Along with the Apple Watch Series 4, today Apple took the wraps off of two new flagship iPhone models.
The iPhone XS (pronounced “ten ess”) and iPhone XS Max feature 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch screens, respectively. Specifically, the iPhone XS has a 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED screen with a resolution of 2436×1125, while the iPhone XS Max is packing a 6.5-inch Super Retina OLED display with a resolution of 2688×1242. Apple touts that the iPhone XS Max is about the same size of the iPhone 8 Plus, it has a screen that’s 1-inch larger diagonally.
Another significant upgrade included with the new iPhone models is Face ID. Apple touts that Face ID is improved on the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max thanks to its faster algorithms and faster Secure Enclave. This means that it should be faster for you to unlock your new iPhone with your face.
Inside the new iPhone models is an updated Apple A12 Bionic processor. This new 7nm chip offers a 6-core CPU with two performance cores that Apple says is up to 15 percent faster and up to 40 percent lower power, as well as four efficiency cores. There’s a 4-core GPU in there, too, that’s up to 50 percent faster, and an 8-core Neural Engine focused on machine learning. That new A12 Bionic chip is packed into a body that’s IP68-rated for dust and water resistance.
Another focus of the new iPhone models is their cameras. Both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max have a dual rear camera setup with a 12MP wide angle sensor and 12MP telephoto sensor. That wide angle sensor offers OIS, f/1.8 aperture, and a 6-element lens, while the telephoto sensor has OIS, f/2.4 aperture, and a 2x optical zoom. There’s an improved front-facing camera, too, with a 7MP sensor that’s faster and an f/2.2 aperture.
Other photography features of these new iPhones include Smart HDR for better high dynamic range and greater image detail. There’s a new Depth Control feature that’ll let you adjust the depth of field of your photos after you take them, letting you add more or less background blur to your photos. And when it comes to capturing video, there’s a faster sensor with better low-light performance and video stablization, as well as support for recording stereo sound thanks to the four built-in microphones.
Battery life has been improved on Apple’s new iPhones, too. The iPhone XS is said to get 30 minutes more battery life than last year’s iPhone X, while the iPhone XS — which Apple points out has the biggest battery in any iPhone ever — will get 90 minutes more battery life than the iPhone X.
Also notable is that dual SIM support is coming with these new iPhone models via a software update this fall. Apple plans to utilize one eSIM and one physical SIM, save for in China, where it’ll use two physical SIM cards
Switching over to cellular connectivity, the full list of LTE bands supported by the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max looks like this: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 34, 38, 39, 40, 41, 46, 66, and 71. Apple also says that both phones offer Gigabit-class LTE, 4×4 MIMO, and LAA support.
Focusing specifically on T-Mobile, it’s been confirmed that both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will include 600MHz LTE support, making them the first iPhones to have that feature. T-Mo’s 600MHz LTE reaches farther and its better at penetrating buildings than mid-band LTE, and it’s now available in more than 1,250 markets, so this is a big addition for T-Mobile customers.
The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will be available in gold, silver, and space gray color options and 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities. Pricing for the iPhone XS will start at $999, while the iPhone XS Max will start at $1,099. Here’s how the full pricing for each model breaks down:
iPhone XS
- 64GB: $999
- 256GB: $1,149
- 512GB: $1,349
iPhone XS Max
- 64GB: $1,099
- 256GB: $1,249
- 256GB: $1,449
Apple will begin taking orders for the iPhone XS and iPhone XSs Max on September 14th, and the devices will launch on September 21st. T-Mobile CEO John Legere has confirmed that T-Mo will offer both models, with pre-orders starting at 12:01 am PT on September 14th. T-Mo hasn’t shared any EIP or JOD pricing info as of this post’s publication.
So, these are Apple’s new flagship iPhone models. What do you think of them?
Source: Apple