Apple has launched the iPhone XS, the iPhone XR, and the biggest ever iPhone, the iPhone XS Max, giving substance to earlier speculative reports.

The Cupertino-based company has positioned the iPhone XR as its budget offering and it comes with toned down specifications. Apart from the iPhones launched, Apple also upgraded its smartwatch, the Apple Watch series 4, with a larger display and enhanced smart features.

The iPhone XS and its bigger sibling, the XS Max, have been launched as successors to the iPhone X. Both phones, though distinct in sizes, sport similar ‘Super Retina’ custom OLED displays, have dual rear camera setups, and the A12 Bionic processor comes as standard on each.

One major change is that Apple has done away with the home button on the iPhone XS and XS Max, meaning the phones can be unlocked only with Face ID unlock.

The company claims that Face ID could be used for a host of things such as unlocking applications, paying for shopping in stores and even paying for cab rides using Apple Pay.

The lack of a physical home button is compensated for by the single swipe up action from the bottom, which takes user to their home screen.

However, that’s not all. The new gen iPhones also get the new gen chipset, the A12 Bionic, which which Apple claims is ‘the smartest, most powerful chip in a smartphone’.

A12 Bionic, it is claimed, is 15% faster than A11 processor, 50% more efficient, and provides a 50% boost to graphics performance. Add to that, the iPhones also pack an augmented reality feature.

Switching our attention to the iPhone XR, Apple’s budget offering gets a liquid retina LCD display and a single camera at the rear. But it carries the same ‘TrueDepth’ camera at the front as the other new iPhones, offering Face ID. And, the home button has been done away with on this model too.

The chipset, too, is the same as on the iPhone XS and XS Max. Notably, to increase its appeal, Apple is making the iPhone XR available in six different colours: Red, Yellow, White, Coral, Black and Blue.

iPhone XS, XR and XS Max prices

The iPhone XS comes with a price tag of $999 for the 64GB variant, $1,149 for the 256GB variant, and $1,349 for 512GB.

The iPhone XS Max has a starting price of $1,099 (for the 64GB variant); it is priced at $1,249 for the 256GB variant and $1,449 for the 512GB variant.

Both models will go up for pre-orders September 14th, and ship from September 21st for the first wave of launch countries.

In India, they will become available from September 28th. The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max also get a new Gold colour option, apart from Space Grey and Silver.

The Apple iPhone XR price starts at $749 for the 64GB variant; the 128GB variant has been priced at $799 and the 256GB variant at $899.

The iPhone XR will be available for pre-orders starting October 19th, while shipments will begin from October 26th in over 50 countries and territories, including India.

Specifications

Both the iPhone XS and XS Max are available in three storage variants. While the iPhone XS gets a 5.8-inch all‑screen OLED Multi‑Touch display, the iPhone XS Max sports a larger 6.5-inch screen, the largest on an iPhone ever.

Both also get IP68 dust and water protection ratings, so they are waterproof up to a maximum depth of 2 metres for as much as 30 minutes. Each phone gets two 12-megapixel cameras, one a wide-angle and the other a telephoto lens, with a variety of modes and effects. At the front on each, there’s a 7-megapixel TrueDepth camera.

The iPhone XR, on the other hand, gets a 6.1-inch screen with Liquid Retina HD display. The single camera at the rear is a 12-megapixel sensor with an f/1.8 aperture while the one on the front is the same as offered on iPhone XS and XS Max.