iPhone XS: Review

                                                             Iphone XS
                                               Is it good for a small phone?


With the unveiling of Apple's latest iPhones on 10 September, it's now no longer possible to buy the iPhone Xs on Apple's website. And unless you're able to find a really good deal it's no longer advisable to purchase the phone anywhere else, either.

The Apple iPhone Xs can be summed up in one fairly brief sentence: it’s basically the same phone as the Apple iPhone Xs Max, but with a smaller screen and a smaller battery.

To look at, the iPhone Xs is almost identical to the 2017 iPhone X, which Apple has now retired. It has the same front-filling AMOLED 5.8in display, the same dimensions and the very same notch at the top of the screen. It’s marginally heavier but that’s not noticeable.

As with the iPhone X, the 5.8in display is excellent. It uses AMOLED technology, so each of the onscreen pixels has its own light source. This translates to perfect, inky black level response and essentially perfect contrast.

The numbers might not mean an awful lot to you, but the fact the display has full support for HDR10 and Dolby Vision standards might well do. It won’t support these standards to the letter of the law, particularly when it comes to peak brightness, but I can report that videos of both types on Netflix and on YouTube look absolutely superb. Colours seem to leap from the surface of the screen, and highlights glint and gleam in an amazingly realistic fashion.

In terms of raw quality, all the same judgements apply to the iPhone Xs as to the iPhone Xs Max. It’s better, but only slightly. Photos in good light have a touch more punch to them, a little more detail and texture. It’s very slightly better in low light, too.

The Apple iPhone Xs, just like the Xs Max, is a fabulous smartphone. If you’re firmly an iPhone fan but prefer a smaller screen, then you won’t be disappointed.

It has much better battery life than the iPhone X, a better camera with better portrait photos, HDR capabilities and video, and it’s a faster performer too. If you’re coming from an iPhone 7 or a 6s, it’s an even greater step forward.