It’s not everyday on PhoneDog that we compare the aesthetics of two different colors of the same smartphone but we will be doing just that with the iPhone X. There are two reasons for this: Number one, the phone starts at $1,000 so you should probably know the pros and cons of each model before you decide to shell out that kind of money for one. Number two, there are some things Apple does not tell you about each color configuration.
From the front, both devices look very similar. Previously with older silver iPhones, the faceplate was white to match the white back of the device. This isn’t the case with the silver iPhone X. The front is black contrasting with the white back. What this effectively does is it helps the edge-to-edge display blend in with the sides of the phone to help those bezels appear even smaller than they actually are. One of the main reasons I’ve almost always have opted in for a black or space gray smartphone is for this reason. I just don’t like the bezels of my smartphone’s display to appear bigger than they already are.
The real difference between the two models has to do with the sides. With the silver iPhone X, you have a stainless steel frame that looks like stainless steel. It has a reflective shine to it that just looks like the stainless steel on the back of an old iPod or stainless steel Apple Watch. The Space Gray iPhone X technically has a stainless steel frame but it’s coated with a dark vapor coating that feels a little like plastic. It doesn’t feel the same as the Silver variant and it doesn’t look as premium or expensive. And that’s kind of the point when you buy a $1,000 smartphone. You want it to feel good and you want it to look good.
This coating extends to cover the volume buttons, mute switch, and Siri button as well.
Flipping each device over, we’ll see that the Silver variant has a white black plate while the Space Gray has a, surprise, gray back plate. And the glass has a return. If you’re worried about the white back plate getting less white over time, don’t. It really shouldn’t pick up any sort of discoloration. If you’re worried about that though, get the Space Gray variant. Both models are very susceptible to cracking.
So let’s recap. If you want the most stylish, most in your face device, you should select the Silver variant. The uncoated stainless steel frame looks great and the white rear is going to catch more attention than the gray back plate. The white back plate should even help hide some scratches better than the Space Gray variant, something to seriously consider. Now if you want a more stealthy look, the Space Gray variant is definitely the way to go since the sides are coated with a dark vapor coating. It should be less susceptible to micro scratches than the silver’s stainless steel band. Some of my friends over on Twitter are complaining that the stainless steel band on their Silver iPhone X is picking up some micro scratches. My advice would be to pick up a bumper case or transparent case to help protect your iPhone X and show it off to the world. That’s really the best of both worlds.
Let me know which iPhone X you prefer in a comment down below.