iPhone Xs hands on reviews roundup: iPhone Xs, Xs Max & Xr compared

To save you time, we’ve rounded up the best new 2018 iPhone Xs hands on reviews here.

Apple wants you to think that bigger is better—and with its new 2018 iPhones, you don’t have a choice. Apple’s new iPhone Xs (pronounced “ten s”), Xs Max, and iPhone Xr (“ten r”) all succumb to our growing love of bigger screens, with displays ranging from 5.8 inches (iPhone Xs) to a whopping 6.5 inches (iPhone Xs Max). Even the Apple Watch Series 4 is 15% bigger than the Apple Watch 3.

And as you’d expect, the new iPhones are also faster—Apple even claims that its new A12 Bionic processor is “the smartest, most powerful chip in a smartphone.” There’s also a new Core ML (Machine Learning) chip GPU, which Apple says is up to 50% faster for gaming or media.

But with bigger, badder phones come bigger, badder prices: the iPhone Xs starts at US$1,000, the iPhone XS Max starts at $1,100; both are shipping Sept. 21. You can pre-order the Xs, Xs Max or Xr starting September 14, and the phones will ship starting September 21.

And if you can’t spend $1,000+ on a phone, you can get the new iPhone Xr for $749 in a range of colors, pictured further below. The biggest differences with the Xr are the lower resolution display (just 326 pixels per inch vs 458 ppi on the Xs and Xs Max), and the Xr’s single 12-megapixel wide angle camera, versus dual cameras on the other iPhones. But despite that, the Xr can still give you soft bokeh backgrounds in portrait photos. You can pre-order the iPhone Xr starting October 19, with shipments starting October 26.

We’ve rounded up all of the iPhone Xs specs and first iPhone Xs hands on reviews further below. (Top image is from Wired’s iPhone Xs hands on reviews video.)

What’s new in both iPhone Xs & Xs Max:

Faster Face ID unlocking
iOS 12, which you can install on your current iPhone/iPad starting Sept. 17
6-core, A12 Bionic processor, which promises 40-50% more efficiency
Core ML (Machine Learning) chip up to 9 times faster
GPU chip up to 50% faster for gaming and media
Higher pixels per inch density: 458 ppi
120Hz refresh rate, same as the iPad Pro
Improved True Tone sensor
Better wide-angle camera sensor
Smart HDR, which takes and merges many photos into one
Slider to adjust background focus (bokeh) after a photo is taken
“Wider” Dolby stereo sound
Stereo sound for recording video
512GB storage option
Gold color option
Stronger glass displays
More waterproof and dust-resistant (IP68 vs last year’s IP67)
First dual SIM iPhone: physical SIM card + Apple eSIM
Two physical SIM slots in the iPhone Xs/Max for China
“Green” materials: Recycled tin in the logic board and bio-based plastics in the cover glass frame

2018 iPhone Xs specs

The iPhone Xs is the smallest of the three new iPhones, at 5.8 inches versus 6.1 inches on the cheaper Xr and 6.5 on the mammoth Xs Max. All major iPhone Xs specs:

Storage of 64GB retails for $999 (£999 / AU$1,629), or choose 256GB ($1,149 / £1,149) or 512GB ($1,349 / £1,349)
Size: 143.6mm x 70.9 x 7.7 mm
Weight: 177g
5.8-inch OLED, True Tone display
Super Retina 2436 x 1125 resolution at 458 ppi
625cd/m2 brightness, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
Six-core A12 chip with 64-bit architecture, neural engine
4GB of RAM
iOS 12
Dual-lens 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture and 12-megapixel with f/2.4 aperture
Optical zoom up to 2x, optical image stabilization
7-megapixel FaceTime camera with f/2.2 aperture
TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi with MIMO
Gigabit LTE
Bluetooth 5.0
Apple EarPods with Lightning port
AirPods support
IP68 splash, water, and dust resistance
Dual-SIM support (nano-SIM and eSIM)
Battery life 30 minutes longer than iPhone X: 20 hours of talk, 12 hours of internet use, 14 hours of video playback, or up to 60 hours audio playback
Fast-charging support – up to 50% charge in 30 minutes
Qi wireless charging support
Colors: gold, space gray, silver

2018 iPhone Xs Max specs

The biggest and most expensive of today’s three iPhones, the Xs Max is for people who don’t want compromises. Complete iPhone Xs Max specs:

Storage of 64GB retails for $1,099 (£1,049 / AU$1,799), or choose 256GB ($1,249 / £1,249) or 512GB ($1,449 / £1,449)
Size: 157.5 mm x 77.4 x 7.7 mm
Weight: 208g
6.5-inch OLED, True Tone display
Super Retina 2688 x 1242 resolution at 458 ppi
625cd/m2 brightness, 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
Six-core A12 chip with 64-bit architecture, neural engine
4GB of RAM
iOS 12
Dual-lens 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture, and 12-megapixel with f/2.4 aperture
Optical zoom up to 2x, optical image stabilization
7-megapixel FaceTime camera with f/2.2 aperture
TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi with MIMO
Gigabit LTE
Bluetooth 5.0
Apple EarPods with Lightning port
AirPods support
IP68 splash, water, and dust resistance
Dual-SIM support (nano-SIM and eSIM)
Battery life 90 minutes longer than iPhone X: 25 hours of talk, 13 hours of internet use, 15 hours of video playback, or up to 65 hours of audio playback
Fast-charging support – up to 50% charge in 30 minutes
Qi wireless charging support
Colors: gold, space gray, silver

2018 iPhone Xr specs

The “cheaper” iPhone Xr has the same specs as the Xs and Xs Max, except for its medium size, lower resolution display, no top-end 512GB storage option, and its single rear camera (no telephoto lens). But as a bonus, the iPhone Xr battery delivers slightly longer mobile web time, thanks to the lower resolution display. All iPhone Xr specs below:

Storage of 64GB retails for $749 (£749 / AU$1,229). Or choose 128GB ($799 / £799) or 256GB ($899 / £899)
Size: 150.9 x 75.7 x 8.3 mm
Weight: 194g
6.1-inch, LCD display
Super Retina 1792 x 828 resolution at 326 ppi
625cd/m2 brightness, 1,400:1 contrast ratio
Six-core A12 Bionic chip with 64-bit architecture, neural engine
3GB of RAM
iOS 12
Single-lens 12-megapixel wide-angle camera with f/1.8 aperture
Optical image stabilization, six-element lens
7-megapixel FaceTime camera with f/2.2 aperture
TrueDepth camera for Face ID 3D facial recognition
Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac Wi‑Fi with MIMO
Gigabit LTE
Bluetooth 5.0
Apple EarPods with Lightning port
AirPods support
Dual-SIM support (nano-SIM and eSIM)
IP67 splash, water, and dust resistance
Battery life 90 minutes longer than iPhone 8 Plus: 25 hours of talk, 15 hours of internet use, 16 hours of video playback, up to 65 hours of audio playback
Fast-charging support – up to 50% charge in 30 minutes
Qi wireless charging support
Colors: black, white, red, yellow, coral, blue

iPhone Xs Max + iPhone Xs hands on reviews

Most of the reviews below also include hands-on videos. We’ll post more iPhone Xs hands on reviews here as soon we see them, so bookmark this page for the latest!

“If you play games or regularly watch movies or TV on your phone, you couldn’t pick a better phone. Apple provides arguably the best library in the world of digitally available HDR movies to watch on this device. . . . The 7nm A12 chip is a promising development, but its advantages will be subtle for most users. . . . For the iPhone X, Apple added the “Reachability” feature to slide the interface down for easier access. Reachability is still here, but the Xs Max is so large that I had trouble reaching across the display horizontally while using it one-handed. Plenty of people don’t use their phones one-handed, so that’s not a problem for them. But if you do, the Xs Max is absolutely not the handset for you.. — Ars Technica

“The Xs and Xs Max’s stereo speakers did seem to sound better than the iPhone X. Support for dual SIMs is a godsend for international travelers and foreign customers who have multiple phones numbers or have to juggle data plans. The ability to change the amount of bokeh in a photo after you’ve taken it isn’t actually all that new, but it’s nice to finally have here.” — Engadget

“[The bokeh feature] is highly intuitive to use – just swipe a slider left or right to adjust the depth of field – and fun, too. The level of variation possible is deeply impressive. . . . The faster, more responsive processors – which already at the keynote’s hands-on area impressed because of the speed at which they worked – have plenty of potential.” — The Independent

“With a body about the same size as that of the iPhone 8 Plus, only with a far bigger screen, [the Xs Max] is oddly familiar to hold in the hand. Where the surprise (and, frankly, delight) comes in is when you turn that screen off. iOS has never had so much room to work on, at least not in a device you can…use single-handed.” — Slashgear

“I always found the Plus-sized iPhones to be ungainly, but the Max seems to be a little more ergonomic in subtle ways. If you’ve wanted a Plus before but were put off by the size, I’d at least try to hold the new Max before making your decision. . . . The most impressive demo this year is the new portrait mode feature, which allows you to adjust the bokeh after the shoot. It’s just fun to slide the dial left and right to get the exact right amount of blur.” — The Verge

iPhone Xr hands on reviews

“The screen is fine, but it’s noticeably less vibrant and sharp than the XS or XS Max in a side-by-side comparison. The camera is also stripped down, but it’s enough for most people. . . . I wouldn’t be surprised if this will be Apple’s top-selling phone this year. Most people don’t care about OLED, no matter how great it looks.” — Ars Technica

“Side by side, the iPhone Xr screen looks duller and less pin-sharp. But remember, Apple used LCD screens up until last year’s iPhone X. . . . A single 12-megapixel camera resides on the back, and has the same upgraded technology as the iPhone Xs phones. You can’t zoom in as much, though, and you have fewer portrait lighting effects. . . . There’s no more 3D Touch, which means you won’t press in to launch apps or see widgets. However, you can still launch the camera app and flashlight from the lock screen.” — CNET

“It definitely feels a little chunkier than the Xs and the Xs Max, but Apple’s attention to fit and finish remains first-rate here. . . . it doesn’t have the same kind of color depth that the Xs’s AMOLED screen does, but . . . it’s still nice to look at. The XR also has a single rear camera, and it seemed to take perfectly pleasant photos in the demo room. . . . More importantly, the XR’s A12 Bionic chipset means it basically runs just as fast as its pricier siblings.” — Engadget

“The XR definitely felt a bit thick in-hand, though just barely. Ditto for the weight, which is 6.84 ounces to the XS’s 6.24. . . . The XR feels like less of an afterthought, unlike the iPhone 8, which was hugely overshadowed by the iPhone X. It looks and feels enough like the premium handset.” — TechCrunch

“The iPhone Xr colors are extremely vibrant in person; the coral and red, in particular, are terrific. (They’re honestly a reason to get the Xr over the Xs if you don’t care about the other features like dual cameras and 3D Touch.) The Xr lacks the stainless steel frame of the Xs, but it still has an aluminum frame. It does feel noticeably lighter than the Xs, however, much like how the iPhone 8 felt compared to last year’s X.” — The Verge

iPhone Xs vs competitors

If you’re open to an Android phone instead of Apple iOS 12, Engadget has put together a tidy specs comparison chart that lines up the iPhone Xs vs competitors. (Hint: Based on specs alone, the most “bang for your buck” is from someone you might not suspect.)

Similarly, the iPhone Xs Max also has a lot of big phone competitors—most recently the new Samsung Galaxy Note 9, and soon Pixel 3 XL, which Google is set to unveil the first week of October. (Update: See our roundup of Pixel 3 specs and first reviews here.)

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