New iPhone Announcement: Apple Officially Unveils XS, XS Max And XR Phones

After nearly a year of rumors and speculation, Apple finally lifted the veil on its newest iPhone and Apple Watch products at an event held at its headquarters in Cupertino, California.

Apple confirmed what many already suspected about the newest models of iPhone. As rumors indicated over the past several months, there will be three new iPhone models this year. The two main attractions are the iPhone XS and XS Max. The XS is a 5.8-inch smartphone with a super-retina OLED display. The XS Max has a 6.5-inch display.

Apple called it “the most advanced iPhone ever created” during the keynote event.

The phones contain a new chip, dubbed A12 Bionic, which will essentially make it do everything better and faster. They can even go up to 512 gigabytes in internal storage. Users will be able to unlock their phones using Face ID, meaning their faces are passwords now, instead of passcodes or thumbprints.

Both the XS and XS Max have three cameras on them. The 7-megapixel front camera uses TrueDepth to capture depth to a higher degree than previous iPhone cameras. On the back, there are two 12-megapixel cameras next to each other. One shoots at a wide angle, while the other is a telephoto lens. Users can even adjust depth of field after taking photos.

The XS boasts a battery that can last 30 minutes longer than last year’s iPhone X. The XS Max can go 90 minutes longer. Both phones will launch on Sept. 21, with the XS starting at $1,000 and the XS Max starting at $1,099.

The third new iPhone is called the XR. It has the same A12 Bionic chip and many of the same features as the XS models, but its 6.1-inch LCD display and lack of 3D Touch features make it cheaper. It will launch on Oct. 26, starting at $749.

Aside from the new iPhones, the only other major news of the day was the unveiling of the Apple Watch Series 4. Apple’s newest smartwatches boast larger screens, thinner cases, louder speakers and have been constructed so radio waves can pass through more easily, providing better cellular connections.

The new line of Apple Watches are being advertised as health-centric devices. They can detect when wearers have taken hard falls and will contact emergency services if the user does not respond after a certain amount of time. They can also give users an electrocardiogram, the first over-the-counter consumer device to do so.

The Apple Watch Series 4 will launch on Sept. 21. They will cost $399 without cellular service and $499 with it.