Apple iPhone XS vs iPhone XS Max vs iPhone XR: Which should you buy?

Apple’s new iPhone XS and XS Max are up for pre-order today but this year the choice is arguably harder than ever, largely because there’s another one vying for your cash. That cheaper, more colourful iPhone XR won’t be available until next month, but it still needs to be taken into account when choosing your next slice of all-screen Apple tech. What sets these phones apart and which is the one best for you? Here’s what we think based on the initial reveal and specs.

Design: The X factor

From the front, it’s hard to tell the three new phones apart, but get up close and there are clear differences. While the iPhone XS and XS Max are basically identical aside from their sizes (5.8in vs 6.5in), the XR is different. Size-wise, its 6.1in screen means it falls between the two XS models, but it’s a little thicker than both, with slightly more bezel and an aluminium frame rather than stainless steel. It also comes in more playful colours, including blue, yellow and coral.

Screen: Clear differences

Three phones, three different screens. While the XS and XS Max get Super Retina OLED panels at 458 pixels per inch, the XR sticks with an LCD display. As you’d expect, Apple claims it’s more advanced than ever, but the resolution is underwhelming. At 1792×828 with 326ppi, it’s no sharper than the screen on the iPhone 8. The XS Max’s larger screen and greater resolution (2688×1242 vs 2436×1126) means it also gets a special landscape view for certain apps, with a split look allowing dual panes when supported.

Cameras: One or two?

All three phones have a 7MP TrueDepth camera on the front and a 12MP wide-angle camera with optical image stabilisation on the back, but the XS and XS Max add a second 12MP telephoto one. This enables 2x optical zoom and extended digital zoom, as well as Portrait shots with the fancy new post-shot bokeh controls. Interestingly, the iPhone XR can also do this, although with software tricks only, so it remains to be seen how effective it’ll be.

Performance: True powerhouses

Each of the new iPhones has an equally fresh A12 Bionic chip inside, which includes two performance cores that are up to 15% faster than the A11 and four efficiency cores that use up to 50% less power than last year’s one. The Neural Engine has also been massively enhanced. What does all that mean? That all three should perform identically, although there’s a chance that the XS and XS Max will have more RAM. Apple hasn’t announced those details yet, so we’ll have to wait until someone prises them open to find out.

Battery: Surprise leader

The glass backs on all three mean wireless charging all round, while battery life also gets a boost over their predecessors, with the iPhone XR leading the way. Who’d have thunk it? It claims up to 15 hours of internet usage and 16 hours of video playback. Next is the XS Max, with 13 hours of browsing and 15 of video, while the XS brings up the rear with 12 hours online and 14 of TV time. Looks like that lower-resolution screen is paying dividends for the iPhone XR.

Storage and perks: Go big or go home

While the iPhone XR maxes out at 256GB, with 64GB and 128GB also available, the XS models offer a whopping 512GB. Don’t need that much, there are also 64GB and 256GB models available. Obviously there’s no option to expand it. There’s been no spectacular U-turn on headphone ports either and you don’t even get the dongle adaptor in the box anymore. Perhaps it really is time to invest in a pair of Bluetooth cans.

Initial verdict: Tough decision

At £749+, the XR is clearly the new ‘standard’ iPhone. It does plenty of the stuff the more expensive models do but it is chunkier with a distinctly less impressive screen. Still, that £250 saving is hard to ignore. But if you want top-end tech you have to pay for it, and the XS and XS Max offer it in spades. The only real difference between the two is the screen size and battery life. The XS Max is a real whopper, although the actual phone itself is barely bigger than an iPhone 8 Plus, so if you’ve got big enough hands and a wallet to match, that’s the one to go for.