Apple has introduced its newest flagship phones, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. The iPhone XS is the successor to last year’s iPhone X, while the iPhone XS Max is a completely new model of the iPhone XS series. The Max replaces the “Plus” moniker that Apple previously used for its largest phones.
I’m going to be honest, this VS is going to be VERY, VERY easy. That’s because there is hardly any difference between the two phones besides screen size. We’ll start by running through the specs below and you’ll see just how similar the devices are.
iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max: Specs
Here’s the specs for the iPhone XS:
- Display: 5.8-inch OLED display with a 2436x1125-pixel resolution at 458ppi
- Dimensions: 143.6mm x 70.9mm x 7.7mm
- Weight: 177 grams
- Storage: 64, 256, or 512GB
- Processors: A12 Bionic
- Front camera: 7 MP photos and 1080p HD video.
- Rear camera: Dual lens 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, Dual optical image stabilisation, Optical zoom, 4K video
- Battery: Up to 12.5 hours battery life mixed usage
- Other: Face ID, NFC, Wireless charging, 3D Touch, IP68 waterproof
- Color options: Silver, Space Gray, and Gold
And here’s the specs for the iPhone XS Max:
- Display: 6.5-inch OLED display with a 2688x1242-pixel resolution at 458ppi
- Dimensions: 157.5mm x 77.4mm x 7.7mm
- Weight: 208 grams
- Storage: 64, 256, or 512GB
- Processors: A12 Bionic
- Front camera: 7 MP photos and 1080p HD video.
- Rear camera: Dual lens 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, Dual optical image stabilisation, Optical zoom, 4K video
- Battery: Up to 13.5 hours battery life mixed usage.
- Other: Face ID, NFC, Wireless charging, 3D Touch, IP68 waterproof
- Color options: Silver, Space Gray, and Gold
iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max: Display & Design
Okay, the main difference between the two phones is the screen size. The iPhone XS is a 5.8in OLED display, while the iPhone XS Max is a 6.5in OLED display. The Max, by the way, is the largest display ever on an iPhone.
The Max does have a higher resolution due to the fact that it is physically larger, but both the XS and XS Max has the same pixels per inch at 458ppi. This means the pixel density is EXACTLY the same on both devices.
Obviously, the Max is physically larger, but what’s a first is both screen sizes are exactly the same thinness–7.7mm. Both phones are also waterproof, rated IP68, which means they can stay submerged for 30 minutes up to two meters deep.
iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max: CPU, Battery, and Storage
The iPhone XS Max a much larger battery than the iPhone XS, simply because it has a larger body and Apple can put in a physically bigger battery. But that larger battery also has to power that massive, higher resolution display, which means you won’t see that much better battery life in the Max. Overall, in mixed usage, you’ll get an hour more battery life. Here’s how the battery life compares between the two in Talk Time, Standby Time, Internet Use, Video Playback, and Audio Playback:
- Talk time: iPhone XS – 20 hours. iPhone XS Max – 25 hours.
- Internet use: iPhone XS – Up to 12 hours. iPhone XS Max – Up to 13 hours.
- Video playback: iPhone XS – Up to 14 hours. iPhone XS Max – Up to 15 hours.
- Audio playback: iPhone XS – Up to 60 hours. iPhone XS Max – Up to 65 hours.
Both devices also feature wireless charging.
As for storage, both come in three sizes: 64, 256, or 512GB. As far as the CPU is concerned, both sport the A12 Bionic chipset–and upgrade over last year’s A11 Bionic. The new A12 is a 7nm chip with 6 cores. The CPU is 15% faster and 40% more energy efficient than the previous A11. The GPU now has 4 cores and is 50% faster. Finally, the Neural engine now has 8 cores for machine learning and is almost almost 10x faster. Apps launch 30% faster on the XS and XS Max and Machine Learning runs nine times faster on 1/10th the energy. In other words, the A12 Bionic absolutely flies.
iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max: Camera
There is literally no difference between the camera systems on the XS and XS Max. Both the front and rear are identical. The front features a 7MP TrueDepth camera for Face ID. The rear is a dual lens system including wide-angle and telephoto cameras. The rear camera in the iPhones also sports dual optical image stabilisation and optical zoom.
iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max: Cost & Verdict
And then there is the cost. The iPhone XS Max will be available on September 21 and cost £1099 (64GB), £1249 (256GB), or £1449 (512GB). The iPhone XS will be available on September 21 and cost £999 (64GB), £1149 (256GB), or £1349 (512GB). That £100 Max premium over the iPhone XS gets you the bigger display and not much more.
