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When the iPhone XS was released back in 2018, there were plenty of noticeable upgrades that were introduced into the then flagship phone for Apple. Although smartphone technology has progressed rapidly since then, many features of the iPhone XS are still relevant and desirable in today's market.
Three years on we take a look at some of those features that made the iPhone XS stand out when compared to it's competitors back in 2018. In this blog we discuss whether it is still a smartphone to consider buying in 2021. Take a read of the seven stand out points below!
The iPhone XS features an amazing Super Retina HD (OLED) display and Apple’s now iconic all-screen design which has been carried on through the following releases. The 5.8-inch OLED display is larger than screens found on older “Plus” models, but because there are no bezels along the top and bottom, the phone is significantly smaller than those models. This makes it much more manageable, without losing important screen space.
The display itself is still up there with the latest specs seen on iPhone 12 and 13 models. With a pin sharp 2436-by-1125 resolution, vibrant colours, deep blacks, and support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision, the iPhone XS is perfect for video or gaming phonetics who are after a bargain when it comes to buying a new phone. An added bonus is that the iPhone XS does not commonly succumb to screen burn like many other OLED screens on devices such as in the Samsung Galaxy S range.
Being able to take HDR photos has been a feature on iPhones since the early iPhone 4, but the iPhone XS further improves on this with the biggest upgrade yet: Smart HDR. Apple’s Smart HDR allows the iPhone XS to capture a hugely enhanced dynamic range, without the long delay you’d normally find when using the previous generation HDR.
Similar to regular HDR, it works by combining several photos into one, but instead of the usual long delay, Smart HDR does this in an instant. Smart HDR works by taking reference images in the background as soon as you open the camera app, so when you finally press the shutter button it can produce photos with vastly improved highlights and shadow detail.
The iPhone XS also has an improved image sensor for better low-light performance than the previous generation iPhone X. Although this is not like the high spec of the iPhone 11 line’s Deep Fusion or Night mode stills, Smart HDR is still a great baseline for anyone who wants an iPhone with good photo quality for cheap.
Whenever Apple releases a “S” series, you can always expect there to be an improvement in speed. This was no different for the iPhone XS, carrying the then latest A12 processing chip.
The iPhone XS features a 6-core processor with 2 high performance cores that are 15% faster than the previous A11 chip seen in the iPhone X, along with 4 low power cores that are 50% more power efficient. For gaming, the 4-core GPU is 50% faster than the previous A11 chip, meaning you can play games with higher frame rates and enhanced visuals, making the iPhone XS a great option if you are into gaming.
Another big feature is the RAM on the iPhone XS. This is often an overlooked spec, but the 4GB RAM makes the iPhone XS great for multitasking and helps to prevent apps from closing prematurely in the background, so you easily pick up where you left off.
Battery life is always an important factor when buying a new phone (even if it’s a used phone), and the iPhone XS still holds up well against newer models in this area. This is thanks mostly in part to the more power efficient A12 processing chip, which isn’t just faster than the previous A11, but also does a better job at preserving battery life.
According to Apple, the iPhone XS battery life is rated at 14 hours of pure video playback — that’s one hour longer than the previous iPhone X. It might seem that one hour is not that much, but in the greater scheme of things 14 hours of pure video playback will last you your average day easily. This doesn't quite compare to the iPhone 13 Pro Max which boasts a 20 hour battery life, but for a three year old phone this is still a huge amount of battery time at a fraction of the price.
Although many of us are too afraid to take our phone in the water, accidents do happen resulting in them getting submerged. Water resistance is always an important feature on any phone, and the iPhone XS also improves on its predecessor with an IP68 water resistance rating. This means the phone can survive fully submerged in 2 meters of water (roughly 6 ½ feet) for 30 min. Here at DeXTech we wouldn't suggest putting your phone through this much water submersion, but if an accident occurs, this feature might save you from having to get another new phone!
Although the water resistance rating has improved on later models, the iPhone XS is perfect if you are wanting to save money and don't have any desire to begin an underwater film hobby!
With the previous iPhone X being capped at 256GB of storage, many people called for an increase and Apple listened. The iPhone XS bumps the maximum storage size to 512GB, which is perfect for heavy users who are constantly snapping photos or recording video.
Having plenty of storage is a huge bonus especially as video and picture quality become better and begin to suck up more space than previous models.
With the latest iPhones beginning at $1429 for the standard model and $1799 for the Pro model, it is a big investment. However, the iPhone XS is far more affordable, starting at just $819 here at DeXTech. Even though it does not boast all of the latest features, this is still a huge saving for an arguably just as functional device. If you are in the market for a new phone but don't want to fork out the big cost, look no further than an iPhone XS from DeXTech.
Here at DeXTech, we are here to help you with your technology requirements. We stock a wide range of Apple products, from the iPhone 4s all the way through to the iPhone XS, plus the iPad range. Along with this, we carry a huge range of Android smartphones and tablets, including Samsung, Pixel and LG. With these devices on hand we are able to offer technical support every step of the way from assisting to get your device setup to dealing with issues such as network issues or software troubleshooting. We have a helpful team who can lend a hand via our tech support email address: support@dextech.co.nz. Do not hesitate to reach out!
