Apple iPhone XS Specifications

Checkout some of it’s special features:

Display

The iPhone XS shares the same display with the iPhone X, despite being a superior device in several ways. It flaunts a 5.8″ Super Retina OLED with Dolby Vision that gets as bright as 625 nits. Its 1125×2436 pixels make it a more pixel-dense display than we know on iPhones, as it has a whopping 458 ppi density.

The touch surface is scratch-resistant Gorilla Glass for protection, and it’s one of the last iPhones to feature 3D Touch. Since the device is a top-of-the-line iPhone, you should expect an excellent display, as Apple isn’t cutting corners.

Processor

This phone runs on the hexa-core Apple A12 Bionic chipset, which is one of the fastest from its generation, regardless of the device you’re using. The processor features two “Vortex” performance cores and four “Tempest” efficiency cores. It also has a quad-core Apple GPU, making the phone a beast for GPU-intensive tasks like gaming.

Battery

The iPhone XS features a 2658 mAh battery, which sounds mediocre compared to competitors. Even random entry-level Android phones feature between 3000 and 5000 mAh cells, making those numbers look like the bare minimum.

However, you should note that batteries are typically more efficient on iOS than Android, but Apple can’t break the law of physics. If you live or work at a place with an infrequent or unreliable power supply, you should accompany your purchase with a portable charger.

Cameras

The iPhone XS features two 12 MP sensors on the back of the device; one serves as the primary sensor with an f/1.8 aperture with dual pixel autofocus and optical image stabilization, while the second is a telephoto camera that supports 2x optical zoom with OIS and PDAF. The device also features a single 7 MP sensor on the front for selfies.

The rear cameras can shoot 4k at 60fps, while the selfie camera peaks at 1080p at 60fps. You can shoot 240fps slo-mo at 1080p, making the iPhone XS a creator-focused smartphone ready to replace your dedicated camera rigs.

RAM/Internal Storage

The device has different storage configurations but with the same 4GB of RAM. Apple makes a base 64GB variant, a 256GB variant, and a 512GB variant. However, good luck finding a 512GB iPhone XS, as they’re almost always available in online stores. That said, you should always buy the highest storage variant you can find, as the device doesn’t support expandable storage via a MicroSD card.

Water-Resistance

The iPhone XS has proper water resistance, as it’s rated IP68 for its ability to survive under 2m of water for up to 30 minutes. Generally, I recommend against putting that to the test, as you’re most likely buying a refurbished version of the device that has lost its water resistance rating.

If you unboxed the device, there’s nothing wrong with using it to take underwater photos; just don’t ask for warranty servicing if anything negative happens, as your warranty doesn’t cover water damage.

Operating System

The iPhone XS comes with iOS 12, which is the maximum update you can get for an iPhone 6 right now, but you can update it to the latest iOS 16. While it doesn’t have many older siblings, we expect Apple to end support for the iPhone 8 and X before officially ending support for the iPhone XS.

Since the iPhone 8 lineup got the last major software update, you can expect at least two more annual software updates for the iPhone XS. Going by Apple’s update behavior, that expectation is very conservative.

Price

As you’d expect, the iPhone XS sits between the iPhone XR and the iPhone XS Max in pricing, being the base phone in the lineup. If the phone is too tiny for your liking, you should try the XS Max, and if it’s too expensive, the iPhone XR should work for you.

Watch Apple iPhone XS Review

Apple iPhone XS – user opinions and reviews

I actually just bought an iPhone XS new off ebay. I was considering replacing my 13 mini because I liked the XS design so much and wanted a larger screen. I just think iPhones have gotten so chunky these days it’s getting ridiculous. Having said that the screen on the XS has a really odd issue when the brightness is turned all the way down. Gray seems to turn brown and everything gets washed out. I bought another one and it has the same issue. Other than that the screen just has an odd color tint to it. The deal breaker might be night mode for me though. The camera is kind of useless in low light but I have to say night mode tends to artificially boost lighting in a lot of shots so the XS sometimes has a more realistic look in low light. – Joshua Garrett

Traded up from a Blackberry Z10 in 2019 to iPhone Xs… Xs is exceptional device, battery has just dropped to 87% & based on this review… time for a new battery. Great review, thanks Josh! – Michael Gibbons

I’ve got one for more than a year now, and I am pretty amazed about how good it is and lasts. I have dropped it accidentally in water multiple times, but I don’t see any damage! It can scratch a little but it’s still better than the newer (in my opinion). I don’t see any problem which makes me wanna upgrade, so it’s great! The only reason I’m saving up for another, is because of my storage. It might take a lot storage at 600 pictures and that’s why I’m upgrading from 64 to 128 so yeah! I was so excited when I updated from a 6S + to a Xs so yeah! – Lovely Neila

I have a XS myself, and the only reasons I feel like I need an upgrade are the battery life and the 64gb of storage that I got stuck with since my carrier only had 64 and 512. Still performs well though. – maximaal

It sounds crazy but I love the design of the XS series. I know it’s damn near the same as the iPhone X but there was so,etching about the XS series specifically that really caught me eye. I remember rushing to the apple store before going into work to pick mine up. I was a good 45 minutes late but at the time I didn’t care 😂😂 I just wanted my XXS. – Chisom Agbara

Frequently Asked Questions About iPhone XS

Conclusion

The iPhone XS remains one of the best-value devices from Apple in 2023 if you can afford it. Striking a perfect balance of affordability and performance, it’s up to you to decide if it’s reasonably priced. Since we have outlined the Apple iPhone XS price in Nigeria, you have everything you need to make informed decisions.