The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max (Roman numeral "X" pronounced as "ten"[16]) are smartphones designed, developed and marketed by Apple Inc. They are the twelfth-generation flagships of the iPhone, succeeding the iPhone X.[17] Apple CEO Tim Cook announced the devices alongside a lower-end model, the iPhone XR, on September 12, 2018, at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple Park. Pre-orders began on September 14, 2018, and the devices went on sale on September 21.[18] As of March 2024, the iPhone XS is the oldest iPhone model officially capable of running iOS 17, the current version of iOS.
 | |
 iPhone XS in Gold | |
| Brand | Apple Inc. |
|---|---|
| Manufacturer | |
| Slogan | Welcome to the big screens. |
| Generation | 12th |
| Model | XS: A1920 (sold in US) A2097 (sold in Europe) A2098 (sold in Japan) A2100 (sold in China) XS Max: A1921 A2101 A2102 (sold in Japan) A2104 (sold in China) |
| Compatible networks | GSM, CDMA2000, EV-DO, HSPA+, LTE, LTE Advanced |
| First released | September 21, 2018 |
| Availability by region | September 21, 2018 September 28, 2018 October 18, 2018 November 2, 2018 November 9, 2018 |
| Discontinued | September 10, 2019 |
| Predecessor | iPhone X |
| Successor | iPhone 11 Pro / iPhone 11 Pro Max |
| Related | iPhone XR |
| Type | XS: Smartphone XS Max: Phablet |
| Form factor | Slate |
| Dimensions | XS: H: 143.6 mm (5.65 in) W: 70.9 mm (2.79 in) D: 7.7 mm (0.30 in) XS Max: H: 157.5 mm (6.20 in) W: 77.4 mm (3.05 in) D: 7.7 mm (0.30 in) |
| Mass | XS: 177 g (6.2 oz) XS Max: 208 g (7.3 oz) |
| Operating system | Original: iOS 12.0 Current: iOS 17.4.1, released March 21, 2024[3] |
| System-on-chip | Apple A12 Bionic |
| CPU | Hexa-core (2x high power Vortex cores at 2.49 GHz + 4x low power Tempest cores at 1.52 GHz) |
| GPU | Apple-designed 4 core, up to 576 GFLOPS[4] |
| Modem | Intel PMB9955 (XMM7560[a]) |
| Memory | 4 GB LPDDR4X[10] |
| Storage | 64, 256 or 512 GB NVMe |
| Removable storage | None |
| Battery | XS: 3.81 V 10.13 W·h (2658 mA·h) Li-ion XS Max: 3.80 V 12.08 W·h (3174 mA·h) Li-ion |
| Display | XS: 5.85 in (149 mm), 2436×1125 px, supplied by Samsung Display XS Max: 6.46 in (164 mm), 2688×1242 px, supplied by Samsung Display[11] All models: 458 ppi, Super Retina: Custom-built OLED HDR, true blacks, wide color gamut, 625 cd/m2 max. brightness (typical), with dual-ion exchange-strengthened glass and 3D Touch |
| Sound | Stereo speakers |
| Rear camera | 12 MP (1.4 μm) (1/2.55") Sony Exmor IMX333-Inspired, quad-LED flash, ƒ/1.8 aperture, Optical image stabilization (both wide-angle & telephoto) quad-LED flash, autofocus, IR filter, Burst mode, 6-element lens, 4K video recording at 24, 30 or 60 FPS, 1080p at 30 or 60 FPS or 720p at 30 FPS, Extended dynamic range (not HDR)[12] for 4K, 1080p and 720p videos at up to 30 FPS, Slow-motion video (1080p at 120 FPS or 240 FPS), Time-lapse with stabilization, Panorama (up to 63 megapixels), Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, Face detection, Digital image stabilization, Dual Optical image stabilization, Stereo audio recording |
| Front camera | 7 MP, f/2.2 aperture, burst mode, exposure control, face detection, auto-HDR, auto image stabilization, Retina flash, 1080p HD video recording Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, and Animoji (same as iPhone XR) |
| Connectivity | 802.11ac Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Water resistance | IP68, up to 2 m (6.6 ft) for 30 minutes |
| Other | FaceTime audio- or video-calling, Qi wireless charging, USB-C to Lightning (connector) fast charging |
| Hearing aid compatibility | M3, T4[13] |
| Website | iPhone XS – Apple at the Wayback Machine (archived September 9, 2019) |
| References | [14][15] |
Improvements include faster computing speeds, dual-SIM support, filming with stereo audio, and better water resistance.
The XS Max was the first plus-sized iPhone to have the reduced bezel form factor, as the iPhone X did not have a larger variant.
Along with the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple discontinued the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max on September 10, 2019, following the announcement of the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
iPhone XS and XS Max are the final models of iPhone to feature 3D Touch.
Design
The XS, which is visually near-identical to the iPhone X, has a better system-on-a-chip: the A12 Bionic chip built with a 7 nm process.[19] It has a 5.85 inch (149 mm) OLED display (marketed as 5.8 inch) with a resolution of 2436 × 1125 pixels (2.7 megapixels) at 458 ppi, dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, and one 7-megapixel front-facing camera.
The iPhone XS Max has the same hardware and cameras, but a larger 6.46 inch (164 mm) OLED display (marketed as 6.5 inch) with a resolution of 2688 × 1242 pixels (3.3 megapixels) at 458 ppi and a larger battery (3,174mAh).[20] The XS has a smaller battery than the X, dropping to 2,658 mAh from 2,716 mAh.[21] The XS' battery is a new single-cell L-shaped battery, while the iPhone XS Max battery remains two cells like the iPhone X.[22] Apple said that the iPhone XS lasts up to 30 minutes longer than iPhone X, while the iPhone XS Max lasts up to 1.5 hours longer than iPhone X.[23]
| Color | Name |
|---|---|
| Silver | |
| Space Gray | |
| Gold |
Apple claims that the devices have faster Face ID technology than the iPhone X.[24] It was also announced in June 2019 at WWDC that Face ID on iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and iPhone X would be made up to 30% faster with iOS 13, which was released on September 19, 2019.[25]
The XS and XS Max are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance under IEC standard 60529, with Apple specifying a maximum depth of 2 meters and up to 30 minutes of submersion in water.[26] This is an improvement over the IP67 water resistance of the iPhone 8 and X.[27] Apple has performed tests in various liquids including chlorinated water, salt water, tea, wine, beer and juices.[28]
The XS and XS Max support dual SIMs through a nano-SIM and an eSIM. In mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, however, the XS Max comes with a dual nano-SIM tray (and no eSIM). The XS does not have a dual nano-SIM tray, so the eSIM functionality is enabled for use in Hong Kong and Macau, but not in mainland China.[29][30][31]
SoC
XS and XS Max use A12 Bionic SoC, which consists of 6-core CPU (2x Vortex + 4x Tempest), 4-core GPU, and 8-core Neural Engine.[32]
Wireless charging
The wireless charging coil material was switched to copper to reduce charging time and power loss.[33][34]
Rear camera upgrades
The iPhone XS, XS Max and XR are the first ones to record stereo audio for videos.[35]
Starting with the iPhone 2018 lineup (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR), these cameras were updated to a 12MP (1/2.55") sensor size with a 1.4 μm pixel size,[36] the same sensor and pixel size as the primary cameras of the Samsung Galaxy S10,[37] Samsung Galaxy S9[38] Samsung Galaxy S8[39] Samsung Galaxy S7,[40] Pixel 2,[41] Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL,[42] Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL.[43] Moto X4.[44]
Reception and issues
Reception and connectivity issues
The iPhone XS received generally positive reviews from critics after release. iPhone XS and XS Max users initially had issues with LTE, Wi-Fi reception and Bluetooth connections. Some experts claimed that a faulty antenna was to blame,[45] and in response to many consumer complaints about iPhone XS/XS Max connectivity problems, Apple contacted users for help with their investigation.[46] To resolve some problems with the XS/XS Max, Apple pushed the iOS 12.0.1 update on October 8, 2018, which, along with addressing the Chargegate issue, fixed a connectivity issue where Bluetooth could become temporarily unavailable on the XS/XS Max.[47]
Chargegate
Users reported that the iPhone XS and XS Max would sometimes fail to charge by Lightning cable if it had been off for a while, and would only begin to charge if the screen was turned on.[48] This was caused by a software bug with Apple's "Disable USB accessories when locked" setting, a feature intended to prevent unknown devices from accessing a user's content. The press dubbed the issue "Chargegate".[49][50][51][52][53] This and a Bluetooth connectivity problem were fixed by iOS 12.0.1, released on October 8, 2018.[54]
Camera issues (Beautygate)
Customers also reported seeing unrealistic smoothness on their skin when taking a selfie with an automatic filter,[55] an effect associated with the XS and XS Max's new Smart HDR camera feature. This technology combines multiple photos of varying exposures to increase dynamic range on the iPhones' photos, but can also reduce facial imperfections and highlights in selfies. Some, who speculated this was the result of a hidden "beauty mode" (an actual feature in some smartphones), dubbed the issue "Beautygate". There was a general dispute in the community as to whether the camera actual "intended" to "perfect" faces or if they just appeared that way as result of a better-quality camera.[56]
Apple said that these results were due to the Smart HDR algorithm incorrectly selecting the blurrier long exposure as its base frame instead of the sharpest short exposure. The issue was resolved with the release of iOS 12.1 on October 30, 2018.[57][58]
The iPhone XS' camera was criticized for not featuring a night mode.[59][60][61] iOS 13 did not include night mode which was kept exclusive to the then-new iPhone 11.[62] However, third-party apps brought similar Night Mode to older iPhones.[63]
See also
Notes
References
External links
- iPhone XS – official site