Apple Announces Release Of New Apple iPhone XS/iPhone XR For Fall Release

[ṼirulenⱦEqừinox]

iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR, Apple Watch 4: Everything Apple just announced

 

Welcome to the 2018 Apple September launch event, where the company delivered the long-awaited (well, since this time last year) details on its new iPhones, the flagship iPhone XS Max, its little buddy the iPhone XS and a mainstream replacement for the iPhone x, the iPhone XR. Plus, the Apple Watch Series 4 goes all-in on health with a built-in ECG and more.

 

As usual, the Apple Store went down in advance of the new product announcements.

 

Now that it's over, our takeway is Apple's testing your willingness to splurge, and testing our patience waiting for the things we didn't get.

In addition to its main mobile-device product announcements, Apple updated us on other product lines and how well it's doing, and more. Tim Cook pwned Twitter with a seemingly mistaken tweet that led into a Mission: Impossible-style intro. Here's the highlights:

All the original Apple TV programming that's been announced so far. Plus, Apple just signed deals for two movies: They star wolves and elephants.
Apple is about to ship its 2 billionth iOS device.

The iPhone XS uses recycled tin and bio-based plastics (and more), part of Apple's clean and renewable energy push.
Updates to the HomePod to make it more useful.

Price drops on the existing iPhones, with the iPhone 7 starting at $449. 

You'll be able to update to iOS 12 on Sept. 17 and MacOS Mojave on Sept. 24. (Is your device upgradeable to iOS 12?)

iPhone XS and XS Max

This is the big news that fans have been eagerly awaiting, prompting a leak- and speculation-fest in the months leading up to the big announcement. Wait no more.

 

The iPhone XS Max is bigger than the Note 9, and both it and the iPhone XS get a makeover inside and out.
Think the iPhone XS and XS Max prices are high? Well, they are. But check these out, too.

The new Core ML engine for game speed was highlighted in the mobile version of Elder Scrolls: Blades and Galaga.
They incorporate the industry's first 7nm CPU, the new A12 Bionic.

New cameras supplemented with AI-enhanced capabilities such as Smart HDR and facial feature detection ("facial landmarking").
They boast better battery life.

Both support dual SIMs (here's why you want them) with an eSIM and a physical nanoSIM.

iPhone XS starts at $999, the iPhone XS Max starts at $1,099. Both are shipping on Sept. 21.

 

iPhone XR

 

• Because not everyone can afford the flagships, there's the more affordable iPhone XR. It has an LCD-based, 6.1-inch "Liquid Retina" display.
• It's bigger and cheaper than the iPhone X.
• It too incorporates the A12 Bionic chip, the same (single) wide-angle camera as the XS models, and the same AI-driven camera features.
• Six finishes, four capacities, starts at $749. Preorders start Oct. 19 and it ships Oct. 26.

 

Apple Watch Series 4

 

• Thanks to its new zero-bezel design and having replaced the button with haptic touch regions, the new series of the Apple Watch increases its face size to 40mm and 44mm.
• The Apple Watch Series 4 is "an intelligent guardian for your health."
• When you'll be able to get Watch OS 5 for your current model.
• It now has an FDA-cleared built-in electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG), fall detectionwith emergency calls and more. 
• Preorders start on Friday, Sept. 14, it ships Sept. 21, and prices start at $400 for the new models.
• Wave goodbye to the Watch Series 1, though the Series 3 gets cheaper.

 

--------------------------

 

Apple's iPhone XS, XS Max, XR test the limits of your budget

You want to stay loyal to Apple? You're going to have to pay for the privilege.

 

Apple's standout feature in its new lineup of iPhones isn't an upgraded camera or even new design. It's a higher price tag.

The company on Wednesday launched a trio of phones -- the iPhone XR, the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max -- in its most important product event of the year. But regardless of which iPhone you choose, you'll end up paying more than ever. The starting price for the iPhone XR, which uses cheaper parts like an aluminum body and LCD display, is $749. That's up $50 from last year's $699 for the iPhone 8, itself a bump from 2016. 

Likewise, the starting price of the Apple Watch jumped up to $399 for the new Series 4 version from last year's $329 price tag. 

 

 

The pricier products, which once again set a precedent for Apple, are just the latest example of smartphone makers steadily asking more of their customers. Apple has led the charge in this area, making headlines last year after introducing the first $999 smartphone. Samsung matched that price with its Galaxy Note 9 last month, but even formerly budget-friendly players like OnePlus have increased their prices.

"They are certainly helping the tide rise for premium pricing," said Gartner analyst Tuong Nguyen, who noted that other phone makers will likely shift their prices up as well. 

The higher prices partly reflect the inclusion of more sophisticated materials and components in these premium phones, from advanced processors to sensors that enable face recognition. But there's also an element of competing manufacturers feeling they can get away with it, especially as these phones have become such a critical part of our lives.    

Apple, after all, boasts industry-leading profit margins for its iPhones. After years of keeping prices steady at $649 for the entry-level iPhone 7 in 2016, the cost has crept up and rose to as much as $1,149 for the larger-capacity, 256GB iPhone X last year. Starting at $999 for 64GB of storage, last year's iPhone X was the most expensive phone Apple ever sold.

This year's

 

Apple has the brand loyalty to make this move. But at some point, higher prices will hit a wall if consumers start agitating about the lack of real innovation, Nguyen warned. "They can continue to push this envelope, but they need to deliver commensurate value at the same time."

Pricing is a sensitive issue given the specter of tariffs that threaten to raise the cost to bring products into China. Apple took the rare step of warning that some of its products -- the Apple Watch and AirPods but, curiously, not the iPhone -- would be affected by the tariffs, part of an escalating trade war between the US and China. 

 

President Donald Trump responded in a tweet, urging Apple to make its products in the US. "Apple prices may increase because of the massive tariffs we may be imposing on China -- but there is an easy solution where there would be ZERO tax, and indeed a tax incentive," Trump said.

The tariffs didn't get a mention at Wednesday's presentation. 

 

The annual iPhone launch is Apple's biggest event of the year because so much is at stake. Apple, which became the US' first trillion-dollar company in August, has been soaring over the past few years, largely thanks to the success of the iPhone. It needs this splashy launch to keep the momentum going and to hook you into services like Apple Music and accessories like the AirPods. 

 

 

The iPhone 5C redux?

 

Of the three new iPhones, the iPhone XR is the most intriguing -- as evidenced by the fact that it served as the finale of the event. 

It's the cheapest of the new iPhones, but rocks a 6.1-inch LCD display and includes Apple's Face ID camera. It features the new A12 Bionic chip, the industry's first computer processing unit that runs on a 7-nanometer architecture, which means it packs in more transistors to run faster and more efficiently.

 

The phone comes in six colors -- black, white, red, yellow, coral and blue -- which brings to mind the iPhone 5C, the last time the company made a splash with colorful lower-cost models. 

 

The iPhone 5C, however, was a bust. The phone was clearly a cheap alternative with lower end specs and materials, and consumers shunned the option. 

 

 

What the iPhone XR has going for it is its metal body (albeit aluminum) and the fact that it has a larger display than last year's iPhone X. Most the specs, such as the A12 chip, are the same as the flagship iPhone XS and XS Max. 

 

Its biggest drawback is the single-lens rear camera, although Apple touts the ability to take portrait mode photos. Apple also says you'll get 90 minutes more battery life on your iPhone XR than on the iPhone 8 Plus. 

 

Unlike the iPhone 5C, iPhone XR embraces the same experience as the rest of the flagship lineup

"The XR is a no compromise choice compared to any previous attempt like the 5C or SE," said Carolina Milanesi, an analyst at Creative Strategies.

The real flagship iPhones

 

The iPhone XS, meanwhile, is the true successor to the iPhone X, and is virtually indistinguishable from last year's model. It once again features a crisper OLED display. While the rear cameras remain the same, Apple walked through some of the software enhancements it added to improve the photo capabilities. 

 

It starts at $999, just like last year's iPhone X. 

 

The iPhone XS Max is the supersized version of the iPhone XS. And with a 6.5-inch OLED display, it will be among the biggest smartphones on the market. The Galaxy Note 9, the premier phablet out there, sports a slightly smaller 6.4-inch display. 

 

The phone will start at $1,099. At the high end, it'll set you back $1,499.

 

"As Apple has shown with the iPhone X, people are willing to pay more for phones if they offer a better experience," said Avi Greengart, an analyst at Global Data. 

 

Fittingly, Apple added a gold option to the XS and XS Max, too.

 

The iPhone XR and iPhone XS line represent a lift in the price range, suggesting that even as competition heats up among Android competitors on the low end, Apple plans to stay above the fray and largely target consumers who can afford to splurge.

 

Apple Watch gets facelift

 

The iPhones weren't the only products to get the spotlight on Wednesday. Apple kicked off its event with the Apple Watch Series 4, which is the first to get a significantly new design since the original came out in 2015.

 

Taking its cues from the iPhone X, Apple slimmed down the bezel around the display, allowing it to expand the screen while keep the body shape similar.

 

Apple is maintaining its health kick with a focus on heart rate monitoring with its electrocardiogram sensor, which has received clearance from the Food and Drug Administration. The company said that even with the new display and ECG support, it has the same battery life as the previous version, which it estimates at around 18 hours. 

 

 

The biggest feature add to Watch besides the larger viewable image area was its heart health features, in particular its ability to perform an ECG and also detect AFib [atrial fibrillation]," said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst at Moor Insights & Strategy. "Add that to fall detection and notification and I can see kids buying one for their parents and grandparents."

 

The Series 4 should further cement Apple's leadership position in the smartwatch market, which has failed to take off in a meaningful way. Apple doesn't reveal sales figures for the device, but market researcher IDC estimates that nearly half of the 43.5 million smartwatches shipped this year will come from Apple.

 

The new additions don't come cheap. Beyond the $399 starting price, the version with an LTE connection starts at $499. 

 

Increasingly, Apple is sending the signal that if you're looking to save a few bucks on your next Apple product purchase, you'll need to look to its older products. But even then, it's slimmer pickings. When the Apple website came back online after Wednesday's event ended, only the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7 remained available for purchase. Likewise, Apple killed off the original Apple Watch, leaving a discounted $279 Series 3 version available for purchase. 

 

If you want to stay in the Apple universe, it looks like you're going to have pay for the privilege. 

iPhone XS vs. iPhone XS Max vs. iPhone XR: What's the difference?

 

 

The iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR are now fully revealed by Apple, and all of those announcements flew by fast. With the iPhone X now out of the Apple Store, your iPhone X choices for the next year boil down to one of these phones (though you could still get the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus, or the iPhone 7).

 

All three new iPhones for 2018 share most of the same core features, but it pays to know how they're different, and not just their price. (See chart below for pricing and specs.)

 

Screen size and display: 5.8, 6.1, 6.5 inches

• The iPhone XS has the smallest physical footprint of the three, while the iPhone XS Max has an absolutely enormous screen, with 6.5-inches of real estate to gaze upon. The iPhone XR uses the LCD screens of Apple's past, and lacks the pressure-sensing 3D Touch feature that debuted on the iPhone 6S. Instead, it uses haptic feedback like a trackpad when you long-press an icon on the display.
• iPhone XR: 6.1-inch LCD display, Liquid Retina Display pixel density of 326ppi 
• iPhone XS: 5.8-inch OLED display, Super Retina pixel density of 458ppi
• iPhone XS Max: 6.5-inch OLED display, Super Retina pixel density of 458ppi

 

Materials

• iPhone XR: Aluminum body with glass front and back
• iPhone XS: Stainless steel body with glass back and front
• iPhone XS Max: Stainless steel body with glass back and front

Colors

• iPhone XR: Blue, coral, yellow, white, black, Project Red
• iPhone XS: Gold, silver, space gray
• iPhone XS Max: Gold, silver, space gray

Camera features

• All three new iPhones have at least one 12-megapixel rear camera (with OIS) and a 7-megapixel front-facing camera that supports Face ID unlocking and Animojis. While the iPhone XR lacks a second rear camera, it uses software to take artistic portrait-style shots with background blur (called Bokeh). 
• Smart HDR is a new feature that applies to the trio, automatically detecting and fixing red-eye, calling out highlights and deepening shadows. Enhanced portrait selfie software also comes to all three new phones.
• iPhone XR: 12-megapixel camera (f1.8), 5X digital zoom, three portrait lighting effects
• iPhone XS: Dual 12-megapixel camera (f 1.8 wide-angle and f2.4 telephoto), 10x digital zoom, five portrait lighting effects
• iPhone XS Max: Dual 12-megapixel camera (f 1.8 wide-angle and f2.4 telephoto), 10x digital zoom, five portrait lighting effects

 

Battery life

 

• Apple never shares specific battery capacity (usually measured in milliampere hours, or mAh), but does give guidance on how much longer than other devices it expects these phones to last. The iPhone XR could potentially have the longest battery life of the three, though we won't know for sure until after we test all three phones.
• iPhone XR: Apple claims it will run 90 minutes longer than the iPhone 8 Plus, the longest-lasting iPhone of 2017
• iPhone XS: Apple claims it will run 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X
• iPhone XS Max: Apple claims it will run 90 minutes longer than the iPhone X

 

Internal storage

• iPhone XR: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
• iPhone XS: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB
• iPhone XS Max: 64GB, 256GB, 512GB

 

Preorder and sale dates

• iPhone XR: Preorder Oct. 19; sale date Oct. 26
• iPhone XS: Preorder Sept. 14; sale date Sept. 21
• iPhone XS Max: Preorder Sept. 14; sale date Sept. 21

 

Edited September 14, 2018 by AiraCobra

[Jimmy]

Almost $900 here for the base variant of the XR and that too with a LCD Display. It's like a complete rip-off. Not worth paying this hefty sum, not in 2018.

[ṼirulenⱦEqừinox]

I'm a little miffed with myself as I just bought the Apple Watch 3 Series, I knew I should've waited a few more months as the 4 series would be coming out soon but then again I did get it on sale so....

[E•MO•TION]

5 hours ago, AiraCobra said:

I'm a little miffed with myself as I just bought the Apple Watch 3 Series, I knew I should've waited a few more months as the 4 series would be coming out soon but then again I did get it on sale so....

So much this.

 

I too had contemplated waiting for Series 4 but I just couldn't wait. I bought my Series 3 in March. The worst part if I scratched it within a month of purchase so rip resale value.

[ṼirulenⱦEqừinox]

It wasn't so much that I couldn't wait it was that my Series 1 watch was spazzing out and was needing to be replaced and Verizon had a sale going on so I went ahead and purchased it at the time.

 

But I doubt the Series 4 watch is going to have such groundbreaking technology that the Series 3 becomes so obsolete as I pretty much just use the watch for checking time, reading messages when I get one, sometimes answering calls if my phone is in the other room, sometimes using the Apple Pay I don't use any of the exercise stuff or anything else.

[Jimmy]

https://www.gsmarena.com/huawei_gave_away_free_power_banks_to_people_queuing_for_iphones-news-33388.php

 

This happened in Singapore and it's some good old fashioned trolling even though the XS has a massive 3100+mAh battery.

[Waddy]

I got the XS Max yesterday, I had the 8 plus before. 

Not too keen on the Face ID thing, preferred the thumb print one but I am sure I will get used to it. 

 

Only had it a short time but the battery life is not as good as my 8 plus. 

[Jimmy]

4 hours ago, Waddy said:

I got the XS Max yesterday, I had the 8 plus before. 

Not too keen on the Face ID thing, preferred the thumb print one but I am sure I will get used to it. 

 

Only had it a short time but the battery life is not as good as my 8 plus. 

That's interesting, considering the fact that the iPhone 8 plus had 2691mAh battery compared to the 3174mAh unit on the XS Max. Seems like the resources on the new device are more power consuming. Also, talking about Face ID, I prefer it over the Face Unlock. I've been a SE User since 2016 and I think it was one of the last few decent devices ever launched by Apple.

[HaRdSTyLe_83]

On 9/14/2018 at 12:45 PM, Jimmy said:

Almost $900 here for the base variant of the XR and that too with a LCD Display. It's like a complete rip-off. Not worth paying this hefty sum, not in 2018.

 

i dont understand why people spend half of that in a cell phone, specially on apple products.

[Jimmy]

Just now, HaRdSTyLe_83 said:

 

i dont understand why people spend half of that in a cell phone, specially on apple products.

I actually spent 1/3rd of it on my iPhone SE. Bought it on Amazon during a sale for about (18,000 INR) which roughly translated to $300 during the period. It was a decent investment if you ask me. Compact device and latest hardware during that point.

[sivispacem]

The SE is only iPhone 5S hardware underneath AFAIK. It was never "latest", but designed to replace the 5C as an entry-level product.

[Doctor Holliday]

This is madness.

 

It's amazing how this cult has succeeded so quickly. Everyone thinks they need to shell out a thousand dollars every 10 months for a brand new cell phone and connecting electronic watch with what can barely be described as the most incremental of updates are trickled out and presented as though they are revolutionary. The screen is ever so slightly bigger. The processor ever so slightly faster. Another megapixel. The actual usability and functionality never changes but the lines wrapping around for blocks outside of the Apple stores every holiday keep growing like sheep herding to slaughter. And the news cameras line up to film these boobs who jump around and celebrate as they leave the store with their thousand dollar brick. Didn't their last brick work just fine?

 

I haven't bought a new cell phone in years. I've got the Samsung Note 7; not the one where the battery would melt but the one that was totally fine... and guess what? It's still fine.

I've never felt for a moment that it was too slow or that the camera wasn't powerful enough or that the screen was too small. Aside from stupid thumb prints and facial recognition passwords, it still does everything that any new phone right now can do. Battery life is great. Software still gets updated. Hardware still performs like the day I picked it up from the store. My screen isn't even cracked!

 

Bow before me, mortals

But seriously, the cell phone industry is insane...

Edited September 27, 2018 by Doctor Holliday

[Waddy]

1 hour ago, Doctor Holliday said:

This is madness.

 

It's amazing how this cult has succeeded so quickly. Everyone thinks they need to shell out a thousand dollars every 10 months for a brand new cell phone and connecting electronic watch with what can barely be described as the most incremental of updates are trickled out and presented as though they are revolutionary. The screen is ever so slightly bigger. The processor ever so slightly faster. Another megapixel. The actual usability and functionality never changes but the lines wrapping around for blocks outside of the Apple stores every holiday keep growing like sheep herding to slaughter. And the news cameras line up to film these boobs who jump around and celebrate as they leave the store with their thousand dollar brick. Didn't their last brick work just fine?

 

I haven't bought a new cell phone in years. I've got the Samsung Note 7; not the one where the battery would melt but the one that was totally fine... and guess what? It's still fine.

I've never felt for a moment that it was too slow or that the camera wasn't powerful enough or that the screen was too small. Aside from stupid thumb prints and facial recognition passwords, it still does everything that any new phone right now can do. Battery life is great. Software still gets updated. Hardware still performs like the day I picked it up from the store. My screen isn't even cracked!

 

Bow before me, mortals

But seriously, the cell phone industry is insane...

Incorrect. 

I probably use my phone for 80% of my income, and many people do. 

If it comes out every year and has a better camera for pictures and video then it means I can do things better. 

The cost is nothing in comparison to what the phone makes. 

[Doctor Holliday]

Yeah and how many people are making thousands of dollars off the use of their iPhone?

Not the majority...

[HaRdSTyLe_83]

2 hours ago, Waddy said:

Incorrect. 

I probably use my phone for 80% of my income, and many people do. 

 

and you most likely still do the same job on a 100$ cell phone

 

3 hours ago, Waddy said:

If it comes out every year and has a better camera for pictures and video then it means I can do things better.  

i doubt it was that what you were refering as "making money with your phone"  cuz there are cameras that cost half of that and get twice the image quality

Edited September 27, 2018 by HaRdSTyLe_83

[Jimmy]

8 hours ago, sivispacem said:

The SE is only iPhone 5S hardware underneath AFAIK. It was never "latest", but designed to replace the 5C as an entry-level product.

SE came back in March 2016 and iPhone 6s had the most powerful and latest hardware for an Apple device. Considering that the specs inside SE were same as 6s, I used the term latest and keeping in mind that iPhone 7 wasn't even ready for sales, back when I purchased the SE. It may have been an entry level device but the specs were much better than that, if you exclude only the screen size and front camera.

[Waddy]

9 hours ago, Doctor Holliday said:

Yeah and how many people are making thousands of dollars off the use of their iPhone?

Not the majority...

Quite a lot of people actually. I know many people who do. However my work is kind of unique. 

7 hours ago, HaRdSTyLe_83 said:

 

and you most likely still do the same job on a 100$ cell phone

 

i doubt it was that what you were refering as "making money with your phone"  cuz there are cameras that cost half of that and get twice the image quality

No, I couldn't. 

I was 100% referring to making money using my phone. The phone is fast, easy and convienient and is vital for me. 

Take pic/Video, message - get reply - make money. 

 

The image quality has to be as good as it can be for what I do. Which is the same for many. 

I cannot, even though I have a high quality SLR use it all the time, its too clumsy and big. Then setting up etc. 

I don't have to transfer the images and video from a memory card, convert it to different formats etc. Its pain. The phone is easy.

Now I am not even saying iPhone is the best phone, I am sure other phones are as good and maybe better. I just find more people use iPhone in my line of work so its better to send images and video iPhone to iPhone (IMO)

 

[sivispacem]

5 hours ago, Jimmy said:

SE came back in March 2016 and iPhone 6s had the most powerful and latest hardware for an Apple device. Considering that the specs inside SE were same as 6s, I used the term latest and keeping in mind that iPhone 7 wasn't even ready for sales, back when I purchased the SE. It may have been an entry level device but the specs were much better than that, if you exclude only the screen size and front camera.

I stand corrected. I though the SE used the A8 SoC rather than the A9 from the later 6S. I also thought the launch coincided with that of the 7.

[Jimmy]

30 minutes ago, sivispacem said:

I stand corrected. I though the SE used the A8 SoC rather than the A9 from the later 6S. I also thought the launch coincided with that of the 7.

It's a good thing that it didn't coincide with the 7. It was a beautiful device to be launched. I think 6 was the last device to ship with the A8. A9 is a good performer and less power hungry as compared to the A8. 

 

Man, even after all this time, the device looks still pretty. And plays Fortnite really well. Not the most recent images, but here we go: