reviews of the iPhone XS and XS Max which are spreading like a tsunami , then you will probably be interested in testing these models by laboratory experts, where they carefully checked the battery performance of both models.
Disappointing conclusion: Apple's stated operating time for the iPhone XS does not even come close to real numbers and is even inferior to its predecessors.
If you want a smartphone with high-tech features that lasts a long time in 2018 or 2019, you'll have to look elsewhere, experts say. Let's find out why things are so bad.
Battery capacity of the iPhone XR and its flagship brothers
At their autumn presentation of the iPhone XR, Apple representatives announced that the smartphone’s battery can last an hour and a half longer than the anniversary iPhone X. If we compare its capacity with the iPhone XS and XS Max, we see the following figures:
iPhone XR | iPhone XS | iPhone XS Max |
2942 mAh | 2658 mAh | 3174 mAh |
Yes, the results of the iPhone XS are not at all impressive. But with the XS Max it’s the other way around—it’s clearly visible that the battery characteristics of the iPhone XR are inferior to the flagship by 232 mAh. However, despite this, it showed the longest battery life among the line of smartphones presented by Apple this year. According to the results of tests conducted by experts and well-known IT portals, it turned out that the current flagship (and this despite the largest nominal battery capacity among new products) is inferior in practical battery life indicators to its more affordable brother: the maximum operating time of the iPhone XS Max was 10 hours 38 minutes, and XR - 11 hours 26 minutes. As a result, owners of the “younger brother” of the flagship can enjoy watching videos for an hour longer and surf the Internet for two hours longer. Impressive, right? Especially considering the price difference.
Apple iPhone XS specifications, review, reviews, comparisons, release date
iPhone XS, like any new smartphone from a leading technology manufacturer, offers a number of improved features. They are immediately noticeable - a new SoC, complemented by a machine learning system, increased RAM, maximum flash memory of up to 512 GB, as well as increased water protection - IP68. In practice, this means that the smartphone will not die when immersed in fresh water to a depth of two meters for a maximum of 30 minutes.
What else can you expect from this Apple model? Let's explain right away.
Design
In appearance, the iPhone XS is no different from the iPhone X. The dimensions of the case have not changed even a millimeter. The arrangement of the elements is the same. The only way to tell the two phones apart is by the Apple logo.
iPhone XS is available in several colors - silver, space gray and gold. Regarding the last color, it is worth noting that Apple designers managed to find a really interesting nuance.
Display
The iPhone XS screen parameters are identical to the iPhone X screen parameters. It is made using OLED technology. It has a diagonal of 5 inches and a resolution of 2436 x 1125 pixels. Density 458 ppi.
The front side of the screen is made in the form of a glass plate with a mirror-smooth surface. It is scratch resistant. Judging by the reflection of objects, the user receives better anti-glare properties than on the screen of Google Nexus 7 (2013).
If you look at the device's features, you will find that the iPhone XS's screen is slightly darker. The manufacturer has provided a special oleophobic coating, so fingerprints are easily removed.
The maximum screen brightness is about 620 cd/m2, and the minimum is 1.8 cd/m2. What does it mean? The user can easily read the information on the screen, even if he is outdoors and the sun is shining brightly. In complete darkness, the brightness can be reduced to a level that makes reading comfortable and does not cause eye fatigue.
In other words, the iPhone XS screen is large enough to enjoy watching movies, replying to messages, processing images, and playing your favorite games. In addition, it is of such a size that it is pleasantly light and fits in your pocket.
Performance
This Cupertino-based smartphone runs on the new A12 Bionic platform instead of the familiar A11 Bionic from its predecessor. RAM is not 3 GB, but 4 GB.
As a result, Face ID is faster. Videos edit faster and apps open much more seamlessly.
We know that the A12 Bionic includes a 6-core computing processor. Four cores are responsible for efficiency, the other two for performance. When iPhone XS performs a complex task, such as running a heavy game or application, the production cores are activated at full capacity. They are also helped by energy efficient cores. Thanks to this technology, even complex tasks are completed instantly.
When the iPhone XS performs normal day-to-day tasks, it relies heavily on its power-efficient cores. This system allows the smartphone to spend much less resources. Up to 50% less than iPhone X.
The A12 Bionic system also comes with a quad-core GPU, which is also an Apple design. Its key feature is support for data compression technology without loss of quality. It opens up serious horizons for users and developers.
Memory
The compact iPhone XS has 64/256 or 512 GB of internal memory. So far, no other Apple smartphone has offered 512GB of storage. The maximum for iPhone 8, iPhone 8 Plus and iPhone X was 256 GB. This means that the iPhone XS has double the size.
Cameras
The iPhone XS camera is identical in function to the iPhone X camera, but don't be fooled by that. There are significant changes. These include deeper pixels, a new image processor and support for the unique Smart HDR mode - they help iPhone XS take phenomenally high-quality photos.
The main camera is double, located vertically and protrudes beautifully above the body. Its resolution is 12 MP. The wide-angle lens has an aperture of f/1.8, while the telephoto lens has an aperture of f/2.4. The camera supports 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom. Both modules support optical image stabilization.
We see a key change in the iPhone XS camera in Portrait mode - it allows the user to take photos with a depth of field effect. The bokeh shooting mode has also been improved. Both the background and objects are now noticeably more clearly defined. Overall quality has improved.
iPhone XS also received support for the new Smart HDR mode. Like regular HDR, this smart version can bring out detail in the darkest and lightest areas of a photo. How does he achieve this? Using the full power of the new signal processing processor. As a result, details become more visible.
An iPhone XS owner can also record video by recording stereo audio.
Water protection
iPhone XS is not afraid of water. The smartphone can be safely submerged to a depth of 2 meters. You can even keep it there for up to half an hour.
Few expected that Apple would improve the level of protection of the iPhone from dust and water. Happens. Thus, the iPhone XS is already IP68 certified. In other words, no dust can get into its body, and the device feels right at home underwater. Previous iPhone models, FYI, had IP67 protection.
Autonomous operation
iPhone XS is a competitive competitor in the fight for long battery life. The smartphone will last the user up to 23 hours of talk time, and even offers two days of battery life in daily use.
This model is equipped with a lithium-ion battery. Its capacity is 2658 mAh. The smartphone supports fast charging technology. Thus, in just 30 minutes you will have up to 50% battery charge. And that is not all. The manufacturer also provided support for wireless charging.
Conclusion
The Phone XS is a smartphone that doesn't offer revolutionary changes. At the same time, the user receives greater performance, more memory and the ability to record video with stereo sound. Let's not forget the advanced camera functions and protection from dust and water. Of course, the device is available in gold!
Appearance and characteristics of the iPhone XR battery
If in more expensive new products of 2022 the developers used single-cell L-shaped (iPhone XS) and double (XS Max) batteries, then under the back cover of the iPhone XR we see a standard rectangular battery. Its capacity was 11.16 Wh, which is 1.03 Wh more than the XS, but 0.92 Wh less than the XS Max. However, despite the performance, the “budget” new product performed best in terms of autonomy. You can clearly see this by looking at the comparison table at the end of the article.
iPhone XS vs XS Max vs XR: Which is better to buy?
My advice is for those who want to buy the iPhone XS or iPhone Xs Max, but will buy the iPhone XR instead. Despite a few compromises, it delivers all the key features of the XS models.
However, for those who can afford Apple's flagship models, the iPhone Xs Max is the more impressive of the two, seeing such a large display squeezed into a body no larger than the iPhone 8 Plus is head-scratching. However, the huge display takes a toll on battery life with disappointing numbers given its vastly increased battery capacity.
For iPhone X owners, this is not enough to offer you updates. But if you have an older model and have been saving a lot, I'd suggest the iPhone XS Max... although the choice is yours.
Replacing the iPhone XR battery
If you are faced with the fact that the iPhone XR does not charge, runs out quickly, discharges in the cold, or has other problems with the battery, contact a service center. Our specialists will diagnose your smartphone for free, find out the cause of the malfunction and quickly fix it with a guarantee.
Is it not possible to bring your phone to our branch (look on the map)? Call the courier at your home or office. Find out more about this service and other questions of interest by phone or order a call.
To start. How does the battery work in iPhone and MacBook?
Apple equipment is equipped with lithium-ion (smartphones and tablets) and lithium-polymer (laptops) batteries. Such batteries do not require special maintenance, have no memory effect, are always ready for use, have minimal self-discharge and quickly replenish their energy reserves.
However, these types of batteries have several significant disadvantages: poor resistance to full discharge and overcharging, loss of capacity over time and depending on the number of charge-discharge cycles.
One charge or discharge cycle is considered to be the replenishment or consumption of 100% of the battery capacity. One cycle can correspond to one battery charge from 0 to 100% or several recharges, which also add up to 100%.
The cycle consists of two phases: fast and compensatory. During the first phase, the battery is able to quickly replenish up to 80% charge. The second phase replenishes the remaining 20% of the charge, but is driven by a weak current to extend battery life.
In addition, developers from Cupertino are adding all sorts of software features to optimize the charge. So, in iOS 13, a special mode has been added in which the battery will be charged up to 80%, and the remaining 20% will be replenished closer to the time of the predicted disconnection from the power supply.
The feature is located along the path Settings -> Battery -> Battery status and starts working a few days after switching on, when the system notices the usual charging phases. This way, the algorithm will protect the iPhone battery, which is connected to the charger all night, from rapid wear.
A similar feature appeared in macOS Catalina 10.15.5.
Laptops with a Type-C port will learn to track their usual charge cycles and replenish the battery only at the end of this cycle, rather than keeping the battery at 100% charge all night. But that will come later. Now let's see what the batteries in Apple gadgets are designed for.
Autonomy of Apple smartphones 2022
Characteristics | iPhone XS | iPhone XS Max | iPhone XR |
During conversation (with wireless headset) | until 20 o'clock | up to 25 hours | up to 25 hours |
When working on the Internet | till 12 o'clock | until 13 o'clock | until 15 o'clock |
Play video wirelessly | until 14 o'clock | until 15 o'clock | until 16 o'clock |
Play audio wirelessly | up to 60 hours | up to 65 hours | up to 65 hours |
Bagrationovskaya Arbatskaya
Why and why worn-out batteries “Slow down iPhones”
The tool appeared in iOS 10.2.1 for iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, and iPhone SE, as well as in iOS 11.2 for iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus (a significant part of devices)
Apple explained that this tool works taking into account the temperature of the device, charge, level of wear and internal resistance of the battery. Thus, your device will only slow down if the presented characteristics require it. If the condition of your battery has deteriorated, and the indicators described above have not been affected, then the device will not slow down.
You can check the condition of the battery using the following four methods, which we describe in detail below in the article. We advise you to think about protecting the display of your iPhone 6 Plus by choosing a protective glass that suits your requirements.
Design
And if briefly? In terms of design, the iPhone XS Max differs from its predecessor iPhone X only in its significantly increased size and new gold color of the case. Otherwise, this is a very familiar smartphone.
The fact that the iPhone XS Max is a direct successor to the iPhone X is clear at first glance. The design of the smartphone is practically no different from the “ten”. The model has a body, traditional for Apple smartphones, rounded at the corners, made of two glass panels and a stainless steel frame between them. The glass is protective, and in the iPhone XS Max their protective properties have been improved compared to the iPhone X.
The connecting frame is highly scratch resistant. There have been a few complaints about a similar frame in the iPhone X, alleging that the frame was gradually peeling off. Despite the fact that there were few such reviews, Apple still improved this component. Just in case. The color on the iPhone XS Max case was applied using a unique PVD coating method, which allows you to achieve a glossy effect.
The overall shape of the iPhone XS Max has not changed compared to the iPhone X. The body, as before, feels slightly elongated. This feeling arises due to the full-length display with minimal frames, which is record-breakingly large on the iPhone XS Max. The enlarged body of the smartphone should not negatively affect ease of use. The dimensions of the iPhone XS Max are only slightly larger than those of the iPhone 7 Plus and iPhone 8 Plus and amount to 157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm. Smartphone weight: 208 g.
Essentially, the iPhone XS Max is the iPhone 8 Plus, but with a modern display with seriously reduced bezels. Last year, the same definition applied to the iPhone X. The smartphone was only slightly different in size from the iPhone 8, but because of the new display it looked completely different.
Literally on the entire front surface of the iPhone XS there is a huge 6.5-inch display with minimal frames. The screen looks really big - Apple smartphones have never had displays of this size before. The company managed to enlarge the display and maintain acceptable dimensions by reducing the frames. The side and bottom frames suffered the most - they are barely noticeable. The top frame is made in the style of the iPhone X. It is an “island” with large cutouts on the sides.
The arrangement of elements on the iPhone XS Max body is standard. On the right side there is a power button and a SIM card tray, on the left there are volume buttons and a sound mode switch. At the bottom end of the grille there are speakers and a traditional Lightning connector. Apple did not switch to USB-C, even though there were prerequisites for this. The top end is empty.
The overall design of the iPhone XS Max is identical to last year's iPhone X, but Apple has made sure that the smartphone is recognizable by its size alone. The iPhone XS Max came out in three colors: gray, silver and a completely new gold. The company has never used such a gold color in its devices. Compared to the previously used gold color, the new color is more saturated.
To the content.
Sound
Great news for loud music lovers! Thanks to a one and a half times increase in the power of stereo speakers, your presence will now be known long before you appear in the field of view.
ON TOPIC: Equalizer: adding bass (low frequencies) when listening to music on iPhone and iPad.