Earlier today Apple announced their latest lineup of next generation smart phones; the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR. As with all things Apple, it’s drawn a lot of comments, criticism, and hype around the 2018 range of iPhones.
To get straight to the point: You can get your hands on one of these phones as soon as 21st September, with pre-orders taking place on 13th September, starting at £999; The XR is a cheaper model at £749, but you’ll have to wait until October for these.
Now for some more details…
The iPhone XS which you can pronounce as a 10S is what could be considered the main phone, with the XS Max being the larger phone, and the XR being the entry level phone. Interestingly the XR has a bigger screen than the XS, but we’ll get into that in the specs below.
All phone options come with:
- the new A12 bionic chip
- 12MP Camera on the rear
- 7MP TrueDepth Front Camera
- Face ID
- Wireless Charging
- Dual Sim
iPhone XS Spec Highlights
- Available in silver, space grey and gold
- 5.8″ Super Retina HD Display (OLED)
- Dual Camera 12MP 1.8f and telephoto camera f2.4 2x optical zoom
- Water resistant 2M
- 64/256/512GB storage options
- HDR display
- 3D Touch
- 2436 x 1125 pixel resolution at 458 ppi
- Price: £999, £1149, £1349
iPhone XS MAX Spec Highlights
- Available in silver, space grey and gold
- 6.5″ Super Retina HD Display (OLED)
- Dual Camera 12MP 1.8f and telephoto camera f2.4 2x optical zoom
- Water resistant 2M
- 64/256/512GB storage options
- HDR display
- 3D Touch
- 2688 x 1242 pixel resolution at 458 ppi
- Price: £1099, £1249, £1449
iPhone XR Spec Highlights
- Available in blue, white, black, yellow, coral, red
- 6.1″ ‘liquid retina’ HD display (LCD)
- Water Resistant 1M
- Single camera to front and back (noted above)
- 1792 x 828-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
- 64/128/256GB storage options
- Price: £749, £799, £899
The Differences Between The XS and XS Max
There are basically no differences from the XS to the XS Max, other than the size.
The Differences Between the XS and the XR
There are a few differences between the XS and XR. Other than the obvious size of the iPhones, the screens are different. The XS sport a premium OLED type of screen, with better contrast ratio and better PPi, along with a better screen resolution.
The XS will have 2 back cameras, with the XR only having one.
The XR actually has better battery life than both of the XS models, despite being the cheaper phone.
The XS models have 3D Touch.
What I Like About The XR
I have been looking at the XR for a few hours now, and there’s a lot of things I like about it. First of all, the power. It has the same chip as it’s big brothers, which is always a good thing. Second is the camera, which can do portrait photos with a single lens, which makes the idea of the dual lens kind of redundant, unless you like to use an optical zoom.
A big drawback of the XR is going to be the display, and it’s not as good as the XS, but does that matter in the real world? The most attractive model is the 128GB at £799, which is £350 less than the 256GB XS, so quite a hefty price drop, just for the screen.
But for me, the biggest drawback of them all, and where it probably loses me is the size, 6.1″. It’s just too big. Will this fit into my jean pockets comfortably? Probably not.
The XR seems like it’s going to be one of those phones that if you buy people are always going to ask you, why didn’t you just get the XS; And others will probably go for either one of the XS models, whether they prefer the bigger or smaller form factor.
What I Like About The XS
The XS is the flagship, leading model of the iPhone. If you want all the bells and whistles, the latest and greatest, then that’s the iPhone to get. It’s premium built in comparison to the XR, and the standard model looks to be a good size at 5.8″.
Which 2018 iPhone Is The Best Buy?
I think the XS Max is ruled out because for me it’s just too big, and the price is crazy. The XR is a good price in the current market of Apple phones, but I fear it’s too big. That leaves the standard and normal XS as possibly the best buy of the three; Although if I could stomach a larger screen, the XR is running it very close.
UK Pricing
There was rumours, or rather hopefully cries that the 2018 iPhones would be less expensive than the previous years models, with people saying that they were too expensive. Well, this years models are at the same prices, starting at £999.
UK Release Date
You can pre-order the iPhone XS and XS Max on Friday 14th September 2018 at Apple.com for delivery the next week, and pre-order a XR from 19th October 2018
Verdict
I still rock my iPhone 6, and for around 2 years now I’ve been saying that “this is the year” I will upgrade my dinosaur of a phone, but will i? There’s lots I like about the new line-up, but the price is huge. I’ll also lose a button and a headphone jack, but there’s sadly not a lot I can do about that. I guess it’s something I will eventually have to do, and time will tell whether I do or not, and if I do, what I will upgrade to.
For the people who are pre-iPhone 8 models, it could be time to upgrade, but for the rest, is it really worth it? I guess that’s up to you to decide.
What are your thoughts about the 2018 Apple iPhone lineup?
About Michael
Michael Adams is the founder and editor of Michael 84, blogger from Newcastle, UK. Sharing men's fashion tips, style advice and lifestyle information for all guys.
