 2018, we will issue an iOS software update with new features that give users more visibility into the health of their iPhone’s battery, so they can see for themselves if its condition is affecting performance." This is absolutely necessary and should have been done before.

With this apology and price reduction, Walt Mossberg, former technology writer, had something to say about it in a series of tweets. Or you can read it in its entirety

https://twitter.com/waltmossberg/status/946540741496582144 https://twitter.com/waltmossberg/status/946540742327128064 https://twitter.com/waltmossberg/status/946540743266578432 https://twitter.com/waltmossberg/status/946540744365494272 https://twitter.com/waltmossberg/status/946540745074315264

It is as follows:

It’s natural that, after Apple’s apology and battery replacement discount, people are calling for the return of user-replaceable batteries in phones and other devices. And it may well happen. But one big reason Steve Jobs wanted to get rid of replaceable batteries was to make room for *larger* batteries, taking advantage of the space gained by eliminating the user-accessible battery compartments and covers and user-safe casings. Thinness was secondary. And industry sales figures showed hardly anyone bought spare batteries or kept them charged, and that device turnover was fast enough that degrading batteries weren't much of an issue. Also, in the case of phones, their processors and other components for years weren't potent enough to run truly powerful software or tax the batteries nearly as much as they do today. Now, I wouldn't be surprised to see 2020 smartphones with much more easily replaceable batteries, especially since Apple is now calling them "consumable" components.

Mossberg makes a good point, particularly the last sentence "especially since Apple is now calling them 'consumable' components." If this is truly the case, then I would expect Apple to begin incorporating user-replaceable batteries. It would be nice to see a return, however I do not know how likely it is. I am sure that Apple will begin looking the feasibility of replaceable batteries. I do not expect it for 2018, but as Mossberg postulates, 2020 is a possibility.

It is not known what Apple will end up doing in the long run, but it would be nice to see a bit more flexibility. However, with the move to subscription phone subsidies, the need for user-replaceable batteries may be moot and not really an issue. Yes, this is absolutely bad for Apple, but Apple cannot control chemistry and the way that chemicals react. Should Apple have warned users, yes. I hope that Apple learns from its mistake and provides more information to the users. This incident may cause some users to switch to Android, but ultimately I do not think it will hurt Apple sales that much, but time will tell on that. Even with this battery issue, having an iPhone feel slower is still not as bad as having them explode, as Samsung experienced with their Galaxy Note 7, even so, this is not good.

Happy Holidays to everyone in internet-land.

Here is the iPhone Availability for 12/22/2017. This will be the last iPhone availability report for this generation of iPhone, barring any really strange and unforeseen availability issue. Most iPhone models are available from carriers or have a short lead time. If you were looking to get an iPhone in time for the holidays, it may be too late to have it shipped, but you may be able to pick one up from a store.

Changes for Apple

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Tue Dec 19 to Wed Dec 27

Changes for the Carriers

• Verizon - 256GB Gold iPhone 8 Plus has changed from 12/22/2017 to Available
• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 20, 2017 to Dec 28, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 20, 2017 to Dec 28, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 20, 2017 to Dec 28, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 20, 2017 to Dec 28, 2017
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/18/17 to 12/26/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 01/03/18 to 12/26/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/18/17 to 12/26/17
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/27/17 to 12/26/17

One of the possible downsides to having so many different purchasing options is that in oder to get the best deals, you have to stop around. One area where people look for deals is with movies. The biggest problem to today's movie landscape is that there are two main competitors, when it comes to purchasing content; Amazon and iTunes. The most annoying aspect to this is that if you purchase a movie on Amazon you cannot watch it on iTunes, and vice versa. There was one exception to this, Disney Movies.

If there were one company that you would think would want to charge you every time for every movie on every service, it would be Disney. However, this was not the case. Disney actually allowed all of their movies to be purchased once and watched on iTunes or Google Play. This included all Disney movies, Pixar Movies and Marvel movies. This is a great solution for Disney Movies, but what about non-Disney Movies?

Movies Anywhere

Movies Anywhere takes the Disney Movies Anywhere concept and expands it to more than just Disney. Movies Anywhere will allow you to purchase a movie from iTunes or Google Play and play it anywhere. The movie studios that are involved with Movies Anywhere are:

• Walt Disney Studios
• 20th Century Fox
• Universal Pictures
• Warner Bros. Entertainment

There is one additional advantage to Movies Anywhere, and it is a big one.

Additional Viewing Locations

Being able to watch your movies on iTunes and Google Play is great. However, it would be very helpful, for many, to be able to use their Amazon Fire TV to watch the movies that they have purchased. With Movies Anywhere, this is possible, not because you can download a Vudu app to the Fire TV, but because Amazon is also part of the Movies Anywhere service. This means that you can watch the movies that you have purchased through Amazon.

Ultraviolet

Ultraviolet is a service that wanted to become the one-stop shop for your movies. However, this did not pan out as they might have hoped. Particularly since Apple was not on board. With Movies Anywhere, Ultraviolet is likely to disappear. If you, like me, never redeemed any of the ultraviolet codes that you received with your purchased DVDs and Blu-Rays, you can now do something with them. If the movie studio that produced the movie is supported by the Movies Anywhere service, you can use that code on the service to redeem the movie.

Downsides

The inclusion of all of these means that you now have a selection of even more movies than before. There are still two companies that are not included, Paramount Pictures and Lionsgate Films. This means that not everything you purchase will be available through everywhere.

Tip for Purchasing Movies

There are two tips that I have for purchasing movies.

First Tip

What the lack of all movie studios being on the Movies Anywhere service means that some movies are not available. What this means you for is that you should continue to purchase movies, that are not on the service, from whichever service you primarily watch movies. If you watch most of your movies on an Amazon Fire, then continue to buy from Amazon. If you use an Apple TV, then continue to use iTunes to purchase your content. I recommend this because if Paramount and Lionsgate do come to Movies Anywhere, these movies will then be available everywhere. I also recommend this because even if the two studios are not added, you can still watch your movies using the application that you enjoy most.

Second Tip

The second tip I have is to always look for deals. You can purchase movies from Vudu, Google Play, Amazon, or iTunes and the movies will appear on all of the services. Therefore, it is a good idea to see where the movie is the least inexpensive and available on Movies Anywhere. You can see which movies are available on Movies Anywhere by doing a search from the homepage.

Final Thoughts

If you like looking for deals and prefer to be able to search any of the participating web stores, but still want to watch your content wherever you want, then Movies Anywhere is a good service to sign up for. The fact that Amazon, Apple and Google Play all participate means that a vast majority of users will be covered. If someone in 2007 said that you could purchase a movie on one platform and watch it on another, they would think that you were insane. However, in 2017, it is the case, and you can do just that with Movies Anywhere. If you have a Disney Movies Anywhere account, I highly recommend moving your collection over to Movies Anywhere, sooner rather than later.

Throughout my iPhone X Review series, many topics have been covered including the screen, wireless charging, the camera and sensors, the processor, Face ID, Animoji, and even some developer concerns. In this final article for my iPhone X review, we will look at my overall thoughts on the iPhone X.

I do not think that I had as much delight in using a product as I have with the iPhone X. The delight that I feel is the same as it was with the original iPhone, and that was a whole new product category at the time. Do not get me wrong, I was excited to get a new phone every year, and probably will continue to be for the foreseeable future. Yet the iPhone X had a different feel to it. Each iPhone brings its own features to the product and the iPhone X is no different in this manner.

There have been four iPhones that I have been extra excited to use. They are, in order of release, the original iPhone, the iPhone 4, the iPhone 5s, the iPhone 6 Plus, and the iPhone X. Each of these had their own significance. The original iPhone, because it was the basis for all future iPhones and it was a wholly new product that had not been seen before. The iPhone 4 because it was the first Retina iPhone and seeing just how sharp an iPhone screen could be was a real treat. The iPhone 5s due to ToucH ID, which would become instrumental and a fundamental interaction point with that and future iPhones. The iPhone 6 Plus due to the all new form factor and possibilities with the landscape view. Finally, the iPhone X because of its radical rethinking of an iPhone.

As much as I have enjoyed each iPhone that I have owned, which is all but the 5c and the 8 Plus, the iPhone X is wholly different. The iPhone X is one of the more exciting phones that I have owned. The physical size of the iPhone X allows it to fit more comfortably into a pocket and Face ID is a fundamental change in biometric authentication and works in almost all situations. There have been a few where it has not.

The actual design of the iPhone X is fantastic. After I get an iPhone, I do the initial setup and the immediately put the case, which invariably arrives days before the iPhone, onto the iPhone. I do this not only for protection, but also to keep my phones in really condition. When I take the case off, the actual design of the iPhone X feels great in the hands. The all glass front and back, along with the corners, makes it a nice and smooth band around the edge. It is not only reminiscent of the original iPhone, but also more akin to the iPhone 4 with its glass front and back and the chamfered edges.

Face ID works a lot better, faster, and in many more situations than most might anticipate. The limitation of registering only face for Face ID will be a limiting factor for many individuals, but it is merely a first generation release.

When you use the iPhone X on a day-to-day basis, the notch becomes a non-issue. Sure, you will notice it at first but since your eyes are elsewhere, I know I do not even really notice it, unless I am purposely looking at it. s is because you are generally looking at the screen and with the iPhone X, it is all screen. The OLED screen really does make a difference when you are viewing anything with a black background on it. I did a brief comparison between my old iPhone 7 Plus and the iPhone X and when both were at full brightness, and not using night shift mode, I looked at the same picture on both phones. When I did this, you could see the black area to the sides. On the iPhone 7 Plus it appears a blueish gray, whereas on the iPhone X, it is a true black.

If there is an application that has not yet been updated with either a dark mode, or to support the iPhone X, be sure to contact the developer and request that they include a dark mode and update their app to support the iPhone X. Ultimately, it will be a better experience once most applications are updated.

The Future

No one knows 100% sure what the future of the iPhone will hold, nor how long it will be the dominate smartphone on the market. One day the iPhone will be supplanted by another device. Whether it is a smart phone, or another device time will tell.

The iPhone X resets the baseline for all future iPhones. As Apple has stated, the iPhone X is "Tomorrow's iPhone, today". It is not easy to put into words, just how going back to an iPhone 7 Plus feels like it is the wrong direction for phones to go. I get that not everyone can afford an iPhone X right now, but Apple's introduction iPhone X is nearly indicating that this form factor is the way of the future for iPhones. While it will certainly take time for this form factor to trickle down the line, it will eventually be the primary form factor for phones. It will be interesting to see whether Apple releases an even larger version of the iPhone X, with an even larger screen at some point in the future.

Final Thoughts

The iPhone X is Apple's flagship phone and a luxury to boot. The iPhone X is the direction that Apple is taking its most profitable and most popular product. Even with its $999 price tag, it does pack in a significant amount of technology in a small package. The iPhone X is much closer in size to the iPhone 8 than the iPhone 8 Plus. Hence, if you thought a "Plus" sized phone was just too big, the size of the iPhone X may be a good fit.

The iPhone X has the best set of cameras on any iPhone. The wide-angle lens on the iPhone X is the same as the one on the iPhone 8, but the telephoto lens is just a bit better due to the optical image stabilization on both lenses. This allows better videos and pictures, because the pictures and videos will not shake as much.

The inclusion of safe areas also opens up the opportunity for Apple to create other distinct interface designs in the future without having to worry about developers being able to support these new interface designs. It may not be likely that this will occur, but it is a possibility to be aware of.

Apple's Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering, Dan Riccio, indicated that the iPhone X was originally slated for release 2018. Yet, releasing the iPhone X in 2017 really does mean that we have tomorrow's technology in our hands today. The iPhone X seems to take all of the best physical features of the previous iPhones and puts them all into one package and yet it brings its own flair and style to the iPhone Line. To be honest the it really is a delight to use the iPhone X. If you are due for an upgrade, and have the monetary means, it really is worth looking at getting the iPhone X. I do not think that you will be disappointed.

Here is the iPhone Availability for the morning of December 16th, 2017. All iPhones from Apple are in stock and available by Tuesday, December 19th. Hence, there is still time to get an iPhone before the holidays.

Changes for Apple

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 22 to Tue Dec 19
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Mon Dec 18 to Tue Dec 19

Changes for the Carriers

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 19, 2017 to Dec 20, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 19, 2017 to Dec 20, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 19, 2017 to Dec 20, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 19, 2017 to Dec 20, 2017

The sixth article in my iPhone X review series is a bit of an oddity, as compared to the other ones written. This one will cover my personal experience about going from an iPhone 7 Plus to the iPhone X along with some other transitions from the past, like going from the iPhone 5s to the iPhone 6 Plus.

The iPhone has now had a total of five different screen sizes in its ten year life. For the first seven years of its life, there had only been two; a 3.5-inch screen on the the first five iPhone models, original iPhone through the iPhone 4s, and the 4-inch model on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5s. In 2014 Apple eschewed the tradition of releasing a single iPhone model and instead released two different sizes of phone; the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus.

The Plus Phones

When Apple announced the iPhone 6 Plus, I knew I would end up getting that model. Besides being a significantly larger screen, 5.5 inches compared to 4.7 for the iPhone 6, and the 4-inch screen that I had at the time, there were some aspects about the iPhone 6 Plus that were not on the other models. The most notable feature is the two-column view, while in landscape.

The two column view could allow developers to present more information to their users. However, this was only available when the 6 Plus was in landscape mode and not in portrait mode. Alongside the two column view, the iPhone 6 Plus had the largest screen available on an iPhone, to that point the largest screen available was the 4-inch screen on the iPhone 5s.

The last differentiating aspect was the second camera on the iPhone 6 Plus. This second camera allowed photos to be taken with optical 2x lens. This would allow for more a wider variety of pictures as well as zoomed in picture to be a bit clearer. Given that the iPhone has always been my primary camera, having the best camera available was definitely an incentive.

5s to 6 Plus

Let us take a quick detour back to 2014 when I got my iPhone 6 Plus. You can about read my thoughts on the iPhone 6 Plus after about 10 days of usage. Side note, why did I do my review after 10 days? That just seems a bit strange now that I think about it. How much usage could I really have in 10 days? Anyways, one of the things that I did not mention in that post was that when I initially got the iPhone 6 Plus I actually thought the size might have been the wrong one to get. The extra inch and a half of screen size was a significant jump. The iPhone 6 Plus took a bit to get used to. However, after a couple of hours of usage I went back to my iPhone 5s and began to think that the 4-inch screen was just too small. The bigger screen real estate was just to compelling and you can quickly adjust to having the extra screen real estate than you had than before. Now, let us look at going the other direction, from a 7 Plus to the iPhone X.

Plus to iPhone X

When I first began using the iPhone X, I immediately noticed the difference in size. The physical size of the iPhone X is much closer to the iPhone 6, 6s, 7, or 8 than it is the plus-sized models. After using the Plus phones for 3 years, it took quite a bit to adjust to the different ergonomics of the iPhone X. This did include a bit of time to get used to typing on the smaller keyboard.

Even a month after using the iPhone X, I still cannot type properly on the keyboard. There are often times that I end up hitting the period instead of the space bar. Depending on what I am doing it can be quite frustrating. If you are very efficient with the iPhone Plus sized keyboard, it may be a bigger problem going to the smaller size. I am not sure whether some of the issue is due to some of the machine learning within iOS 11, or if it is just me. Apple is using some neural networks to predict what your next keypress might be and is expanding the touch area for that key to make it a bit easier to tap that key without needing to be 100% precise. For most users this may be a great thing, although it may not be the best for some users.

During my tenure with using the Plus sized screened iPhones, some changes in habit had to be made in order to accommodate the larger phone. One of the downsides of the Plus-sized phones, is actually the physical size. As an example, during the summer the size of the Plus-sized phone was not generally an issue. This is because I normally wear cargo shorts, and no I do not care if they are not "fashionable", they are useful when you need to carry all sorts of stuff around. However, as the weather grew cooler a change of clothing was in order. Typically this would consist of a sweatshirt of some sort, or hoodie, along with a t-shirt and jeans.

The iPhone 7 did not always fit comfortably within my jeans. I would prefer to keep the iPhone in my front left pocket, with my keys. Yes, I know it is not the best, but it is what is the most comfortable. I do not wear skinny jeans, so that is not the issue. The Plus phones do not fit well in the front pocket, and therefore I always ended up taking my phone out of my pocket and placing it nearby. If I knew I would be walking around for a bit, the phone would either end up in the pocket of my hoodie, or in the back pocket of my jeans. This arrangement meant that I ended up having to take the Plus-sized phone out of my back pocket before sitting down.

This changes a bit with the iPhone X. The physical size of the iPhone X allows it to fit quite comfortably in the front pocket of my jeans. Even with this, I still end up removing the iPhone X from my pocket and placing it nearby. This is because, like many others, I am constantly using my iPhone for all sorts of things and having to constantly pull out my iPhone X from my pocket would become bothersome, particularly if you are sitting down.Even though the iPhone X is my primary phone, there are those times that I end up going back to my iPhone 7 Plus.

iPhone X Back to Plus

Every once in a while I end up going back to my iPhone 7 Plus. When this happens and I look at its design, it appears, to me, to be old technology. In particular, the bezels on the top and bottom of the iPhone 7 Plus seem a bit out of place. The larger physical size take some re-adjusting to get used to it again. I have become quite used to and accustom to the edge-to-edge screen design and it is what I would consider to be "normal" now, and exactly what an iPhone should look like. They do not seem like they should be there. It appears as though the phone is not really an iPhone, at least not to me. I know that people can adjust quickly to technology, and this is a prime example for me.

I do not think the notch is the item in particular, but the rounded corners of the screen on the iPhone X. When I look back at the iPhone 7 Plus, the squared off corner that feel the most out of place, right after the large bezels.

The same does not appear to be the case when I switch between my 12.9-inch iPad Pro and the iPhone X. I do not know if this is due to the iPad Pro being so much larger than the iPhone and the fact that I am not usually not looking at every aspect of the screen all the time, or if it is some other aspect. I will say that when I really look at the iPad, the bezels, even though they are larger than on the iPhone 7 Plus, the iPad Pro's bezels do not seem as stark of a contrast.

The only rationale I have for this is that the bezels on the iPad Pro are a bit closer in size. The side bezels are approximately 1/2 an inch, and the top and bottom bezels are approximately an inch. This is a difference of about 1/2 of an inch. Contrast this with the the iPhone 7 Plus', where the bezels are a bit more disproportional. The top and bottom bezels are approximately 9/10 an inch and the side bezels are approximately 1/6 of an inch. The side bezels on the iPhone 7 Plus are a lot more noticeable and I think this really is the reasoning behind the difference in opinion between the two devices. With the iPad Pro being closer in size, the bezels appear more as a frame for the iPad Pro screen than the iPhone Plus does.

When you first look see an iPhone X you notice the notch. It is the most iconic aspect to the iPhone X. Yet, in every day practice it is hardly noticeable and does not not normally get in the way of what you are doing. This is because Apple allows developers to keep their content within "safe areas". Only once you double-tap to zoom into a video and make it full screen will any part of the content be hidden. When you do this the video will fill up the sides of the notch, but most of the time, this is not an issue. So if you are worried about the notch, do not be, it really is not a big problem.

One of the more difficult things to go back to, with the iPhone 7 Plus, is not being able to swipe up from the bottom to unlock the screen. I have quickly become used to just swiping up to get to the home screen. I understand why Apple makes this gesture unique to the iPhone X, but it really would be nice to have on the other platforms. Particularly if you have already unlocked the iPhone 7 Plus, or iPad Pro for that fact, with Touch ID. It sometimes takes me a second to realize, oh wait, swiping up does not work on this device. I get that it is what it is, but it is easy to get into a habit.

Even with this all of this, long term iOS users really should be able to switch between various iOS devices without too much difficulty. It will take time for other iOS devices to get the same gestures as the iPhone X and by the time that everyone is comfortable with the iPhone X gestures, Apple will change it again.

iPhone X to iPod Touch

Back in 2015, I bought a sixth generation iPod Touch right when they were released. I did this as a way to have a reference device that was running iOS 8. I still have not yet updated the iPod Touch beyond iOS 8. So I do end up having to reference it from time to time. This mostly occurs when I am writing my iOS e-book during the summer, but I do use it from time to time. When I do have to use it, it feels even more cramped than I thought. Similar to going back to the iPhone 7 Plus from the iPhone X, going back to the iPod Touch feels a bit odd. Strangely though, I do not get the same "this feels completely out of place" with the iPod Touch as I do with the iPhone 7 Plus. I do not know if it is because to me the iPod is not a "front of mind" product when it comes to Apple. Just as with the Mac Mini, the iPod Touch is not a product that receives regular attention, it is not known how soon, or if, the iPod Touch will see an update. It would be nice, it may also be nice to see two different sizes, a 4-inch model and maybe a 4.7-inch model, or even a 5.5-inch model.

Final Thoughts

Even though I do not typically have to go between my iPhone X and my iPhone 7 Plus, there are those times when it will be necessary. The likely time that it will be when I am doing development of my apps, I may be working on wwrite or just working on my own utility apps. I completely get that having to go between different types of iOS devices and having to deal with their different gestures is a very first-world problem. Even though the bifurcation of gestures between iOS devices is minimal, it may end up confusing some users. With the iPhone X being the future, it is only a matter of time before all iOS devices use the game gestures, within limits.

If you are on the fence between a Plus-sized Phone and the iPhone X, I would recommend going to a store and comparing both models side by side. You may find that the Plus-sized phone is what you are looking for, however you may also find the the iPhone X is a better fit for your needs.

Here is the iPhone Availability for the morning of December 14th, 2017. There is still time to get an iPhone X for the holidays, but you should order now.

Changes for Apple

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• Sprint - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• Sprint - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• Sprint - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• Sprint - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 20 to Mon Dec 18
• T-Mobile - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 20 to Mon Dec 18
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 20 to Mon Dec 18
• T-Mobile - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 20 to Mon Dec 18
• Verizon - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• Verizon - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 20 to Dec 22
• Verizon - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18
• Verizon - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 14 - Dec 18 to Mon Dec 18

Changes for the Carriers

• AT&T - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 15, 2017 to Dec 19, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Silver iPhone X has changed from Dec 15, 2017 to Dec 19, 2017
• AT&T - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 15, 2017 to Dec 19, 2017
• AT&T - 256GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from Dec 15, 2017 to Dec 19, 2017
• T-Mobile - 64GB Silver iPhone X has changed from 12/14/17 to 12/18/17
• T-Mobile - 64GB Space Gray iPhone X has changed from 12/14/17 to 12/18/17

The sixth article is my iPhone X Review focuses on a new feature that is not only on the iPhone X, but also on the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus; That feature is Wireless Charging.

When you look at all of the new features of the iPhone X, one that might not stand out is wireless charging, given all of the other "shiny" features of the iPhone X. Features like Face ID, the OLED screen, and Animoji. There are those technologies that Apple includes in their devices that when they are initially introduced seem like an "oh, that is nice to have", but it is just a gimmick. When you first look at these type of features, what you do not realize just how fundamental of a shift it can be.

At first glance Wireless Charging may fall into that category, yet I think it will become a primary mechanism and absolute necessity for iPhones going forward. The fact that it is included with the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus means that Apple is making a huge bet on the technology. Although with Apple putting into their latest iPhones, it will end up trickling down the line and eventually be ubiquitous. As with many other things, but it has not always been the case, when Apple implements a technology it quickly becomes a must have in other devices. I think that Wireless Charging may become that type of technology.

History of Power on iPhone

Unlike many other aspects of the iPhone, the ways that it has been powered have remained largely stable. This is likely because changing the connector cable causes uproar amongst the community. In fact, Apple has only changed the power cable once in the ten year history of the iPhone. That began with the iPhone 5 in 2012. Prior to that, the 30-pin dock connector was used. Although, you could use either Firewire or USB with the original iPhone. Firewire support was dropped with the iPhone 3G, but it still utilized the same cable.

Since 2012, all iPhones that have shipped have utilized the lightning cable as their only mechanism for charging. With the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X this changes. These iPhones still support the lightning cable, but it is not the only charging method. You can now use wireless charging to charge your iPhone X.

What is Wireless Charging

When people say "wireless charging" two different images can be conjured in ones mind. The first, and least common, is one where power would both figuratively and literally being transferred through the air, similar to how some images of Nikola Tesla's laboratory have been shown. These images have electricity flowing across the entire picture. This is not really what people mean. The second possible image, and one that most users mean, is actually what is actually known as inductive charging. To make it easier on everyone, I will use the two terms, wireless charging and inductive charging, interchangeably.

The concept of inductive charging is not new, not by a long shot. Inductive charging is used in a variety of different products. Some of these include motorized toothbrushes, razors, and even some batteries. It has been in use by phones since 2009 when the Palm Pre was introduced. Manufacturers of Android phones have been including wireless charging for quite a while.

For wireless charging there are actually two competing standards. The first is the Power Matters Alliance (PMA) or as it is more commonly called, the AirFuel Alliance. The second standard is the Wireless Power Consortium standard, Qi, pronounced "chi". Apple has gone with the latter of the two standards for its wireless charging.

The first inductive charging product that Apple released was the Apple Watch. The Apple Watch has never had any other type of charger. The Apple Watch uses a slightly different inductive charging mechanism versus other devices using inductive charging. The difference with the Apple Watch is that it uses magnets to get a secure connection to the charger.

The iPhone X also includes inductive charging. Unlike with the Apple Watch, the iPhone X does not include a wireless charging pad with the iPhone X. The iPhone X, as well as the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, uses a wireless charging standard known as Qi, pronounced "chi". However, given the wide variety of existing Qi chargers, you will not need to spend a lot of money to be able to purchase an inductive charger for the iPhone X.

The iPhone X, with iOS 11.0 or 11.1 has a limited charging speed of 5 watts. This is the exact same wattage that comes with the little power brick that has been included with every iPhone sold since 2007. This changes with iOS 11.2, which should be available now. iOS 11.2 increases the maximum output via the wireless charging coil to 7.5 watts. While the actual difference seems small, this is a 50% increase in power.

Right now Apple only advertises two Qi chargers for the iPhone X, and iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus. These are the Mophie Wireless Charging Base and the Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad. I picked up the Mophie one the same time I purchased my iPhone X.

Mophie Charger

The Mophie Wireless Charger is a 24.7 watt charging pad, well beyond the 7.5 watts allowed by the iPhone X. The Mophie charging pad comes with its own 24.7 watt power brick. The charging pad brick is not USB. Instead it is a standard electronic plug, one that you would find on many other products. The one benefit of this plug, though, is that it is reversible and symmetrical, so you can plug it in either way and it will work. This is very similar to how lightning cables are, which ultimately means that you do not have to do the "USB Dance" like you might with USB A cables.

The physical size of the Mophie charging pad is approximately 3.75 inches in diameter, so it is not a big device. The pad itself is black and has a bit of grip to it thanks to the rubber that encases the entire device. When you place an iPhone on the Mophie pad the gripping rubber minimizes the movement of the iPhone. One downside to some third-party wireless chargers is that if you receive a message and your phone vibrates, it could vibrate off of the charging pad. This does not happen with the iPhone X and the Mophie Wireless Charger.

One of the more common places for a wireless charging base might be in the bedroom. One thing that humans are not good at is sleeping with the light on. Many electronic manufacturers intend to dazzle their customers with a lot of lights, and one of the potential downsides of any charger is the light that it emits. When there are a lot of lights on a charger, they are likely LED and typically very bright. The Mophie charger does not have this problem. There is one single light that is on the bottom of the charging pad and you are not likely to see it unless you are really looking for it. This is a huge plus, particularly if you intend to use a wireless charging where you sleep.

In my own usage, I have to actively look for the light in order to find it, so it should not be too much of a problem. However, if the light is a problem there is a universal fix for it. You can place some black electrical tape over the light. The benefit of this, is that it will match the rest of the Mophie Charger. Even though the Mophie Charger is pretty good, there is still one improvement, or option, I would like to see.

Wishlist

The one thing I would like to see is the power brick and cord be either a lightning or USB-C cable. I completely understand why they went with the propriety power brick and connector, but it would still be nice to have the option for using a USB-C cable to charge. This would need a 29 watt charging brick, but for those of use who already have that, it would not require another charger since we may already have the necessary equipment. There is another wireless charger that I looked at.

Yootech Wireless Charger

Actual Usage

Downsides

Future of Wireless Charging

Final Thoughts