Apple will release the iPhone XS, a faster version of its flagship X, later this month. The company also announced the iPhone XR, a cheaper alternative that replaces the expensive OLED screen with LCD technology, and a larger version of the XS, the XS Max, at its launch event in California.
The iPhone XS, which the company say should be pronounced “Ten Ess” – will cost $999 for the basic 64GB version. Other than the option of acquiring the device in gold, the phone looks largely identical to its predecessor, but features the now-standard array of internal improvements, including a better camera, faster processor, and more internal storage, with an upper limit of 512GB.
The XS comes with a larger sibling, the iPhone XS Max, available for $1,099 for the 64GB version. The XS Max has a 6.5-inch screen, significantly larger than that of the older iPhone 8 Plus, but with the edge-to-edge design of the iPhone X line, the phone’s body isn’t that much larger. Inside, the phone appears to be near identical to its little relative – unlike in previous years, both phones have the same cameras and processors.
At the bottom end of the range is a new phone, the iPhone XR, that’s intended to replace the iPhone 8 in the lineup. This model, cheaper than the others thanks to its 6.1-inch LCD screen (which has more muted colour gamut and higher power consumption than the expensive OLED technology used in the iPhones X), starts at $749 and will be available from 19 October.
The outside of the case is brightly coloured aluminium, while inside, it’s largely the same as the XS. As the name suggests, the tactic is a repeat of the move Apple made when it turned the iPhone 5 into the iPhone 5C in 2013.
The XS and XS Max will be available for pre-order on Friday 14 September, for delivery and availability in stores on Friday 21 September, while the XR will be orderable from 19 October and will ship on 26 October. Prices in other currencies were not immediately announced.
Apple claim the iPhone XS will have 30 minutes longer battery life than the X, while the XS Max will have 90 mins more, giving the two devices 12 and 13 hours life during internet browsing.
Alongside the new iPhones, Apple also showed off a new version of the Apple Watch.
• This article was amended on 13 September 2018 because an earlier version said the iPhone XR was largely the same as the iPhone 8 inside. This has been corrected to say the XR is largely the same as the XS inside.
