Buy an Apple iPhone XS
Learn more about the Apple iPhone XS
The Apple iPhone XS scores 4.5 out of 5 from over 13054 reviews
13054 reviews
The iPhone XS is part of the 10th generation of the iPhone that encapsulates all of the best features of the iPhone X. Apple designed a beautiful, new unibody frame made of surgical-grade stainless steel for extra strength and durability. It has a 12MP dual camera for better photos, a big and colourful 5.8” Retina HD display, a faster and smarter A12 Bionic chip for better performance, and a new display feature without the established home screen button.
Some cool facts about the XS:
- The iPhone XS was released in September 2018
- The ‘s’ ranges from Apple are built to highlight the best and most-loved features of its original model.
- An iPhone XS on Phonetradr costs between R9,772 - R13,842. An XS from the iStore costs between R14,990 - R18,999, making your purchase on Phonetradr approximately 30% cheaper.
Camera
Better photos, clearer video. This is what you get...
12MP Front Camera
The 12-megapixel dual camera adds that much more detail and clarity to your photos with two lenses: A wide-angle lens to capture better landscapes, cities and streets and a new telephoto lens for stunning portraits and better zoom for distant subjects such as wildlife or sports. All of this adds up to memories that are brighter in colour and a more realistic representation of colour in life.
7MP Selfie Camera
The selfie camera has a 7-megapixel, front-facing camera.The camera also has a flash - something older iPhone models did not have.
Portrait Mode
Portrait mode gives your photos more depth and subjects more focus, giving you much more professional looking photos. You also get various lighting effects such as natural lighting, studio lighting, contour lighting and stage lighting.
Time Lapse
The time lapse feature lets you record a period of time in a sped-up fashion. For example. Record a whole day into a few seconds by perching your iPhone on a tripod on your rooftop. You can choose how many frames per second you want, allowing you to control the speed of the time lapse.
Slow Motion
Capture those often fast, unseen moments with the slow motion feature. You can shoot up to 240 frames per second, so now you can slow-mo that video of you popping a water balloon, doing a move on your skateboard or surprising a friend for her birthday.
Optical Zoom
The camera also gives you 2x optical zoom which works the same way as a zoom lens on a traditional or DSLR camera. Optical zoom is much better than digital zoom at taking photos from far away as it does not degrade image quality. The model also includes a 10x digital zoom.
Video
Record video up to 4K. The main benefit of 4K video is you get much smoother, sharper and clearer video that’s just beautiful to look at. The iPhone XS' video also gives you extra features like time lapse which condenses an entire day into a few seconds, slow motion to catch every detail of that action shot and optical image stabilisation that removes that “shaky hands” look.
Augmented Reality and your Camera
One of the biggest features in the iPhone XS is Augmented Reality (AR). At its essence, AR is digital information overlaid with the real world using your camera. The best way to understand how it works is through the new Measure app: You hold your phone up to an object or area and use a virtual tape measure to give you the length and height of it. Both cameras on the iPhone XS are individually calibrated with new gyroscopes and accelerometers to accurately track motion. For example, you can have a video chat with an animated face over your real face and as you blink your eyes, your animated face also blinks. It’s the same with mouth and tongue movements. At a restaurant and need help choosing a bottle of wine from the menu? Via the Vivino app, Hold your camera up to the wine list and it will give you ratings on each wine! AR games like the global phenomenon Pokemon Go create new and exciting worlds via your camera.
Flash
Your night shots are about to get LIT. The phone has Quad-LED True Tone with a Slow Sync flash, giving your photos well-lit backgrounds and foregrounds. The front-facing camera also has a flash for great selfies!
Tap-to-Focus
Just tap the part of the photo you want in focus and the camera will automatically bring focus to that part on the screen, allowing you to quickly capture moments more accurately.
Screen and Display
- The iPhone XS features a 2436x1125 Super Retina HD display.
- The screen makes use of True Tone, which automatically adjusts and matches the surrounding light and color balance for a more natural viewing experience.
- The screen has fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating so a simple rub against your shirt will remove the day’s finger marks.
- The screen has 458 pixels-per-inch (ppi) density, which means more clarity and detail on your screen.
- 3D Touch is integrated, which is a pressure-sensitive feature that can pick up three different kinds of pressure applied by your fingers for various tasks. The device responds differently according to each degree of pressure.
- The camera has wide colour display, which means you more colour for your photos and videos. This leads to better colour reproduction than any other iPhone that came before it.
- The screen is made of Gorilla Glass 6 and is made of surgical grade stainless steel for more strength and durability.
- The iPhone XS has dual-domain pixels giving you a better viewing experience from different angles. Look at your from phone from an angle on your desk and you will be able to read what’s on the screen much clearer.
Battery
How does the battery perform? Let’s look at the numbers…
- Battery capacity of 2658 mAh
- Lasts up to 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X
- Wireless talk time: Up to 20 hours
- Internet use up to 12 hours
- Video playback: Up to 14 hours
- Audio playback: Up to 60 hours
- Capable of charging the battery up to 50% in 30 minutes with an 18W charger
- Wireless charging possible with Qi chargers
- USB Charging
Dimensions
- The iPhone XS weighs 177 grams
- It's height is 14.3 cm
- It's length is 7.07 cm
- It's width is 0.7 cm
Chip Set
We like chips - The iPhone XS’ A12 Chip, that is.
Apple calls the iPhone XS the fast phone ever, and it’s all due to the A12 Bionic chip. The next-generation chip uses machine learning to change how you use your camera, video, augmented reality, gaming and more.
The chip has six cores - four for high efficiency and two for high performance. This promises speed and efficiency that’s 2x faster than the A11 chip and up to 50% lower in battery drainage.
The chip’s graphics processing is also an improvement from the A11 with four cores and 50% faster graphics processing.
Apple iPhone XS Durability Test
The iPhone XS was tested by CNet for its durability in real-life situations such as being dropped from a pocket onto a tar road
CNet conducted a drop test from the height of a pocket. The point of impact was the top corner of the display, with it landing face down. No dents, cracks or scratches were reported. During the same test, it was dropped from eye level. Once again, the steel frame broke the fall, this time leaving a tiny dent. Everything else remained intact.
Specifications
Display
2436x1125 pixel resolution at 458 ppi
HDR Display
LED-backlit IPS LCD
Capacitive touchscreen
16M colors
5.8-inch (diagonal) widescreen LCD Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
1,000,000:1 contrast ratio
True Tone display
Wide colour display (P3)
3D Touch
625 cd/m2 max brightness
Dual-domain pixels for wide viewing angles
Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Display Zoom
Reachability
OS
iOS 12, soon to be iOS 13
Connectivity
GSM/EDGE
4G LTE
Bluetooth 5.0
WiFi calling
Primary Camera
12-megapixel dual camera
Wide-angle: ƒ/1.8 aperture
Telephoto: ƒ/2.2 aperture
2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 10x
Optical image stabilisation
Six-element lens
Quad-LED True Tone flash with slow sync
Panorama (up to 63MP)
Sapphire crystal lens cover
Backside illumination sensor
Hybrid IR filter
Autofocus with Focus Pixels
Tap-to-focus with Focus Pixels
Live Photos with stabilisation
Wide colour capture for photos
Improved local tone mapping
Exposure control
Auto HDR for photos
Burst mode
Timer mode
Photo geotagging
Image formats captured: HEIF and JPEG
Edit raw images on your iPhone
Import photos and videos from a traditional camera
Camera Effects
Portrait mode
Depth control
Portrait Lighting
New filters
Editing tools
CPU
A12 Bionic Processor with 2.39 GHz hexa-core 64-bit
Battery
2,658mAh
Lasts up to 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X
Wireless talk time: Up to 20 hours
Internet use up to 12 hours
Video playback: Up to 14 hours
Audio playback: Up to 60 hours
Fast-charge capable: Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 18W adapter or higher (available separately)
Dimensions
Height: 14.3 cm
Length: 7.07 cm
Width: 0.70 cm
Sim Type
Nano SIM
Chip Set
Apple A12 Bionic
Neural Engine
Secondary Camera
7MP camera
1080p HD video recording
Retina Flash
ƒ/2.2 aperture
Wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos
Auto HDR for photos
Backside illumination sensor
Auto image stabilisation
Burst mode
Exposure control
Timer mode
Video
4K video recording at 24 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps
1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
720p HD video recording at 30 fps
Optical image stabilisation for video
2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 6x
Quad-LED True Tone flash
Slo-mo video support for 1080p at 120 fps and 240 fps
Time-lapse video with stabilisation
Cinematic video stabilisation (1080p and 720p)
Continuous auto-focus video
Take 8MP still photos while recording 4K video
Playback zoom
Video geotagging
Video formats recorded: HEVC and H.264
RAM
4GB
Accessibility Features for the iPhone XS
These features help people with disabilities make full use of their iPhone XS
VoiceOver
This feature allows users to type a message on their screen and have the iPhone read the text out aloud.
Zoom
Zoom allows users to magnify their screen making text and the overall appearance larger and easier to read. One can magnify the screen up to 15 times its original size.
RTT
Real-time text (RTT) allows users with hearing impairments to type and send a conversational text while on the phone
Dictation
The dictation feature allows a user to verbally relay a message while the iPhone types it out. This may be helpful for users who have impairments with their hands or fingers.
Type to Siri
Type to Siri is useful for people unable to speak. One can type a query to Siri instead of saying it.
Speak Screen
Speak Screen reads anything that’s being displayed on your phone.
Assistive Touch
Assistive Touch helps users who have difficulty pressing buttons, applying 3D Touch and pinch-to-zoom on an iPhone or iPad. The feature provides an onscreen button which can be tapped instead of having to physically press it on the side.
Closed Captions
Closed captions were created for users who are deaf or hard of hearing. Closed captions are also known as subtitles for video or audio material.
Switch Control
Switch Control is for users who have very little mobility and allows them to control their iPhone or iPad using moves as small as a blowing, blinking or clicking a button. Other devices such as a joystick can work with Switch Control.
FAQs
Got any questions about the iPhone XS? We’ve got the answers for you
A brand new iPhone XS 64GB costs R14,990 and goes all the way up to R18,999 with 512GB. A second-hand XS in excellent condition and a 12-month warranty ranges from R9,772 - R13,842 on Phonetradr.
A second-hand iPhone XS in excellent condition and a 12-month warranty ranges from R9,772 - R13,842 on Phonetradr.
From top to bottom, it is 14.3 cm x 7.07 cm x 0.70 cm.
You can get it in Silver, Gold and Space Grey.
The iPhone XS is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 6, the strongest display protector in smartphones today.
The iPhone XS is water resistant. It has a rating of “IP68” which means they are fully protected from dust and can handle being under freshwater for up to 30 minutes at a depth of 2 metres. If your phone gets dropped in a puddle, a shallow pool, or wet from the rain, it will be just fine. Steam from your bathroom shower, however, is not included in this rating, so rather keep it away from steam.
The iPhone XS has the A12 Bionic processor. The chip has six cores - four for high efficiency and two for high performance. This promises speed and efficiency that’s 2x faster than the A11 chip and up to 50% lower in battery drainage. The chip’s graphics processing is also an improvement from the A11 with four cores and 50% faster graphics processing.
You can get the iPhone XS with 64GB, 256GB or 512GB of space. For a better picture on how much 256GB is, it equates to an average amount of 73,224 photos. For the 64GB model, that’s approximately 15,000 photos!
The phone comes with 3G of RAM.
It has a 12-megapixel dual camera at the back and a 7-megapixel selfie camera at the front. The dual camera means you get more range in your photos!
Yes, portrait mode is available. Portrait mode focuses on the subject of the photo and blurs the background, providing more depth. For photography enthusiasts, portrait mode makes use of the phone’s 56mm-equivalent "telephoto" lens.
Open your Camera app, then select ‘Portrait” on the right side. Your lighting options will appear on your screen such as Natural Light, Studio, Contour and Stage Light. After selecting your lighting, hold up your phone and focus on the person you’d like to photograph.
When taking a photo, there is a 2x zoom option on the screen. Taping this will give you 2X optical zoom. If you hold the 2x button, it will expand to give you further digital zoom options. In other words, anytime you use zoom up to 2x, it will automatically be optical zoom.
You can easily record a demonstration of something from your phone using the built-in screen recorder.
- Make sure your phone is updated to iOS 12
- Go to your Settings, then select Control Centre. Tap into ‘Customise Controls’ then add “Screen Recording” to the list
- Exit your settings and then head to your homescreen. Swipe up the Control Centre and select the little white circle in the square icon. This is the Screen Recording icon.
- The recorder will count down from 3 and then whatever actions you take on your iPhone will be recorded.
- Once you’re done, tap the red recording timer at the top of your screen to stop the recording. You can find your recording in your camera roll and edit it just like a standard video such as trimming the start and end of it. Or, you can edit it in iMovie which comes free with your iPhone.
We would recommend that you invest in a case or cover. A good cover can protect your phone from cracked screens, from drops, dents, dirt, scratches and help keep it looking like new for when you’d like to sell it.
The iPhone XS lasts up to 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X. Wireless talk time goes up to 20 hours, internet use up to 12 hours, and video playback up to 14 hours.
It weighs 177 grams, which is slightly less than a can of tinned tomato and onion mix.