Apple’s iPhones started out as a singular model launched in various storage sizes. That changed in more recent times when we saw Apple start to expand the iPhone lineup, and fast forward to 2018 and we’re seeing Apple not launch just one, but two, iPhone models in the form of the iPhone Xs and Xs Max (pronounced as the iPhone Ten S and Ten S Max).
Design
For the most part the rumors and the leaks have been pretty accurate, where the iPhone Xs and Xs Max are Apple’s OLED iPhone models which sport 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch displays accordingly. They are also made using surgical grade stainless steel, an IP68 rating, and a new formulation of glass, which Apple claims to be the most durable in a smartphone.
Display
With the iPhone Xs and Xs Max, we’re looking at a Super Retina display which means a pixel density of 458 PPI. Given that the phones sport different sizes, this means we’re looking at a resolution of 2,436 x 1,125 for the iPhone Xs, and a resolution of 2,688 x 1,242 for the iPhone Xs Max. Apple is also boasting 120Hz touch-sensing and 60% greater dynamic range than its predecessor.
Hardware
We’re looking at the use of the new A12 Bionic processor which acts as the successor to last year’s A11 Bionic chipset. According to Apple, the A12 is the industry’s first 7nm chip. It boasts a 6-core processor, a quad-core CPU that is 50% faster than the A11’s, and a neural engine. Apple is also claiming that the A12 is a huge improvement over the A11, which was capable of 600 billion neural engine operations a second. However with the A12, Apple claims that this has been boosted to 5 trillion neural engine operations a second. Apps are also said to be capable of launching 30% faster than before.
Security
As for security, it looks like Apple is sticking to their guns and Face ID, which means that for those hoping to see the return of Touch ID, you might be disappointed to learn that will not happen. However this isn’t necessarily a bad thing as Face ID has indeed delivered as promised. With the new iPhones and the A12 Bionic, Face ID will unlock faster than before thanks to faster algorithms and also a faster secure enclave.
Camera
In terms of the camera department, both the iPhone Xs and Xs Max will sport the same dual camera setup found in the iPhone X, which will include dual 12MP sensors, with one being a wide-angle lens, and the other sporting a telephoto lens with f/1.8 and f/2.2 apertures respectively. There will also be OIS in both lenses, improved flash, and also some new features.
One of those new features is the Smart HDR feature which acts like regular HDR where multiple photos are taken at different exposures. However it is also smarter by taking multiple photos and it will be capable of choosing the “best” photos to use. There is also a new edit function that allows users to adjust the depth-of-field after the photo has been taken.
Pricing & Availability
So how much all of this will cost? As expected they will not come cheap. The 5.8-inch iPhone Xs will be priced at $999 for the base 64GB model, while the 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Max will retail for $1,099 for the 64GB model. Pre-orders will begin on the 14th of September and will begin shipping to customers the following week on the 21st of September.
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