We’ll dive into the iPhone XS (and iPhone XS Max) camera capabilities in this review. But how good is it on the world stage and in various situations such as low-light and zoom? I just wish a small screen was still an option because choice is good.155 Image Quality score UBER Scoring/ranking system name IQ Image-Quality based scoring system CAMERA Apple iPhone XS Device brand and name Below $1000 Category based on price 2018-09 Device launch dateĪs Apple’s leading smartphone until Fall 2019, the iPhone XS (and XS Max) also has the best camera that iOS users can buy today. I’m not buying the silly narrative making the rounds that Apple is being sexist toward women here because I know females who like larger phones – and men who like smaller models. That's why it's a shame that Apple discontinued the iPhone SE (or didn’t introduce a new one) with a 4-inch display. I happen to be a fan of large displays, so this is more a complaint for those of you who aren't. But even though I know the iPhone X is pronounced iPhone “Ten,” I’ve been stumbling with the XS, calling it just that, “ex-ess,” rather than its official name, "ten-ess." No more small screen iPhones No, you’re not going to not buy an iPhone because of its name. I get that Apple is pushing wireless Bluetooth headphones, especially on its own AirPods and Beats products. But Apple no longer includes a $9 adapter in the box that you can use with your existing wired headphones. I had no illusions that Apple was going to bring back the jack with the XS or XS Max. It’s bad enough that the iPhones of the last few years did away with the standard-sized headphone jack. Frequent travelers likely will appreciate it. This isn’t a novel feature overseas phones have had dual SIM support for a while. You will need carrier support, though, which comes later. But dual SIM technology will let you have two separate numbers on your single device – one perhaps for your job, another that’s personal. This is a feature that you’re not going to be able to take advantage of immediately. But iOS 12 offers a number of useful features, from Screen Time reports and time limits that promise to help tame digital addiction to video effects in FaceTime and iMessages. Granted, this isn’t an XS- or XS Max-only feature since the upgrade also freshens up older iPhones, including models dating as far back as the iPhone 5S. I can practically hear you budding garage musicians cheer. The resulting audio sounded really good, just like you expect to hear on a live album. I tested stereo recording during a Paul Simon concert I attended over the weekend inside Newark’s Prudential Center. You can now capture stereo audio when shooting a video, thanks in part to four built-in microphones. I wiped the phone dry and was immediately good to go. To put it to the test, I intentionally spilled coffee on the XS Max. But Apple says the latest device can also withstand everyday spills of wine, tea, beer, soda and other liquids. Yes, prior iPhones have been water resistant, as is this one. While Apple is not the first company that lets you change the blur effect after the fact – some Galaxy’s have had the feature for a while – its presence on the new iPhones is welcome just the same. What I can say, though, is that I was extremely pleased with the quality of the pictures I took under all sorts of lighting conditions, including in dim settings.Īpple has improved the portrait mode feature by letting you adjust the depth of field and "artful" background blur, after you shoot, even on the front camera. Which is not to suggest that you still can’t take a bad picture. Honestly, it can be difficult to detect differences that, to the subjective eye, are subtle improvements.īut the cameras can compensate for a photographer’s shortcomings, like if you were shooting with the sun washing out the background of your subject. But through other under-the-hood enhancements that include larger pixels and what Apple refers to as Smart HDR, the company is promising even better pictures. The cameraīoth the XS and XS Max have dual 12-megapixel rear cameras, one wide-angle, one telephoto, just like the iPhone X. Short of trying to smash or scratch the device, I'll have to take their word for it. The new gold finish of my test unit – the other available colors are space gray and silver – is really attractive, but like many people I cover up the finish with a case anyway. Apple says the XS and XS Max displays are fortified with what Apple claims is the most durable glass yet on a smartphone. The upcoming XR will have a 6.1-inch screen. It is also slightly smaller than Samsung’s rival Galaxy Note9, which has a 6.4-inch screen. Even so, thanks to reduced bezels, the XS Max has a smaller footprint than the iPhone 8 Plus, whose screen size is 5.5 inches.
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