Should you upgrade to the Apple iPhone XS or XS Max?

Apple's latest iPhones hit retail stores tomorrow. But is it finally time for you to upgrade your old iPhone to one of them? We're here to help you decide.

First of all, here's a recap of everything new in the iPhone XS and XS Max:

• The iPhone XS Max is the new 'Plus' size iPhone. It's about the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus, but comes with a massive 6.5-inch display.
• New Gold color option.
• Better displays: Both the XS and XS Max use a Super Retina AMOLED display with a the same 458 pixels per inch. Compared to last year, the display has 60% increased dynamic ratio for better HDR.
• The stereo speakers on both models are louder than last year.
• More durable front and back glass.
• Improved IP68 dust and water resistance.
• Faster 4G LTE speeds. Both the XS and  XS Max now support 4G LTE Cat 16 up to 1024Mbps.
• Dual Sim: Both phones offer one physical SIM and one e-SIM.
• Longer battery life: The XS lasts about 30 minutes longer than the X, while the XS Max lasts about 90 minutes longer.
• Face ID is now faster and more secure.
• More powerful A12 bionic processor: Apple's new processor is a lot more powerful than last year's A11 Bionic. It also has a new octa-core neural processor that can process 5 trillion operations per second.
• 4GB RAM
• Improved rear cameras: Larger pixels on the wide-angle lens and a wider aperture on the telephoto lens.
• Improved Portrait Mode: New adjustable depth-of-field feature that lets you adjust the amount of bokeh after you've taken the shot.
• New storage option of 512GB.

For an in-depth look at all of these new features, as well benchmark performance, imaging and opinions, check out our full review here.

Before we get into product comparisons, the other thing you need to consider is the price of the new iPhones. The XS and XS Max are both substantially more expensive than previous iPhones (except for last year's iPhone X).

The iPhone XS has a starting price of S$1,649 for the 64GB model, and this goes up to S$1,889 if you want 256GB. If you want the 512GB model, you’re looking at S$2,199. The iPhone XS Max is priced at S$1,799 for the 64GB model, S$2,039 for the 256GB model, and S$2,349 for the 512GB model.

If that's a little too much to pay for a phone, last year's iPhone X is now 10 percent cheaper (but only in-store at the Apple Store), and if that's still too much, the iPhone XR, which starts at a much more affordable S$1,229, and has many of the same features as the XS, is coming next month.

Next, let's take a look at what you get (or lose) for upgrading from one of the older iPhones

iPhone X to iPhone XS or XS Max

The iPhone X looks exactly the same as the XS (apart from some really minor differences), and unlike some 'S' models, there's no big new must-have software feature on the XS. The XS is quite a bit more powerful, and it has a better display, speakers, and camera, but none of these are significant enough to warrant upgrading from the X. On the other hand, if you like everything about the X, except you wish the screen was bigger, the XS Max's 6.5-inch display is definitely worth considering.

What you get for upgrading

• 6.5-inch display on the iPhone XS Max.
• IP68 dust and water resistance.
• New Gold color option.
• 60% increased dynamic ratio display.
• Louder stereo speakers.
• More durable front and back glass.
• More powerful A12 Bionic processor.
• 4GB RAM.
• Faster 4G LTE speeds. Both the XS and  XS Max now support 4G LTE Cat 16 up to 1024Mbps.
• Dual Sim functionality.
• Faster and more secure Face ID.
• Slightly longer battery life.
• Slightly improved rear cameras.
• Improved Portrait Mode with adjustable depth-of-field.
• 512GB storage option.

The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus were the last generation of Apple's 2014-2017 iPhone era, which started with the iPhone 6. They're also the last iPhones with TouchID and Home Buttons, but FaceID is so good (and more secure) that you'll find you don't really miss them. The main reason to upgrade to the XS or XS Max is the larger, bezel-less OLED display, which not only gives you more screen real estate, but also has a higher resolution, better contrast, and supports true HDR10/Dolby Vision playback.

What you get for upgrading

• Larger display: 5.8-inches on the iPhone XS or 6.5-inches on the iPhone XS Max
• Taller 19.5:9 aspect ratio bezel-less display with notch.
• Higher resolution OLED display (~458 ppi) with HDR10/Dolby Vision support.
• IP68 dust and water resistance.
• Stainless steel and glass design available in Silver, Space Gray, or Gold.
• FaceID and Animoji.
• Louder stereo speakers.
• More durable front and back glass.
• More powerful A12 Bionic processor.
• 4GB RAM.
• Faster 4G LTE speeds. Both the XS and XS Max now support 4G LTE Cat 16 up to 1024Mbps.
• Dual Sim functionality.
• Longer battery life.
• Slightly improved rear cameras.
• Improved Portrait Mode with adjustable depth-of-field.
• 512GB storage option.

What you lose for upgrading

• TouchID
• Home Button

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus were the first iPhones to introduce a dual rear camera setup and Portrait Mode  (but only on the 7 Plus), IP67 dust and water resistance and stereo speakers. They were also unique because Apple introduced two black color options that haven't been seen since: Matte Black, and Jet Black (although the Matte Black color is returning on the upcoming iPhone XR).

Once again, the main reason to upgrade to the XS or XS Max is the larger, bezel-less OLED display, which not only gives you more screen real estate, but also has a higher resolution, better contrast, and supports true HDR10/Dolby Vision playback. You also get wireless charging, much better cameras, and a much faster processor for upgrading.

What you get for upgrading

• Larger display: 5.8-inches on the iPhone XS or 6.5-inches on the iPhone XS Max.
• Taller 19.5:9 aspect ratio bezel-less display with notch.
• Higher resolution OLED display (~458 ppi) with HDR10/Dolby Vision support.
• IP68 dust and water resistance.
• Stainless steel and glass design available in Silver, Space Gray, or Gold.
• FaceID and Animoji.
• Glass rear with wireless charging.
• Louder stereo speakers.
• More durable front and back glass.
• More powerful A12 Bionic processor.
• 4GB RAM.
• Faster 4G LTE speeds. Both the XS and XS Max now support 4G LTE Cat 16 up to 1024Mbps.
• Dual Sim functionality.
• Longer battery life.
• Much better rear cameras.
• Improved Portrait Mode with adjustable depth-of-field.
• 64GB and 512GB storage options.

What you lose for upgrading

• TouchID.
• Home Button.
• Matte Black and Jet Black color options.

The iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were the first iPhones to introduce 3D Touch. They were also the first iPhones available in Rose Gold and the last iPhones with 3.5mm headphone jacks. Once again, the main reason to upgrade to the XS or XS Max is the larger, bezel-less OLED display, which not only gives you more screen real estate, but also has a higher resolution, better contrast, and supports true HDR10/Dolby Vision playback. You also get stereo speakers, wireless charging, a dual rear camera setup, Portrait mode, and a much faster processor for upgrading.

What you get for upgrading

• Larger display: 5.8-inches on the iPhone XS or 6.5-inches on the iPhone XS Max.
• Taller 19.5:9 aspect ratio bezel-less display with notch.
• Higher resolution OLED display (~458 ppi) with HDR10/Dolby Vision support.
• IP68 dust and water resistance.
• Stainless steel and glass design available in Silver, Space Gray, or Gold.
• FaceID and Animoji.
• Glass rear with wireless charging.
• Stereo speakers.
• More durable front and back glass.
• More powerful A12 Bionic processor.
• 4GB RAM.
• Faster 4G LTE speeds. Both the XS and XS Max now support 4G LTE Cat 16 up to 1024Mbps.
• Dual Sim functionality.
• Longer battery life.
• Dual rear camera setup.
• Portrait Mode with adjustable depth-of-field.
• 64GB and 512GB storage options.

What you lose for upgrading

• TouchID.
• Home Button.
• 3.5mm headphone jack.
• 32GB and 128GB storage options.
• Rose Gold color option.

The iPhone SE (short for Special Edition) was a unique, one-off iPhone that packed the processor and rear camera of the 6S into the 4-inch body of the older iPhone 5. If you're still using the SE, you probably bought it for its compact size, but now that the phone has been discontinued, and Apple isn't rumored to be releasing any more small iPhones, it's time to leave 2010 behind and join the rest of modern society by embracing a bigger smartphone display. 

You'll probably want to go for the XS, as the XS Max will be too big of a jump from the SE, but don't be intimidated by its 5.8-inch display size. The actual phone is only slightly larger than a 4.7-inch iPhone 8. The XS's OLED display doesn't just give you more screen real estate, it also has a higher resolution, better contrast, and supports true HDR10/Dolby Vision playback. You also get stereo speakers, wireless charging, a dual rear camera setup, more RAM, and a much faster processor for upgrading.

What you get for upgrading

• Much larger display: 5.8-inches on the iPhone XS or 6.5-inches on the iPhone XS Max.
• Taller 19.5:9 aspect ratio bezel-less display with notch.
• Higher resolution OLED display (~458 ppi) with HDR10/Dolby Vision support.
• IP68 dust and water resistance.
• Stainless steel and glass design available in Silver, Space Gray, or Gold.
• FaceID and Animoji.
• Glass rear with wireless charging.
• Stereo speakers.
• More durable front and back glass.
• More powerful A12 Bionic processor.
• 4GB RAM.
• Faster 4G LTE speeds. Both the XS and XS Max now support 4G LTE Cat 16 up to 1024Mbps.
• Dual Sim functionality.
• Longer battery life.
• Dual rear cameras.
• Portrait Mode with adjustable depth-of-field.
• 256GB and 512GB storage options.

What you lose for upgrading

• Compact size
• TouchID
• Home Button
• 3.5mm headphone jack.
• 16GB, 32GB, 128GB storage options.

The iPhone 6 and 6 Plus were the first generation of Apple's larger iPhones, with 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens respectively. These phones are really old though, and you get a lot of meaningful upgrades for upgrading. The main reason to upgrade to the XS or XS Max is the larger, bezel-less OLED display, which not only gives you more screen real estate, but also has a higher resolution, better contrast, and supports true HDR10/Dolby Vision playback. You also get stereo speakers, wireless charging, a dual rear camera setup, more RAM, and a much faster processor for upgrading.

What you get for upgrading

• Larger display: 5.8-inches on the iPhone XS or 6.5-inches on the iPhone XS Max.
• Taller 19.5:9 aspect ratio bezel-less display with notch.
• Higher resolution OLED display (~458 ppi) with HDR10/Dolby Vision support.
• IP68 dust and water resistance.
• Stainless steel and glass design available in Silver, Space Gray, or Gold.
• FaceID and Animoji.
• Glass rear with wireless charging.
• Stereo speakers.
• More durable front and back glass.
• More powerful A12 Bionic processor.
• 4GB RAM.
• Faster 4G LTE speeds. Both the XS and XS Max now support 4G LTE Cat 16 up to 1024Mbps.
• Dual Sim functionality.
• Longer battery life.
• Dual rear cameras.
• Portrait Mode with adjustable depth-of-field.
• 256GB and 512GB storage options.

What you lose for upgrading

• TouchID
• Home Button
• 3.5mm headphone jack.
• 16GB, 32GB, 128GB storage options.

The iPhone 5S was the last generation of Apple's 4-inch iPhones. Compared to the 5.8-inch XS, or the 6.5-inch XS Max, its 4-inch display looks tiny in comparison. We recommend you upgrade to the XS, as the XS Max will be a really big difference in screen size. Of course, if you're ready to fully embrace the big screen, the XS Max is the biggest display Apple has ever put on an iPhone.

Beyond just extra screen real estate, the displays themselves are also significantly better, with higher resolutions, better contrast, and HDR10/Dolby Vision support. You also get stereo speakers, wireless charging, a dual rear camera setup, more RAM, and a much faster processor for upgrading.

If you're still holding onto one of these phones, what are you waiting for? It's time to upgrade.

What you get for upgrading

• Much larger display: 5.8-inches on the iPhone XS or 6.5-inches on the iPhone XS Max.
• Taller 19.5:9 aspect ratio bezel-less display with notch.
• Higher resolution OLED display (~458 ppi) with HDR10/Dolby Vision support.
• IP68 dust and water resistance.
• Stainless steel and glass design available in Silver, Space Gray, or Gold.
• FaceID and Animoji.
• Glass rear with wireless charging.
• Stereo speakers.
• More durable front and back glass.
• More powerful A12 Bionic processor.
• 4GB RAM.
• Faster 4G LTE speeds. Both the XS and XS Max now support 4G LTE Cat 16 up to 1024Mbps.
• Dual Sim functionality.
• Longer battery life.
• Dual rear cameras.
• Portrait Mode with adjustable depth-of-field.
• 256GB and 512GB storage options.

What you lose for upgrading

• Compact size
• TouchID
• Home Button
• 3.5mm headphone jack.
• 16GB, and 32GB storage options.

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