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The iPhone XS: fast, beautiful, but that's not everything
28.9.2018
The successor to the iPhone X has caused quite a stir, and not just because of its price. There's a lot to say about the iPhone XS, and a few things to criticise too. I tested Apple's S version for five days.
With the exception of a few details, the new iPhone XS is identical to its predecessor, the iPhone X. The new colour is immediately noticeable: the S version is available in gold. There have been gold iPhones before, but the iPhone X is not available in gold and not with a glass back. As I like everything gold or pink, I bought the gold model. For me, it's more rose gold or bronze, but I like it.
The iPhone X marked the start of a new era on the tenth anniversary of the iPhone. This version is really just an update. Some things have been improved, but new problems have appeared. However, Apple has almost got it right: as we've come to expect from the giant, the phone is well thought out, beautifully finished and stylish. Apple has already opted to do away with the Home button and fingerprint sensor in the iPhone X, and has even improved on this a little. (The article below is in German.)
Plunging back into the Apple universe was quick and easy. No sooner had I booted up my new iPhone and entered my iCloud password, than my four-year-old MacBook appeared in the cloud. My little Apple ecosystem is up and running.
Yes, it's even faster
Apple has built a new system-on-a-chip (SoC) into the iPhone XS. The iPhone X was already fast. According to Apple, the iPhone XS is up to 15% faster thanks to the A12 Bionic - that's what the new part is called. In everyday life, the only thing you notice is how fast the device works. Applications open quickly and there's no lag. In my test, not a single application bugged. Switching directly from one application to another (multitasking) works as quickly as with any other phone. And there are probably still no apps in the App Store that could push the iPhone to its limits.
For me, Apple's new neural engine, which is in the chip, makes a noticeable change to everyday life. The neural engine is part of the field of artificial intelligence. Among other things, it makes Apple's facial recognition even faster and more reliable.
Facial recognition is a tad better
Compared to the iPhone X, it looks like facial recognition has become half an eyelid blink faster. It even works if you're wearing sunglasses. With the iPhone XS, it works much better if you're looking down at the phone or sideways. If the phone is on the table, to unlock it, you have to lift it slightly or lean over it. At home, the XS's facial recognition also works better in the dark than its predecessor's.
With Apple's neural engine, photo search has also been improved. During my test, the XS delivers more correct results than its predecessor. Geotags have become a little more accurate. Of course, this doesn't rub anyone's nose in it, but I still think it's a good thing.
Connection problems?
A small change visible in the iPhone XS: Apple has added two new antenna bands at the top and bottom. These are intended to improve reception. First disappointment of this test: the reception of my iPhone XS is no better. Quite the contrary.
In fact, I'm not one of those people who makes long calls on the train - my aim isn't to bang on the system of everyone in the carriage. But I do sometimes phone on the train on a Saturday afternoon. Like last Saturday. During the journey, the connection went down three times and my girlfriend complained several times that she couldn't hear me properly. With the other devices I've tested, the connection has never dropped so much. I didn't immediately know.
A day later, I phoned another girlfriend from home. She also complained that she didn't understand me very well. That's when I started to have doubts.
I've always had good reception in my flat. Is it because of the network? Or my SIM card? I restarted the mobile phone and checked my Swisscom subscription online. Everything seems to be in order.
I notice that Whatsapp sometimes takes a long time to load new messages, even though the app opens quickly. That same evening, I stumbled across an article in the specialist magazine golem.de (in German). It says that several buyers are complaining about the reception of the iPhone XS and XS Max. Other news portals have also reported these problems in the meantime.
So is iPhone XS reception worse than iPhone X reception?
I take my SIM card out of the iPhone XS and put it in the iPhone X. With the iPhone X, I get four or five bars of 4G reception, compared with two with the iPhone XS. But I find these bars far too inaccurate.
I run four speed tests at two locations and compare the iPhone X with the XS. Here are the results - the top two were obtained in my flat, the bottom two in the office:
- At home, download speed is always faster with the iPhone X
- But the upload speed is faster with the iPhone XS
- Download and upload differ in the office and are about the same
While this doesn't deduce the new iPhone's sporadic connection problems, I don't notice that the phone is any faster, as promised by Apple. One thing's for sure: what plays a part is where you are.
Based on these results, I can't say for sure that the new iPhone has a reception problem. It may simply be the model I'm currently testing that has a problem.
It remains to be seen.
It remains to be seen whether the reception problems are actually confirmed. I don't think there's a new gate antenna like there was with the iPhone 4 back in the day. The iPhone 7 also had some connection problems at first, but Apple were able to fix them with an update.
I still ask Apple Switzerland's press department if they are aware of these problems. Spokesperson Ulrich Taller's response: "No comment."
Other small improvements in various places
Apple has also improved several other small things. Here are the most important:
According to Apple, the stereo speakers have "wider stereo sound". To me, it sounds more like the speakers on the new iPhone are a little louder at full volume, but not that the sound is any better.
Now, the iPhone can go in water up to two metres deep, it's IP68 certified. The iPhone X is only IP67 certified, which means it can't go more than a metre deep.
Apple has made some improvements to the camera. As I only tested the smartphone for five days and that wasn't enough time to cover all the bases, David Lee, our photo specialist, took it upon himself to test the camera and brings you his impressions in a separate article.
I have, of course, also tried out the camera. The photos I've taken are good, as usual. I get the impression that they're a little clearer than the iPhone X. [[image:16968657]]A snapshot taken with the iPhone XS
The iPhone X packs a 2716mAh battery. The XS's is a little smaller at 2658mAh. However, I didn't notice this during my test. It must be because of Apple's new SoC: it's the only way to explain the battery's good performance. At the end of the day, I still had about 50 per cent left. I listened to music for several hours a day, surfed a lot and was often on Whatsapp. In any case, the battery depends on how often and how intensively you use your phone.
My colleague Alessandro Thüler is also testing the XS and playing an augmented reality game called Egg, Inc. He's pretty excited about chasing chickens around the office. Augmented reality hasn't convinced me yet. It's pretty impressive how quickly Alessandro can scan an A4 sheet and turn his farm on it. I can't judge whether this feature is better than on the iPhone X.
Overview: only worth it for a few people
I've had a lot of fun testing the iPhone XS. Yet I wouldn't buy it. Not only because I don't like iOS very much - I feel like I'm locked in a gilded cage - but also because I find the high price not worth it for how little innovation there is. True, the XS is just an update, not a new iPhone. Nevertheless, I think that this time Apple has gone too far, or rather too high, on price.
An iPhone works as soon as you take it out of the box, without you needing to set up or change anything - unless you have wired headphones. To use the latter, you'll need to go and buy a dongle first.
Apple's hardware is extremely powerful. With the iPhone, you get a complete package that you probably won't find from any other manufacturer. But there aren't many other mobile phones that cost as much.
If you've got an iPhone, you're going to want to buy one.
If you have a slightly older iPhone - like an iPhone 6 or less - upgrading to the S version might be worth it. If you have a newer iPhone, I wouldn't recommend switching.
If you want to get the most out of your iPhone, you'll need to upgrade.
If you want a new iPhone, take a look at the iPhone XR first. It might be worth more.
Testing devices and gadgets is my thing. Some experiments lead to interesting insights, others to demolished phones. I’m hooked on series and can’t imagine life without Netflix. In summer, you’ll find me soaking up the sun by the lake or at a music festival.
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