
This is a concession for international users who often have separate lines of service for voice and data, but Apple says you'll eventually be able to activate just the eSIM and skip traditional SIM cards entirely. (Unless you live in China, where regional versions of the XS make you do just that.) The idea here is to offer dual SIM support - so you can attach multiple lines of services to a single device - without having to juggle two tiny pieces of plastic. Right?īoth phones also have eSIMs tucked away inside, though it'll be a while before you can actually use them. Even better, the XS and XS Max are (finally) rated IP68 for water and dust resistance, meaning you can leave one of these phones in as much as seven feet of water for up to 30 minutes. My iPhone X suffered a few serious gouges soon after I started using it, but so far the XS phones have withstood the hellscape that is my backpack. The glass covering the front and back of these new iPhones is tougher this year too, and that's a good thing. This is especially apparent when you're watching movies or live music recordings - it doesn't exactly feel like you're in the middle of the action, but the experience comes closer to that than I would've expected. The Max holds no such advantage this year - instead, the two phones share a long list of tweaks and improvements worth noting.īoth, for instance, pack improved stereo speakers that offer some additional clarity and a more pronounced sense of space.
#Cool things for iphone xs max plus#
This itself is interesting, because in prior years, the iPhone 6 Plus and 6s Plus had cameras with optical image stabilization, while the 7 Plus and 8 Plus had dual cameras. Not now Turn on Turned on Turn on A shared foundationįundamentally, the iPhone XS and the XS Max are the same phone - one of them is just bigger. While the iPhone XS and XS Max were easily the stars of today’s show, the new iPhone XR brings a sleek design and a lot of bang for the buck to Apple’s “more affordable” market.You can disable notifications at any time in your settings menu. iPhone XR: The iPhone 8 Replacement You’ve Been Waiting For The XS Max will come in with an entry price of $1099 for the 64GB model, $1,249 for 256GB, and a cool $1,449 for the 512GB model. Otherwise, the available colors are the same as the smaller XS. Despite the much larger display, the overall footprint of the phone is roughly the same as the iPhone 8 Plus.

They bumped the screen to 6.5-inches, which should be more than enough to satisfy those who long to have a big ol’ screen with a notch in their pocket. On the inside, this is the same phone as the XS-the same processor, RAM, and camera-but the outside tells a different story. While it would seem Apple is dropping the “Plus” moniker and opting for “Max” in its place, it looks like those wishes have been granted with the XS Max. Shortly after the iPhone X release last year, many users were already asking for an “iPhone X Plus”-a larger variant of the phone. iPhone XS Max: For When “Big” Isn’t Big Enough The XS is… exactly the same, with a starting price of $999 for the 64GB model, the 256GB model coming in at $1,149, and the 512GB for a whopping $1,349. The pricing of the XS is another talking point, as the original X carried a hefty $999 price tag for the base model. And for the first time ever, both iPhone XS models have dual SIM capabilities-one of which will use eSIM technology. There’s also a new 512GB storage option for all the data hoarders out there that are feeling too constrained by 256GB. The iPhone XS will be available in silver and space gray just like last year, but a new gold option is also available if you’re feeling ultra fancy.

The real story here is the photo tech in a package this small with results this good looking. While this kind of technology has been demoed before, it’s never been this fast, crisp, or slick. This is seriously one of the most impressive tech demos we’ve seen from a smartphone camera in a long time. Probably the most impressive feature of the XS camera, however, is on the fly depth of field tweaking after the picture has been taken. This will make for even more detailed photos than ever before. In a nutshell, this will allow the camera to quickly, instantly, and intelligently apply HDR-all without you having to do a single thing. The A12 Bionic also allows for a new feature, called Smart HDR. With the XS, it can also handle facial scanning and mapping to automatically apply red-eye reduction. The A12 Bionic chip works with both the front and rear cameras to quickly and effectively process images, calculating everything from noise reduction to white balance on the fly. Like the X, the XS uses a dual camera design with two 12 MP cameras and improved, larger sensors. As in recent years, the camera is getting a heavy focus this year, with several significant improvements over the X.
