Apple unveiled the newest generation of its flagship iPhones today, the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. The models share a lot of the features that their discontinued predecessor first introduced to the iPhone line, like Face ID and Portrait Mode, but now they’ve been fine-tuned and improved. One of the biggest upgrades is the switch to Apple’s new A12 Bionic processor, which is said to be 15 percent faster than the A11. It’s also notable that these features are now available in the form of a 6.5-inch XS Max, which is the largest iPhone ever.
One of the highlighted demonstrations onstage today was the ability to manually adjust the depth of field after taking photos in Portrait Mode. Despite Apple’s claims that “this has not been possible with any kind of camera,” it’s actually a feature that’s been available on Android phones like Huawei and Nokia for a few years. Not to mention, the refocusing technology was first pioneered by the now-defunct light-field camera company Lytro in 2012.
So we can take all of Apple’s big keynote claims with a grain of salt, but if we’re looking at technical specifications, how do the new iPhones stack up against the top Android phones? We compared their specs to the Samsung Galaxy S9, S9 Plus, Galaxy Note 9, Google Pixel 2, and Pixel 2 XL.
iPhone XS and XS Max Spec Comparison
Specification | iPhone XS | iPhone XS Max | Galaxy S9 | Galaxy S9 Plus | Galaxy Note 9 | Google Pixel 2 | Google Pixel 2 XL |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Display | 5.8 inches | 6.5 inches | 5.8 inches | 6.2 inches | 6.4 inches | 5.0 inches | 6.0 inches |
Resolution | 2436 x 1125 | 2688 x 1242 | 2960 x 1440 | 2960 x 1440 | 2960 x 1440 | 1920 x 1080 | 2880 x 1440 |
Processor | A12 Bionic | A12 Bionic | Snapdragon 845 (2.8GHz and 1.7GHz, octa-core) | Snapdragon 845 (2.8GHz and 1.7GHz, octa-core) | Snapdragon 845 (2.8GHz and 1.7GHz, octa-core) | Snapdragon 835 (2.35GHz and 1.9GHz, octa-core) | Snapdragon 835 (2.35GHz and 1.9GHz, octa-core) |
RAM | 4GB | 4GB | 4GB | 6GB | 6GB, 8GB | 4GB | 4GB |
Storage | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB | 64GB, 256GB, 512GB | 64GB | 64GB | 128GB, 512GB | 64GB, 128GB | 64GB, 128GB |
Rear camera | 12 megapixels, 12 megapixels (wide) | 12 megapixels, 12 megapixels (wide) | 12 megapixels | 12 megapixels, 12 megapixels (wide) | 12 megapixels, 12 megapixels (wide) | 12.2 megapixels | 12.2 megapixels |
Front camera | 7 megapixels | 7 megapixels | 8 megapixels | 8 megapixels | 8 megapixels | 8 megapixels | 8 megapixels |
Battery | 2,659mAh | 3,179mAh | 3,000mAh | 3,500mAh | 4,000mAh | 2,700mAh | 3,520mAh |
Water protection | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP67 | IP67 |
Wireless charging? | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | No |
Ports | Lightning port | Lightning port | USB-C, headphone jack | USB-C, headphone jack | USB-C, headphone jack | USB-C | USB-C |
Weight | 0.39 pounds | 0.46 pounds | 0.36 pounds | 0.42 pounds | 0.44 pounds | 0.32 pounds | 0.39 pounds |
Dimensions (in.) | 5.65 x 2.79 x 0.30 | 6.20 x 3.05 x 0.30 | 5.81 x 2.70 x 0.33 | 6.22 x 2.91 x 0.33 | 6.37 x 3.01 x 0.35 | 5.70 x 2.70 x 0.30 | 6.20 x 3.00 x 0.30 |
Starting price | $999 | $1,099 | $719.99 | $839.99 | $999.99 | $649.00 | $849.00 |
Misc. | Face ID, Dual SIM, software-adjustable aperture | Face ID, Dual SIM, software-adjustable aperture | Iris scanner, mechanically adjustable aperture, Dual SIM | Iris scanner, mechanically adjustable aperture, Dual SIM | Dual SIM, Bluetooth S Pen, iris scanner, mechanically adjustable aperture | Squeezable sides | Squeezable sides |