Other iPhone XS Worth the Upgrade? Full Feature List.

[macduke]

I feel like Apple didn't do a very good job selling the iPhone XS during the keynote and still feel confused about some of the upgrades. I hope the list below will eventually become a comprehensive list of every upgrade the XS has over the X. Send me anything else you find or let me know if I'm wrong. I tried to compile this from their website and keynote. At the end of the day it makes it more compelling than I first thought, but it's mostly a lot of tiny little quality of life improvements. I, myself, find it quite difficult to come up with a long list of things that the iPhone X was already lacking, but hopefully this will help people decide whether or not they should upgrade their iPhone X.

New features:

• A12 bionic - 15% faster, uses half the power
• 30 minute longer battery life
• GPU 50% faster (better for gaming)
• 9X faster neural engine (faster AI and processing for certain apps)
• Faster Face ID unlock (using new neural engine)
  
• 4GB RAM - 33% more for improved multitasking
  
• 60% greater dynamic range in display (for colors in photos, Phil said, not luminance? brightness still the same)
• 120Hz touch sensitive layer (not 120Hz refresh rate like Pro Motion, just more reactive to touch)
• More durable front and rear glass
• Wider stereo speaker field separation (more realistic stereo sound playback)
• 32% larger camera wide angle sensor (Apple confirmed per John Gruber's review) with deeper pixel wells (produces better photos with less noise and more accurate color)
• 26mm vs 28mm wide angle lens field of view (Apple confirmed per John Gruber's review) which makes for a slightly wider angle field of view when shooting
• Neural engine coupled to ISP (produces better photos using smart HDR)
• 2X faster camera sensor (helps with smart HDR sequential exposure captures)
• Extended dynamic range for video up to 30fps (helps with shadows/highlights in video)
• Stereo sound recording for video (more realistic sound)
• 60fps 1080p on front camera (was 30fps before from what I can tell)
• More sophisticated bokeh background blur effect (not specified what this means, maybe more accurate on fine edges using new neural engine?)
• Depth control for bokeh (allows you to change background blur effect after the photo was taken to vary the appearance of depth of field/aperture)
• Improved flash (mentioned during keynote, not specified?)
• Auto Low Light FPS toggle in camera settings - when shooting 30fps, will automatically drop the frame rate to 24fps to get a little bit brighter video when shooting in low light, and it works on the fly (would like this feature if shooting 60fps to drop it to 30 and 24 because I often have to toggle this)
• Higher level water and dust resistance rating of IP68 (2M for 30min)
• Faster wireless charging speed - 30 minutes faster (The Verge confirmed with Apple)
• Improved wireless charging placement (John Gruber confirmed it has tighter coils, which will help with not needing to align it as precisely with the sweet spot)
• Gigabit class LTE 4x4 MIMO
• Dual sim (one physical, one e-sim)
• WiFi has 2x2 MIMO (previous model only showed MIMO, not 2x2, not sure if this is upgrade?)
• Supports band 71 LTE (building penetrating, longer range, used extensively by T-Mobile)

New options:

• Gold colorway
• 512GB option
• Max - larger 6.5" display option with 90 minutes extra battery life, higher resolution, dual physical sim slots

Again, please post any info that is new or that I didn't get right and I'll try to keep this post updated. Thanks!

 

[adammull]

But for those of us on the 7 cycle, this is our X. I think Apple is just acknowledging the 2 year cycle. I don't have an X therefore this X, while basically the same, will be new for me.

 

[Alfieg]

• 120Hz display (smoother refresh rate like iPad Pro)

I believe the display is the same as the X. 120Hz touch input but the display doesn't have a 120Hz refresh rate like ProMotion on the iPad.

The whole section on the display was cleverly delivered to sound like it was improved when in fact it isn't.

I think you missed the more durable glass?

Otherwise sounds right

 

[lsutigerfan1976]

For me. Having a plus size or 6.5 display phone with edge to edge display is enough for me to upgrade from my X.

 

[5105973]

This is a wonderful thread! I missed it when I just made my new thread about stereo audio recording capability and how Apple dropped the ball on showing it off. They spent way too much time on wonky demos and awkward speeches. Perhaps they should hire a cadre of experienced public speakers for their PR department and let them present at Keynotes from now on.

And perhaps my thread can be merged into this one. I’ll go look.

Anyway: stereo audio recording capability is huge for me. Realistic sound is understating the case dramatically!

 

[macduke]

I believe the display is the same as the X. 120Hz touch input but the display doesn't have a 120Hz refresh rate like ProMotion on the iPad.

The whole section on the display was cleverly delivered to sound like it was improved when in fact it isn't.

I think you missed the more durable glass?

Otherwise sounds right

Thanks! I added the durable glass, and while rewatching that part of the keynote to confirm what you said, I also noticed that the display has 60% better dynamic range (for colors in photos as Phil said?) vs. the iPhone X. That is actually fairly significant and I'm surprised I missed that.

 

[techspin]

It'll be interesting to see real world usage and photo comparisons. We'll find out next week

 

[macduke]

This is a wonderful thread! I missed it when I just made my new thread about stereo audio recording capability and how Apple dropped the ball on showing it off. They spent way too much time on wonky demos and awkward speeches. Perhaps they should hire a cadre of experienced public speakers for their PR department and let them present at Keynotes from now on.

And perhaps my thread can be merged into this one. I’ll go look.

Anyway: stereo audio recording capability is huge for me. Realistic sound is understating the case dramatically!

I just hope it ends up sounding decent and isn't a gimmick. I've used my iPhone clip mount which has a screw thread on top with my Rode mic with the iPhone adapter to lightning adapter cables when I want better sound or it's too windy since it has a dead cat. The wider stereo field for sound has me interested in checking that out. I've noticed my iPad Pro does a better job since it has better physical separation but I'm not sure how they could do this since the phone isn't any taller, unless you're using the Max.

 

[Woodcrest64]

Yeah, I think you have all the features correct. There really isn't much here over the X from 2017. The Focos app that you can download can achieve similar adjustable Bokeh like on Xs. I will say I'm tempted by the Apple Watch series 4 though.

 

[macduke]

For me. Having a plus size or 6.5 display phone with edge to edge display is enough for me to upgrade from my X.

Yeah, I'm tempted to try it out because it's just so crazy, but I then I remember I hated the Plus form factor when I tried it on the 6 Plus. Maybe with the newer one handed keyboard I could do it, but then I also look at the price and I think "Ehhh, I'm good."
[doublepost=1536858004][/doublepost]

Yeah, I think you have all the features correct. There really isn't much here over the X from 2017. The Focos app that you can download can achieve similar adjustable Bokeh like on Xs. I will way I'm tempted by the Apple Watch series 4 though.

I think I eventually got there with a little help from commenters. Yeah, just lots of little quality of life improvements. Great for those who skipped the X last year. My personal favorites are the faster neural engine (looking forward to seeing what app devs can do with this in the future), faster Face ID unlock (hoping it's also more accurate as I had some issues with that), better color dynamic range, better stereo sound, better low light with improved HDR, and the LTE band 71 for T-Mobile.

 

[Woodcrest64]

Yeah, I'm tempted to try it out because it's just so crazy, but I then I remember I hated the Plus form factor when I tried it on the 6 Plus. Maybe with the newer one handed keyboard I could do it, but then I also look at the price and I think "Ehhh, I'm good."

lol! Yeah, just can't fathom paying that much for something you'll want to replace likely in a year or two. It will be interesting if we see if Apple increases the phone sizes again at some point like:

iPhone XI from 5.8 to 6.1"
iPhone XI-R from 6.1 to 6.3" or go smaller if that becomes a new trend?
iPhone XI Max from 6.5 to 6.8"

The iPhone Plus I've always thought of as a beast in size so its difficult to imagine Apple going beyond 6.5" unless they make it more narrow. Apparently the iPhone Xs Max is wider than the Note 9. So maybe there is room to narrow and go taller but what would be the point? lol!

I think Apple will keep these design for likely another 2-3 years until they can do one of two things:

1. Make a foldable phone
2. An all screen phone with the cameras and speakers behind the display.

 

[macduke]

lol! Yeah, just can't fathom paying that much for something you'll want to replace likely in a year or two. It will be interesting if we see if Apple increases the phone sizes again at some point like:

iPhone XI from 5.8 to 6.1"
iPhone XI-R from 6.1 to 6.3" or go smaller if that becomes a new trend?
iPhone XI Max from 6.5 to 6.8"

The iPhone Plus I've always thought of as a beast in size so its difficult to imagine Apple going beyond 6.5" unless they make it more narrow. Apparently the iPhone Xs Max is wider than the Note 9. So maybe there is room to narrow and go taller but what would be the point? lol!

View attachment 781284

I think Apple will keep these design for likely another 2-3 years until they can do one of two things:

1. Make a foldable phone
2. An all screen phone with the cameras and speakers behind the display.

I think first we will see a notchless design around 2020, perhaps thinner and lighter, and then an iPhone that unfolds into an iPad Mini as either a more premium option within a year or two of that, or replacing the notchless model completely around 2023-2024. I have a feeling that getting something good to come to market is going to take longer than Samsung thinks, but if anything I hope they can push Apple forward. The notchless design could possibly happen if they don't shrink the small bezels around the device any more and move away from 2.5D cover glass because then they could possibly squeeze everything into that area. An alternative could be some kind of weird phase changing display technology that just goes over top of it. In that case they could reduce the bezel and make the display slightly bigger or make the casing slightly smaller.

My ultimate computing device would be an iPhone that unfolds once into an iPad Mini and twice into an iPad Pro which then unfolds a third time into a razor thin MacBook Pro with full keyboard (though it would have to be touch) which could then wirelessly connect to an 8K display. I know that's the most ridiculous thing maybe ever written on these forums but maybe in 20-30 years this would be possible. The problem is we might not ever get there if AR wearable computing ever takes off. But much like we still sometimes need to keep around desktops today, I think there could still be a market for such devices. I also think that it is sometimes better to physically hold an object and manipulate it directly. However if they can tie wearables into our actual brainwaves to control things instantly, then that could be a game changer for UI interactions in the far future. I think what may end up happening is an Apple Watch sized device on our wrist which displays information on contact lenses in our eyes, which also act as input devices for our brain and augments our physiology with neural networks on the watch-like device. There is a whole hell of a lot of decades of research, engineering and design that needs to be done to get there, though. Materials that don't even exist today.

 

[Woodcrest64]

I think first we will see a notchless design around 2020, perhaps thinner and lighter, and then an iPhone that unfolds into an iPad Mini as either a more premium option within a year or two of that, or replacing the notchless model completely around 2023-2024. I have a feeling that getting something good to come to market is going to take longer than Samsung thinks, but if anything I hope they can push Apple forward. The notchless design could possibly happen if they don't shrink the small bezels around the device any more and move away from 2.5D cover glass because then they could possibly squeeze everything into that area. An alternative could be some kind of weird phase changing display technology that just goes over top of it. In that case they could reduce the bezel and make the display slightly bigger or make the casing slightly smaller.

My ultimate computing device would be an iPhone that unfolds once into an iPad Mini and twice into an iPad Pro which then unfolds a third time into a razor thin MacBook Pro with full keyboard (though it would have to be touch) which could then wirelessly connect to an 8K display. I know that's the most ridiculous thing maybe ever written on these forums but maybe in 20-30 years this would be possible. The problem is we might not ever get there if AR wearable computing ever takes off. But much like we still sometimes need to keep around desktops today, I think there could still be a market for such devices. I also think that it is sometimes better to physically hold an object and manipulate it directly. However if they can tie wearables into our actual brainwaves to control things instantly, then that could be a game changer for UI interactions in the far future. I think what may end up happening is an Apple Watch sized device on our wrist which displays information on contact lenses in our eyes, which also act as input devices for our brain and augments our physiology with neural networks on the watch-like device. There is a whole hell of a lot of decades of research, engineering and design that needs to be done to get there, though. Materials that don't even exist today.

LOL! Very interesting ideas I thought Apple was researching holographic displays. You could have something as small as the iPhone 4.7 with a larger projected screen upward at say 8" or whatever. Who knows, but you are right I think. Its gonna take longer now to see the bigger changes. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!

 

[Sparky2012]

Thanks! I added the durable glass, and while rewatching that part of the keynote to confirm what you said, I also noticed that the display has 60% better dynamic range (for colors in photos as Phil said?) vs. the iPhone X. That is actually fairly significant and I'm surprised I missed that.

Im guessing it’s now a 10 bit colour depth display on the Xs vs 8 bit colour depth display on last years X. Should be a solid difference, notably if someone is coming from a pre iPhone X.

 

[vanilla.coffee]

Is the slow-mo still 240fps on the Xs and Xs Max ?

 

[JulienWA77]

Is anyone else just like...sorry no. I am not upset or really that disappointed but I already have a X and this is NOT an upgrade to me.

 

[BMcCoy]

Don’t worry, I don’t think there’s ever been a year when there was a compellling reason to upgrade from the one year previous model of iPhone. Two year minimum.

 

[macduke]

Is the slow-mo still 240fps on the Xs and Xs Max ?

Yes. The processor really isn't that much faster, about 15%, while the neural engine is what got the big speed bump. Even the GPU got a decent bump.

Is anyone else just like...sorry no. I am not upset or really that disappointed but I already have a X and this is NOT an upgrade to me.

Yeah, it's kinda meh, but I'm on iUP so I just pay forever, lol.

Don’t worry, I don’t think there’s ever been a year when there was a compellling reason to upgrade from the one year previous model of iPhone. Two year minimum.

There was a lot in the early days. Going from original to 3G made mobile internet and navigation actually usable. Going from 3G to 3gs was a massive speed boost and allowed video recording and autofocus which was a big deal at the time. Then going from that to the iPhone 4's retina display was a big leap. I'd say the next big leap was going from iPhone 5S to iPhone 6 or 6 Plus, and the next big one year leap after that is going from iPhone 7 to iPhone X or from iPhone 8 to iPhone XR.

 

[kiranmk2]

Very disappointing upgrade. I thought the keynote was very deceptive as they talked up a lot of features that were already on the X. Essentially the new processor is fairly disappointing apart from from improvements to ML (how many apps will use this?), the camera sensor is slightly better (but it seems to be the same optics). There are some new camera features (probably software locked to the Xs), tweaks to various aspects (stronger glass, slightly wider colour gamut, better separation of sound, water resistance) e-sim (not available and carrier-dependant) and better LTE speeds/bands.

Essentially the main pull will be people wanting the larger screen size. Otherwise, why not pick up a refurb X for 2/3 of the price?

 

[macduke]

Very disappointing upgrade. I thought the keynote was very deceptive as they talked up a lot of features that were already on the X. Essentially the new processor is fairly disappointing apart from from improvements to ML (how many apps will use this?), the camera sensor is slightly better (but it seems to be the same optics). There are some new camera features (probably software locked to the Xs), tweaks to various aspects (stronger glass, slightly wider colour gamut, better separation of sound, water resistance) e-sim (not available and carrier-dependant) and better LTE speeds/bands.

Essentially the main pull will be people wanting the larger screen size. Otherwise, why not pick up a refurb X for 2/3 of the price?

Yeah, lots of small improvements, not enough for most X users to upgrade. But were most anyway? I think the reason we're seeing the price increases is because the iPhone is maturing. They're supporting iOS versions longer on older devices and they're running out of new stuff that they can do because it does nearly everything. Therefore people are on longer upgrade cycles now. If Apple is only going to sell you a phone every 3-4 years, then they're going to charge more. So we have these steady upgrades and then every 3-4 years they do an overhaul. I expect by 2020-21 they'll redesign it without a notch and even thinner outer bezels that might just disappear completely. Not sure how they're going to get there unless they keep the thin bezels and cram the cameras, Face ID and speaker in there to get rid of the notch, but it's the next logical step. Perhaps make it thinner and lighter in the redesign. After that phase I think we'll see more of a move to foldable displays so you could have an iPhone unfold into an iPad. They'll probably jack the price way up again and that will be the premium model.

 

[Woodcrest64]

Yeah, lots of small improvements, not enough for most X users to upgrade. But were most anyway? I think the reason we're seeing the price increases is because the iPhone is maturing. They're supporting iOS versions longer on older devices and they're running out of new stuff that they can do because it does nearly everything. Therefore people are on longer upgrade cycles now. If Apple is only going to sell you a phone every 3-4 years, then they're going to charge more. So we have these steady upgrades and then every 3-4 years they do an overhaul. I expect by 2020-21 they'll redesign it without a notch and even thinner outer bezels that might just disappear completely. Not sure how they're going to get there unless they keep the thin bezels and cram the cameras, Face ID and speaker in there to get rid of the notch, but it's the next logical step. Perhaps make it thinner and lighter in the redesign. After that phase I think we'll see more of a move to foldable displays so you could have an iPhone unfold into an iPad. They'll probably jack the price way up again and that will be the premium model.

The iPhone's success its own issue. Tim has to keep pulling in the profits for his investors so to keep making money where people aren't upgrading as frequently is to charge more $$$ per phone.

I firmly believe the XR will greatly outsell the XS and XS Max by a long shot. That, and the Watch Series 4 I'm guessing will be another record year for Apple in terms of profits.

Historically in the past the iPhone at launch for pre-orders has sold out and shipping dates have really slipped. But many people have reported the day after the pre-order launch date, you could still order a XS/XS Max and not see really any delay in shipping. That says something compared to years before.

 

[macduke]

The iPhone's success its own issue. Tim has to keep pulling in the profits for his investors so to keep making money where people aren't upgrading as frequently is to charge more $$$ per phone.

I firmly believe the XR will greatly outsell the XS and XS Max by a long shot. That, and the Watch Series 4 I'm guessing will be another record year for Apple in terms of profits.

Historically in the past the iPhone at launch for pre-orders has sold out and shipping dates have really slipped. But many people have reported the day after the pre-order launch date, you could still order a XS/XS Max and not see really any delay in shipping. That says something compared to years before.

Yeah. Combine that with the extra cost of the Max (even though it's a new size) and most people don't see the value proposition. To me the X is almost perfect because it combines the bigger display with the smaller form factor. People can upgrade their Plus to an XR and save $350. I feel like Apple's stock is going to tank after investors see that the new iPhone isn't selling, but then rebound when the XR launches and the numbers are good.
[doublepost=1537307540][/doublepost]I've updated with some information from John Gruber's review which I found to be interesting. I actually noticed it in his test photo before he pointed it out. The iPhone XS actually has a slightly wider 26mm equivalent focal length vs. 28mm on the X. This makes for a slightly wider field of view when taking photos with the wide lens, which I think was very much needed. He also confirmed with Apple after doing some math that the sensor is 32% larger than before. As a photographer myself, I know that is fairly significant. It's important to note that the rear telephoto camera hasn't changed—just the wide angle. It's worth checking out the review to see some of his dramatic test photos.

 

[macduke]

Added some clarification about wireless charging and how it now has tighter coils meaning you don't have to have your device as perfectly aligned on the pad to get the fastest charging speed. I also added a bit about a setting exclusive to the XS called Auto Low Light FPS which changes the frame rate from 30fps to 24fps on the fly if the video gets too dark to help brighten it up.

 

[nutmac]

Added some clarification about wireless charging and how it now has tighter coils meaning you don't have to have your device as perfectly aligned on the pad to get the fastest charging speed.

Regarding wireless charging, Apple mentioned 30 minutes faster charging time. Many sources indicate faster charging is not due to increase in wattage. That is, new iPhones are still 7.5W. So tighter coils and other refinements are probably responsible for more efficient use of 7.5W charging?

 

[macduke]

Regarding wireless charging, Apple mentioned 30 minutes faster charging time. Many sources indicate faster charging is not due to increase in wattage. That is, new iPhones are still 7.5W. So tighter coils and other refinements are probably responsible for more efficient use of 7.5W charging?

I remember 30 minutes of extra battery life, but not 30 minutes of faster charging time. They've mentioned 30 minutes to charge to 50%, but that's wired, and also applies to the X. Per John Gruber's review where he talked to Apple:

I asked Apple about the “improved wireless charging”. It’s a classic S-cycle refinement. It’s not a new charging standard or support for a higher wattage or anything like. The iPhone XS has a new tighter coil design, which helps it to be more forgiving when it’s misaligned on the charging pad. I’ve run into this myself — sometimes with the iPhone X, if you’re not really paying attention when you put it on the pad, it either charges very slowly or not at all. The iPhone XS has a larger sweet spot.

EDIT: I did a search and now see the review from the Verge which talks about this. Interesting. I'll update my feature list above. thanks for pointing this out.