TheiPhone XS andiPhone XS Max[a] aresmartphones designed, developed, and marketed byApple. Released as the twelfth-generation flagship models of theiPhone, they succeeded theiPhone X and were unveiled alongside the more affordableiPhone XR on September 12, 2018, during a keynote address by Apple CEOTim Cook at theSteve Jobs Theater atApple Park.[9] Pre-orders began on September 14, 2018, with general availability starting September 21, 2018.[10] The iPhone XS and XS Max introduced improvements over their predecessor, including enhanced processing power,dual-SIM functionality, improved water resistance, and stereo audio recording for video capture.
The iPhone XS, alongside the iPhone XR, support running up toiOS 18, making them among the longest supported iPhones ever, alongside the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, with seven years of major iOS version updates.
Apple positioned the iPhone XS and XS Max as premium devices, targeting consumers seeking cutting-edge performance and advanced features, while simultaneously offering the iPhone XR – a lower-cost alternative with the sameApple A12 Bionic chip, but an LCD IPS panel display and a singular camera.
Along with theiPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, the iPhone XS and XS Max were discontinued on September 10, 2019, following the announcement of the 13th generation of iPhone; theiPhone 11,iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
Design
The iPhone XS Max (center) is a significantly larger version of the iPhone XS (left), challenging another phablet in terms of length, theSamsung Galaxy Note 8 (right)
The XS, which is visually near-identical to the iPhone X, has a better system-on-a-chip: theA12 Bionic chip built with a7 nm process.[11] 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.
Color
Name
Silver
Space Gray
Gold
Hardware
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).[12] The XS has a smaller battery than the X, dropping to 2,658 mAh from 2,716 mAh.[13] The XS' battery is a new single-cell L-shaped battery, while the iPhone XS Max battery remains two cells like the iPhone X.[14] 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.[15]
Apple said that the devices have fasterFace ID technology than the iPhone X.[16] It was also announced in June 2019 atWWDC 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.[17]
The XS and XS Max are ratedIP68 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.[18] This is an improvement over theIP67 water resistance of theiPhone 8 andX.[19] Apple has performed tests in variousliquids includingchlorinated water,salt water,tea,wine,beer andjuices.[20]
The XS and XS Max supportdual SIMs through anano-SIM and aneSIM. 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 inHong Kong and Macau, but not in mainland China.[21][22][23]
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.[24]
Software
The iPhone XS and XS Max originally shipped with iOS 12, and received iOS 13, iOS 14, iOS 15, iOS 16, iOS 17, and iOS 18. The XS and XS Max, alongside the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, are the longest supported iPhones ever released, each receiving seven major versions of iOS.
Wireless charging
The wireless charging coil material was switched to copper to reduce charging time and power loss.[25][26]
Rear camera upgrades
The iPhone XS, XS Max and XR are the first iPhones able to recordstereo audio for videos.[27]
The iPhone XS and XS Max shipped withiOS 12[6][7] on launch, and supports all major versions of the operating system up toiOS 18. The iPhone XS and XS Max, as well as theiPhone XR, do not supportiOS 26 due to hardware limitations.[37]
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 withLTE,Wi-Fi reception and Bluetooth connections. Some experts claimed that a faulty antenna was to blame,[38] and in response to many consumer complaints about iPhone XS/XS Max connectivity problems, Apple contacted users for help with their investigation.[39] To resolve some problems with the XS/XS Max, Apple pushed theiOS 12.0.1 update on October 8, 2018, which, along with addressing the Chargegate issue, fixed a connectivity issue whereBluetooth could become temporarily unavailable on the XS/XS Max.[40]
Chargegate
Users reported that the iPhone XS and XS Max would sometimes fail to charge byLightning cable if it had been off for a while, and would only begin to charge if the screen was turned on.[41] This was caused by a software bug with Apple's "DisableUSB accessories when locked" setting, a feature intended to prevent unknown devices from accessing a user's content. The press dubbed the issue "Chargegate".[42][43][44][45][46][excessive citations]This and a Bluetooth connectivity problem were fixed byiOS 12.0.1, released on October 8, 2018.[47]
Camera issues (Beautygate)
Customers also reported seeing unrealistic smoothness on their skin when taking a selfie with an automatic filter,[48] 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.[49]
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.[50][51]
The iPhone XS' camera was criticized for not featuring a night mode.[52][53][54] iOS 13 did not include night mode which was kept exclusive to the then-new iPhone 11.[55] However, third-party apps brought similar Night Mode to older iPhones.[56]
^Patel, Nilay (October 23, 2018)."Apple iPhone XR review: better than good enough".The Verge.Archived from the original on November 15, 2018. RetrievedNovember 18, 2018.Apple told me that the forthcoming iOS 12.1 update, currently in public beta, will address the issue of the front camera appearing to smooth out skin by picking a sharper base frame for Smart HDR, but I wasn't able to test it yet.
Telephones portal
.svg)
