Apple Announces Three New iPhone Models

Posted September 14, 2018

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It's that time of year again... Time for new iPhones.

Apple today announced three new iPhone models that will be released later in the fall. The new models are the iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS, and iPhone XR. The new phones are the next step in Apple's iPhone X series and expand on the success of the iPhone X.

Let's start with the iPhone XS and XS Max. These are the next step in the iPhone X series with the XS is the same size as the X at 5.8 inches but the iPhone XS Max is the plus model size with a screen size of 6.5 inches, which is a full inch larger than the iPhone 8 Plus. Both phones are outfitted with the new A12 Bionic Chip which allows for faster processing and better video processing (both playback and recording)

Which brings us to what's important to us about these phones: the camera systems. Most important for us, specifically, is the back facing camera system. As expected Apple has improved it's iPhone camera system (not dramatically) and keeps its place as one of the best camera systems on any smartphone model. Both models have a back facing dual 12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras, wide-angle aperture of f/1.8 and telephoto aperture f/2.4, new sensors (with larger pixels) to give you richer images and videos, optical image stabilization, and increased dynamic range. For video recording, both models can record 4K at 24 fps, 30 fps, and 60 fps, 1080p recording at 30 fps or 60 fps, and 720p recording at 30 fps.

Now onto the iPhone XR. The XR is basically a hybrid between the iPhone X and the iPhone 8. It is about the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus (it's a little taller and a touch thinner) and also has the new A12 Bionic Chip included in it. Unlike the iPhone 8 it uses the Face ID system and Apple says that on all three of the new models Face ID will be faster and smarter.

Onto the camera. This is not the phone to get of the three if you are serious about video, but the camera is still pretty good. The camera only has one camera on the back rather than the dual system. The camera on the back is a 12MP wide-angle lens that can record 4K up to 60 fps and 2X smart sensor. Not as good as the XS or XS Max, but still pretty good. One more little feature, the XR comes in multiple colors like blue and red.

The iPhone XS Max starts at $1,099, the XS starts at $999, and the XR starts at $749. They are all available for pre-order now from Apple (although you may find that they are selling out fast).

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