IPhone XS

Hardware

The iPhone XS Max has the same hardware and cameras, but a larger 6.46 inch (164 mm) OLED display (marketed as 6.5 inch) with a resolution of 2688 × 1242 pixels (3.3 megapixels) at 458 ppi and a larger battery (3,174 mAh). The XS has a smaller battery than the X, dropping to 2,658 mAh from 2,716 mAh. The XS' battery is a new single-cell L-shaped battery, while the iPhone XS Max battery remains two cells like the iPhone X. Apple said that the iPhone XS lasts up to 30 minutes longer than iPhone X, while the iPhone XS Max lasts up to 1.5 hours longer than iPhone X.

Apple said that the devices have faster Face ID technology than the iPhone X. It was also announced in June 2019 at WWDC that Face ID on iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XR and iPhone X would be made up to 30% faster with iOS 13, which was released on September 19, 2019.

The XS and XS Max are rated IP68 for dust and water resistance under IEC standard 60529, with Apple specifying a maximum depth of 2 meters and up to 30 minutes of submersion in water. This is an improvement over the IP67 water resistance of the iPhone 8 and X. Apple has performed tests in various liquids including chlorinated water, salt water, tea, wine, beer and juices.

The XS and XS Max support dual SIMs through a nano-SIM and an eSIM. In mainland China, Hong Kong, and Macau, however, the XS Max comes with a dual nano-SIM tray (and no eSIM). The XS does not have a dual nano-SIM tray, so the eSIM functionality is enabled for use in Hong Kong and Macau, but not in mainland China.

SoC

The XS and XS Max use the A12 Bionic SoC, which consists of 6-core CPU (2x Vortex + 4x Tempest), 4-core GPU, and 8-core Neural Engine.

Software

The iPhone XS and XS Max originally shipped with iOS 12, and received iOS 13, iOS 14, iOS 15, iOS 16, iOS 17, and iOS 18. The XS and XS Max, alongside the iPhone 6s and 6s Plus, are the longest supported iPhones ever released, each receiving seven major versions of iOS.

Wireless charging

The wireless charging coil material was switched to copper to reduce charging time and power loss.

Rear camera upgrades

The iPhone XS, XS Max and XR are the first iPhones able to record stereo audio for videos.

Starting with the iPhone 2018 lineup (iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR), these cameras were updated to a 12MP (1/2.55") sensor size with a 1.4 μm pixel size, the same sensor and pixel size as the primary cameras of the Samsung Galaxy S10, Samsung Galaxy S9 Samsung Galaxy S8 Samsung Galaxy S7, Pixel 2, Pixel 3a and Pixel 3a XL, Pixel 3 and Pixel 3 XL, and the Moto X4.

Software

The iPhone XS and XS Max shipped with iOS 12 on launch, and supports all major versions of the operating system up to iOS 18. The iPhone XS and XS Max, as well as the iPhone XR, do not support iOS 26 due to hardware limitations.

Reception and issues

Reception and connectivity issues

The iPhone XS received generally positive reviews from critics after release. iPhone XS and XS Max users initially had issues with LTE, Wi-Fi reception and Bluetooth connections. Some experts claimed that a faulty antenna was to blame, and in response to many consumer complaints about iPhone XS/XS Max connectivity problems, Apple contacted users for help with their investigation. To resolve some problems with the XS/XS Max, Apple pushed the iOS 12.0.1 update on October 8, 2018, which, along with addressing the Chargegate issue, fixed a connectivity issue where Bluetooth could become temporarily unavailable on the XS/XS Max.

Chargegate

Users reported that the iPhone XS and XS Max would sometimes fail to charge by Lightning cable if it had been off for a while, and would only begin to charge if the screen was turned on. This was caused by a software bug with Apple's "Disable USB accessories when locked" setting, a feature intended to prevent unknown devices from accessing a user's content. The press dubbed the issue "Chargegate".This and a Bluetooth connectivity problem were fixed by iOS 12.0.1, released on October 8, 2018.

Camera issues (Beautygate)

Customers also reported seeing unrealistic smoothness on their skin when taking a selfie with an automatic filter, an effect associated with the XS and XS Max's new Smart HDR camera feature. This technology combines multiple photos of varying exposures to increase dynamic range on the iPhones' photos, but can also reduce facial imperfections and highlights in selfies. Some, who speculated this was the result of a hidden "beauty mode" (an actual feature in some smartphones), dubbed the issue "Beautygate". There was a general dispute in the community as to whether the camera actually "intended" to "perfect" faces or if they just appeared that way as a result of a better-quality camera.

Apple said that these results were due to the Smart HDR algorithm incorrectly selecting the blurrier long exposure as its base frame instead of the sharpest short exposure. The issue was resolved with the release of iOS 12.1 on October 30, 2018.

The iPhone XS' camera was criticized for not featuring a night mode. iOS 13 did not include night mode which was kept exclusive to the then-new iPhone 11. However, third-party apps brought similar Night Mode to older iPhones.