5 ways Apple's iPhone X is catching up with Android phones

Samsung barely beat Apple to the punch with this particular feature, as it only introduced facial recognition to unlock the Galaxy S8 when it came out in April this year. Just a few months later, Apple introduced Face ID, which uses Apple's own "True Depth" camera system to register your face to unlock the iPhone X securely.

Samsung's facial recognition didn't work too well, at least during my tests a few months ago. It's possible that the Galaxy S8's facial recognition could be improved with software updates. We have yet to see how well the iPhone X's Face ID facial recognition will work out in the wild and away from Apple's demo room. But seeing as Face ID is replacing Touch ID and our fingerprints to unlock the iPhone securely, I'm hoping it's just as good or better than Touch ID.

Android smartphones have been designed with narrower borders and higher screen-to-body ratios than iPhones for a few years. Many Android smartphones, even earlier ones from around 2013, had screen to body ratios above 70 percent, like the LG G3 and Galaxy S4.

Meanwhile, Apple iPhones have remained under the 70 percent mark until the iPhone X, and it costs $1,000 for the privilege. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus still have around 65 percent screen-to-body ratio, and only the iPhone X is estimated to have about 83 percent screen to body ratio according to GSMArena.

The first smartphones to use wireless charging first arrived in 2013, and they were Android phones. It's now 2017, and the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X are the first of Apple's iPhones to feature wireless charging.

Here's another one that Apple took its time with. Android phones have been using Qualcomm's QuickCharge technology since 2013, and Apple just introduced its own "Fast Charging" feature with the iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus, and iPhone X.

Better late than never, you might say. But there's a big asterisk that comes with Apple's Fast Charging: You need to buy separate accessories to use it. Specifically, you need at least the $49 29W USB-C power adapter (or the USB-C power adapter that came with USB-C MacBook laptops), and a $25 USB-C-to-Lightning cable. Android phones with QuickCharge, on the other hand, have come included with the necessary power adapters and cables for users to quick charge their phones right out of the box.

Apple certainly took its time with this one. Android smartphone makers have been using OLED displays for years now — like Samsung and its original Samsung Galaxy from 2009 — and Apple is just starting to use them in the iPhone X.

Up until the iPhone X, Apple has been using LCD displays, and eventually the better LCD IPS display, or "Retina" display, with the iPhone 4 onwards. IPS displays are nice, but they're not as nice as OLED displays, which produce better colors and gorgeous contrast. OLED panels also help with battery life, as they consume less power overall than LCD displays.