The annual release of Apple’s brand new smartphone is almost like a holiday to the entire world, as many anticipate purchasing the newest technology. This time around the major talking point to come from the iPhone X announcement was the price, which made many people skeptical. With its steep $999 price tag in North America for both a 64GB and 256GB storage option, what exactly does the X bring to the table?

The most notable new addition to the iPhone X is its use of face recognition, ultimately replacing the touch ID previous iPhones utilized. The face scanner can be used to make purchases on iTunes, Apple Pay, and the App Store as well as a replacement for the traditional passcode used to enter into the phone. Although face ID was a huge change to the iPhone’s system, the iPhone X’s new screen brought a dramatic cosmetic change to the traditional design. The iPhone X sports a larger screen, one which covers the entire front of the phone save for the front speaker and camera. The X also sports a “super” retina display that promises to be a much higher resolution than the standard retina display present in previous models.

These new features are impressive; however, my personal gripe with the iPhone 7’s inability to charge and plug in a pair of headphones was not resolved with the X, which makes me question the price tag as I believe it’s not worth it for a phone that doesn’t fix such a major problem from the previous model. Had there been a return to two separate ports for headphones and a charger, a larger price tag would seem a lot more reasonable. The other model available is the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, which contain the same specs as the X with the exception of the higher resolution, bigger screen, and lack of home button. Honestly, I see no major reason to purchase the iPhone X over the 8 Plus, as they both overcome their competitors when comparing their specs while being very similar, with the exception of their price tags.

My final verdict is that the iPhone 8 Plus is the much more sensible purchase for someone who is conservative with their money as it contains all the features of the X with a few, rather forgettable, exclusive additions. The iPhone X is a good successor to the iPhone 7, however the $1000 price range is far too unreasonable, especially when a different model is available with a cheaper asking price and very similar features.