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Release Date (UK): September 2018 |
The iPhone XS (pronounced 'ten ess') brings minor tweaks to the already-impressive iPhone X - and that's no bad thing. Apple has introduced new camera modes, a more powerful chip, plus Dual SIM technology, which are all welcome additions.
The iPhone XS builds upon the fantastic X rather than going for a complete overhaul. Many reviewers have noted how similar the two models are, which is fair considering they look almost identical. However, there are some impressive upgrades inside the new phone, particularly the new A12 Bionic chipset, to keep the majority of Apple devotees satisfied. Digital Trends says the XS is 'a compelling product for Android owners looking to switch, or for people looking to upgrade anything older than an iPhone 8.'
As is their way in an 'S' year, Apple have made their biggest changes inside the phone rather than outside. That means the iPhone XS and X are almost indistinguishable at first glance. It is just as slim and elegant as its predecessor, with the same thin bezels, almost entirely edge-to-edge display and smooth glass back. The only noticeable difference is that a new gold shade colour scheme has been added to the line-up, which iNews called 'a pretty and premium design befitting of a phone which starts at £999'.
Despite the lack of change, however, the iPhone XS is still one of the most beautiful smartphones around. The X was a huge leap forward for the iPhone series with its home button-less design and that look continues to feel fresh.
It may not be a surprise to hear that Apple has carried forward the beautiful 5.8-inch OLED screen from its iPhone X to the XS, delivering the same gorgeous 2,436 x 1,125 resolution and 458 pixels per inch. The contrast has been improved slightly to 1,000,000:1, with Apple claiming an impressive 60% greater dynamic range on HDR content. This means photos will really pop on your screen, providing true blacks and impressive colour accuracy.
Arguably the XS' most exciting feature is the all-new A12 Bionic chip, an upgrade on the previous A11 model. The next-generation chip is able to perform five trillion operations per second, a huge upgrade from the 600 billion that the A11 could manage.
The six-core CPU includes two high-performance cores that are up to 15% faster than the A11 while consuming 40% less power. The other four efficiency cores handle your everyday tasks, which are now up to 50% faster than with the A11. Gamers will love the four-core GPU too, which brings great gains in the loading speed and fluidity of graphics.
As if that wasn't enough, there's also a separate eight-core processor (dubbed the 'Neural Engine') dedicated to real-time machine learning. This means you can expect the iPhone XS' performance to be quicker and more efficient as your apps learn your usage habits over time.
Wired sums it up by saying the A12 chip makes 'your phone feel faster, your photos look better, and your AR and AI apps more useful'.
Although not a gargantuan improvement, the lower power usage of the A12 also means that the battery on the iPhone XS will last up to 30 minutes longer per day compared to the X.
The iPhone XS features two rear 12MP cameras: one an f/1.8 wide-angle lens and the other an f/2.4 telephoto lens, plus a front-facing 7MP wide-angle lens camera with f/2.2 aperture.
This model provides two major enhancements over the iPhone X with the all-new Depth Control and Smart HDR features. The sophisticated Depth Control mode brings increased editing power as you can adjust the bokeh (background blur) of the Portrait Mode pictures you've snapped.
Yet the new Smart HDR is where the most exciting developments come. The camera now takes nine photos simultaneously and merges them together to produce photos with improved highlight and shadow detail. CNET raves that 'photos look better in low light and extreme contrast situations, making for better pictures whether shot on a nighttime street, in a dark bar or in bright sunlight'.
The iPhone XS sticks to the now tried-and-tested series of gestures used on the iPhone X. Those not used to a lack of home button will need to familiarise themselves with swiping up from the bottom of the display to get back to the home screen, but TechRadar says that 'within minutes you'll start to understand that this is a very useful gesture'.
The XS comes with the recently released iOS 12, which includes some useful additions such as the Screen Time tool to tell you how much time you spend on your phone.
The iPhone XS, along with the XS Max, are the first iPhones to adopt Dual SIM technology. This allows users to have two phone plans on one device through a nano-SIM and e-SIM. This will be a particularly useful feature for those who would like one number for business and one for personal, or those who wish to add a local data plan when travelling to a foreign country or region.
Apple have said that this feature will be available 'with an update to iOS 12 coming later this year'.
The iPhone XS will be available in the UK from 21 September 2018.
What the critics say (scores are out of 100)
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AnandTech | Andrei Frumusanu The value proposition aside, the new iPhone XS and XS Max are, as always, extremely polished devices, and the best phones that Apple has released to date. Read full review |
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Six Colors | Jason Snell Last year's jump to the iPhone X was unusually dramatic, but this year's iterative step is not without its own kind of appeal. I'll miss the iPhone X, which led a mere year-long existence, but the iPhone XS is the same phone-only better. Read full review |
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Pocket-lint | Stuart Miles As with all iPhone "S" model upgrades, the iPhone XS is about bringing new processing power to a phone that already looks really good. It moves the iPhone forward to be a better device, to continue to hold back the competition. Read full review |
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The Sun | Sean Keach Apple has taken everything that's good about the iPhone X, and improved on it. It's not perfect, but it's the best phone you can buy today. Read full review |
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Stuff | Andrew Williams Familiar on the outside, hidden treats on the inside. This is the iPhone X, but better. Read full review |
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The Guardian | Samuel Gibbs The iPhone XS maintains the forward-looking design and function [of the iPhone X], feeling wonderful in the hand, has a noticeably better camera and is still arguably the best phone on the market right now at balancing screen size with usability. But it's certainly not perfect, with weaker battery life than last year and a still eye-watering price Read full review |
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phoneArena | Rado Slavov The iPhone XS and XS Max are your best choice if you're looking for a no-compromise smartphone experience (and money's not an issue). They are not perfect, but their few imperfections are vastly outnumbered by the many, many things they get just right. Read full review |
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ZDNet | Jason Cipriani To be clear, the iPhone XS is every bit as good as the iPhone XS Max, save for battery life. Either way, if you're on the fence of whether or not you should upgrade to the iPhone XS, I'd wait until the iPhone XR is available and then make a decision. Read full review |
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Macworld | Roman Loyola The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are most compelling for users of iPhones that are older than the iPhone X... If the price is a big consideration you might considering waiting a few days for the iPhone XR. Read full review |
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AndroidPit | Steffen Herget The iPhone XS doesn't lack anything for everyday use. And yet over and over again, I go back to Android... Still, although we have such a wide array of smartphones available, even an Android fan can't go wrong with the iPhone XS. Read full review |
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91mobiles | Ketaki Bhojnagarwala The iPhone XS comes with its share of compromises, but it's still one of the most powerful smartphones in the market today. Read full review |
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TechnoBuffalo | Brandon Russell Of course, if you want the power of the iPhone XS without the premium price, you might want to wait for the iPhone XR, which is right around the corner. Although the iPhone XS is an "s" upgrade, it's still a hugely important one. Read full review |
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PCWorld | Roman Loyola The iPhone X was a smartphone that re-energized the iPhone line after what seemed like a long period of stagnation. If you don't want to wait-either for the iPhone XR or next year's phone-go for the iPhone XS. You'll be very happy. Read full review |
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TechRadar | Gareth Beavis Yes, the iPhone XS is the best phone Apple's ever created, but that's not really a surprise - it's the new one. Read full review |
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Wired UK | Jeremy White ...all these improvements don't matter a great deal if you are already on the iPhone X. Read full review |
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NotebookCheck | Daniel Schmidt The Apple iPhone XS offers plenty of great technology for the price of a small MacBook Pro or an iMac. Read full review |
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Tom's Guide | Mark Spoonauer The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are among the best phones you can buy, and if you've been holding off on upgrading your iPhone 7 or iPhone 6s, either one of these handsets will feel like a huge leap forward. Read full review |
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The Economic Times In short, there's nothing stopping you from buying it from where it's cheaper.If you're already using an iPhone X, hold your horses! But coming from any older phone, these new iPhones are a massive upgrade in every way. Read full review |
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Mashable | Raymond Wong Don't be fooled by the "S" label - the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are the best and most powerful iPhones Apple's ever made. Read full review |
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Digital Trends | Julian Chokkattu The most boring iPhone of 2018 is still the best. If you want the best phone from Apple that you can use with one hand, get the iPhone XS. Read full review |
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AVForums | David Phelan The iPhone XS is a decent, if identical-looking, upgrade to the iPhone X. If you like a larger-build phone, the XS Max is an amazing upgrade to the iPhone 8 Plus and a significant improvement on the iPhone X. Read full review |
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Engadget | Chris Velazco The XS uses the same thoughtfully updated iOS 12 as the iPhone X and their physical designs are basically identical, but a more powerful chipset and much-needed camera improvements make the XS a solid step forward. Read full review |
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inews.co.uk | Rhiannon Williams If you were considering buying the iPhone X anyway, the iPhone XS offers solid improvements for the same price, albeit an incredibly high one. Read full review |
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CNET UK | Scott Stein The iPhone XS adds some impressive camera improvements to the already-great iPhone X. But you should seriously wait and see what the lower-priced XR coming in October is like. Read full review |
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Ubergizmo | Hubert Nguyen A solid user experience that one expects from a high-end smartphone. The iPhone XS clearly leads only in performance. For now. People who are happy with Android have little (technical) reason to switch, and even less financial reasons to do so. Read full review |
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Mobile Syrup | Patrick O'Rourke The XS and even more so, the XS Max, are high-end, luxury smartphones designed for those that expect the absolute best out of their devices. Read full review |
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The Verge | Nilay Patel It is indeed, more iPhone, and it will probably hold up for years to come. I definitely prefer the Pixel 2's camera, but the iPhone XS isn't that far behind, and it's still a significant improvement over previous iPhones. Read full review |
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New York Times | Brian X. Chen It's important that you find the right fit. You might assume you will dislike a bigger screen and then change your mind - just as I did. Read full review |
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IT PRO | Jonathan Bray If you're after a sub-6in iPhone, the iPhone Xs is what you want. If you don't mind a bigger footprint, however, it's outclassed by the Xs Max - and it's not that much more expensive. Read full review |
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Trusted Reviews | Alex Walker-Todd The iPhone XS is arguably the most iterative iPhone to date but it's still worth considering, provided you can swing the high asking price. This is still a superb handset that, provided you look after it, has the stones to last you a long time, with looks and camera credentials to boot. Read full review |
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Alphr | Alan Martin The iPhone Xs is undoubtedly one of the best phones we've ever seen. The problem is that, brilliant as it is, it just isn't worth its price. Read full review |
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Expert Reviews | Jonathan Bray The iPhone Xs is a superb phone, but if you're going to spend this much you might as well go one better and get the Xs Max instead Read full review |
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Wired | Lauren Goode I still think you shouldn't feel like you have to upgrade if you invested in last year's phones-or even if you have a slightly older phone, like an iPhone 7. Read full review |
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PC Mag The Apple iPhone XS is a significant step forward for iPhones, but most iPhone buyers will probably prefer the XR or the XS Max. Read full review |
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VentureBeat | Jeremy Horwitz The challenging reality of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max is that both are very good phones that are nowhere near as exciting as they could or should have been for their price tags. Read full review |
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SlashGear | Chris Davies Apple's new flagships look and feel great... That doesn't, though, make them the right smartphones for everybody. Read full review |
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CNBC | Todd Haselton If you have an old iPhone, like an iPhone 7, and want the best new iPhone, you should upgrade to the XS, or the Max if you want a giant screen. You might even consider upgrading if you have an iPhone 8 or iPhone 8 Plus, since Apple is clearly moving away from the home button and these offer better cameras, stronger glass panels, faster processors and more. But if you have an iPhone X, you don't need these new phones. Read full review |
Every day, we search through thousands of tariffs and offers from UK online retailers to find the best Apple iPhone XS deals and contracts across a selection of price points and needs.
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143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm 5.65 x 2.79 x 0.3 in |
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177 g 6.24 oz |
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Size: 5.8 inches diagonal Resolution: 2436 x 1125 pixels Screen Density: 463 ppi Screen-to-Body Ratio: 81.1 % |
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Built-in Storage: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB Expandable Storage: Not Available |
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Main Camera: Dual 12 megapixels with Optical Image Stabilisation (OIS),2x Optical Zoom, and quad-LED flash Secondary Camera: 7 megapixels |
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Dual SIM (Nano SIM and eSIM)
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IP68 Rating: Protection from contact with harmful dust, and protection from immersion in water up to a depth of 30m for up to 30 minutes |
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Capacity: 2,658mAh
Removable Battery: No Wireless Charging: Available |
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Official website |
We've used Flickr to find a selection of pictures taken by the Apple iPhone XS camera. Here is a selection of photos taken by users from around the world so you can see what kind of picture quality you can expect from real-world use of the Apple iPhone XS.
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