Apple launches iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR

Apple opened its launch event with the announcement of the new Apple Watch series 4, an update to the Apple Watch 3 bearing the same original design but with a larger screen display pushed to the edges and curved cornered design. The watch also has a redesigned UI which enhances display, allowing customers see more in photos, maps, calendars and showing more information.

The watch face can now be customized so you can add loved once to watch face and also track lives score. The digital crown on the Apple watch series 4 has been upgraded to be more responsive and include new active feedback. The speaker is now 50% louder for enhanced phone call and Siri experience. Microphone position ha been moved to the opposite side, farther away from the speaker to reduce echo. Apple watch series 4 is powered by the s4 chip which enables a new fall detection and inbuilt ECG feature. The series 4 can detect a fall, detects if you are not mobile for about a minute and then place an emergency call. Apple promises that that Apple watch series 4 will provide an 18 hours all day battery life which can power a marathon race….. just if you decide to go on one.

Apple also announced the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and XR with 5.8-inch and 6.5-inch and 6.1-inch display respectively. The three phones are powered by the A12 Bonic chip which unlocks real-time machine learning used for AR. Face ID returns to the new iPhones, design similar to the previous iPhone X, a notch, wireless charging, dust and water resistant and have up to 512GB storage option. Interestingly, the new iPhones are dual SIM enabled, a physical SIM and an e-SIM, however iPhones for the Chinese market will have two physical SIM slots.

The iPhone XS and XS Max have dual 12MP cameras, one wide angle with deeper sensor and one telephoto lens. Both are fitted with OIS, f/1.8 aperture and an improved tone flash. The front camera 7MP with f/2.2 aperture. Other features of the cameras include smart HDR, portrait mode and higher quality video recording.

The iPhone XR is a cheaper model of the new iPhone with a 6.1-inch liquid retina LCD display, with 326 ppi and powered by the same A12 Bionic chip. The iPhone XR does not have the usual ‘Home’ button native to the iPhone, instead it features taps, haptic touch and swipes. You swipe down for notifications and tap screen to wake. iPhone XR has a single 12MP wide camera, same with that of the iPhone XS and XS Max. It is has an edge-to-edge screen, a notch, glass back and comes in white, blue, coral, yellow and red.

Apple did not give figures for the battery capacity of the new iphones but only compared them with the previous iPhone models. Apple said the iPhone XS has 30 minutes more battery life than the iPhone X, the iPhone XS Max has 90 minutes more battery than the previous iPhone X while that of the iPhone XR has 90 minutes more battery than the iPhone 8 Plus.

The three models have the 64GB, 128GB and 512GB storage options. The iPhone XS starts at $999 for the 64GB version, $1,099 for the bigger iPhone XS Max and $749 for the iPhone XR.