The iPhone X changed everything. With it, Applereinvented iPhone design, security and (most controversially) the price we can expect to pay for a flagship smartphone. One year on, the iPhone XS has pushed this pricing even higherbut are there enough differences to justify an upgrade?
Here’s everything you need to know…
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Displays – The Same But Better
The iPhone X marked Apple’s first venture into OLED displays, and it immediately set the bar for everyone else. Predictably, the iPhone XS makes further improvements, though you won’t notice any difference in the core specs:
- iPhone XS, iPhone X – 5.8-inch 19.5:9 aspect ratio True Tone OLED, 2436 x 1125 pixels (458 ppi), 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, 82.9% screen-to-body ratio,
Yes, Apple has fitted an OLED panel of identical size and resolution into the iPhone XS and yet claims it will deliver 60% greater dynamic range with HDR content. This is backed up with Dolby Vision / HDR10 support so you’ll get ample opportunity to see the improvement in images and video.
The other major change is what Apple calls “120Hz touch sensing”. This isn’t to be confused with a 120Hz refresh rate, which is used by the Razor phone to gloriously smooth effect. 120Hz touch sensing is the speed at which the phone will look for touch input. The 60Hz panel refresh rate remains, but by reacting twice as quickly to touch input the iPhone XS should feel more responsive than the iPhone X the moment you touch it.
Furthermore, while the notch remains (and is no smaller) on the iPhone XS, Apple claims the Face ID facial recognition system housed within it is “faster”.
No concrete figure was put on the difference, and the improvements are believed to be software based, as opposed to new hardware. But given Face ID on the iPhone X was slower than the Touch ID fingerprint recognition system it replaced and we unlock our phones dozens of times a day, all improvements here are welcome.
Design – Identical Twins
While looking closely at the iPhone XS display will reveal its upgrades over the iPhone X, the same can’t be said of their design.
- iPhone XS – 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) and 177g (6.24 oz)
- iPhone X – 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm (5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 in) and 174g (6.14 oz)
Yes, a 3g (0.1 oz) weight difference is it. That said, Apple has made design improvements, you just won’t spot them with the naked eye. The first of these is increased IP68 water and dust resistance over the IP67 certification in the iPhone X. You can read about the technicalities here, but essentially it means you can now submerge your iPhone in up to three metres of water instead of one.
Next up, and equally subtle, is a 25% increase in speaker volume and stereo support – the latter of which Apple promises deliver audibly clear left and right channels. The iPhone X has surprisingly loudspeakers (more so than the front firing, stereo supporting Pixel 2) so this should be a welcome increase for anyone who likes to listen to podcasts on the kitchen counter.
Performance – Beating Itself
Apple’s A11 chipset (iPhone X, iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus) delivered by far the fastest performance of any phone last year, and the new A12 chipset in the iPhone XS (also iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR) will retain that crown.
- iPhone XS – Apple A12 ‘Bionic’ chipset: Six-Core CPU, Six Core GPU, M12 motion coprocessor, 4GB RAM
- iPhone X – Apple A11 ‘Bionic’ chipset: Six-Core CPU, Six Core GPU, M11 motion coprocessor, 3GB RAM
So how does this all boil down? In terms of graphics, Apple is promising a leap of 50%, and another 50% in power efficiency while idle. A 15% boost to peak performance is less impressive, but the iPhone X already has power to burn.
Storage And Price – Bigger But Higher
As for pricing, you’ll find the iPhone XS matches the iPhone X though as it has a new top tier you can pay even more:
- iPhone XS – 64GB ($999), 256GB ($1,149), 512GB ($1,349)
- iPhone X – 64GB ($999), 256GB ($1,149)
I remain convinced 128GB is the sweet spot for most iPhone owners, which is undoubtedly why Apple sticks with 64GB as the entry point. But Americans shouldn’t complain too much given Apple is charging Europeans up to $2,000.
Bottom Line
While the naming may be new, the iPhone XS is the very definition of a typical iPhone ‘S year’. So while there are numerous smart improvements internally, from the outside the only way to tell you have an iPhone XS is if you get the gold one.
Consequently, my advice to iPhone X owners would be to hold tight for another year – you are not the target audience. As for those upgrading from older iPhones, I’d suggest you take a long, hard look at the more colourful iPhone XR. It matches the most important specs (though not all) of the iPhone XS and starts at $750.
What if you’ve got money to spend? Then the iPhone XS Max is the model for you. It has a display to make jaws drop, and much better battery life.
Ultimately, this is the big problem with the iPhone XS. While undoubtedly an excellent phone, Apple has flanked it with two better options and you’d be smart to check them out first…
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