Updated on 6 December 2024
Apple’s newest iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max are now on sale. People all over the world are trying to get their hands on these devices. While many are still thinking that it would be best to wait for the iPhone XR, considering the secret feature these smartphones offer, now is definitely the best time to upgrade.
When iFixit tried to go over the aforementioned iPhones, the teardown expert was able to find out that they both have an extra antenna. It holds true that the latter is responsible for enabling support for Cat 16 Gigabit LTE. However, given its design, it seems to be the driver behind some highly-anticipated real-world improvements to 4G performance.
Measuring 4G speeds across US carriers AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon, popular Android and iOS signal testing app SpeedSmart has revealed both new iPhones deliver massive gains. And when compared to the iPhone X, it appears to be of 2-3x more under the same test conditions.
For heavy data users, this is without a doubt not enough reason to upgrade. Heck, it might even be the deciding factor to totally veer away from the titular iPhone XR.
But what most people do not know about the appeal of the device is that it can deliver most of the major features of both the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max – and this for a lot less cash. And if you try to dig deeper into the device’s specifications, you will find out that it is actually comprised of the same Cat 12 LTE connectivity, a similar functionality found in the iPhone X. You absolutely know that it is a world apart from its more luxurious stablemates.
Of course, it is a crime not to admit that the iPhone XR does have one equally appealing advantage (besides cost) if compared with the iPhone XS Max or even the iPhone XS. This is none other than having a much better battery life.
Consequently, while news of the flagship models’ 4G performance is quite interesting, so to speak, users cannot help but wonder why the tech giant fails to release an iPhone that has all these features. Is it for market gains in the future? Or because the company just could not find a way to do it? Well, the former seems to be a more viable option, as the latter is not unacceptable in a world where newer technology appears out of nowhere.
During Apple’s unveiling, the high-end XS and XS Max models were announced to come with a 512-gigabyte storage option, which is basically twice as much as the previous maximum. Considering it’s the space, it should be enough to hold a couple hundred thousand photos or dozens of high-definition movies.
That is up from a maximum 256GB on last year’s flagship iPhone X, and 64 times as much as what the original iPhone had a decade ago.
But what users do not know is that the company charges them a lot more for this storage than it pays suppliers, and it definitely has not reduced the markups for higher-capacity options or provided a way for customers to add storage later, even though component prices are falling sharply.