iPhone XS and XS Max Have 4GB of RAM, XR Has 3GB; XS Max and XR Have Larger 3,174 and 2,942 mAH Batteries

[w_aldo]

But that's the point, it has a larger battery and the iPhone doesn't to match other flagships.

Well the phone isn't officially released yet, the sample size is extremely limited. I'm sure we will know for sure soon enough.

 

[840quadra]

The RAM on the phones is inside the SoC. So Apple have to have a separate part for the Xr. Does this really save money? I suspect this is a move to have the Xr become laggy with future OS releases.

Or could it be because it is driving less pixels, Doesn’t have 3D Touch, and has less cameras to deal with?

There may be other hidden costs associated to having more RAM, I am sure Apple has to pay patent holders and their manufacturers more for higher specs. May not be much, but if this becomes a super popular phone, it adds up fast.

 

[I7guy]

I have a feeling the battery in the Max will be plenty for me but how does the Note 9 fit a 4000mAh battery? I know following this will be comments about being too big and past issues but surely they learned their lesson. Maybe the phone is bigger?

As for the RAM, I don't think 3 or 4 will be a big difference if you're wondering about the XR, it will be a fantastic phone and although I am going for the Max most of my recommendations to people have been for the XR.

I don't know how Samsung does it, but then there is this:

https://9to5google.com/2018/09/17/samsung-galaxy-note-9-battery-fire-lawsuit/

The decision point for me is to "max" or not to "max".

 

[manu chao]

I thought I read somewhere that the XS weighs a tiny bit more than the X did. So I was expecting a little bit larger battery. Interesting. I wonder what took up the slight bit of space and added the extra weight.

Things that changed were:

1. A12 Bionic package might be a bit larger (despite 7 nm, different cores, new GPU, neural engine, more RAM)
2. Wide-angle camera has a larger sensor (1/2.55" vs 1/3", aka 32% larger) and slightly longer actual focal length (4.5 vs 4 mm)
3. Faster Qi charging, maybe the size of the charging coils has changed slightly.
4. Stereo recording (possibly extra microphone)
5. Slightly better waterproofing
6. Significantly faster LTE with more/different antenna sections
7. Glass is more robust, who knows if it is 0.02 mm thicker.
8. Other structural changes related to mechanical stability or heat dissipation

 

[KPandian1]

So, micro-LED screens all around next year!?

 

[Fandroid killer]

Also shocking news the display brightness has not improved in years.

that will not change as OLED tech experiences burn in much faster at higher peak brightness. When microLED will take over we will see new realms of brightness(look at the 1m nit microLED display on youtube).

 

[manu chao]

For the last decade or so, every article about OLED display technology has said that it saves power vs. LCD. And yet, now that OLEDs are actually a thing, it's the opposite? I don't understand.

I thought OLED screens were more power efficient than LCDs because they don't require a backlight? This sounds like a crock.

There is always the 'all else equal' qualification. Having a higher PPI could increase power consumption, having a higher maximum brightness certainly can increase power consumption. Plus the usual point that you need a UI with a good portion of pure black (which the Apple Watch for example has) to take full advantage of the 'no backlight' aspect.

 

[fumi2014]

I think that 30w USB-C Lightning charger will be pretty much an essential purchase if you plan on buying the Max. That's probably Apple's thinking too. An extra £84 on your bill.

 

[manu chao]

When you have a very bright and vibrant operating system, where a lot of the design relies on white as well as offering very bright displays, OLED actually will be more power hungry than anything. To make it efficient you need to be able to use the OLED advantage of shutting off power to pixels with black. MacOS should not have been the first to get the dark theme.

Dark themes can be good for power savings if you have full black parts but it can also help when working at night or want content to stand out more. Thus on OLED devices, you'd go for full black UI elements and on LCD shades of dark grey achieve the second point just fine.
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How in the world does the XR have better rated battery life than the XS Max considering the battery is smaller and it has a LCD screen?

Apple deployed some very special technology: They made the phone thicker. (Plus the usual: lower resolution, less GPU work needed, less RAM, no 3D Touch sensors, no tele camera).

 

[Ifti]

I will be selling my 256GB X and have pre-ordered a 256GB XS MAX, simply because I want the bigger screen for my uses. I always liked the size of the Plus handsets and I plan to stick with the XS MAX for at least the next 2-3 years..........although I sai dthat about the X too........ lol

 

[mingravity]

It’s amazing how these products just keep getting better when you think they have finally peaked.

by peaked i am hoping u meant Apple's innovation has peaked not the tech industry itself. I love apple products don't get me wrong, but the 2018 apple upgrade is in no way a market first.
I would still go for them only because its the complete package that makes it worth. not year on year upgrade, definitely not this one.
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i'm really surprised they still didn't do this. and that MacOS got it first.

they have to keep something for next year/version.

 

[johnnygee]

Not impressed. Android phone has 4,000mAh battery at the same or lower price.

Kenworths have big engines but they aren't sports cars.

 

[Rafterman]

I don't know how Samsung does it, but then there is this:

https://9to5google.com/2018/09/17/samsung-galaxy-note-9-battery-fire-lawsuit/

The decision point for me is to "max" or not to "max".

One instance is hardly a concern. Every phone can have an occasional fire vulnerability. iPhones have had a few instances of fire too. Doesn't mean they are defective, like the Note 7 was.

 

[jona2125]

One instance is hardly a concern. Every phone can have an occasional fire vulnerability. iPhones have had a few instances of fire too. Doesn't mean they are defective, like the Note 7 was.

I agree, I just worry that this will incite way more instigation because of the Note 7 issue. I really do not want to have to give up my Note9. I'd still be using the Note 7 if it wasn't for all the backlash and neutering of usability.

 

[code-m]

that will not change as OLED tech experiences burn in much faster at higher peak brightness. When microLED will take over we will see new realms of brightness(look at the 1m nit microLED display on youtube).

I suspected, however I did not want to put my foot in my mouth if Apple bumps the brightness on the 2019 AMOLED models.

 

[Jetcat3]

Correct. The issue isn’t oled vs led. The issue is the number of pixels that need to be driven. For each pixel on the display you need display driver circuitry, RAM, etc. You also have to perform many more calculations, and every time one of those wires transitions from a 1 to a 0 or vice versa, in order to decide what color to make that pixel, it consumes energy.

Check out Display Mate for more about OLED vs LCD. The iPhone X with white text is HORRIBLY inefficient. 3.25 Watts all white background vs 1.75 watching videos at max brightness. 8 Plus at max brightness pulls 1.5 Watts. Big differences here!

 

[recoil80]

We need a dark mode for those OLED displays.

I think it will come next year, as a big part of their lineup will be OLED by then.
iOS 12 was about improving performance, iOS 13 may redesign the UI. They could drop support for 4'' devices and think about a new UI considering their phones are taller now and it is getting more and more complicated to reach the upper portion of the display. As they overhaul the UI a dark mode would be a nice addition. Xr is still LCD and will probably be the best selling model so they can't drop the white UI, I'd like dark mode to be a toggle to switch in settings.

 

[unobtainium]

Not impressed. Android phone has 4,000mAh battery at the same or lower price.

Battery size is irrelevant. People care about battery *life*.

 

[zetti]

I legit probably am in the minority but every time I see a review of XS or XS Max, it just reaffirms my choice to get the XR later this year. Again, minority here.

 

[recoil80]

XR has the longest battery life of the three new models. Seems like a homerun on top of other homeruns for the XR.

Sales will be incredible.

No wonder as iOS has a mostly white UI.
Setting dark mode, at least in some apps as it isn't supported in iOS, could help improve battery life on the Xs. I'd start by setting a dark wallpaper, would hide the notch as well

 

[futbalguy]

The most important owner-facing spec is the resolution of the display. Display resolution matters.
Why? Because the information (textual and/or media) is unchanged across physical displays.
Apps "write" to a virtual display abstraction.
This display abstraction is mapped by the underlying hardware, and is independent of the physical display size.
So? Resolution matters.
And, here we are:

1. ("Budget" Max) Xr: 1792-by-828-pixel resolution at 326 ppi (6.1-inch)
2. ("Lowly" deprecated) SE: 1136‑by‑640‑pixel resolution at 326 ppi (4-inch)
3. ("Pricey") Xs: 2,436-by-1,125-pixel resolution at 458 ppi (5.8-inch)
4. ("Pricey" Max) Xs Max: 2,688-by-1,242 pixel resolution at 458 ppi (6.5-inch)

You ignored the virtual display abstraction part that varies the number of virtual points per device. The Max and Xr have more virtual points than the Xs so more information will show on those.

 

[recoil80]

The RAM on the phones is inside the SoC. So Apple have to have a separate part for the Xr. Does this really save money? I suspect this is a move to have the Xr become laggy with future OS releases.

I think is saves a little money. I wonder if the clock is the same, as they're manufacturing two separate SoC.
The phone has a single camera, I remember back in the days of iPhone 7 we found out the plus had an extra GB of RAM for the dual camera setup. It wouldn't hurt to put the same amount of RAM on the Xr, but if they can save even a $ for each model they do it

 

[Menel]

For the last decade or so, every article about OLED display technology has said that it saves power vs. LCD. And yet, now that OLEDs are actually a thing, it's the opposite? I don't understand.

All depends on whats on the screen. Looking at photos, iOS UI, webpages etc. LCD wins battery comparo.

A UI heavily focused around blacks and dark colors. OLED wins.

 

[Cosmosent]

I think it will be, probably even more so with every new iOS update.

The 4GB RAM is a 33% increase.

The "Usable" DRAM is ~2x more !

 

[Princejb134]

On paper, the battery life between the Xs and Max is pretty big between the 2 but in reality it will depend on how each person use their phone. For my use, I don't think I will hit near 3GB Ram but good to know the size for all 3 models.

your telling me
all i do is text, listen to music, browse safari, read books, and play simple games like solitaire, yet im hyped up to have the 4gb ram lol
idk why though i guess specs just look sexy to me