The iPhone XS and 6.5-inch XS Max Announced: Specs, Prices and Release Dates
Bigger is better.
Apple’s yearly unveiling of new phones and gadgets just happened in California and the tech giant is enticing people to upgrade their current phones by expanding on the success and style of last year’s buttonless iPhone X. Feast your eyes on the iPhone XS, the iPhone XS Max and the iPhone XR.
iPhone XS and XS Max
Pronounced 10 S (not like “excess”), the new cornerstone of Apple’s iPhone lineup is here. Based very closely off of last year’s X model, the XS and the pumped up version, the XS Max, seem to be bringing all the conventions of the buttonless iPhone into the future. The XS has a 5.8” screen and the Max has a 6.5” display but manages it in a smaller form factor than previous “plus size” versions like the 8 Plus.
The guts here have been bumped up with a new, faster chipset that offers more power for normal tasks and faster FaceID facial recognition that’s also being touted as more secure than what was in the original iPhone X. Coming in the same space gray and silver flavors, Apple is also adding a gold option for the new phones as well as a new 512GB capacity option.
The new phones add extra battery life over last year’s X (30 minutes for the Xs, 90 minutes for the Max) and bump the camera specs up to dual 12 megapixel for shooting gorgeous pics. Coming in 128, 256 and 512GB, the Xs will retail starting at $999 and the Xs Max will retail starting at $1,099. Pre-orders for these monsters start this friday, September 14th and will get to customers starting September 21st.
iPhone XR
Apple is doing away with last year’s iPhone 8 too, opting instead for another new, buttonless model that scales back the power and the price. Called the iPhone XR, Apple has again taken the iPhone X formula and changed things around to make it more accessible.
The XR looks familiar with its notch and wall-to-wall screen but builds it all on an aluminum chassis. Other specs include a 6.1” screen, FaceID for security, a single camera setup (so don’t expect to get the same gorgeous DSLR style pics you’d see of the dual cameras in the XS) and the same A12 chipset as the other phones.
The iPhone XR does seem to have an emphasis on style, coming in six colors as you can see in the image above. Available in 64, 128 and 256GB options, the XR has a starting retail of $749. Pre-orders start October 19th with the phone making it to customers’ hands on October 26th.
Apple Watch 4th Generation
According to Apple, their Apple Watch isn’t just the most popular smart watch in the world, it’s the most popular watch overall. If that’s true then, chances are, you’re pretty familar with the way the Apple Watch looks and works already.
Apple hasn’t done anything drastic for the 4th generation Apple Watch, a disappointment since fans were hoping for a major redesign with a more traditional, circular watch face. Instead, the 4th Gen will have a smaller bezel, more options for displaying new complications and some new health sensors…and it’ll be $499.