iPhone XS, XS Max Review Roundup: What Critics Say About Newest Apple Phones

Apple’s newest high-end mobile devices launch Friday and the tech press has already gotten their hands on them. Reviews are out for the iPhone XS and XS Max, which both retail for at least $1,000.

According to reviews published Tuesday, this year’s new iPhones are truly iterative, so consumers who already shelled out money for the premium iPhone X last year may want to wait another year before upgrading.

TechCrunch heaps praise on new iPhone cameras

During its announcement event for the new iPhones last week, Apple spent a significant amount of time highlighting the phones’ new triple-camera system. The selfie camera on the front of the phones is 7 megapixels and uses TrueDepth to, well, increase depth perception. On the back of the phone are two 12-megapixel cameras, one with a wide angle and the other with a telephoto lens.

In his review for TechCrunch, Matthew Panzarino went in-depth about the quality of the cameras. According to Panzarino, the new cameras, when combined with the phones’ “Smart HDR” technology, may turn iPhone XS and XS Max owners into professional photographers.

“The results for me have been massively improved quick snaps with no thought given to exposure or adjustments due to poor lighting,” Panzarino wrote. “Your camera roll as a whole will just suddenly start looking like you’re a better picture taker, with no intervention from you.”

CNBC says the new phones are great, but not worth a yearly upgrade

CNBC critic Todd Haselton bluntly praised the iPhone XS and XS Max as the best phones the Cupertino, California-based company has ever sold. However, he acknowledged they are not enough of an improvement over last year’s iPhone X to warrant an upgrade for X owners.

Haselton cited battery life, screen quality and camera improvements as selling points but suggested consumers should only upgrade to these new phones if their phones are on the older side.

“If you have an old iPhone, like an iPhone 7, and want the best new iPhone, you should upgrade to the XS, or the Max if you want a giant screen,” Haselton wrote.

The Verge notes Smart HDR problems, lack of XS Max upgrades

While TechCrunch loved the new Smart HDR feature, Nilay Patel of The Verge had some problems with it. Patel said he prefers the camera on the Google Pixel 2, as that phone’s camera captures more fine details on its subjects. Apple’s Smart HDR feature reportedly smooths out details, producing photos that look a bit less authentic.

Patel also noted that the XS Max is merely the same phone with a bigger screen and slightly better battery. He pointed out several apps have not adapted for the bigger screen, making things look a bit funky.

“Some apps that haven’t been updated look a little broken right now, particularly Instagram,” Patel wrote. “Everything else is mostly just bigger; apps like Slack, Gmail, and Twitter show you the exact same amount of information as the smaller XS.”

No reason to upgrade from iPhone X, according to CNET

CNET’s Scott Stein noted many of the same improvements over last year’s offerings as other critics. The camera is better and Face ID is slightly more adept at unlocking the phone using only the owner’s face. It is also more powerful, resulting in improved gaming and augmented reality experiences, as advertised.

Still, Stein noted the hefty price points as something that might turn customers away from the XS and XS Max. He also said, in his testing, that battery life was not dramatically improved over the iPhone X. In conclusion, anyone who has an iPhone X should probably stick with it until next year’s more significant upgrade.

“The camera is certainly better, but the X already takes great shots. Battery life is close enough, and the XS' general design is identical,” Stein wrote. “This isn't a reason to upgrade from the X to the XS.”