Apple iPhone XS, XS Max first impression: Well-refined versions of iPhone X [Video]

Apple had launched the new iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max along with the colourful iPhone XR at the Steve Jobs Theater earlier this month. And the first two models will make their way to Indian stores on September 28.

While the iPhone XR model is slated for mid-October release, I have been given the opportunity to test the iPhone XS and the XS Max. Here's my initial impression of the iPhone X successors.

Design and build quality:

There's no discernible change in terms of design language between the iPhone XS series and the original iPhone X, except for the bigger screen size of the XS Max version. If you keep the generic iPhone XS beside the iPhone X, many won't be able to differentiate between them unless the user is holding the Gold colour, which is exclusive to the new models. By the way, they also come in Space Grey and Silver.

There's one tiny change though. Apple has truncated the speaker grille in the left side of the base, making way for the additional antenna band. But make no mistake, the sound is awesome –loud and clear, than any phones I have used so far. In the demo, I was shown a clip of an action movie and have to say, I was blown away by the stereo sound effect.

The rest of the exterior looks are same as the iPhone X; be it the vertically aligned dual-camera on the top left corner, the Apple logo in the middle and iPhone engraving followed by some details at the back.

On the front, they come with a same uni-brow notch on top, which houses the advanced True Depth camera for FaceID and rest is all covered in beautiful AMOLED-based Super Retina display. It can be noted that iPhone XS Max seems to have a smaller notch, but it's actually the illusion created by the huge 6.5-inch (diagonal) screen. The dimension of the notch is same as that of the iPhone XS and the 2017-series iPhone X (review).

Also, believe it or not, the iPhone XS Max's front panel real estate is almost as same as the iPhone 8 Plus. Even iPhone 7 Plus users who plan to upgrade to the new iPhone will not feel any difficulty in how they operate and actually, they will definitely have a great time watching high-resolution videos.

The Super Retina display on both iPhone XS and the XS Max are bright and vibrant and reproduce near-accurate colours of the original video or the images.

In terms of durability, Apple has stepped up for iPhone XS series with IP68 ratings. This means, the new phones can survived underwater immersed up to 2 meters for 30 minutes and also can sustain even the accidental coffee or beer spills and also occasional drop in the toilet, which apparently happens more frequently for some (I believe Screen Time feature of the iOS 12 will definitely help these folks become less addictive to their mobile).

Also, Apple has incorporated high-strength glass on both the front and the back panel. It is said to be much sturdier than the one used in the iPhone X. And the new iPhone XS series come with surgery grade high-grade steel, which not only offers stability to the structure but also adds value in terms of the visual appeal.  Apple also has done a remarkable paint job, especially the yellow-metallic model, which looks like it is made of real gold.

Processor:

Both the iPhone XS series phones come with Apple's proprietary A12 Bionic, which is touted to be the most advanced and powerful processor for a mobile in the industry. Apple A12 is based on the 7nm class chipset, a six-core fusion architecture with two performance cores that are up to 15 per cent faster than the CPU performance cores in the A11 Bionic chip seen in the iPhone X. While four high-efficiency cores use up to 50 per cent less power. It comes with latest performance controller, which dynamically divides work across these cores, harnessing all six when a power boost is needed, the company claims.

In the brief time, I have spent with iPhone XS series, it has been super responsive in terms of opening the apps, camera loading and most importantly the AR apps and games work flawlessly. In the demo, I was shown the beta version of the Bethesda Game Studios' The Elder Scrolls: Blades game and it is the most graphic-rich game I have seen on a mobile phone (again Super Retina display makes the experience even more enthralling) and the iPhone XS Max showed no signs of lag-ness.

I will be running iPhone XS series through its paces for the next week and let you know my thoughts in the detailed review in the coming week.

Battery life:

Though Apple does not reveal the cell capacity of the iPhones, they still live up to the standards in terms of call time, video playback time as claimed. In my experience of using the iPhone X for more than six months, I am confident the new iPhone XS and the XS Max, which come with the 7nm class A12 Bionic processor, will deliver long-lasting battery life. Will let you all know how the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max fared in my detailed review in the coming week.

e-SIM:

For the first time, Apple has incorporated the eSIM in iPhones. But, this feature will be activated with a software update in the coming weeks in the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max (also XR series, as well). In India, Reliance Jio and Airtel will offer this service. Once activated, consumers can add second SIM details via the carrier app or QR code at the store. With this, consumers can have one for personal and another for official purpose or use it for overseas travelling and never have to carry around two phones.

Camera:

On the outset, it looks like there's no change camera hardware in iPhone XS series over the iPhone X. They have the same dual 12MP wide-angle lens (F1.8) + 12MP telephoto (F2.4) dual OIS, but there is a small detail that makes a huge difference between the two generation phones. The new models actually come with better and bigger lens sizes, meaning more light to absorb and get better low-light images.

Apple claims the sensor features deeper pixels to improve image fidelity and larger pixels particularly important to get great low-light images. The sensor has more focus pixels and two times faster autofocus. The larger sensor improves video stabilization and is also twice as fast at reading out images, enabling new features never before possible.

And thanks to the advanced image signal processor in the A12 Bionic CPU, new improved lens, faster sensors, an enhanced ISP, and advanced algorithms— iPhone XS series comes with a new Smart HDR feature, which brings more highlight and shadow detail in the photos, which the original iPhone X or if that matters other top-end Android phones of 2018, too lacked.

Apple had done a remarkable job with iPhone X for video-recording and in fact was one of the best mobiles in the industry. Now, with the iPhone XS series, it has taken a step further with stereo video recording, leveraging on four sensitive mics that can record near-accurate sounds from all angles. I was impressed during the product demo and I am excited to try it myself soon.

Another highlight of the iPhone XS series' camera is the variable Focus (from F1.4 to F16) in the Portrait mode. The new iPhones collect a lot of depth-information in the single Portrait mode picture, that the user can literally change the blur-ness of the background with a swipe gesture and this is all thanks to powerful A12 Bionic. It is a great value addition and will definitely find traction among amateur photographers.

As far as the 7MP front camera is concerned, it takes decent selfies. There are some reports that selfies taken on iPhone XS series look smoothened, but I found these to be a bit over the top. Some blogs have over exaggerated the issue. But, I will try to get deep into this aspect and report back in my full review.

Key specifications of Apple iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS:

 Stay tuned. A detailed review is coming in a week.Follow us @IBTimesIN_Tech on Twitter and on Google News for the latest updates on Apple.