Tech

The iPhone X Starts At $999 — But Hidden Costs May Be Lurking

Apple's newest smartphone may cost you extra depending on where you buy it, how you care for it and how you unlock it.

The iPhone X Starts At $999 — But Hidden Costs May Be Lurking
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The iPhone X hits stores Friday, and needless to say, it's not cheap — $999 for 64 GB.

But the iPhone X's price tag might not be telling the whole story. If you're weighing whether the new model's worth it, here are a few hidden costs dominating headlines.

First up: Where you buy the phone may matter. Best Buy says it's going to charge an extra $100 on top of sticker price. Its reasoning? It gives customers options.

The company said in a statement, "Our prices reflect the fact that no matter a customer's desired plan or carrier, or whether a customer is on a business or personal plan, they are able to get a phone the way they want at Best Buy."

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Not everyone thinks that's a good selling point. But a few have noted that if you buy from Best Buy using an installment plan, you can actually work around its $100 upcharge.

Hidden cost No. 2: Repairs. If your iPhone X's cracked screen isn't covered by Apple's warranty, the company will charge $279 to fix it.

Apple's assuring customers the glass on the iPhone X is stronger than past models'. But the iPhone X also has a glass back, meaning there may not be a "good side" to drop it on.

And the third potential cost: Your privacy. Facial recognition, instead of thumbprints or passwords, is the promoted method for unlocking the iPhone X.

Apple says your facial data will only be stored on your phone, not on company servers. But some are wary of that promise, considering how other companies, like Facebook, have handled their own facial recognition data.

Tech experts add facial recognition is always a privacy risk, considering everything from your physical features to emotions are visible bits of personal information.

Many tech reporters have voiced concerns over the ways companies like Apple and Facebook could profit from that kind of personal info.