What is your current iPhone?
I started using the iPhone from the 3G generation and replace it with a new one about every other generation. Why, 3G, iPhone 5, iPhone 6S, iPhone 7, and 4 units. It is the 5th unit if I buy a new one this time. Especially the evolution from 3G to 5 was fierce (distant eyes). My Android friends call me an "iPhone believer," but I don't care. Good things are good and I like what I like.
Gizmodo's iPhone XS review by Adam Clark Estes, a reporter with a high degree of iPhone heavy rotation, reassures such "iPhone followers" more. The evolution from 7 to XS seems to be amazing.
This year is the year of "S"
I'm a little tired of it.
It's a replacement for the iPhone again. I love the iPhone and have been using it for a long time, but how many times have I bought an iPhone in the last 10 years by losing or breaking it? September is always like "the annual iPhone replacement month". Last year I bought an iPhone X for $ 1,200. So, contrary to my heart's voice, "Isn't it better to stop?", I came here again, and when I was swollen, I was eager to buy the iPhone XS.
But this time, the reason I want to buy a new one is not because the iPhone XS is much better than the conventional model. The reason is that if you purchase the iPhone XS (the cheapest one is 112,800 yen excluding tax), you won't have to buy a new one for a while. I also understand that people may say that they are stupid guys by buying new ones again. But yes, this is a replacement by purchase with a view to future investment.
iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max
What is this?
New flagship iPhone
price
Approximately $ 1000 or more (iPhone XS is 112,800 yen excluding tax in Japanese yen)
Where you like
I like the camera. The processor is powerful enough to be entertained.
Where I don't like
The price is also the highest ever
A solid investment with excellent durability
Given the horsepower of the new A12 Bionic processor and the much improved camera system, I have a feeling that this replacement will make your everyday smartphone life a lot better. What's more, the improved design of the iPhone X means that the iPhone XS is also durable. Also, there is a hand called iPhone XS Max, which has exactly the same specifications as the iPhone XS except that it is a little larger in size.
This year is the year when the iPhone is "S". It's a year when specifications are improved and various points change. For those who want to buy a device once and use it for several years, the iPhone XS can be considered a "solid investment." If you're thinking of buying a new iPhone 7 or 8, the iPhone XS is truly "revelatory." The iPhone X is a great device, but the iPhone XS is on top of it. If you have already purchased the iPhone X, you can only say that it was a shame. Because the iPhone XS lasts longer. You can bet this. For me, this is the "buying" point.
A few years ago, former Gizmodo editor Brian Barrett wrote an article about the longevity of the iPad. Since the iPad has improved overall durability, it is no longer necessary to replace it frequently, and it seems that the sales volume has stopped increasing compared to the place. I think this can be said for the iPhone as well. The iPhone is expensive. But it will last a long time. Personally, I think the iPhone XS is probably a device that won't need to be replaced for the next five years.
What is the appearance?
As usual, the iPhone XS hasn't changed much in terms of design. Very similar to the iPhone X. However, the specification changes in the details are making a big improvement.
Let's look at the size first. As I mentioned earlier, the iPhone XS looks very similar to the iPhone X. Both are 5.8-inch OLED displays and are 7.7 mm thick. It feels a bit thicker than the 7.1mm iPhone 7 or the 7.3mm iPhone 8. Like the iPhone X, the iPhone XS has a slightly longer and wider footprint than the iPhone 8.
The size itself seems to be similar to the iPhone 8 Plus, but the iPhone XS Max is 28g heavier. Max is big. But if you're used to "Plus", you won't notice much difference. The 6.4-inch display is certainly spacious, but once you start using it, you'll get used to it. Apple is also changing the usability of iOS to fit the big screen. In other words, the Plus screen is large enough to be used naturally.
It doesn't feel as different as the size, but it seems that the glass material has also changed in the iPhone XS. According to Apple, it is "the strongest glass material in the history of smartphones." Given that the iPhone X was actually ridiculed as "the most fragile device in Apple's history," I'm sure some of you may be skeptical of the strongest in history. Gizmodo doesn't do drop tests or scratch resistance tests, but the test's reputation shows a variety of results. It seems that the screen of iPhone X may be full of scratches and cracks on the back, but if this point is improved, why not try it?
The iPhone XS uses 4x4 MIMO technology to speed up LTE communication, and has four antennas for communication (iPhone X and iPhone 8 have 2x2 MIMO). In addition, the iPhone XS uses communication technologies called QAM (Quadrature Amplitude Modulation) and LAA (Licensed Assisted Access). To put it plainly, uploading and downloading data is much more comfortable. In tests conducted by Gizmodo on the Verizon network, the iPhone XS far outperformed the iPhone X in terms of communication speed.
What's inside?
As I said earlier, this year is the year of "S". The iPhone XS will compete with the contents. However, it is not always known how it is getting better. What I want to pay attention to is the processor. It's super powerful, and it's designed to support apps that aren't on the market yet. This also applies to cameras, and it seems that it is necessary to change the way the camera is used in order to make full use of some of the most amazing functions. Of course, these are major changes in the iPhone XS, but before we look at them, I'd like to touch on Face ID first.
Face ID hardware is the same. But Apple has changed the algorithm and has declared it faster. In fact ... it's fast, frankly. This is also something I immediately noticed when I first started using the iPhone XS. Unlocking is haste and it feels good. On the iPhone X, it didn't unlock until I stared at it for a few seconds. In a device comparison test, the iPhone XS unlock speeds differed by as much as a second. If dust is piled up, it becomes a mountain. A difference of one second will save you a lot of time in your lifetime.
The speed is almost the "theme" of the entire iPhone XS. Apple claims that the A12 Bionic's CPU is up to 15% faster than the A11 Bionic. It seems that the GPU is 50% faster. It's definitely faster in the comprehensive benchmark test. On a daily basis, I found that the A12's Bionic was like a motorcycle's 12-cylinder engine.
I'm only looking at the power of the chip, but it's still an order of magnitude higher than the traditional iPhone. The star-viewing app "Star Walk 2" is very smooth on the iPhone XS, but it's sluggish on the iPhone X. On the iPhone XS, "Fortnite" started up 15 seconds faster than the iPhone X. When it comes to "PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG)", the GPU usage of the iPhone XS is half that of the iPhone X, and it is only possible to support the graphics of the apps that will be developed and come out in the future. I can't say it. Beyond the developers.
Apple's new A12 Bionic chip even feels like it's better than it needs to be. Not only will the operability of the apps currently on the market be improved, but the developer will also be motivated to push the limits of the device. Battery life is good even with this specification. As advertised, video playback was possible for 11 hours on the iPhone XS and 13 hours on the iPhone XS Max. All of these are great improvements, and they are expected to last for a few years, which is great for someone like me who is investing $ 1,000 in a smartphone.
Improvement
The camera isn't external or internal in that it's on the surface of the body, but for a perfectionist who wants to lay it flat on a table without a case, this bulge is a concern. But that's only superficial. Considering the functionality of the iPhone XS camera, it's several times better than the iPhone X camera.
First of all, the sensor is improving. According to Apple, the pixels of the wide-angle camera are 32% larger than the iPhone X. If you look at the pictures taken in a place where the amount of light is insufficient, you will be surprised at how different the size of the sensor will change. This photo was taken of the streets of Brooklyn, New York using iPhone X.
The small parts of the road and the cars are illuminated by the street lights. The illuminations of the restaurant behind it have collapsed. Compare it with the photos you took with your iPhone XS. You can see that the letters on the signboard are much clearer.
It's not just sensors. The A12 Bionic also helps the camera capture and process large amounts of information at once. This enables the Smart HDR function. It's probably thanks to Smart HDR that you can now read the letters on the restaurant sign.
Apple says it has expanded the dynamic range of photos by combining the best features of different exposures. Gizmodo has tested the limits of Smart HDR. Then, it was obviously better to catch the light that would normally collapse. It's not always possible to take good pictures in the dark, but the details are beautiful when taken in places that are too bright or where there is bright light in places, such as the restaurant sign in the photo above. Is certain.
The iPhone XS is better at shooting highlights and shadows than other iPhones. However, performance is not always stagnant. In the picture below, a picture of a dinosaur is drawn on a building where the light hits from behind. This is a pretty difficult photo.
The iPhone 8 Plus (left) is too bright in the sky to show the details of the brick building. In the iPhone X (center) photo, it looks a little better, but it lacks clarity. The picture taken with the iPhone XS Max (right) reproduces the texture of the wall very realistically. The clouds behind are a little too bright and crushed. It's by no means the best, but it's the best.
Another specialty of the iPhone XS camera is high-contrast images. In particular, you can take good pictures of things that have become large spots due to the reflection of light on the subject, as shown in the picture below. In the photo below, the light is reflected on the rough surface of the copper container. The photos taken with the iPhone X do not capture this rough surface. The texture is crushed.
It's hard to tell the difference unless you shoot the same thing with the iPhone XS and compare it. The part exposed to the light is too bright and crushed, but the iPhone XS reproduces the delicate details.
Most of the photos I took with the iPhone XS were good. I'm sure it will be a photo that anyone can take. The new portrait mode and depth of field adjustment are especially great. You can adjust the bokeh behind the photo taken in portrait mode even after capturing. From the edit mode of the photo app, you can move the aperture value slide bar to make the background behind the focus clear or blur. It's not actually moving the aperture value, it's a software trick. Still, there is no doubt that there will be a wider range of image editing. If you apply too much, the reality of the photo will become less and less. Still, this is a new feature and my favorite feature.
Portrait mode is generally excellent. I used to play with portrait mode a lot. Especially because I was trying to make a difference between the subject and the background. With the iPhone XS, you can easily do this. This is possible because the bokeh effect can be manipulated well. For example, if the edges of the subject are blurred, you can reduce the blur by moving the slide bar. This makes your photos more realistic. This adjustment is not available on other iPhones.
There are so many things that only the iPhone XS can do here. The photo below is the one without any processing other than size adjustment.
Lifelong companion ... together for at least a few years
It's no wonder I've come to this point and say this, but in reality, I think it's a wait to buy the iPhone XS immediately. At the very least, I'd like to wait a little longer for a review on durability, and then test the iPhone XR before deciding to buy. My feelings are big and I'm leaning towards the iPhone XS. If I buy it here, I will not buy an iPhone until the next presidential election in 2020.
I think the best thing about the iPhone XS is that it lasts a long time. The design does not look good like any other. The design is already cool so I don't care about this. In terms of performance, the iPhone XS outperforms the iPhone X. It is not comparable to the iPhone 8 and iPhone 7. In addition, the iPhone XS will be available for the next few years. At least I could feel this.
A few weeks ago, I wrote an article about which iPhone XS is recommended. At that time, the result was that the gray color of the 256GB iPhone XS was good. The model used in the review has exactly the same specifications and is gold in color. This gold was a nice color. The iPhone XS has an intermediate 256GB storage, which is recommended for most people. If I buy it, I will buy it too. If you like the big one, the iPhone XS Max is also good. If you like big devices, you'll love them.
If you buy it next time, you definitely want to buy your favorite iPhone. I want to make an iPhone that will be with me for the next few years of my life. If possible, I want to live with one iPhone for the rest of my life. I don't want to buy a new one anymore. Wouldn't it be nice to have an iPhone that would be your lifelong companion? Well, it may not be possible for the rest of my life, but at least the iPhone XS will sleep and eat for a few years.
summary
・ It may take several years before you can see the true beauty of the A12 Bionic chip.
・ Camera performance surpasses iPhone X.
-Smart HDR and background bokeh effect are wonderful. Features not found on other iPhones.
・ High-speed wireless communication with a new antenna.
・ Face ID response is fast. Unlocking is possible quickly and without stress.
・ Prices starting from about $ 1,000 are certainly hesitant. However, it may be a bargain if you think of it as an upfront investment.
