Apple announced new iPhones today, the two new flag high-end phones are called the iPhone XS (pronounced "ten S") and the iPhone Xs Max. Here's everything we learned today about the new hardware!
What's the difference between the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max?
iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch OLED display and the iPhone XS Max has a 6.5-inch OLED display, meaning the iPhone Xs Max is larger; however, other than that, there is no difference between the two new phones on the inside.
One notable difference is the battery. The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are both going to outperform last year's iPhone X when it comes to battery life, but the iPhone XS Max does have a bigger battery than the smaller iPhone XS.
Specs
Here are some main specs of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max
Battery life
Apple states that the iPhone XS will last up to 30 mins longer than the iPhone X, while the bigger iPhone XS Max is quoted as lasting 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone X from last year.
The Insides
The iPhone Xs and iPhone XS Max use the new A12 Bionic chip. Both phones have a 6-core CPU and a 4-core GPU, both of which are faster and more powerful than iPhone X from last year.
The Camera
The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max both come with a dual camera system on the back that consists of an f1.8 12MP wide-angle lens and an f2.4 12MP telephoto lens. The cameras have new and upgraded sensors over the iPhone X last year and Apple claims it will produce pictures with greater detail and sharpness.
The same front-facing selfie camera that was on the iPhone X is back on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. The selfie cam is a 7MP camera with an f2.2 aperture that can record 1080p video and Portrait Mode photos as well!
The new A12 Bionic chip has a new feature Apple calls SmartHDR, which is able to produce HDR photos in faster and with much better detail and exposure.
Plus, the Portrait Mode can not only let you apply lightning filters, but the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will let you adjust the depth of the photo with a slider in the edit screen. This will allow you to take a photo and adjust the level of blur in the background!
The Video
The video capabilities are the same as the last year's iPhone X, meaning you can expect the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max to have the following video specs:
- 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
- 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
- 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
- Optical image stabilization for video
- Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
Apple says that with the new A12 Bionic chip combined with the new sensors in the cameras on the back will provide better low-light video and performance.
The Augmented Reality (AR)
The new GPU is much better at handling AR and has been tailored made for ARKit 2 meaning everything from games to animoji is going to look better and run more smoothly!
Apple showed off a few new apps that took advantage of the new specs of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. The most amazing one was a basketball training AR app called Homecourt.
The app can watch you take shots around a basketball net and give you real-time feedback of shot percentage and other important stats — super neat!
The Wireless Charging
The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will both have Qi wireless charging and Apple says it will charge slightly faster than the iPhone X!
Waterproofing
Both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max come with an IP68 ingress protection rating, meaning it's even more water-resistance than last year's iPhone X.
The IP68 theoretically means the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max is "protected from long-term immersion up to a specified pressure by the manufacturer." Apple hasn't announced that pressure as of yet.
When will it be available?
Both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will be available to order on September 14 and will ship on September 21!
How much will it cost and how much storage will it have?
iPhone XS
The iPhone XS will come in three different storage options (listed below) and pricing starts at $999.
- 64GB will cost $999
- 256GB will cost $1,149
- 512GB will cost $1,349
iPhone XS Max:
The iPhone XS Max will come in three different storage options (listed below) and pricing starts at $1099.
- 64GB will cost $1,099
- 256GB will cost $1,249
- 512GB will cost $1,449
What colors will it come in?
Both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will come in space gray, silver, and gold!
Will the iPhone XS & iPhone XS Max come with iOS 12?
Yes! Both models will ship with Apple's newest operating system iOS 12 right out of the box!
Will I need to buy new cases?
The iPhone XS is the exact same size in all measurements as last year's iPhone X, so you shouldn't need a new case for the iPhone XS if you already have an iPhone X case lying around.
Of course, the iPhone XS Max is a brand new phone size and configuration we haven't seen, which means, you're going to need to buy news for it, should you want a case!
What do you think?
Are you excited for the new iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max? Let us know in the comments down below!
Updated September 13 2018: Added new information concering battery life of both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max.
