Apple has finally released its 2018 iPhone lineups and it’s looking just like last years, but with a few minor changes. Their newly released products are the iPhone XR, iPhone XS, and iPhone XS Max.
You heard right. The largest iPhone is no longer called the “plus” but instead, it’s now called the “Max”. That’s to be expected for Apple’s new iPhone Generation. They are dropping the standard usage of numbers for now and sticking with Roman Numerals.
Along with the colors silver and space gray, a gold-colored option was added which was missing during the release of the iPhone X. However, gold has been available with Apple’s other products such as the MacBook which is their entry-level notebook.
iPhone XR (Apple’s “Budget” Phone)
The iPhone XR pre-orders will be taken October 19th and expected to release October 24th. It’s meant to be the replacement of the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, but its design to me looks more like the “budget-friendly” iPhone X with prices starting at $749 for 64GB. For the average user, this is definitely enough space for a few apps, photos, music (but there are streaming services for that).
If that isn’t enough space for you, then you can upgrade to the 128GB for $799 or 256GB for $899. There will be plenty of color options — white, black, blue, yellow, coral and red. As for its feature, it includes a 6.1-inch liquid retina HD display that has a minor bezel. The bezel is almost completely gone.
The phone is rated IP67 (maximum depth of 1 meter up to 30 minutes) which means it is extra-water resistant. It has also upgraded to single rear-facing 12 MP camera along with a front-facing 7 MP camera. The phones will also have the A12 bionic chip which is Apple’s best processor yet.
I would recommend this phone for any iPhone owners who still have an iPhone 8 and below as this is meant to be a replacement for those models.
iPhone XS (Apple’s New Standard)
The iPhone XS is now available for purchase. Starting prices for this iPhone are $999 with 64GB, 256GB for $1,149, and 512GB for $1,349.
It features a 5.8 inch super retina HD display, rated IP68 (maximum depth of 2 meters up to 30 minutes), A12 Bionic chip, dual 12MP rear-facing cameras, and 7MP front-facing camera.
Despite costing less, the iPhone XR is bigger in display and height than the iPhone XS. However, when comparing features like the camera and screen of the two, the XS is superior.
iPhone XS MAX (The Big One)
Now for the big one, literally. The iPhone XS Max has every feature as the XS, but the display is one of the best you can get on the market. It’s 6.5” super retina CUSTOM OLED display, with a resolution of 2688×1242 which has 458 pixels per inch, almost completely covering the screen.
It only leaves about 0.5 inches of bezel left. This is the most expensive iPhone with the starting price at $1,099 for 64GB. Unlike the other models, the iPhone XS Max doesn’t have a 128GB version, but instead a 256GB for $1,249 and 512GB for $1,449.
This last price makes the iPhone XS Max the most expensive phone ever produced by Apple.
Upon writing this article, I found out that customers who pre-ordered their device and are currently using it, have experienced problems with Wi-Fi connectivity, not charging when directly connected to the provided lighting cable, LTE connectivity problems, and Bluetooth audio connectivity problems.
I’m not too sure on where Apples is on its Wi-Fi fix, but it’s focusing on fixing the LTE connectivity problem as we speak. As for the new iPhones not being able to charge with a direct connection, Apple will be sending out their new IOS 12.1 beta 2 software update that is supposed to include a fix for this problem.
This upcoming update should also be able to fix the Bluetooth connectivity problem as well that many users are experiencing in their cars. The last time Apple had these problems was in 2010 during the release of the iPhone 4. Users experienced antenna problems. Their calls were being dropped and it was difficult to get good reception.
The problem the iPhone 4 experienced with its antenna has to do with what’s called “bridging” the antenna. This occurs when a hand or finger covers the antenna area on the side of the iPhone. These problems that are being experienced are issues that can be fixed and shouldn’t worry the buyer or user at all.
Final Thoughts
In my opinion, these newly released iPhones are great and all around powerful, with their high end processors that outmatch their competitors, beautiful displays that would cost you a fortune to replace if you were to drop and crack it, their powerful cameras that have many features to take best selfies and photos of your meal. If you’re looking for an upgrade and have the money, then by all means go ahead and upgrade to the latest and greatest iPhones, and even if you don’t, there is the option of the budget iPhone that is fair for the price, comes in more colors, and has a very similar look to the rest of the higher end iPhones.
Image Source: Nilay Patel / The Verge
Written by Joel Rivas, Tech Editor