Apple Announces the advent of iPhone XS and XS max with 5.8” and 6.5 OLED screens respectively

It's time to kiss your current iPhone design which was introduced in 2004 goodbye. The design of iPhone X in 2017 which features face recognition technology (Face ID) and “the notch” custom design gives a glimpse of the design blueprint of future iPhone models.

The Apple iPhone XS Max

With the introduction of the 5.5” AMOLED screen, the iPhone XS Max breaks the record as the largest iPhone in history. With the abolition of the bezels, the screen of this premier phone now has a 19.5:9 aspect ratio. The main difference between the new screen and the previous one featured in iPhone 8 Plus is the extra height which enables it to accommodate more content, the width remains unchanged.

The display of this new model maintains the support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision with the dynamic range increased by 60%. In the same vein, the new Super Retina still maintains the 458ppi pixel density in the preceding iPhone X by increasing the resolution to 1,242px by 2,668px.  Although the UI interface of the touchscreen renders the previous 60fpx, the screen touch sensor layer is now operating at 120Hz to enhance seamless operation.

In the new era of iPhone XS Max, the touch ID is obsolete, replaced by the new Face ID. The only biometric authentication method is now Face ID as Apple did not retain the Touch ID feature for backward feature compatibility. The new 3D face recognition technology has been upgraded for increased performance compared to the previous versions.

The camera feature has been completely overhauled. The dual 12-megapixel camera wide-angle shooter now uses a new sensor that features larger pixels which is now 1.4 µm compared to 1.22 µmin the preceding iPhone X. Although the aperture is still f/1.8, the telephoto camera now has a 12 MP sensor, f/2.4 lens, and a 2x optical zoom.

The bokeh rendering has been updated to enable the user to adjust the depth of field after taking a picture. Moreover, the power of the A12 Bionic chipset now uses the Smart HDR feature. This feature now completely eliminates the shutter lag and enables the camera to capture a 4-frame buffer. In addition to these enhanced functions, the camera now captures interframes and long exposure, combining everything into a single photo with an excellent dynamic range.

The features of the front camera have also been improved with enhanced RGB sensor speed and resolution.

The long-awaited stereo feature for audio recording is now a reality in addition to a wider dynamic range.

The phone chassis is not left out of the revolution, it is made from stainless steel and now has new design for the scratch-resistant glass.  According to Apple, this model is the most durable phone in existence. The water resistance has been increased to IP68 which enables the phone to remain intact for half an hour when immersed in a two-meter depth of water or beer!

The internal base storage remains 64GB, the mid-range stands at 256GB and the highest storage 512GB.  The increase in the available storage capacity options is perhaps apple attempt to match the features of flagship Android brands.

The Apple iPhone XS

This model takes after the uniqueness of the iPhone S models which can last for 12 months without a considerable waning in its appearance. However, the major enhancements to the new iPhone XS are contained in the internal components.

This latest model makes use of an Apple A12 Bionic chipset which gives it a higher performance compared to flagship Android phones. The user now has an option to choose a model with increased storage up to 512GB. Other available storage options include 64Gb and 256GB.

The chipset of this phone is perhaps the first 7nm chipset in existence. It has 6-cores which comprise of two large ones and four smaller cores.  In addition to this, it has a 4-core GPU and an 8-core neural engine. In essence, this small piece of electronic device contains a mammoth 6.9 billion transistors. The best part is that the design is entirely Apple-based.

Regarding the spec details, the big cores are 15% faster and about 40% more power efficient compared to the A11 cores. On the other hand, the power consumption of the small cores has been reduced by 50%. The lossless compression enables the GPU to achieve higher memory bandwidth and up to 50% increase in performance. The latest neural engine features just double the number of cores in the previous models, but the increase in performance is phenomenal.  Its capability has increased from handling a mere 600 billion operations to five trillion!

However, the 5.8”screen features the same resolution as the previous release which is 1,125 x 2,436px The pixel density and the touch frame rates are the same as the Max model. The stereo features some improvements which lead to the production of wider sound.

Apple does not give the users many options regarding colors. The users have to choose between silver, space gray and the gold option which is not available for the iPhone X model. Apple is finally giving in to adding the dual sim feature to the iPhone. The China model will have the version with two sim slots while the version for the West will make use of the embedded sim (eSim) as the second sim.

The prices and release dates

The base price tag for the Phone XS (64 GB) is $1,000/€1,149/£999, while the larger iPhone XS is priced at $1,100/€1,249/£1,099. Pre-order sales of both phone models will commence by September 14 while the launch date is set for September 21. The phones will be made available in different countries in succession after the initial launch.