Alongside Apple, there are two other major players in the smartphone game, Samsung and Google. The same year as the iPhone X, Samsung had the Galaxy S8, S8+, and the Note 8, and Google had the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL. Like the iPhone, all of these models also eschewed physical home buttons on the front of their screens. However, the facial recognition for the two Galaxies and the Pixel was nowhere near the sophistication of Apple’s Face ID.
As far as cameras go, the Galaxy Note 8 is the only one of these three to feature multiple rear-facing cameras, which is the equivalent of Apple keeping the multiple cameras exclusive to the Plus options rather than adding them to the standard ones. In terms of internal storage, there was no competition. The iPhone X could get you up to 256 GB, whereas the Pixel capped out at 128 GB, and the two Galaxy phones only got you 64 GB of internal storage. You would either have to spring for microSD cards for external storage or spend extra to get a Galaxy S8+ for 128 GB.
The iPhone X was significantly more expensive than its rivals, with a base price of $999. Meanwhile, the base for the Pixel 2 was $649, and the S8 and Note 8 were $750 and $930, respectively. Apple has subsequently dropped the prices of their iPhones, with the current generation iPhone 15 starting at $799, but you generally pay a premium with Apple. If you needed Face ID, dual cameras, and iOS, then that premium was worth it. If not, you still had excellent other options.
