It’s September and that means time for another Apple event. Love or hate Apple products, this is easily one of the most anticipated tech events across the world. After launch the bezel-free iPhone X last year and starting a crazy trend of bezel-less phones across all players, this year was expected for Apple to push the envelope further. Apart from the usual updates around chip, camera, battery life, they had more to offer in their range of iPhone models including a brand new cheaper one – iPhone XR.
The iPhone X family which was kicked-off last year and removed any possibility of an iPhone 9 now get some much-needed upgrades in terms of tech and battery. The A12 Bionic chips boasts some solid power making it possible for Apple to create yet another “BEST IPHONE EVER”.
Having been watching Apple Launch events all these years, there are some things I have come to expect especially for iPhone. And these have ceased to amaze now. Hardware and software upgrades come under this. So while iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max do not really get much of a facelift, as expected a lot is happening under the hood to make it a great apple phone.
On the other hand, the cheaper iPhone XR seems to be getting the best of multiple worlds – it gets the best features of their top-tier iphones, colors of the cheaper iPhones and becomes a cheaper, strong alternative to iPhone X family of phones. While in real sent at $749 it’s not exactly cheap, it’s definitely power-packed and of great value when compared with the price tags of its siblings.
iPhones have been a great craze in India for a while. Even though, oppo, vivo, huawei, one plus have been literally eating away the market, they still cannot boast the kind of brand appeal Apple has.
iPhone XS & XS Max Specs in brief
- Two sizes: 5.8-inch (458 ppi) and 6.5-inch (458 ppi), with OLED HDR screen (Super Retina displays)
- Colors: Gold, silver and space gray finishes
- Dual camera: 12-megapixel wide and telephoto lenses
- Front-facing cameras: 7-megapixel camera will bring depth to portrait mode photos
- A12 Bionic chip: 7-nanometer processor promises to launch apps 30 percent faster than 2017 iPhones
- Storage options: 64GB, 128GB, 512GB
- IP68 water-resistance rating (2 meters depth; up to 30 minutes in water)
- Battery life: iPhone XS should last 30 minutes longer than iPhone X; iPhone XS Max claims 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone X
- Dual-SIM card support through eSIM technology
- Face ID promises to work faster at unlocking the phones
- 3D Touch pressure-sensitivite screen
- Stereo sound with a wider stereo field than 2017 iPhones
- iOS 12 software
- Pricing: Starts at $999 (£999, AU$1,629) for 64GB iPhone XS
iPhone XR Specs in brief
- 6.1-inch LCD screen with 1,792×828-pixel resolution and 326ppi (Retina display)
- Aluminum body with glass back
- Single camera: 12-megapixel wide-angle lens, with OIS (same as iPhone XS)
- Storage options: 64GB, 128GB, 256GB
- Portrait mode photos through software
- FaceID with same True-Depth camera system as iPhone XS
- A12 Bionic chip
- Battery life claim: 1.5 hours more per day than the iPhone 8 Plus
- IP67 water resistance
- No 3D Touch on iPhone XR. Instead, you get haptic touch, like a trackpad
- iOS 12 software
- Colors: Blue, coral (pink), yellow, white, black, Product Red
- Price: Starts at $749 (£749, AU$1,229)
iPhone XR, XS and XS Max Launch Dates
While preorder for XS and XS Max in US begin on 14th Sept, the phones are expected to go on sale from 21st Sept. The India date as per official communication stands at around 28th September but from experience one can expect delays. The iPhone XR which I think will sell better in India will be launched in the second half of October and may sell really well during the diwali season.
iPhone XR, XS, XS MAX US pricing
| 64GB | 128GB | 256GB | 512GB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone XR | $749 | $799 | $899 | N/A |
| iPhone XS | $999 | N/A | $1,149 | $1,349 |
| iPhone XS Max | $1,099 | N/A | $1,249 | $1,449 |
The India pricing while not available in exact numbers can be estimated based on Apple’s previous pricing. The high dollar rate can also play a big role in making iPhone more expensive for Indians to own.
iPhone XR has been priced starting at around Rs.75000 while iPhone XS will start at around Rs.99000 and iPhone XS Max at around Rs.1,10,000.
You can now buy them on all major Apple partner stores and online stores like Amazon and Flipkart.
Click here to check prices and buy on Amazon
Click here to check prices of iPhone and buy on Flipkart
I especially would like to get a hold of yellow iPhone XR and see what it really looks like. Hope you are in the queue as well to empty your wallets and be the first ones to grab your hand on one these new devices.
Please leave your comments and let me know if any information mentioned here does not mirror reality.
