iPhone XS vs iPhone X: How the Camera Has Changed
YouTube Screenshot/EverythingApplePro
As I reported a couple of weeks ago in this article, the new iPhone XS, XS Max, and XR have quite a bit of new software that give them expanded capabilities for photography.
But Apple also incorporated some interesting hardware changes to the cameras in these new phones that make them more capable cameras.
Before we get to the changes, let's examine what hasn't changed...
Both the iPhone XS and iPhone X sport dual 12-megapixel rear cameras with optical image stabilization.
Both phones also offer 10x digital zoom, a 7-megapixel front camera, contrast and phase-detect autofocus for the rear cameras, and 4K video at 24, 30, and 60 fps.
Additionally, both phones have a 51mm telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture.
But that's about as far as the similarities go...
To see more similarities and differences between these two phones, check out the video above by EverythingApplePro.
Editor's Tip: Ready to upgrade your lens but not sure what lens to get? Learn why a 24-70mm lens should be in your camera bag.
For starters, the new camera in the iPhone XS and XS Max has a wider focal length of 26mm, or 2mm wider than the 28mm lens on the iPhone X.
Secondly, the iPhone XS seems to have a larger sensor - about 30 percent larger according to speculation - than the iPhone X.
In any case, Apple confirms that the pixels on their newest iPhone are 1.4µm - or 0.2µm larger than in previous iPhones.
As a result of the new sensor, the iPhone XS has a wider ISO range.
While the iPhone X sported an ISO range of 22-2112, the XS ranges from 24-2304.
What's more, the telephoto camera on the XS got a boost in ISO as well - its max is 1440 whereas on the iPhone X, it was only capable of 1200.
While these changes in ISO capabilities aren't groundbreaking, they still mean improved low-light performance in the iPhone XS vs iPhone X. Get a detailed walkthrough of the iPhone XS in the video below by Apple:
The front-facing camera got an upgrade as well. On the iPhone X, the front camera was a TrueDepth 30mm f/2.2 version while the iPhone XS has a TrueDepth 27mm f/2.2 camera.
The front camera on the XS also has contrast and phase-detect autofocus, where the iPhone X's front-facing camera has no autofocus.
Video performance on the iPhone XS is also improved with an extended dynamic range, front camera stabilization, and stereo recording (the iPhone X doesn't have any of those features).
So what does all this mean?
Well, it looks like the iPhone XS should be a better camera for low-light shooting, taking photos of all kinds with the front-facing camera, and recording video.
With improved performance across the board in terms of both hardware and software, I think it's safe to say that the iPhone XS is the best camera Apple has made yet.