The iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR are now fully revealed by Apple, and all of those announcements flew by fast. With the iPhone X now out of the Apple Store, your iPhone X choices for the next year boil down to one of these phones (though you could still get the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, or the iPhone 7).
All three new iPhones for 2018 share most of the same core features, but it pays to know how they’re different, and not just their price. (See chart below for pricing and specs.)
Screen size and display: 5.8, 6.1, 6.5 inches
The iPhone XS has the smallest physical footprint of the three, while the iPhone XS Max has an absolutely enormous screen, with 6.5-inches of real estate to gaze upon. The iPhone XR uses the LCD screens of Apple’s past, and lacks the pressure-sensing 3D Touch feature that debuted on the iPhone 6S. Instead, it uses haptic feedback like a trackpad when you long-press an icon on the display.
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- iPhone XR: 6.1-inch LCD display, Liquid Retina Display pixel density of 326ppi
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- iPhone XS: 5.8-inch OLED display, Super Retina pixel density of 458ppi
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- iPhone XS Max: 6.5-inch OLED display, Super Retina pixel density of 458ppi
Materials
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- iPhone XR: Aluminum body with glass front and back
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- iPhone XS: Stainless steel body with glass back and front
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- iPhone XS Max: Stainless steel body with glass back and front
Colors
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- iPhone XR: Blue, coral, yellow, white, black, Project Red
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- iPhone XS: Gold, silver, space gray
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- iPhone XS Max: Gold, silver, space gray
Camera features
All three new iPhones have at least one 12-megapixel rear camera (with OIS) and a 7-megapixel front-facing camera that supports Face ID unlocking and Animojis. While the iPhone XR lacks a second rear camera, it uses software to take artistic portrait-style shots with background blur (called Bokeh).
Smart HDR is a new feature that applies to the trio, automatically detecting and fixing red-eye, calling out highlights and deepening shadows. Enhanced portrait selfie software also comes to all three new phones.
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- iPhone XR: 12-megapixel camera (f1.8), 5X digital zoom, three portrait lighting effects
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- iPhone XS: Dual 12-megapixel camera (f 1.8 wide-angle and f2.4 telephoto), 10x digital zoom, five portrait lighting effects
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- iPhone XS Max: Dual 12-megapixel camera (f 1.8 wide-angle and f2.4 telephoto), 10x digital zoom, five portrait lighting effects
Battery life
Apple never shares specific battery capacity (usually measured in milliampere hours, or mAh), but does give guidance on how much longer than other devices it expects these phones to last. The iPhone XR could potentially have the longest battery life of the three, though we won’t know for sure until after we test all three phones.
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- iPhone XR: Apple claims it will run 90 minutes longer than the iPhone 8 Plus, the longest-lasting iPhone of 2017
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- iPhone XS: Apple claims it will run 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X
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- iPhone XS Max: Apple claims it will run 90 minutes longer than the iPhone X
Internal storage
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- iPhone XR: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
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- iPhone XS: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB
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- iPhone XS Max: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB
Preorder and sale dates
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- iPhone XR: Preorder Oct. 19; sale date Oct. 26
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- iPhone XS: Preorder Sept. 14; sale date Sept. 21
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- iPhone XS Max: Preorder Sept. 14; sale date Sept. 21
iPhone XR, XS, XS Max specs and price
| iPhone XS | iPhone XS Max | iPhone XR | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Display size, resolution | 5.8-inch Super Retina OLED; 2,436×1,125 pixels | 6.5-inch Super Retina OLED; 2,688×1,242 pixels | 6.1-inch LCD Retina Display; 1,792×828 pixels |
| Pixel density | 458 ppi | 458 ppi | 326ppi |
| Dimensions (Inches) | 5.7×2.8×0.3 in | 6.2×3.0x.3 in | 5.9×3.0x0.33 in |
| Dimensions (Millimeters) | 143.6×70.9×7.7mm | 157.5×77.4×7.7mm | 150.9×75.7×8.3mm |
| Weight (Ounces, Grams) | 6.24 oz; 177g | 7.3; 208g | 6.8oz; 194g |
| Mobile software | iOS 12 | iOS 12 | iOS 12 |
| Camera | Dual 12-megapixel | Dual 12-megapixel | Single 12-megapixel |
| Front-facing camera | 7-megapixel with Face ID | 7-megapixel with Face ID | 7-megapixel with Face ID |
| Video capture | 4K | 4K | 4K |
| Processor | Apple A12 Bionic | Apple A12 Bionic | Apple A12 Bionic |
| Storage | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB | 64GB, 128GB, 256GB |
| RAM | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Expandable storage | None | None | None |
| Battery | N/A, but Apple claims it will last 30 min. longer than iPhone X | N/A, but Apple claims it will last 90 min. longer than iPhone X | N/A, but Apple claims it will last 90 min. longer than iPhone 8 Plus |
| Fingerprint sensor | None (Face ID) | None (Face ID) | None (Face ID) |
| Connector | Lightning | Lightning | Lightning |
| Headphone jack | No | No | No |
| Special features | Water-resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging; Face ID, Animoji | Water-resistant (IP68); dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging; Face ID, Animoji | Water-resistant: IP67, dual-SIM capabilities (nano-SIM and e-SIM); wireless charging; Face ID, Animoji |
| Price off-contract (USD) | $999 (64GB), $1,149 (256GB), $1,349 (512GB) | $1,099 (64GB), $1,249 (256GB), $1,449 (512GB) | $749 (64GB), $799 (128GB), $899 (256GB) |
| Price (GBP) | £999 (64GB), £1,149 (256GB), £1,349 (512GB) | $1,099 (64GB), $1,249 (256GB), $1,449 (512GB) | £749 (64GB), £799 (128GB), £899 (256GB) |
| Price (AUD) | AU$1,629 (64GB), AU$1,879 (256GB), AU$2,199 (512GB) | AU$1,799 (64GB), AU$2,049 (256GB), AU$2,369 (512GB) | AU$1,229 (64GB), AU$1,299 (128GB), AU$1,479 (256GB) |