At the Steve Jobs theater, Apple unveiled the next generation of iPhone today, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR. With the introduction of these new iPhones, Apple has discontinued the iPhone X as it has become redundant. The iPhone SE and iPhone 6S will also be discontinued, which marks the official removal of iPhones with a headphone jack.
With discontinuation of iPhone SE and iPhone 6S, Apple will NO longer sell an iPhone with a headphone jack.
After the iPhone X was released, there were many rumors around low sales figures of the device as it was priced at $1000. However, the iPhone X sales figures were quite good in Apple’s earning reports.
iPhone X surpassed our expectations and has been our top-selling iPhone every week since it shipped in November. – Tim Cook, CEO of Apple
Key features of the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR
The new iPhones share many similarities with the iPhone X as they all feature all-screen display, Face ID, and Portrait mode. Besides the edge-to-edge displays, the new iPhones all feature Apple’s new A12 Bionic Chip with Next-generation Neural Engine. The new A12 processor is supposed to be 15 percent faster than the predecessor A11 chip. With the introduction of iPhone XS Max, Apple is offering a 6.5 inch screen, which is the largest screen on an iPhone ever. The iPhone XR will have a bigger screen the iPhone XS with a screen size of 6.1 inch on the iPhone XR and 5.8 inch on the iPhone XS. The XS series has the OLED display technology (Super Retina), where as the iPhone XR will have a LCD display (Liquid Retina). The iPhone XS and Max has the dual 12 MP camera setup (wide angle and telephoto) whereas iPhone XR will have single 12MP wide angle camera. All three iPhones will come with 7MP front facing true depth camera, Face ID and Qi wireless charging. In addition, all of the new iPhones will be water resistant for up to 2 meters and 30 minutes with the exception of iPhone XR, which will be water resistant for up to 1 meter.
| iPhone XS | iPhone XS Max | iPhone XR |
|---|---|---|
| 5.8”Super Retina HD display | 6.5”Super Retina HD display | 6.1”Liquid Retina HD display |
| Dual 12MP (wide-angle & telephoto) | Dual 12MP (wide-angle & telephoto) | 12MPcamera |
| 7MPTrueDepth camera | 7MPTrueDepth camera | 7MPTrueDepth camera |
| Face ID | Face ID | Face ID |
| A12 Bionic chip | A12 Bionic chip | A12 Bionic chip |
| Water Resistant (2m for upto 30min) | Water Resistant (2m for upto 30min) | Water Resistant (1m for upto 30min) |
| Wireless Charging (Qi) | Wireless Charging (Qi) | Wireless Charging (Qi) |
Display
The new iPhones will have three different screen sizes. The iPhone XS and Max will feature an OLED Super Retina screen, whereas the iPhone XR will have a LCD display called Liquid Retina. The iPhone XS Max will sport the largest screen on any iPhone with screen size of 6.5 inches. The iPhone XR will have 6.1 inch display and iPhone XS will feature 5.8 inch display. Unlike the iPhone XR, the displays of iPhone XS and Max will have HDR technology, which provides high dynamic range. It is important to note that the iPhone XS Max will have the same screen density as iPhone XS with 458 pixels per inch, so expect to see more details on the iPhone XS compared to XS Max as the Max has bigger screen with the same pixel density. The iPhone XR, with a bigger screen than iPhone XS, will also have a lower screen density with 326 pixels per inch.
The major difference between iPhone XS and iPhone XR is the OLED and LCD screen type, respectively. As with any OLED screen the contrast ratio will always be higher than LCD screen. The Super Retina OLED screen on iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will offer a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1, where as the Liquid Retina LCD display on iPhone XR will feature a contrast ratio of 1400:1, which is standard for this screen type. The new iPhones will all have a max brightness of 625 cd/m2, which is great for outdoor usage. The iPhone XS line will offer 3D Touch but it will not be included in iPhone XR, which uses heptic feedback instead. This could be a sign of a removal of 3D touch from future iPhones as 3D touch has not proven to be very useful with limited adoption by developers.
| iPhone XS | iPhone XS Max | iPhone XR |
|---|---|---|
| Super Retina HD display | Super Retina HD display | Liquid Retina HD display |
| 5.8-inch OLED | 6.5-inch OLED | 6.1-inch LCD Multi |
| HDR display | HDR display | — |
| 2436 x 1125 px (458 ppi) | 2688 x 1242-px (458 ppi) | 1792 x 828 px (326 ppi) |
| 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio | 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio | 1400:1 contrast ratio |
| True Tone display | True Tone display | True Tone display |
| Wide color display (P3) | Wide color display (P3) | Wide color display (P3) |
| 3D Touch | 3D Touch | — |
| 625 cd/m2 max brightness | 625 cd/m2 max brightness | 625 cd/m2 max brightness |
Size and Weight
As expected, the iPhone XS Max with the largest screen will have the largest dimensions and highest weight, followed by iPhone XR. The iPhone XS will be the smallest iPhone in the X lineup. It is important to note that all three versions will have a very similar depth of around 0.3 inch.
| iPhone XS | iPhone XS Max | iPhone XR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Height | 5.65 inches (143.6 mm) | 6.20 inches (157.5 mm) | 5.94 inches (150.9 mm) |
| Width | 2.79 inches (70.9 mm) | 3.05 inches (77.4 mm) | 2.98 inches (75.7 mm) |
| Depth | 0.30 inch (7.7 mm) | 0.30 inch (7.7 mm) | 0.33 inch (8.3 mm) |
| Weight | 6.24 ounces (177 grams) | 7.34 ounces (208 grams) | 6.84 ounces (194 grams) |
Camera
The iPhone XS series and iPhone XR will also differ in the camera department as the iPhone XS series will have dual 12MP camera (wide-angle and telephoto) setup, whereas XR will have single 12MP wide-angle camera (same as iPhone XR). The wide-angle cameras have aperture of ƒ/1.8 and telephoto camera has ƒ/2.4 aperture. All iPhones will have optical image stabilization for the rear cameras. The dual camera setup on iPhone XS series will allow for 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom, whereas the iPhone XR camera will only allow 5x digital zoom. The new iPhones will all have an improved Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow Sync. The Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control will be standard on the new devices. The iPhone XS series will feature Portrait Lighting with five effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono) and iPhone XR will feature Portrait Lighting with three effects (Natural, Studio, Contour).
The new iPhones will support 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps and 1080p video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps. During video recording, the iPhone XS series will allow 2x optical zoom and digital zoom up to 6x, whereas the iPhone XR will allow only Digital zoom up to 3x. The Slo-mo video recording will support 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps on all three devices.
The front camera will be same on iPhone XS series and iPhone XR. The front camera will have 7MP sensor with ƒ/2.2 aperture, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh depth control, and Portrait Lighting with five effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono). The video recording will support 1080p HD at 30 fps or 60 fps. Just like the iPhone X, Animoji and Memoji are still here.
| iPhone XS | iPhone XS Max | iPhone XR |
|---|---|---|
| Dual 12MP (wide-angle & telephoto) | Dual 12MP (wide-angle & telephoto) | 12MP (Wide-angle) |
| ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.4 aperture | ƒ/1.8, ƒ/2.4 aperture | ƒ/1.8 aperture |
| Dual optical image stabilization | Dual optical image stabilization | Optical image stabilization |
| 2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 10x | 2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 10x | Digital zoom up to 5x |
| Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow Sync | Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow Sync | Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow Sync |
| Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control | Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control | Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control |
| Smart HDR for photos | Smart HDR for photos | Smart HDR for photos |
| 4K video at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps | 4K video at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps | 4K video at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps |
| 1080p video at 30 fps or 60 fps | 1080p video at 30 fps or 60 fps | 1080p video at 30 fps or 60 fps |
| 2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 6x | 2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 6x | Digital zoom up to 3x |
| Slo-mo 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps | Slo-mo 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps | Slo-mo 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps |
| Front: 7MP (ƒ/2.2) | Front: 7MP (ƒ/2.2) | Front: 7MP (ƒ/2.2) |
Pricing and Availability
The new iPhone models will come in three different storage capacity options. The iPhone XS series is offered in three storage capacity of 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB for $999, $1,149 or $1,349. The iPhone XS Max will cost $100 more for the bigger display ($1,099, $1,249 or $1,449). The iPhone XS series will come in and three different colors — silver, gold and space gray.
The iPhone XR start at 64GB for $749 but the other two storage options will be lower at 128GB, and 256GB for $799 and $899. Apple is trying to justify the smaller capacity of the iPhone XR by offering it at a lower price with many different color options — white, black, blue, yellow, coral and red.
iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max – Pre-oder on 14 September and Shipment on 21 September
iPhone XR – Pre-oder on 19 October and Shipment on 26 October
| Storage | iPhone XR | iPhone XS | iPhone XS Max |
|---|---|---|---|
| 64GB | $749 | $999 | $1099 |
| XR: 128GB, XS: 256GB | $799 | $1149 | $1249 |
| XR: 256GB, XS: 512GB | $899 | $1349 | $1449 |
In conclusion, the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR represent the future of iPhones. The key differences between the iPhone XS series and iPhone XR include OLED vs LCD display, dual vs single camera, and different screen sizes.
Get the iPhone XR: If you have been looking for an all screen iPhone, then iPhone XR will fulfill all of you requirements as it offers the uniqueness of the iPhone X at a lower price. The iPhone XR also meant to replace the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, so if you were always looking for a regular iPhone, then this is the right choice for you.
Get the iPhone XS or iPhone XS Max: If you care about the screen contrast and zoom feature of the camera, then the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will be the right choice for you.
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I am officially a tech addict and enjoy providing my views on matters related to this industry. I am always interested in trying out new tech gadgets and I have owned multiple smartphones including the legendary HTC One, SGS2, Nexus 4, iPhone 4, 5S, 6S, XR, Note 9. You can ask me any tech related questions in the comment section or on twitter @hookedNav