Apple today in California officially announced the "iPhone XS" and "iPhone XS Max," the latest iPhone models coming this year. The company confirmed that both models will come in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold color options, with Gold being the new addition to the iPhone XS lineup this year.
The iPhone XS models have the same design as the iPhone X from 2017, with an edge-to-edge OLED display, greatly reduced bezels, and a "notch" that houses the front-facing TrueDepth Camera system. The iPhone XS is the direct iPhone X successor and measures in at 5.8 inches, while the XS Max is Apple's biggest iPhone yet at 6.5 inches.
Apple says that the XS lineup has the most advanced iPhone features ever seen, thanks to a new A12 Bionic chip, which is the industry's first 7-nanometer chip. A12 Bionic includes a next-generation Neural Engine, powering a new and improved Face ID on the iPhone XS and XS Max, making the biometric security feature faster than iPhone X.
The new iPhones have the highest pixel density of any Apple device, coming in 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch sizes. The Super Retina displays have a custom OLED design and support Dolby Vision and HDR10, meaning that you can watch 4K content on the devices. On iPhone XS Max, you'll be able to see over 3 million pixels in videos, movies, and games.
As Apple points out, the iPhone XS Max is the largest display it has ever built in an iPhone, but the overall size of the device is similar to the iPhone 8 Plus. The screen includes the most durable glass ever in a smartphone with improved scratch resistance, the band around the side retains the iPhone X's stainless steel finish, and the back is made out of glass as well to enable wireless charging.
Both models are rated to IP68 water resistance for up to 2 meters for 30 minutes of submergence, meaning that the devices are protected against everyday spills and dips.
In terms of the processor, Apple's A12 Bionic features a six-core fusion architecture with two performance cores and four efficiency cores, as well as a four-core GPU, video encoder, Signal Processor, and more. All of this is as much as 50 percent faster and more efficient than last year's iPhone X, enabling new experiences in games, photography, video editing, and more.
Battery life is 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X on the iPhone XS, while the XS Max offers battery life that lasts an hour and a half longer than iPhone X.
The camera on the iPhone XS includes advanced depth segmentation, Smart HDR, advanced bokeh quality in Portrait mode photos, and dynamic depth of field that you can adjust after you take a photo. The 12-megapixel dual camera system features dual optical image stabilization with 2x optical zoom, while a new sensor is twice as fast.
In videos, the XS family features larger pixels and a faster sensor to enable improved low-light performance and video stabilization. With the four built-in mics, you can also record stereo sound to get the most out of video recordings.
The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will be available in 64GB, 256GB, and 512GB storage capacities, and in Space Gray, Silver, and Gold. The iPhone XS will start at $999 in 64GB, while the iPhone XS Max will start at $1,099 in 64GB. You'll be able to pre-order the smartphones on Friday, September 14, ahead of launch on Friday, September 21 in more than 30 countries and territories.
