What are the pros of Apple iPhone XS Review: Premium OLED and A12 Bionic?

Premium stainless-steel design , Excellent OLED display , Compact and comfortable size , Useful 2x telephoto camera , Face ID , Qi wireless charging , IP68 water resistance

What are the cons of Apple iPhone XS Review: Premium OLED and A12 Bionic?

Aging battery life , No 5G , No Night mode , No ultra-wide camera , 60Hz display , No Apple Intelligence , Discontinued

How much does Apple iPhone XS Review: Premium OLED and A12 Bionic cost?

The Apple iPhone XS Review: Premium OLED and A12 Bionic is priced at $999 – $1,349.

Primary

Apple 2018

iPhone XS

Apple iPhone XS Review: Premium OLED and A12 Bionic

Display 1125 × 2436 pixels

Camera 1080p @30/60fps cinematic video stabilization

Performance Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm)

Size 5.8 inches (14.73 cm)

Expert Score

7.8

94% Confidence

Community Score

6.6

0% Confidence

AI Score

7.7

90% Confidence

Final Score

7.5

92% Confidence

Storage

RAM

Color

Regional

Carrier

In Stock

$0 – $1,349 $999

Lowest $999 Save $999

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Category Scores

A compact premium iPhone with a strong OLED display and capable cameras, but aging battery life and limited long-term value.

Performance Great

The A12 Bionic remains usable for everyday tasks...

Display Great

The 5.8-inch OLED panel still offers excellent c...

Camera Great

The dual 12MP cameras remain capable in daylight...

Battery Good

Battery endurance is modest, and used devices ma...

Gaming Good

The A12 GPU can run many games, but heat and bat...

AI Fair

The Neural Engine supports older machine-learnin...

Security Great

Face ID, Secure Enclave and iOS security feature...

Value for Money Good

It is worthwhile only at a low used or refurbish...

Design Great

The stainless-steel frame and compact OLED desig...

Repairability Good

The sealed glass body and paired components make...

Software Support Great

The device has received many years of updates, b...

Connectivity Good

Gigabit LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC and Lightning...

Audio Great

Stereo speakers provide clear and balanced sound...

Durability Great

The stainless-steel frame and IP68 rating provid...

Charging Good

Fast charging and Qi wireless charging are suppo...

Specifications

Display 8

Size 5.8 inches (14.73 cm)

Type Super Retina OLED, HDR10, Dolby Vision

Resolution 1125 × 2436 pixels

Pixel Density 458 PPI

Refresh Rate 60 Hz

Brightness 625 nits (HBM)

Protection Scratch-resistant glass

Features True Tone display, 3D Touch, wide color gamut (P3)

Processor 3

Chipset Key Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm)

CPU Hexa-core (2×2.5 GHz Vortex + 4×1.6 GHz Tempest)

Process 7 nm

GPU 1

Graphics Apple GPU (4-core graphics)

Memory 3

RAM Key 4 GB

Virtual RAM Key No

Type LPDDR4X

Storage 4

Internal 64 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB

Type NVMe

Expandable No

Card Slot No

Battery 3

Capacity 2658 mAh

Type Lithium-Ion (non-removable)

Endurance Up to 14 hours video playback (advertised)

Charging 4

Wired 15W wired, PD2.0, 50% in 30 min (ships with 5W adapter)

Bypass No

Wireless Qi wireless charging

Reverse Wired No

Camera 4

Main 12 MP wide, f/1.8, 26mm, 1/2.55", 1.4µm, dual pixel PDAF, OIS

Telephoto 12 MP telephoto, f/2.4, 52mm, 1/3.4", 1.0µm, PDAF, OIS, 2x optical zoom

Ultra Wide No

Features Quad-LED dual-tone flash, Smart HDR, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control

Front Camera 4

Sensor 7 MP wide, f/2.2, 32mm

Aperture f/2.2

Features TrueDepth camera system, SL 3D (depth/biometrics sensor), Portrait Mode, Smart HDR

Video 1080p @30/60fps, cinematic video stabilization

Video 2

Max Resolution 4K @24/30/60fps, 1080p @30/60/120/240fps

Features Stereo sound recording with wider separation, extended dynamic range up to 30fps, cinematic stabilization

Connectivity 7

Network Gigabit-class LTE with 4x4 MIMO and LAA, HSPA, GSM, CDMA

Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac) dual-band with 2x2 MIMO

Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE

NFC Yes (with reader mode)

Infrared No

USB Lightning, USB 2.0

Positioning GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS

SIM 2

Type Nano-SIM + eSIM dual standby

eSIM Yes

Sensors 3

Biometrics Face ID enabled by TrueDepth camera

Haptics Taptic Engine linear motor

Other Sensors Accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer

Dimensions 3

Height 143.6 mm

Width 70.9 mm

Depth 7.7 mm

Weight 1

Weight 177 g

Materials 4

Frame Key Premium surgical-grade stainless steel frame

Front Corning-made heavy scratch-resistant glass

Back Corning-made glass back

Water Resistance IP68 dust tight and water resistant (up to 2m for 30 mins)

Colors 1

Options Space Gray, Silver, Gold

Operating System 2

OS iOS 12 (Upgradeable to iOS 18)

Updates Exceptional long-term support lifecycle typical of Apple flagships

AI Features 2

Photography Smart HDR frame-stacking multi-exposure pipelines, advanced neural bokeh estimation

NPU Next-generation 8-core Neural Engine for accelerated on-device machine learning

Security 2

Biometrics TrueDepth Face ID 3D facial recognition recognition

Platform Secure Enclave hardware subsystem architecture

Audio 2

Speakers Wider stereo playback speaker architecture

Headphone Jack No

Benchmarks 2

AnTuTu v7 ~346,379

Geekbench 4.4 Multi ~11,472

Release 3

Announced September 12, 2018

Released September 21, 2018

Status Discontinued / Legacy product lifecycle

Expert Review

By Mutwassim

Design

The iPhone XS uses a stainless-steel frame with glass on the front and rear. Its compact 5.8-inch form is comfortable to hold, while the polished frame and precise construction still feel premium.

Display

The 5.8-inch Super Retina HD OLED display has a 2436 x 1125 resolution, 458 ppi density, HDR, True Tone and wide-color support. It remains visually impressive, though the 60Hz refresh rate is dated.

Performance

The A12 Bionic chip remains responsive for messaging, browsing, streaming, navigation and light productivity. Demanding games and modern editing workloads reveal its age.

Gaming

Many popular games remain playable, but sustained gaming can produce heat and rapid battery drain. The 60Hz display also limits responsiveness compared with newer devices.

Camera

The dual 12MP rear system includes wide and telephoto cameras with optical image stabilization and 2x optical zoom. Daylight photos remain good, but the lack of Night mode and an ultra-wide camera limits versatility.

Battery

Battery endurance was average when new and is now highly dependent on battery health. Many used units may require battery replacement for reliable daily use.

Software

The iPhone XS launched with iOS 12 and received many years of major iOS updates. It remains useful for core apps and services, though its remaining update period is limited.

Ai

The second-generation Neural Engine supports computational photography, Face ID and older machine-learning features. The device does not support Apple Intelligence.

Connectivity

The phone supports Gigabit-class LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.0, NFC, GPS, dual SIM through nano-SIM and eSIM, and Lightning. It does not support 5G.

Pros

Premium stainless-steel design
Excellent OLED display
Compact and comfortable size
Useful 2x telephoto camera
Face ID
Qi wireless charging
IP68 water resistance

Cons

Aging battery life
No 5G
No Night mode
No ultra-wide camera
60Hz display
No Apple Intelligence
Discontinued

The iPhone XS refined the iPhone X formula with improved performance, camera processing and durability. Its 5.8-inch Super Retina HD OLED display has a 2436 x 1125 resolution, HDR support, True Tone and wide color. The A12 Bionic chip uses a 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU and second-generation Neural Engine for fast everyday performance and computational photography. The dual-camera system includes 12MP wide and telephoto cameras with optical image stabilization, 2x optical zoom and Portrait mode. The 7MP TrueDepth camera supports Face ID, Portrait selfies and 1080p video. The stainless-steel and glass body is rated IP68, while charging options include Lightning fast charging and Qi wireless charging.

Verdict

The iPhone XS remains appealing for its compact OLED design, premium materials and capable dual cameras. However, limited battery life, aging performance, no 5G and restricted remaining software support mean it should only be purchased at a compelling refurbished price.

Final: 7.5/10 Best for: General users Segment: Unknown

Product Intelligence

5.8-inch Super Retina OLED display Apple A12 Bionic chip Dual 12MP rear cameras 2x optical zoom Face ID Stainless-steel frame IP68 water resistance Qi wireless charging

Who Should Buy

Buyers who want a compact premium iPhone with an OLED display, Face ID and dual cameras at a very low used or refurbished price.

Who Should Avoid

Users who need long battery life, 5G, Night mode, an ultra-wide camera, Apple Intelligence or long remaining software support.

Key Takeaways

The compact OLED design still feels premium
The A12 chip remains usable for basic daily tasks
Battery health is critical when buying used
There is no 5G, Night mode or Apple Intelligence
Its long-term value is limited by age

Buying Recommendation

Consider the iPhone XS only when the price is very low and battery health is verified. An iPhone 12, iPhone 13 mini or newer model is a safer long-term purchase.