iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR

June 28, 2019

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Your old iPhone’s been there for the ugliest Snapchats to your mates, for the filter perfect selfies that grace your Tinder profile, and it’s been a loyal binge-watching companion. It’s been there for it all and has the scars to prove it – like a crack in the screen that appeared after that night out.

But the time’s come to say goodbye to ol’ faithful and to treat yourself to a new phone.

Picking a new iPhone is no easy task – they get better every year. Here’s some key differences between the iPhone XSiPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR to help you decide.

Screen size

Both the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max and the 5.8-inch iPhone XS boast a Super Retina OLED display. That coupled with HDR, true blacks, and brilliant colour accuracy make them the brightest, sharpest screens Apple’s ever offered.

The iPhone XR has the same full screen design, but with a 6.1-inch Liquid Retina display – the most powerful LCD display on any smartphone.

Colours

Like a bit of bling? Gold’s back for the iPhone XS and the XS Max. But, if you prefer a more understated look, then Space Grey and Silver are still available too.

The iPhone XR arrived last year and introduced us to a huge range of new colours. You’ve now got blue, red, black, white, coral, and yellow to choose from – sorry we know we’re supposed to be making it easier for you to pick.

All 3 have a glass back design. And while both the iPhone XS and XS Max have carried over the stainless-steel frame from the iPhone X, the iPhone XR has ditched it in favour of an aluminium one.

And, if you want to keep your iPhone looking pristine – don’t forget to pick up a screen protector and a phone case.

Battery and charging

Those glass backs don’t just look good – they mean that all 3 phones can be charged wirelessly. They’re all fast-charge capable too, giving you 50% charge in 30 mins.

They all have the new A12 Bionic Processor with 2 performance cores that are 15% faster and use 40% less power too.

What does that really mean though?

To put it simply, the iPhone XS Max lasts around 30 mins longer than the iPhone X while the iPhone XS lasts 1.5 hours longer. And the iPhone XR lasts up to 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone 8 Plus.

Camera

The days of needing a professional camera to take a perfect shot are long gone. You’ve got everything you need, right in the palm of your hand.

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max both have a dual lens, 12MP camera. It uses the A12 Bionic Processor, Neural Engine, plus a combination of clever sensors and algorithms to help you take your best shots.

We’re talking more detail in your phones, that pro bokeh effect – blurring the background to bring focus to your subject and those faster sensors make for flawless action shots.

The iPhone XR might lack the second camera lens but that doesn’t mean that you miss out on any photo quality. It uses the same impressive combo of tech as the iPhone XS.

They’ve all got a 7MP front-facing True Depth camera. This plus the enhanced Portrait Mode, Portrait Lighting, and True Tone flash make for picture perfect selfies no matter which iPhone you pick.

Now for the most important part – the price

This is the bit you’re probably most interested in – how much is it going to cost you? The most expensive of the 3 is the iPhone XS Max, which starts at £56 a month. The iPhone XS comes in next, starting at £42 a month. And if you’re on a tighter budget, the iPhone XR starts at £37 a month.

Fancy some new headphones to go with your shiny new iPhone? Then why not treat yourself to some? You can add AirPods 2, Beats Solo 3, BeatsX or PowerBeats Pro headphones to selected iPhone plans.

Or do you fancy treating yourself to a new iPhone 11iPhone 11 Pro or iPhone 11 Pro Max? They’re available to buy now – go check ’em out.