Apple has officially announced its next-gen iPhones for the year 2018 and 2019. The Cupertino-based company has unveiled three new iPhones- Apple iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR. The iPhone XR boasts of an LCD panel and it's the cheapest iPhone to launch this year, while the iPhone XS is a direct successor to the iPhone X and the XS Max is a bigger version of the XS. These are Apple's eleventh-generation iPhones and compared to last year, we just have minor increments to the hardware inside, and the design is completely similar to the iPhone X, which revolutionised the entire industry with its edge-to-edge design. Unlike what we heard, the September 12 event at Steve Jobs Theatre in California didn't see the launch of a new MacBook Air or iPad Pro, instead, the company had unveiled Apple Watch Series 4, iOS 12 and macOS Mojave. Having said that, the iPhone XS in India starts a ridiculous price of Rs 99,900, while the XS Max will retail at a starting price of Rs 1,09,000.
Apple iPhone XS and XS Max: Design, Display and Build
Apple has used the similar materials as iPhone X to build the iPhone XS and XS Max. Both the phones boast the same glass back which is sandwiched with a stainless steel frame. That said, the new iPhones are IP68 water and dust certified, unlike the iPhone X which had IP67 certification. To differentiate the new iPhones with the iPhone X, Apple has launched them in a Gold colour option, alongside the standard Silver and Space Gray colours.
Moving onto the displays, the iPhone XS being a successor to the iPhone X has the same 5.8-inch OLED display on the front. The iPhone XS Max has a whopping 6.5-inch OLED display. To bring the technology mainstream, Apple has added 120Hz refresh rate to the displays, which we have earlier seen on the iPad Pro and Razer Phone. Apple says the displays have Super Retina Resolution and the higher refresh rate means the touch sensitivity would be instant.
Furthermore, at the launch event, Apple claimed that the new iPhones feature the most durable glass ever we saw on a smartphone.
Apple iPhone XS and XS Max: Performance, Storage Options, Software and Battery
As it rumoured since the start, the iPhone XS and XS Max both come with the Apple's new A12 Bionic chipset, which is the world's first commercial 7nm chipset. Apple claims a 30% overall performance improvement will be seen over the iPhone X. Apple has launched both the devices in different configurations. Both the phones come in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB storage options and yes, there's no microSD card support.
Apple stated the iPhone XS and XS Max would come with iOS 12 out of the box. Existing Apple iPhone users will receive iOS 12 update via OTA from September 17. As always, Apple did not reveal the battery capacities of the new iPhones, but it claimed 30% more juice would be offered by iPhone XS when compared to the iPhone X and the XS Max will last 90 minutes more than the iPhone X.
Apple iPhone XS and XS Max: Cameras
Like the Apple iPhone X, the iPhone XS and XS Max both sport dual rear cameras of two 12MP sensors. The primary 12MP sensor is a wide-angle one with f/1.8 aperture, while the secondary 12MP sensor features a telephoto lens and f/2.4 aperture. The secondary shooter offers 2X optical zoom. The two cameras are accompanied with a quad-LED flash.
Up front, the new iPhones feature a 7MP shooter with f/2.2 aperture. Apple has added various new software features including the aperture level adjustment after the image capture. The new iPhones also ship with a Smart HDR mode to enhance the detail levels.
Apple iPhone XS and XS Max: Face ID, Connectivity Options
Apple didn't bring back the Touch ID sensor, instead it' still relying on the secure Face ID mechanism. The Face ID on iPhone XS and XS Max will be a tad faster, thanks to the Apple A12 Bionic chip.
Lastly, Apple has finally added Dual SIM support to iPhones. However, in regions such as United States, India and so on where e-SIM technology is present, users will get the new iPhones with a single SIM card slot as the second SIM support will be given in the form of e-SIM. However, in China, users will get to see an iPhone with Dual SIM card slots.
Apple iPhone XS and XS Max: Pricing, Availability and Other Details
Apple has revealed the official prices of iPhone XS and XS Max for the Indian market. The iPhone XS' 64GB model will retail for a whopping Rs 99,900 and the 256GB, 512GB variants ship for Rs 1,14,900 and Rs 1,34,900 respectively. The iPhone XS Max' base variant with 64GB of storage costs Rs 1,09,000, followed by the 256GB variant at Rs 1,24,900 and 512GB option at Rs 1,44,900. Interested customers can purchase the iPhone XS and XS Max starting from September 21.
Lastly, Apple will also be selling some silicone cases for the new iPhones which start at Rs 3,500.
