iPhone X vs XS

iPhone X: The Ole’ Reliable

Apple’s iPhone X was a revolutionary product that set the bar higher than ever before for their competitors. The X model introduced an innovative edge-to-edge display that was a highly popular feature among consumers. This gave more screen room for the phone to take advantage of clocking in around a 5.8” diagonal, which is bigger than any other iPhone ever released. The display was also upgraded to an Organic LED (OLED) display which does use as much power than a back-lit screen does. Additionally, OLED screens create their own light and this permits for a wider viewing range of crispier colors with a contrast ratio of 1,000,000:1. This development blows any LCD screens in the previous era out of the water.

Apple upgraded many different physical and technical attributes compared to its previous counterparts. The iPhone X introduced an all new slick stainless steel foundation accompanied by front and back glass panels. Ths stainless steel structure is a much stronger material than the previous aluminum foundation of the older phones that Apple has released. This allows the phone to be more shock absorbent when it is dropped and hit in any way. The stainless steel combo restricts the color variants of the X model due to the fact that color is applied through a form of oxidation. The iPhone X is available only in Silver and Space Grey when it was released back in 2017. 

The all new dual 12MP wide and telephoto cameras featured on the Apple X definitely have a lot of heads turning. The dual lens system takes advantage of its power by introducing portrait mode technology which creates a depth-of-field effect to blur out any background noise for any picture. They’re five modes offered for portrait mode: Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono. The X model allows for 4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps,  2x optical zoom, and 6x digital zoom. This camera upgrade was well overdue for Apple’s iPhones and the X model was definitely an obvious upgrade compared to other iPhones.

The iPhone X sports the same chip as the previous iPhone 8 Plus model which is an A11 Bionic chip with neural engine technology processor. Although the same chip was featured in previous iPhones, the raw power of the processor can speak for itself. The 3GBs of RAM offered in the iPhone X is well enough for most day-to-day operations to operate at lightning speeds. The battery operates at 2,716mAh of power which is equivalent to up to 13 hours of video playback and 60 hours of audio playback. 

iPhone XS: The Big Brother

Many view the iPhone XS as the older sibling compared to the iPhone X. The XS carries over many aspects that the iPhone X already had but a few improvements and changes here and there. Many of the developments in the XS don’t come in physical appearance but in technical advancements. The XS still features the edge-to-edge display that was a very popular feature in the previous X model. The only difference in physical terms is the XS is a bit more heavier than the X by a 0.10 ounce difference. The iPhone XS still uses the shock absorbing stainless steel and glass structure, but Apple added Gold to the color variants of the new phone in addition to the original Silver and Space Grey models.

The iPhone XS model features the same dual 12MP wide and telephoto cameras system as the X, but offers smart HDR photo quality when taking pictures compared to the X’s auto HDR setting. This allows for better quality photos and precise focusing in difficult lighting which runs automatically in the XS. Six options of portrait lighting are available for the XS which are: Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono, one more than the X was offered. The XS runs the same 4K video recording stats at 24 fps, 30 fps, or 60 fps, extended dynamic range for video up to 30 fps, 2x optical zoom, and 6x digital zoom. A difference between the two when comparing the 7MP front facing camera on the XS is that it can record 1080p HD video at 30fps or 60fps, compared to the X only able to record at 30 fps max.

Taking a look at the technical advantages the XS has over the X is a whole new game. The iPhone XS is equipped with a A12 Bionic Chip with 2nd generation Neural Engine which packs a way heavier punch than the previous A11 chip processor that was in the iPhone X. The XS also has 4GBs of RAM, which is one more than the X model which only used 3GBs of RAM. Although, it may seem like a small difference, having that extra gigabyte of ram allows for a lot more power to be brought towards day-to-day functions. This allows for more advanced apps, for example Photoshop, to be used without any hiccups or delays. 

The battery was also upgraded to 3179mAh of output from the X’s 2,716mAh output. This isn’t a major difference but it is definitely there when tested. The XS model allows for up to 14 hours of video playback, which is an hour more than the X, and 60 hours of audio playback.

Conclusion

Bringing up the last point of comparison, the price of the iPhone X vs the iPhone XS. Both phones were set at $999+ during release, but have since dropped when entering the used market place. On average, the iPhone XS is priced at around ~$90-100 more than the iPhone X model. It may seem obvious to some to choose the cheaper X phone, but at $100 more, you are essentially receiving a more powerful and advanced iPhone X. The choice comes down to personal preference at the end of the day and if you are searching for a better bang for your buck phone than the iPhone X is certainly the way to go. If you do not mind spending a bit extra for a more powerful unit, then the iPhone XS will handle the job for you.