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Q. I need your help. My iPhone is really old and I need a new one. I don’t even want to tell you which iPhone I have, let’s just say it’s really old.
But I don’t know which new iPhone to get. I know that Apple just came out with some new ones, but I don’t know how to decide which one is best for me. I’ll probably have it for a long time so I want to make sure I get the right one.
Can you help?
A. Great question. I’ve been getting this question from a lot of Wonder of Tech readers since Apple launched three iPhones this fall.
The iPhone XR, iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max are all phones filled with compelling features, but the decision about which iPhone to get may be easier than you think.
About the Three New iPhones
To decide between the three new iPhones you should learn about the similarities and the differences between them. You should also consider which features are most important to you.
Differences Between the iPhone XR, iPhone Xs, and iPhone Xs Max
One of the biggest differences between the three iPhones is the price. And price may make the decision easier, if your budget is limited or tech isn’t a big priority in your life.
iPhone XR
$749 64 GB
$799 128 GB
$899 256 GB
iPhone Xs
$999 64 GB
$1149 256 GB
$1349 512 GB
iPhone Xs Max
$1099 64 GB
$1249 256 GB
$1449 512 GB
Note that Apple is still selling the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8, so if your tech budget is tight, you could get one of these phones.
iPhone 7 from $449
iPhone 8 from $599
But the iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 will be outdated before this year’s iPhones. If you keep your iPhone for a long time, spending the extra money on the iPhone XR, Xs or Xs Max may pay off in the long run.
Storage Capacity
Running out of space on your phone can be extremely frustrating. You must decide which photos, videos, apps, music or other files to delete from your phone to make room.
To see how much space you’re using on your current iPhone go to Settings => General => About => Capacity. That shows how much storage space you have on your phone.
Below Capacity is Available that shows you how much storage space you have remaining on your phone. If you’re using up most of the storage on your current iPhone you should get more storage on your next iPhone. If you’re not using much storage on your current phone, you may not need to get a phone with more storage.
All three iPhones start at 64 GB of storage space. The iPhone XR has an option for 128 GB of storage that’s only $50 more than the price for 64 GB.
That $50 for extra storage on the iPhone XR may be a wise investment for you, as it may postpone your need to buy a new phone in the future because you’ve run out of storage space.
The iPhone Xs and Xs Max don’t have the 128 GB storage option.
The next level of storage for the iPhone Xs and Xs Max is 256 GB for an extra $150 over the 64 GB model. The iPhone XR also has an option for 256 GB of storage for $150 more than the 64 GB model.
The iPhone Xs and Xs Max also have a 512 GB option, which the iPhone XR does not. You’ll need to spend an extra $350 over the 64 GB price to get 512 GB of storage on these phones.
512 GB is a huge amount of storage, more than most people need. Unless you’re going to store many videos on your phone, or a whopping amount of photos, you probably don’t need to have an iPhone with 512 GB of storage.
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Camera Differences
While the cameras between the three new iPhones have many similarities, the iPhone Xs and Xs Max cameras have a few features the iPhone XR does not.
Both the iPhone Xs and Xs Max have two lenses on the rear camera, allowing for better zoom photos. The rear camera on these phones has 2x optical zoom and 10x digital zoom.
The iPhone XR has one lens on the rear camera so while you can still zoom in on your subject, the photo won’t be as sharp. The XR camera has digital zoom up to 5x.
The iPhone Xs and Xs Max front camera have a wide-angle lens, which is helpful for group selfies. The iPhone XR does not have a wide-angle lens on its front camera. If you don’t take a lot of group selfies with your phone, then this feature may not be important to you.
Size Matters
Apple has shaved the bezels off of these three phones, giving the maximum screen size for the least phone size.
The iPhone XR is the mid-size of the three phones, with a display of 6.1 in (15.5 cm). The iPhone Xs is the smallest at 5.8 in (14.7 cm) and the iPhone Xs Max is the largest at 6.5 in (16.5 cm).
Hold each in your hand, tuck them in your pocket and/or purse to see which is the best fit for you.
With a larger screen size comes a heavier weight:
- iPhone Xs — 6.24 ounces (177 grams)
- iPhone XR — 6.84 ounces (194 grams)
- iPhone Xs Max — 7.34 ounces (208 grams)
Lifting none of them will substitute for a workout at the gym. They’re all quite light.
Display
The iPhone Xs and Xs Plus have what Apple calls a Super Retina display, packed with pixels. This OLED screen has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, making images sharp and enriched with color.
The iPhone XR has what Apple calls a Liquid Retina HD display. This LCD screen has fewer pixels, with 1400:1 contrast ratio, but is still sharp and clear.
When viewed side-by-side, the phones’ displays have a noticeable difference. But if you look at the iPhone XR’s screen you will probably be impressed by the display, especially coming from an older iPhone.
Water Resistance
While all three new iPhones are water-resistant, the iPhone Xs and Xs Max are water-resistant to two meters, while the iPhone XR is water-resistant to one meter.
A splash of water or a dunk in the toilet shouldn’t ruin any of these three phones. But if you’re around water a lot or need to submerge your phone deeper than one meter, consider the iPhone Xs or Xs Max.
Colors
The iPhone XR comes in six colors — blue, white, black, yellow, coral, and Product Red. The iPhone Xs and Xs Max come in three colors — silver, Space Gray and gold.
Similarities Between the iPhone XR, iPhone Xs, and iPhone Xs Max
All three phones have many similarities that may make the choice between the phones easier.
Cameras
All three iPhones have a 12 MP rear camera and a True Depth 7 MP front camera. The True Depth front camera allows you to take portrait photos with a black background or a blurred bokeh effect.
See => How to Get the Bokeh Blur Effect on Photos Without an iPhone 7 Plus
Note that the iPhone Xs and Xs Max have identical cameras. Usually, Apple reserves its best iPhone cameras for the larger Plus versions of its new iPhones, but not this time.
Face ID
All three phones use the True Depth front camera for Face ID, so you can unlock your phone just by looking at it.
Hardware
All three phones have the latest chip called the A12 Bionic chip with next-generation Neural Engine so they all will have fast response times when loading apps, taking photos and doing other tasks.
Wireless Charging
You can charge all three phones using the same type of wireless charging or a lightning cable.
Animojis and Memojis
The True Depth front camera allows you to use Animojis and Memojis on all three phones. Have fun with live animated images of yourself that you can use in Messages and FaceTime.
Deciding Which iPhone to Get
Deciding which iPhone to get may be easier than you think.
Get the iPhone XR unless you have a good reason not to. You’ll save significant money by getting the less expensive iPhone XR, and can get a phone with 128 GB of storage and the longest battery life of any iPhone.
What are the reasons not to get the iPhone XR and to get the iPhone Xs or Xs Max instead?
Get the iPhone Xs Max if you need/want the largest screen ever on an iPhone. The 6.5 in (16,5 cm) display is spectacular and you won’t be disappointed by the quality of the Super Retina HD display. If having the sharpest, most color-enriched display is important to you, the iPhone Xs or Xs Max should be your choice.
The iPhone Xs or Xs Max should be your choice if you need 512 GB of space on your phone, though I haven’t heard of many people filling up their 256 GB phones.
Get the iPhone Xs or Xs Max if you take a lot of group selfies and want the wide-angle of the front camera, and/or want the better zoom rear camera.
Get the iPhone Xs or Xs Max if your phone will be around water frequently and you need the extra water resistance they offer.
If none of these differences are important to you, then get the iPhone XR and save some money.
Your Thoughts
Are you trying to decide between the new iPhones? What features are important to you? Do you think the extra features of the iPhone Xs and Xs Max are worth the extra cost over the iPhone XR?
Share your thoughts in the Comments section below!
Hi Carolyn,
Great comparison. iphone are such a craze wherever we go. It ha taken over the smart phone market with it amazing design and performance. It is but natural that new models are bit more expensive than the older ones. However, they are all worth buying.
Thanks for sharing, have great day. 🙂
Hi Tarique, You’re right, these are high end phones with high end prices. But buyers can save money by getting the iPhone XR and still get many of the same features as the iPhone Xs and Xs Max.