Yesterday Apple presented its new iPhone. No less than three new models will hit the market by the end of the year. At the helm we have the iPhone Xs, the natural renewal of the iPhone X. But as many of you know, Apple's S models tend to be light renovations compared to their predecessors . Is it the same with the new iPhone Xs? This is what we are going to try to find out with this comparison.
The cover image already warns us that, in design, we have practically no difference. The double camera and the Face ID system are also maintained. So how does the new iPhone improve on last year's model? We are going to review the characteristics one by one so that you know the differences between these two mobiles. To do this we put the new iPhone Xs and iPhone X face to face .
Comparative sheet
| iPhone Xs | iPhone X | |
| screen | 5.8-inch OLED panel, 2436 x 1,125 pixels Super Retina HD, 458 dpi, HDR10 and Dolby Vision, True Tone, 1,000,000: 1 contrast, 3D Touch, 625 cd / m2 maximum brightness | 5.8-inch OLED panel, 2,436 x 1,125 pixels resolution, HDR, 1,000,000: 1 contrast, True Tone technology, Wide color gamut, 3D Touch, 625 cd / m2 maximum brightness |
| Main chamber | 12 MP dual camera with wide angle f / 1.8 and telephoto lens f / 2.4 2x optical zoom Portrait mode with advanced bokeh effect and Depth Control Portrait Lighting Double optical image stabilization Four-LED True Tone Flash with Slow Sync Autofocus with Focus Pixels Live Photos with stabilization Smart HDR for photos Burst mode 4K video recording (24, 30 or 60 fps) Optical Image Stabilization for Video Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps Slow motion video in 1080p at 120 or 240 fps | 12 MP dual camera with wide angle f / 1.8 and telephoto lens f / 2.4 2x optical zoom Portrait mode Portrait Lighting Double optical image stabilization Four-LED True Tone Flash Autofocus with Focus Pixels Live Photos with stabilization Auto HDR for photos Burst mode 4K video recording (24, 30 or 60 fps) Optical Image Stabilization for Video Slow motion video in 1080p at 120 or 240 fps |
| Camera for selfies | 7 MP, f / 2.2, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh effect and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, Animoji and Memoji, 1080p HD video recording at 30 and 60 fps, Smart HDR for photos, Expanded dynamic range for video at 30 f / s, Cinema-quality video stabilization (1080p and 720p), Automatic image stabilization, Retina Flash | 7 MP, f / 2.2, Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, Animoji, 1080p HD Video Recording, Retina Flash |
| Internal memory | 64, 256 or 512 GB | 64 or 256 GB |
| Extension | Not | Not |
| Processor and RAM | A12 Bionic with next-generation Neural Engine | A11 Bionic with Neural Engine and M11 Motion Coprocessor, 3GB RAM |
| Battery | Up to 30 minutes more autonomy than iPhone X | 2,716 mAh |
| Operating system | iOS 12 | iOS 11 |
| Connections | Gigabit-class LTE with 4 × 4 MIMO, Wi-Fi 802.11ac with 2 × 2 MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC with read mode, Lightning | 802.11ac WiFi with MIMO, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC with read mode, Lightning |
| SIM | nanoSIM | nanoSIM |
| Design | Glass and stainless steel frame, IP68 certification, colors: white, black and gold | Glass and stainless steel frame, IP67 certification, Colors: Black and white |
| Dimensions | 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm, 177 grams | 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7 mm, 174 grams |
| Featured Features | Face ID, Apple Pay | Face ID, Apple Pay |
| Release date | September 21 (bookings from September 14) | Available |
| Price | 64 GB: 1,160 euros 256 GB: 1,330 euros 512 GB: 1,560 euros | 64 GB: 1,160 euros 256 GB: 1,330 euros |
Design
On paper, the only thing that will allow us to distinguish the iPhone Xs from the iPhone X at the design level is the new available color . The design of both terminals is identical, with the glass back and the shiny steel frames.
As you can see in the table of characteristics, both terminals have exactly the same size. Of course, the iPhone Xs is a few grams heavier than its predecessor . We assume that it will be because it has a larger battery.
Despite its identical appearance, we have two important differences when it comes to design. The first is the new gold color , only available on new iPhones. And the second is the certification of resistance, being IP68 and IP67 iPhone Xs in the X iPhone . What is the difference? The new model can be submerged up to 2 meters, while the previous one could only be up to 1 meter deep. Both for a maximum of 30 minutes.
As we said, the design remains the same. The iPhone Xs keeps the camera at the extreme left of the terminal and in a vertical position. It still stands out quite a bit from the case, something that has also become fashionable in Android terminals.
screen
We do not have changes on the screen either. Both models feature an OLED panel of 5.8 inches with a resolution Retina Super HD 2,436 x 1,125 pixels of . They are compatible with the playback of HDR10 and Dolby Vision content.
As for the rest of the characteristics, they are also maintained. Both models have True Tone technology and the 3D Touch system . Both displays offer a maximum brightness of 625 cd / m2 and a contrast of 1,000,000: 1. In short, the iPhone Xs and iPhone X have the same screen.
Photographic set
Apple does not usually make major changes in the photographic section in its S versions. And this year has been no exception. In fact, the technical set is exactly the same. The changes come through the new processor and the incorporation of some options that until now were not available.
That said, both the iPhone Xs and iPhone X feature a 12 + 12 MP dual sensor . The main sensor is a wide angle with aperture f / 1.8, while the secondary sensor is a telephoto lens with aperture f / 2.4. This second sensor allows to have a 2x optical zoom. Also, both sensors are stabilized.
So what's new on the iPhone Xs? According to Apple, the camera sensor has deeper and wider pixels . Deeper to improve image fidelity, and wider for the sensor to pick up more light. This translates to better low-light photos.
As a novelty we also have the Smart HDR system . It uses the new image signal processor, advanced algorithms and even faster sensors to add detail to the highlights and shadows in photos.
And we do not forget the new Depth Control , which allows us to adjust the depth of field after taking the photo. This system also works with the front camera. Also once the photo is taken we can apply the lighting of Portraits.
In terms of video, the iPhone XS has an expanded dynamic range in videos up to 30 fps , sound with greater channel separation, and recording and playback in stereo. It allows recording with 4K resolution at 60 fps.
The same goes for the front camera, which, at least in specifications, is still identical to the iPhone X. We have a 7 megapixel sensor with f / 2.2 aperture . The novelties that the iPhone Xs includes in the front camera are the same that we see in the rear: Smart HDR, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh effect and Depth Control, expanded dynamic range for video at 30 fps and video stabilization with quality of cinema (1080p and 720p).
Almost all the novelties at the photographic level are possible thanks to the improved Neural Engine and its ability to perform five billion operations per second. Will the difference show up in actual use? We will only know that if we can test the iPhone Xs in depth.
Processor and memory
So far it does not seem that the iPhone Xs is very different from the iPhone X. But it is in the "heart" of the mobile where we find the great novelty of this year.
The new A12 Bionic chip becomes the main protagonist when it comes to talking about the iPhone Xs. It is the first mobile processor manufactured in 7 nm. It also has the aforementioned latest generation Neural Engine, much more powerful than the previous generation.
The new Apple-designed CPU has 6 cores . The two performance cores handle the most complex computational tasks to free up the four efficiency cores, which handle the most common processes. According to Apple, the 2 performance cores are up to 15% faster than the A11 Bionic. But is that the 4 efficiency cores are up to 50% more efficient than those of the A11 Bionic.
On the other hand, the iPhone Xs has a GPU with 4 cores . This offers up to 50% faster graphics performance than the A11 Bionic, thus making it an ideal mobile for gaming and AR.
Does this mean that the iPhone X is out of date? Not much less. The 2017 model is equipped with the A11 Bionic chip , which also features the Neural Engine system. This processor is even more powerful than the one included in the iPad Pro, so you can get an idea of its power.
The iPhone X still has several years to go of delivering impressive performance. However, if you want the latest in processors, you should opt for the iPhone Xs (or the iPhone Xr, which also equips the A12 Bionic processor).
As for memory, you already know that Apple never reveals the amount of RAM in its mobiles. We will have to wait for the "gutting" that the guys from iFixit do. What we do know is that the iPhone Xs comes with 64, 256 or 512 GB of storage . The latter capability is not available on the iPhone X.
Autonomy and connectivity
As with RAM, Apple never gives up the battery capacity of its iPhones. It always indicates the improvement with respect to its other terminals. Of course, it does not compare it with the mobiles of the competition either.
So, despite not having been able to test the new iPhone, it is the company itself that warns us about the performance of the battery. According to Apple, the iPhone Xs offers 30 minutes of autonomy that the iPhone X . We will have to trust Apple. In addition, the wireless charging is maintained.
In terms of connectivity, the iPhone Xs comes with some news. It has 4G LTE Advanced to achieve much higher download speeds . And, like last year's model, it has 802.11ac Wi-Fi with MIMO and Bluetooth 5.0. Also, the new iPhone Xs arrive with dual SIM (Nano SIM and eSIM).
Conclusions and price
We reached the end of the comparison and we must draw conclusions. As you have read, the iPhone X and the iPhone Xs are not very different . We have the same design (with a new color), the same screen and even the same camera, at least in terms of technical characteristics.
Among the novelties we have an improvement of the camera at the processing level (in addition to including deeper and wider pixels). And, the big news, a processor that, apparently, is much more powerful than that of its predecessor . In fact, it is the processor that improves both the camera and the autonomy. And speaking of autonomy, you know, 30 more minutes on the iPhone Xs.
Are these news enough to bet on the iPhone Xs? That will have to be decided by each user, but the truth is that now we will be able to find many iPhone Xs for sale , both second-hand and excess stock in stores.