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Apple iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR: Features and specs compared

Let's take a tour of the key features of Apple's new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR, and see how they differ.
Written by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes, Senior Contributing Editor

Apple has unveiled the long awaited follow on to the iPhone X and iPhone 8 series, combining both into a single iPhone X brand -- the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, an the iPhone XR.

With this release two things become clear. The first is that Apple is going all-in with large displays, with the smallest display being 5.8-inches across (belonging to the iPhone XS). The second is that Face ID has now gone mainstream, replacing Touch ID across the entire line. I think it's now safe to make the assumption that this technology will eventually replace Touch ID on the iPad line, and probably even the MacBook line soon.

Note: For those looking to buy the new iPhone, a couple of points were bearing in mind about what ships in the box. Apple no longer supplies a 3.5mm-headphone-jack-to-Lightning dongle, and the charger that is supplied with all of the new iPhones is a regular USB charger, and not a USB-C fast charger as was rumored.

Let's jump into the tech specs for Apple's new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR.

The key differences and improvements over previous models are highlighted.

    Also: Say hello to Apple's iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR

    iPhone XS/iPhone XS Max/iPhone XR: Here's everything you need to know (in pictures)

    iPhone XS: Specs and features

    • Super Retina HD display
    • 5.8‑inch (diagonal) all‑screen OLED Multi‑Touch display
    • HDR display
    • 2436‑by-1125‑pixel resolution at 458 ppi
    • True Tone display
    • Wide color display
    • 3D Touch
    • Rated IP68 (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes)
    • Storage: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB
    • A12 Bionic chip
    • Dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras
    • Wide-angle: ƒ/1.8 aperture
    • Telephoto: ƒ/2.4 aperture
    • 2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 10x
    • Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
    • Portrait Lighting with five effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono)
    • Dual optical image stabilization
    • Six‑element lens
    • Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow Sync
    • Sapphire crystal lens cover
    • Auto image stabilization
    • 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
    • 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
    • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
    • Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps
    • Optical image stabilization for video
    • 2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 6x for video
    • Quad-LED True Tone flash
    • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
    • 7MP camera ƒ/2.2 aperture front-facing camera
    • Face ID authentication
    • Battery life: 12 hours internet use, 14 hours video playback, 20 hours talk time, 60 hour wireless audio playback
    • Fast charge up to 50 percent battery life in 30 minutes
    • Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
    • Finishes: Gold, Space Gray, Silver

    Also: New 2018 iPhone: Specs, release date, and price CNET

    iPhone 2018 first look: Apple's launch event scene by scene (pictures)

    iPhone XS Max: Specs and features

    • Super Retina HD display
    • 6.5‑inch (diagonal) all‑screen OLED Multi‑Touch display
    • HDR display
    • 2688‑by-1242‑pixel resolution at 458 ppi
    • True Tone display
    • Wide color display
    • 3D Touch
    • Rated IP68 (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes)
    • Storage: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB
    • A12 Bionic chip
    • Dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras
    • Wide-angle: ƒ/1.8 aperture
    • Telephoto: ƒ/2.4 aperture
    • 2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 10x
    • Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
    • Portrait Lighting with five effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono)
    • Dual optical image stabilization
    • Six‑element lens
    • Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow Sync
    • Sapphire crystal lens cover
    • Auto image stabilization
    • 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
    • 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
    • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
    • Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps
    • Optical image stabilization for video
    • 2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 6x for video
    • Quad-LED True Tone flash
    • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
    • 7MP camera ƒ/2.2 aperture front-facing camera
    • Face ID authentication
    • Battery life: 13 hours internet use, 15 hours video playback, 25 hours talk time, 65 hour wireless audio playback
    • Fast charge up to 50 percent battery life in 30 minutes
    • Dual SIM (nano-SIM and eSIM)
    • Finishes: Gold, Space Gray, Silver

    Also: iPhone XS: 7 things the pros need TechRepublic

    screenshot-2018-09-12-at-2-37-45-pm.png

    iPhone XR: Specs and features

    • Liquid Retina HD display
    • 6.1-inch (diagonal) all-screen LCD Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
    • 1792-by-828-pixel resolution at 326 ppi
    • True Tone display
    • Wide color display
    • Rated IP67 (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes)
    • Storage: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
    • A12 Bionic chip
    • 12MP wide-angle camera
    • ƒ/1.8 aperture
    • Digital zoom up to 5x
    • Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control
    • Portrait Lighting with three effects (Natural, Studio, Contour)
    • Optical image stabilization
    • Six‑element lens
    • Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow Sync
    • Sapphire crystal lens cover
    • 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps
    • 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
    • 720p HD video recording at 30 fps
    • Extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps
    • Optical image stabilization for video
    • Digital zoom up to 3x for video
    • Slo‑mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps or 240 fps
    • 7MP camera ƒ/2.2 aperture front-facing camera
    • Face ID authentication
    • Battery life: 15 hours internet use, 16 hours video playback, 25 hours talk time, 65 hour wireless audio playback
    • Fast charge up to 50 percent battery life in 30 minutes
    • Finishes: Yellow, White, Coral, Black, Blue, and Red

    Also: iPhone XS: A cheat sheet for professionals TechRepublic

    iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR: Pricing

    Here is the pricing for the completely revamped iPhone line:

    ​iPhone pricing

    iPhone pricing

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