Apple unveils iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max with pricing starting at $999 and $1,099, respectively

[Shawn Knight]

What just happened? Apple's new flagship-class iPhones have been announced. As S-class devices, they offer incremental updates that'll serve as a stop-gap between this design and perhaps a new look that could come next year (or in 2020).

Apple unveiled a trio of new iPhones on Wednesday during its Gather Round media event. As rumored, the handsets are known as the 5.8-inch iPhone Xs, the 6.1-inch iPhone Xr and the flagship 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Max. We’ll be taking a look at the two flagship models in this piece. There’s a lot to digest here so buckle in.

Phil Schiller first introduced the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max. Made of surgical-grade stainless steel, these phones are offered in three finishes – gold, silver and space grey – and feature a new formulation of glass that’s said to be the most durable ever in a smartphone.

The iPhone Xs features a 5.8-inch OLED display with a resolution of 2,436 x 1,125 pixels while the larger 6.5-inch iPhone Xs Max packs a 6.5-inch OLED screen and a resolution of 2,688 x 1,1242 with 4.4 million pixels. Both handsets boast a 458 PPI, 3D Touch and have 60 percent greater dynamic range compared to last year’s iPhone X.

You also get enhanced Face ID, improved stereo sound and an IP68 rating that’s good for up to two meters of liquid submersion for up to 30 minutes.

Apple’s new smartphones are powered by an all-new A12 Bionic chip featuring 6.9 billion transistors. Apple says the first 7nm chip packs six CPU cores (two high-performance cores that are up to 15 percent faster and consume 40 percent less power and four efficiency cores that are up to 50 percent more energy efficient), a four-core Apple-designed GPU that’s up to 50 percent faster and an eight-core neural engine that can process five trillion operations per second.

The iPhone Xs and Xs Max feature dual rear-facing cameras: a 12-megapixel wide-angle shooter with optical image stabilization and a six-element lens with f/1.8 aperture alongside a 12-megapixel telephoto camera (2x optical zoom), also with optical image stabilization, with a six-element lens and f/2.4 aperture.

Apple’s camera system also features Smart HDR that meshes multiple shots into one to get the perfect blend of highlights, shadows and reduced shutter lag. Another new feature allows you to adjust the depth of field after a shot was taken. You may be thinking this sounds a lot like Lytro’s light field technology that let users adjust the focus point after the fact but it’s subtly different: Apple’s solution lets you adjust global aperture across the entire photo; Lytro’s tech let you set new focus points after the fact. Both are neat but they’re not the same.

The iPhone Xs offers 30 minutes longer battery life than the iPhone X while the iPhone Xs Max has an hour and a half more battery life than the iPhone X. Other noteworthy features include Gigabit-class LTE and dual-SIM support with eSIM technology (China will still have two physical SIMs, we’re told).

The iPhone Xs and Xs Max will be offered in capacities of 64GB, 256GB and 512GB. Pre-orders will be accepted starting September 14 (this Friday) with launch across several markets set for September 21 (the following Friday). Pricing starts at $999 for the iPhone Xs and $1,099 for the iPhone Xs Max.

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https://www.techspot.com/news/76402-apple-unveils-iphone-xs-iphone-xs-max-pricing.html

 

[senketsu]

Or in Canada (Xs) from $1,519. to $1,999.oo Can't wait until in a year the next even higher priced batch can come out.

 

[toooooot]

I bet if I had last years model I could flip it and this device would only cost me 400 500 bucks. Use cases and screen protectors people--money saving hack.

 

[cliffordcooley]

Buy an Apple today and it really will keep the doctor away. Once you make a payment you couldn't afford a doctor.

Articles like this make me appreciate my cheap eBay phones.

 

[fps4ever]

Or in Canada (Xs) from $1,519. to $1,999.oo Can't wait until in a year the next even higher priced batch can come out.

Maybe they've gone to the new Nvidia pricing method?

 

[LenovoX]

Frack this stupid phone, I'll buy myself a notebook!

 

[JamesSWD]

LOL...no.

 

[m4a4]

The guy who came up with these "names" was paid way too much...

 

[Sergey Novikov]

I would like a cell phone for $10000...

 

[darkzelda]

Lame

 

[Squid Surprise]

And out pop the Apple haters.... don’t worry, these phones will still outsell every other phone in the world

 

[cliffordcooley]

And out pop the Apple haters....

guilty

 

[senketsu]

"haters' is a term people use to close their minds to anything else others have to say. After all, if you are a hater I don't have to listen or consider anything you have to say, end of story.

 

[Squid Surprise]

"haters' is a term people use to close their minds to anything else others have to say. After all, if you are a hater I don't have to listen or consider anything you have to say, end of story.

No... it’s a term I use to describe people who blindly post negative comments every time the thread has “Apple” in it

 

[pencea]

We get extremely ripped of here in Australia.

This is how much they're charging for the phones....

iPhone XS:
64GB $1629
256GB $1879
512GB $2199

iPhone XS Max:
64GB $1799
256GB $2049
512GB $2369

 

[cliffordcooley]

No... it’s a term I use to describe people who blindly post negative comments every time the thread has “Apple” in it

What exactly would we have to say in a positive light? lol

 

[Sausagemeat]

No... it’s a term I use to describe people who blindly post negative comments every time the thread has “Apple” in it

What exactly would we have to say in a positive light? lol

The engineering in these devices is simply outstanding. In particular the processor. It’s the first 7nm phone and improved upon the already class leading A11 chip. Apples silicon is unrivalled in the mobile space at the moment with benchmark scores that can rival Intel notebook CPUs. A facial recognition tech that is fast and secure enough for banks to trust allowing making payments with it. Yes they are dam expensive and yes they aren’t perfect, the OS is quite constricting if you’re the sort of person who spends a lot of time “under the hood” so to speak, tinkering and playing around on your mobile phone, rooting and so on etc. But if you do genuinely appreciate technology, there is a lot of it here. It is expensive but the price isn’t too high, we know Apple will sell these by the truckload.

 

[Bubbajim]

The guy who came up with these "names" was paid way too much...

You could say his pay was... XS-ive.

 

[petert]

Wonder how it stacks out against Samsung's Note 9. Battery life in particular.

Also, I believe (more like I hope and it is common sense) Samsung and other players should drop their prices a bit now that the alpha dog brought a shiny new product to compete on the market.

 

[Reehahs]

"You may be thinking this sounds a lot like Lytro’s light field technology that let users adjust the focus point after the fact but it’s subtly different: Apple’s solution lets you adjust global aperture across the entire photo; Lytro’s tech let you set new focus points after the fact. Both are neat but they’re not the same."

A detailed article on the difference between two technologies would be awesome.

 

[fktech]

Apple is pricing itself out of the middle class market then again that is probably the plan. I'll stick with my 2 year old android purchased 1 year after introduced. Cost almost nothing and does what any cell phone should. Clear phone calls.....

 

[fktech]

Buy apple stock instead and make 200% on that investment in 2 years. There's a sucker born every minute.

 

[fktech]

Correction: $1,000 investment made in early August 2008 would be worth more than $9,222.50 today!!!

 

[fps4ever]

And out pop the Apple haters.... don’t worry, these phones will still outsell every other phone in the world

LOL wow, nothing can phase you people. The fact that you are outright wrong is kind of funny. Android is 86.1% of all phones while IOS is 13.7%. And Samsung outsells Apple phones 20.8% vs. Apple 13.7% market share worldwide. Makes you wonder what else they are wrong about?

 

[senketsu]

The engineering in these devices is simply outstanding. In particular the processor. It’s the first 7nm phone and improved upon the already class leading A11 chip. Apples silicon is unrivalled in the mobile space at the moment with benchmark scores that can rival Intel notebook CPUs. A facial recognition tech that is fast and secure enough for banks to trust allowing making payments with it. Yes they are dam expensive and yes they aren’t perfect, the OS is quite constricting if you’re the sort of person who spends a lot of time “under the hood” so to speak, tinkering and playing around on your mobile phone, rooting and so on etc. But if you do genuinely appreciate technology, there is a lot of it here. It is expensive but the price isn’t too high, we know Apple will sell these by the truckload.

I agree with most of what you have said, this is the first time I'm actually impressed with the line-up. What I can't accept is the obscene mark-up on Apple devices. Yes, they will sell, but to use an analogy...it's like going to a bank and instead of getting say 8% interest on a loan, you get 40% rate. In banking that's called usury and that's the side I see Apple on.