Solid updates to a winning formula

Last year, Apple did something out of character: it introduced the usual update to the iPhone, the iPhone 8, while simultaneously introducing the iPhone X with a flurry of hype. The iPhone X was a total rethinking of the iPhone, with a new gesture system, Face ID unlocking, and an edge-to-edge screen that prompted a wave of app redesigns.

The iPhone X was meant to usher in the future of phones, and it succeeded; its influence (and its notch) are all over the industry now. Apple has gone from being an iPhone company to being an iPhone X company. This year, the iPhone X comes in one of two flavors: the updated, high-end iPhone XS and the midrange iPhone XR, which won’t arrive until next month.

APPLE HAS GONE FROM BEING AN IPHONE COMPANY TO BEING AN IPHONE X COMPANY

There are two iPhone XS models: the 5.8-inch XS and the new iPhone XS Max, which has a much larger 6.5-inch display and a frankly ridiculous name.

Really, both iPhone XS models are fundamentally just spec-bumped updates to the iPhone X. They have a new main camera sensor, a new processor, and a bunch of small updates that add up to a much nicer device than the X. One year after the notch, the arrival of the iPhone XS means we can look back at all the changes introduced by the iPhone X and see how they’ve gone, while looking at where Apple’s pushing the high end of phones next.

8.5VERGE SCORE

APPLE IPHONE XS

GOOD STUFF

• Terrific display
• Great speakers
• Long battery life

BAD STUFF

• Very good but not great camera
• Portrait Mode is extremely hit or miss
• Expensive

Buy for $999.00 from Apple

8.5VERGE SCORE

APPLE IPHONE XS MAX

GOOD STUFF

• Terrific display
• Great speakers
• Long battery life

BAD STUFF

• Very good but not great camera
• Portrait Mode is extremely hit or miss
• Expensive
• If you buy a XS Max, you might have to say “iPhone XS Max” out loud

Buy for $1,099.00 from Apple

XS MAXIMUM

Let’s start with the XS Max. Apart from the size, the XS and the XS Max are identical. They have the same A12 Bionic processor, same cameras, and the same OLED display tech with 458 pixels per inch. The XS Max also has a larger battery, which is nice. After a week of using it as my primary phone, the XS Max feels both bigger and smaller than I expected. Physically, it’s the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus and the Pixel 2 XL, and it definitely shares the same surfboard quality as Apple’s previous Plus-sized phones — at least when you look at it from the back.

But the edge-to-edge screen makes it seem much more reasonable from the front. The XS has the same OLED display as last year’s X, and the XS Max looks exactly like that display, just bigger. Because the screen fills the entire front of the phone, the XS Max doesn’t seem as huge as the Plus phones. It’s absolutely killer for watching videos or playing games on its huge, gorgeous display. I love it.

At the same time, the XS Max’s size gets away from it. The large bezels on the older Plus phones mean the top of the display is actually lower on the phone, making it easier to reach. To pull down notifications or Control Center on the XS Max, you have to reach the very top of the device. I have big hands, and I basically can’t do it without tipping the phone over in my hand; I ended up having to use two hands most of the time. You can use Apple’s reachability feature to pull down the UI and then swipe, but that’s two swipes for one thing, and it just makes me a little sad.

The XS Max also doesn’t really do a ton in software to take advantage of that big display: there’s no extra row of home screen icons or picture-in-picture for video. Some apps that haven’t been updated look a little broken right now, particularly Instagram. Everything else is mostly just bigger; apps like Slack, Gmail, and Twitter show you the exact same amount of information as the smaller XS. If you think big things are funny (they are) check out the size of the status bar when you pull Control Center down. AT&T WIFI, it bellows at you. THE TIME IS 4:12PM, AND YOU HAVE 68 PERCENT BATTERY. I giggle every time, just as I did with the original Plus phones.

EVERYTHING IS MOSTLY JUST BIGGER ON THE XS MAX

There are some software changes for the bigger display that are familiar from the Plus: in landscape mode, certain apps can switch to a sidebar view, and you’ll see tabs (with favicons if you turn them on) in Safari. But that’s really it. Apple told me that it doesn’t want to overstuff the display because it doesn’t want the interface elements to be too small to tap on, and most people really do just want a bigger interface on a large phone, which makes sense. I just wish I had the option to up the information density on the XS Max just a little.

So yes, if you want a huge screen, get a XS Max. It’s a gigantic, beautiful screen, and I have enjoyed looking at it a lot. But nothing about it is easier to handle than the old Plus phones, and in some cases, it’s harder.

DISPLAY AND FACE ID

The iPhone XS has the same OLED display as the X, with curved corners and the notch. After a year of looking at this display, I’m confident in saying that it’s one of the best displays available, with excellent color reproduction and brightness. And Apple’s TrueTone and Night Shift features are terrific; it’s easy to look at this screen all the time. (I also think Apple’s claim that this display supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision is a little silly. Sure, it gets brighter, but it’s nothing like HDR on a real TV.)

ONE OF THE BEST DISPLAYS AVAILABLE

Last year, we were wondering how Apple would handle burn-in on this new OLED display, and this year we know:there are basically no problems with burn-in on the iPhone X display. I would expect the XS to keep that up.

We’ve also learned that the iPhone X scratches way more easily than you’d expect. The glass on the front and back of the XS is supposed to be more durable, so we’ll see. My review units look pretty good so far, but that’s only after a week of use.

It’s also been a full year since Apple introduced Face ID, and we know that it works pretty well most of the time. Face ID on the XS is ever-so-slightly faster than the X. It’s noticeable side by side, but it’s not so much faster that you won’t find yourself pointedly staring at the phone to unlock it from time to time. iOS 12 lets you add a “secondary appearance,” which allows you to set up a second person if you want, which is nice.

A YEAR LATER, AND FACE ID SEEMS EASIER TO SET AND FORGET THAN TOUCH ID

Other than the minor speed increase and secondary appearance support, Face ID is still Face ID: it doesn’t work in landscape or upside down or anything like that. If you wear glasses like me, you’ll still have to enter your passcode every morning when you wake up because you’re holding the phone too close to your face for it to work. And sunglasses that block IR light will still prevent it from working. Apple says it’s working with sunglass makers to ship new kinds of sunglasses that support Face ID. (Only Apple can get another entirely different industry to adapt to its phone, instead of the other way around.)

A year later, and it’s pretty clear that Face ID is easier for people to set up and forget about than Touch ID, which means more people are securing their phones. That’s a good thing.

CAMERAS

The camera upgrades on the XS over the X are significant. The XS makes the X camera look terrible most of the time. But we’ve been saying the best smartphone camera on the market is Google’s Pixel 2 for a year now, so that’s the standard to beat. And… I think the Pixel 2 still has a better camera than the iPhone XS. Don’t get me wrong: most people are going to like the photos they get from the iPhone XS. It has a solid camera, and I prefer it to the Galaxy S9. But compared to the Pixel 2, the XS doesn’t really do it for me.

I THINK THE PIXEL 2 STILL HAS A BETTER CAMERA THAN THE IPHONE XS

The front camera on the iPhone XS is the same as the iPhone X: a 7-megapixel sensor with a f/2.2 lens that takes depth information from the TrueDepth system to support Portrait Mode. The rear telephoto camera is also the same as the iPhone X: an optically stabilized f/2.4 lens with the same 12-megapixel sensor.

But the rear wide angle camera (that you’ll use most often) has been updated: it’s still an optically stabilized f/1.8 lens with a 12-megapixel sensor, but each of those 12 megapixels is physically bigger now, which means they can collect more light. They are bigger, at 1.4µm pixels instead of 1.22µm, and deeper, at 3.5µm instead of 3.1µm. There’s also twice as many “focus pixels,” which is what Apple calls its phase-detect autofocus system.

Apple’s also revamped its image processing in a new system it’s calling Smart HDR, which runs photos through the A12 Bionic’s new integrated image signal processing subsystem and the Neural Engine. The basic idea is very similar to what Google’s doing on the Pixel 2: the iPhone XS takes a series of images at different exposures and combines them into a final photo. Like the Pixel 2, the iPhone XS starts a rolling buffer of four images the second you open the camera app, which allows for zero shutter lag. The image has already been captured the instant you push the shutter button.

THE IPHONE XS GENERALLY TAKES FAR BETTER PHOTOS THAN THE IPHONE X, BUT IT LOOKS MORE LIKE SAMSUNG’S CAMERAS THAN EVER

But while the Pixel 2 combines several underexposed frames, the iPhone XS also captures an additional overexposed image for each shot in the buffer, which picks up additional detail in the shadows of your image. Then, it looks at the other frames in the buffer to see if they can add additional detail, before merging several images together to create the final photo. It also detects faces and motion, so it knows what it’s looking at and adjusts the processing accordingly.

This whole concept is called “computational photography,” and it takes a lot of computing power. No DSLR or mirrorless camera to date can pull stuff like this off, especially not in real-time. That A12 Bionic does all of this capture and layering work in the instant it takes you to snap a photo.

The new Smart HDR feature lets the iPhone XS generally take far better photos than the iPhone X. They’re brighter, they’re better in low light, they have more detail, you name it. Over the past year, I’ve become less and less impressed with the iPhone X camera, and the iPhone XS is a solid improvement.

iPhone XS.

iPhone X.

But Smart HDR is extremely aggressive — overly so, to my eye. It flattens out contrast in images and consistently smooths detail out of photos. You can see it clearly when you zoom in to a 100 percent crop of the same photo taken on the Pixel 2 and the iPhone XS: the Pixel captures more detail, while the iPhone tends to smooth it out. This loss of detail is the thing that bothered me the most about the iPhone X camera, and while the iPhone XS is better, the smoothing still disappoints me every time I see it.

iPhone XS.

Pixel 2XL.

iPhone XS at 150% (left) | Pixel 2XL at 150% (right)

Apple used to talk a big game about having a more accurate camera than Samsung, which has done aggressive smoothing and saturation tricks for years, but images from the iPhone XS camera look more like Samsung’s cameras than ever. And that might be fine for most people — most of these photos will only ever be viewed on mobile displays, and XS photos look fine to great on smartphone screens — but I don’t think they hold up to scrutiny the way Pixel 2 photos do.

iPhone XS (left) | Samsung S9+ (right)

Loss of detail is one thing, but there are some subjective things I prefer about the Pixel 2 as well: the XS shoots extremely warm photos, while the Pixel is more true to life, if a little muddier in the reds. Pixel 2 photos are extremely contrasty and somewhat desaturated, which I like but some people find harsh. This is all part of an age-old battle between what’s accurate and what people like to look at, and there’s really no right answer.

I would never try to tell you what photos you should like better, but it seems obvious that Apple and Samsung are chasing a different overall look than Google. And I can definitely tell you that more detail in photos is better than less.

iPhone XS (left) | Pixel 2XL

Apple’s also updated Portrait Mode on the XS, which blurs out the background and adjusts the lighting on your face to make your phone photos look more like photos taken with big cameras and lenses. The iPhone XS has a big new trick: it lets you adjust the blur after you take the shot. Samsung’s phones have allowed you to change the blur like this for a while, but Apple’s portrait photos look a lot better to me because the phone is doing a lot more work. But that doesn’t mean they always look good.

The XS does a lot of things very quickly when you shoot a Portrait Mode photo: it identifies the faces in the scene and splits apart the background and foreground. Then it creates a depth map of the entire scene, particularly the subject in the foreground. Then it applies blur progressively to that depth map to model how a real lens on a real full-frame camera would smoothly transition the blur from foreground to background.

It’s pretty neat to adjust the blur after the fact and watch different parts of the image get blurrier at different rates. It’s definitely doing more than just cutting the background out and making it all blurry. It’s nicer than what phones like the Pixel 2 and S9 can do, although it still struggles around the edges and it has a tendency to cut off glasses.

Apple says it modeled the Portrait Mode blur against prime lenses on full-frame cameras, so we tested it against a 50mm lens on a Canon 5D Mark IV. As you’d expect, the Canon won running away. Apple’s software blur just isn’t there yet. But most people don’t have big cameras and expensive lenses, and Portrait Mode will do a lot for them. But it’s still a little gimmicky: I took close to 5,000 photos with my iPhone X over the past year, and just 207 of them were in Portrait Mode. I don’t think the new Portrait Mode on the XS is going to make me use it much more.

iPhone XS f2.2 (left) | Canon 5D Mark IV f2.2 (right)

On the video front, there are some new software stabilization algorithms on the rear cameras and entirely new stabilization for the front camera as well as the ability to record stereo audio. I didn’t take too many videos with the XS in my testing, but to me, it looks just as good as the X, which has been great over the past year.

Apple’s not wrong when it says the iPhone is the most popular camera in the world, and every improvement the company makes is welcome. It means more people are taking better photos. But I don’t think it’s the best smartphone camera out there anymore, and that’s even before the Pixel 3 comes out in just a few weeks.

PROCESSOR AND BATTERY LIFE

Last year’s iPhone X had an A11 Bionic chip, and this year’s iPhone XS has an A12 Bionic. In terms of CPU performance, the A12 really isn’t that much faster: Apple only quotes a 15 percent performance improvement, and I didn’t really see a noticeable speedup over my iPhone X.

The A12’s GPU is 50 percent faster, but, as usual, that feels like headroom for the future since these devices tend to stick around for so long. Last year’s A11 GPU was 30 percent faster than the A10, and it’s not like developers are maxing that out after a year. Apple has a huge performance lead over the entire smartphone industry, and I think it’s great that it’s using that lead to make its devices last as long as possible, instead of running them at the bleeding edge of power and performance all the time.

I GOT A FULL 12 HOURS OF BATTERY LIFE OUT OF THE XS MAX WITHOUT USING LOW POWER MODE

The big change to the A12 is the new Neural Engine, which accelerates machine learning. Apple claims the Neural Engine on the A11 could perform 600 billion operations per second, while the A12 can do 5 trillion. That’s a huge increase — especially since the system also uses much less power — but in real-world use, the apps just aren’t really there yet. You’re basically just looking at a bunch of AR demos and the new camera features.

The A12 is also the industry’s first 7nm chip to ship at scale, which is a big deal for a variety of reasons, particularly battery life. I mostly tested the XS Max, and it did great — better than even Apple’s claim of 90 minutes more than the X. In fact, I got a full 12 hours of battery life out of the XS Max without low power mode, and that’s even under my heavy daily use of constant Slack and email, video watching, photo taking, and browsing. The smaller XS is rated to get 30 minutes more than the X, which has run for about eight hours for me this past year. It’s solid.

EVERYTHING ELSE

Apple made a big deal out of the “wide stereo” speakers on the XS during the keynote, which felt a little silly, but the speakers on the iPhone XS are definitely louder and clearer than the speakers on the X. Like the X, the XS boosts the volume of the earpiece speaker to serve as the other stereo channel. But this year, both the earpiece speaker and the bottom speaker are closely matched, which lets Apple do some processing on the audio for greater stereo separation. I don’t think it’s super noticeable, but any improvement to phone speakers is a good one, and this is a good one.

Photo by Amelia Holowaty Krales / The Verge

IOS 12

I didn’t spend a lot of time on iOS 12 in this review since my colleague Chaim Gartenberg just published a detailed iOS 12 review. But here’s his bullet point version:

• Improved performance, especially on older devices (it’s worth updating for this alone)
• Screen Time is Apple’s attempt at time well spent — it’s a lot of information, but you’re mostly on your own to set it up and use it
• Notifications group by app (finally!) and are easier to mute
• Siri Shortcuts might make Siri way more useful, if developers get on board
• Memoji is a fun thing you’ll use once and forget about forever

The internal wireless charging coil of the iPhone XS has also been improved, so it’s more forgiving of placement, and Apple says it’ll get to a full charge 30 minutes faster using the same charging pads as before. AirPower, the wireless charging system Apple announced last year, seems to be dead for now; Apple wouldn’t say anything about it when I asked.

Yes, the iPhone XS still has 3D Touch; press on that screen while you still can. And not having a headphone jack or USB-C is still very sad, especially because the entirely Apple-controlled Lightning ecosystem is extremely weak: there are very few Lightning headphones, zero third-party headphone dongles, and exactly one certified iPhone X battery case… that isn’t yet certified for the XS. Apple wants you to buy AirPods, so AirPods you will buy.

Dust and water resistance has been improved to IP68 from IP67 on the X and the XR. That means you can keep the XS at a depth of two meters of water for 30 minutes at a time, which seems like a lot. When you’re done splashing around, Apple recommends letting it dry for five hours before plugging it in to charge. (There’s still no warranty against water damage, though.)

The XS also has dual-SIM support, but we weren’t able to test it yet. It arrives with a software update this fall. We’ll report back when it gets here.

So that’s the iPhone XS. Should you get one?

Well, these are still expensive phones: the iPhone XS starts at $999, and the top-of-the-line iPhone XS Max with 512GB of storage will cost you $1,449. That’s a lot of money. I am sure some people will find it ridiculous, while others will have already happily preordered.

IT’S WORTH WAITING TO CHECK OUT THE IPHONE XR BEFORE RUSHING INTO THE IPHONE XS

I would not rush out to spend another $999 on the XS if you have a X, but if you’re already deep into a preorder, don’t worry: you will love the iPhone XS. It is, indeed, more iPhone, and it will probably hold up for years to come. I definitely prefer the Pixel 2’s camera, but the iPhone XS isn’t that far behind, and it’s still a significant improvement over previous iPhones.

For everyone else, I think it’s worth waiting to see how the iPhone XR turns out before rushing in. It has the same processor and the same main camera for $750. The only major question is how good its 6.1-inch LCD will look in comparison to the OLED on the XS. But for that, we’ll just have to wait and see next month.

Apple has launched its new iPhones, the XS and XS Max, and pre-orders have begun! Here's what you need to know about their release date, new features, design, price & tech specs

Apple has, after many rumours and some last-minute leaks, unveiled its iPhones for 2018, and pre-orders have begun. You have three upgrade choices this year: iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max and iPhone XR.

Here we'll talk about the first two, and you can find everything you need to know about the cheaper iPhone XR here.

Somewhat unsurprisingly, Apple has built upon the iPhone X rather than updating the iPhone 8. So new and old models look the same at a glance. Check our iPhone XS Max versus iPhone X comparison so you can see just how much better the new phones are. We also have an iPhone 8 vs iPhone XS comparison.

You can consider the XS the direct upgrade from the X, but the XS Max adds a brand new option with the biggest screen yet seen on an iPhone at 6.5 inches.

Yes, you read that right: not XS Plus, but XS Max. We're into the second decade of iPhone now, so it's reasonable that Apple wants to change its naming strategy. It says it's because the screen is bigger than the 5.5 inch display on an iPhone Plus, but it's also because it is extending its vision of what the iPhone X started. Jonny Ive's words, those, not ours. Most people are likely to pronounce it "excess" rather than "ten ess", but the latter is the correct way of course.

Here are highlights of the new features:

• A12 Bionic processor
• IP68 rated
• Updated 12Mp cameras
• Adjustable depth of field in photos
• 512GB storage option
• Dual-SIM

iPhone XS and XS Max prices

What will they cost you? This table explains what you need to know about US and UK pricing.

Release date and pre-orders

The new phones, both XS and XS Max, are available to pre-order now, and the first units will ship on 21 September.

You can pre-order on Apple's website, or via the networks and resellers listed below. Also check out our article rounding up the best iPhone XS deals. 

• Three
• Carphone Warehouse
• EE
• Mobiles.co.uk
• Mobile Phones Direct
• O2
• Vodafone

iPhone XS design and specifications

As this is an 'S' model, no-one will be surprised that the design is the same as the iPhone X. That means your existing cases will fit: buttons and ports are in the same places.

It's made from the same surgical-grade stainless steel, but the screen and rear glass has a new formulation of glass which Apple says is the toughest ever used in a phone.

Water-resistance has been improved to IP68, up from IP67, so you can leave it submerged at a depth of 2m for 30 minutes. And it won't just survive fresh water, Apple has also tested it in orange juice, tea, wine, beer and salt water.

• iPhone XS: 143.6x70.9x7.7mm, 177g
• iPhone XS Max: 157.5x77.4x7.7mm, 208g

Screen

The XS' screen is a minor upgrade to the iPhone X's. Resolution remains the same, as does the 5.8-inch diagonal, but contrast is improved to 1,000,000:1, which Apple says gives is a 60 percent greater dynamic range.

The iPhone XS Max is just.. bigger. It shares the same design but has a 6.5-inch screen in a body that's roughly the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus. That's a whole inch more, a real boon for those who can live with physically larger phone as this is now one of the biggest screens on any phone.

In order to maintain the same pixel density as the iPhone XS, resolution is higher at 2688x1242 pixels.

Both screens have the same list of features, though:

• 3D Touch
• Tap to wake
• True Tone
• Wide Colour
• 120Hz touch layer
• 625 nits max. brightness

Performance

The new A12 Bionic processor has a similar configuration to the A11 with a six-core CPU and a quad-core GPU. However, it's the first to be manufactured using a 7nm process and this is one of the reasons it's considerably faster than the A11.

Apple says the new Neural Engine is an octa-core chip that can process 5 trillion operations per second, considerably up from the 600 billion which the A11 could handle.

In practice this means apps launch up to 30 percent faster, but apps which use machine learning also benefit from this extra performance.

Trending Articles

The best iPhone XS and iPhone X screen protectors

The iPhone XS display shares a 5.8-inch screen size with the iPhone X but…

They can use real-time machine learning for better depth detection in Portrait mode and better mapping of Animojis in FaceTime.

FaceID is also quicker thanks to faster algorithms and it runs on a faster version of the secure enclave.

Cameras

On the surface, specs look the same as the iPhone X, as do the cameras themselves, but the main sensor in the wide-angle camera is bigger and houses larger pixels.

Smart HDR is one highlight of the new camera features.  With the extra power on tap, it takes 9 rather than a mere 4 photos simultaneously. The extra four "inter-frames" deliver even better HDR shots.

A more noticeable difference from the iPhone X's shots is that bokeh has also been improved to look more like the effect you get from a big-lens SLR camera. More importantly, you can now change the depth of field after the photo when you tap Edit.

Hardware

Keen to appeal to those who want a dual-SIM phone, Apple is at last offering an eSIM alongside the physical SIM tray. This is new technology for iPhone, but eSIMs have been in Apple Watch and iPad for some time.

What's an eSIM? All your questions answered.

Only in China will you be able to buy a true dual-SIM iPhone which takes two physical cards. Both the Chinese model and those using an eSIM work using the dual-standby tech that many dual-SIM phones already use, letting you seamlessly switch between two numbers at any time.

Battery life has been improved, and Apple says the iPhone XS and XS Max have biggest ever batteries in an iPhone. Expect 30 minutes longer runtime from the iPhone XS than an iPhone X. The XS Max will last 90 minutes longer than the iPhone X.

We'll bring you reviews of the new phones as soon as we can.

졸리네요. 어제저녁 장인어른 생신이라 급하게 시골 처가에 내려와서 술도 한잔하고 12시 넘어서 잠들었다가 2시에 깨서 애플의 신형 아이폰 발표회를 봤습니다. 영어라서 잘 알아듣지는 못했고 부분부분 핵심적인 단어와 문장만 들었네요. 그렇게 발표회를 다 보고 나니 4시가 다 됐습니다. 그리고 이제서야 글을 쓰기 시작합니다.

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이번 애플의 신형 아이폰, 즉 아이폰11 시리즈는 사실 특별한 내용이 없을 수도 있습니다. 그동안 많이 공개됐던 루머들에서 크게 벗어난다고는 생각하지 않습니다. 그렇기 때문에 별로 볼 게 없을 수도 있지만, 그래도 발표회인 만큼, 그리고 새로운 정보들도 있는 만큼 간단하게 정리해드리도록 하겠습니다.

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또한 애플이 이날 발표회를 통해 공개한 제품은 애플워치5, 신형 아이패드 등이 있는데 이 부분은 따로 정리해서 올려드리도록 하겠습니다.

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발표회 내용 핵심 정리

이번 발표회 내용은 사실 이 영상으로 정리가 끝입니다. 여기서 더 볼 것도 없습니다. 따라서 시간이 좀 있다 싶은 분들, 굳이 길게 글을 읽고 싶지 않은 분들은 이 영상을 보면 애플의 이번 iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro가 어떤 특징을 갖고 있는 폰이구나 하는 것을 금방 이해하실 수 있으리라 생각합니다.

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왜 프로일까?

이번 신형 iPhone의 관심은 역시나 프로에 집중할 수밖에 없었습니다. 저는 올해도 신형 아이폰을 구입할 것이고, 와이프 폰까지 2대를 구입할 예정이거든요. 따라서 아이폰11 프로 맥스의 스펙에 대해 관심을 가질 수박에 없었는데요. 그래서 발표회 때 앞 부분이 얼른 지나가길 바랐습니다. 메인인 만큼 가장 나중에 나와서요... ^^;;

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사실 저는 이 디자인을 그다지 좋아하지 않았습니다. 설마설마했죠. 그런데 그 설마가 현실이 되었습니다. 이 부분은 잠시 뒤에 설명을 해드리겠습니다.

애플이 이번 신형 iPhone 시리즈에 Pro라는 이름을 붙인 이유는 사실 별다른 건 없습니다. 그냥 있어 보이게 하려는 의도라고 생각합니다. 사실 카메라가 더 업그레이드된 것은 맞지만 그렇다고 해서 엄청나게 특별한 것은 아닌데 원래 애플이 예쁘게 꾸미기를 잘하잖아요. 그래서 뜬금없는 프로라는 네이밍을 붙였다고 보시면 될 것 같습니다.

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애플은 어쨌든 전격 프로 선언이라며 복잡함은 빼고 엄청난 성능만을 더해 사진 촬영의 개념 자체를 바꾸는 트리플 카메라 시스템을 장착했고 배터리 사용시간의 전례 없는 도약, 머신 러닝의 잠재력을 더욱 끌어올리고, 스마트폰의 영역을 확장하는 가공할 성능의 칩을 장착했기 때문이라고 합니다.

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트리플 카메라

정방형 배열 이유

애플이 이번 아이폰11 프로 시리즈에 장착한 카메라는 3개입니다. 트리플 카메라라고 하죠. 그런데 다른 제조사들과는 다르게 가로도 아니고 세로도 아닌 정방형 배열을 택했습니다. 애플은 이에 대해 이렇게 설명하고 있습니다.

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처음 프로급 카메라 설계를 시작한 순간부터, 우리는 하나처럼 작동하는 세 개의 카메라를 추구했습니다. 이를 통해 완전히 색다른 촬영 경험을 구현하고자 했죠.

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그러나 근본적인 문제에 봉착했습니다. 카메라 센서가 다르면 각각 다른 색감을 낼 수밖에 없다는 사실. 이 문제를 해결하기 위해 우리의 엔지니어들은 개별 카메라마다 화이트 밸런스, 노출값 같은 정보를 정밀 보정했습니다. 여기서 그치지 않고 세 개의 카메라를 연결해서 하나의 시스템으로 다시 보정하는 과정을 거쳤죠.

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이렇게 보정한 결과가 당신이 찍는 모든 이미지에 실시간으로 적용됩니다. 세 개의 카메라로 서로 다른 기본 이미지를 찍은 다음, 일관된 느낌과 색감을 자아내도록 처리하는 과정을 떠올려보세요. 이 과정이 단 1초도 안 되는 찰나의 순간에 이루어집니다. 망원에서 와이드로, 다시 울트라 와이드로 바꿔가며 촬영하는 그 짧은 순간에도 제대로 된 디테일을 구현하는 컴퓨팅 파워, 오직 A13 Bionic만이 가능합니다.

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우리는 사용자가 어느 상황에서도 탭 한 번으로 원하는 각각의 카메라로 전환할 수 있도록 했습니다. 사진, 인물 사진, 동영상, 타임랩스, 슬로 모션, 무엇을 찍고 있든 상관없이 말이죠. 또한 우리는 한 카메라에서 다음 카메라로 전환되는 과정이 극도로 부드럽게 느껴지도록 공을 들였습니다.

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이 모든 일들은 센서 팀, 카메라 소프트웨어 팀, 칩 팀이 한 몸처럼 긴밀하게 협력한 덕분에 가능했죠. 사상 최고로 강력하고 직관적인 카메라는 이렇게 탄생했습니다.

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세 개지만 세 개로 느껴지지 않게 하기 위해서였다는 이야기인데 결국 보다 완성도 높은 사진 촬영을 위해서라고 이해하면 될 것 같습니다.

스펙

1200만 화소 광각 카메라, f1.8 조리개, 26mm 초점 거리, 6매 렌즈, OIS 보정

1200만 화소 초광각 카메라, f2.4 조리개, 5매 렌즈, 120° 시야각

1200만 화소 망원 카메라, 더 커진 f2.0 조리개, 52mm 조점 거리, 6매 렌즈, OIS 보정

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스펙만으로 보면 타사의 프리미엄 스마트폰 카메라 스펙을 뛰어넘긴 합니다. 그래서 향후에 이 부분은 타사 카메라와 비교를 해드리도록 하겠습니다.

트리플 카메라가 망원, 광각, 초광각인만큼 배율은 최대 4배라고 보면 됩니다. 실제로 어느 정도의 차이가 있는지는 직접 촬영한 사진을 보면 될 것 같은데요.

사실 타사의 카메라도 이 정도 배율을 지원하기 때문에 4배 더 넓은 장면을 찍을 수 있다는 건 그다지 특별한 부분은 아니라고 생각합니다. 다만 중요한 것은 화질이 아닐까 하는데요. 화질 부분은 제가 발표회에서 확대된 부분을 봤는데 퀄리티가 꽤 좋더라고요. 그래서 개인적으로는 상당히 기대하고 있는 부분입니다.

그리고 애플은 이번에 사진 촬영 시 배율 조정도 훨씬 편리하게 했습니다. 드디어 안드로이드폰처럼 배율 조정을 0.5, 1, 2.0 이렇게 버튼 식으로 해놓아서 탭 하기만 하면 됩니다. 물론 배율 조정을 미세하게 할 수도 있게 했습니다.

어쨌든 이번 발표회는 카메라에 상당히 집중했다는 느낌을 받습니다.

동영상

동영상은 역시 4K 60fps 촬영을 지원하는데요. 스마트폰 사상 가장 빼어난 퀄리티의 동영상을 지원한다고 하는데요. 놀랍도록 사실적이면서 월등한 수준의 디테일과 훨씬 부드러운 움직임을 자랑하는 동영상을 찍게 해준다고 합니다. 막강한 프로세싱 파워를 갖추고 있기 때문에 확장된 다이내믹 레인지와 시네마틱 동영상 흔들림 보정까지 적용된 4K 동영상을 초당 60 프레임으로 촬영할 수 있다고 하는데요.

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그리고 이제는 단순히 찍는 것으로 끝나는 게 아니라 편집까지 가능하게 되었습니다. 개인적으로는 이 부분이 상당히 기대가 됩니다.

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또한 기대하는 부분은 4배 더 넓은 장면을 담을 수 있다는 게 아니라 오디오 줌입니다. 갤럭시노트10에 탑재된 오디오 기능과 동일한 것인지는 모르지만 애플은 오디오 줌에 대해 동영상 구도에 따라 포착 범위를 달리한다고 설명하는데요. 이런 설명을 볼 때 비슷한 기능이 아닐까 하고 추측해봅니다.

야간 모드

개인적으로 이번 트리플 카메라에 기대되는 부분 중에 한 가지가 바로 나이트 모드입니다. 야간 모드를 실행하고 하지 않고에 따라서 사진 차이가 확연한데요. 문제는 이 모드에 따른 화소 저하일 텐데 애플은 그런 거 없다고 합니다.

애플은 이에 대해 이렇게 설명하고 있습니다. 촛불이 켜진 로맨틱한 레스토랑, 달빛이 저물어가는 해변 등 빛이 약한 환경에서도 걱정 마세요. 새로운 야간 모드가 똑똑한 소프트웨어와 A13 Bionic을 이용해 지금까지 불가능했던 멋진 저조도 사진을 iPhone에서 처음 선보입니다. 주변을 인식해 자동으로 이뤄지니 그냥 찍기만 하면 되죠. 물론 원한다면 수동 조작으로 디테일을 더욱 살리거나 노이즈를 더 줄이는 등 다양한 시도를 해볼 수도 있답니다.

인물 사진 모드

인물 사진 모드 또한 더 업그레이드되었습니다. 트리플 카메라를 통해 전보다 더 많은 것을 인물 사진에 담아낼 수 있게 해준다고 하는데요. iOS 13에 추가된 하이키 조명 모노 효과로 스튜디오 스타일의 흑백사진을 연출할 수 있고, 인물 사진 조명 기능으로 조명 강도를 세밀히 조절해 피사체를 더 돋보이게 할 수도 있다고 합니다.

스마트 HDR

애플은 이미 예전부터 HDR에 집중해왔습니다. 그리고 새로운 iPhone이 나올 때마다 보다 업그레이드된 HDR 기능을 선보이고 있는데요. 이번 iPhone 시리즈에 탑재된 HDR은 차세대 스마트 HDR이라고 합니다. 첨단 알고리즘을 이용해 사진의 명부와 암부 디테일을 섬세하게 다듬어준다고 하네요. 여기에 이제 머신 러닝까지 활용해 프레임 속 얼굴을 인식하고, 지능적으로 빛을 더해준다고 합니다. 피사체와 배경, 모두의 디테일을 자동으로 따로따로 미세 조정해준다고 하는데 그만큼 더 업그레이드된 사진 퀄리티를 보여줄 것이라고 기대합니다.

Quick Take

이건 그동안 다른 카메라 앱들에서 제공했던 기능입니다. 사진 촬영 중 동영상을 촬영하고자 할 때 모드 변경을 할 필요 없이 셔터를 계속 누르고 있으면 동영상 촬영을 할 수 있다고 합니다. 이 상태에서 동영상을 계속 찍고 싶으면 오른쪽으로 스와이프 하면 되고, 고속 연사 모드 촬영을 하고 싶다면 왼쪽으로 스와이프 하면 된다고 합니다. 센세이셔널한 기능이죠. ㅎㅎ

슬로피(SloFie)

이제 카메라 부분의 마지막 설명입니다. 카메라 설명이 상당히 길죠? 이번 발표회가 카메라 발표회인가 하는 생각이 들었던 이유입니다.

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어쨌든 마지막입니다. 신형 iPhone에는 FaceTime 카메라의 화질이 1200만 TrueDepth 카메라로 업그레이드되었는데요. 초당 120 프레임 또는 4K 시 초당 60 프레임의 흥미진진한 슬로 모션 셀피를 찍을 수 있다고 합니다.

또한 스틸 사진을 찍을 때 iPhone을 가로로 돌리면 카메라가 자동으로 알아서 줌아웃되어서 단체 셀피 촬영도 가능하다고 합니다.

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이렇게 해서 트리플 카메라에 대한 설명이 끝났습니다. 그리고 이게 이번 애플 발표회 내용의 60% 정도라고 보면 됩니다. 나머지는 사실 별것 없습니다.

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슈퍼 레티나 XDR 디스플레이

아이폰11 프로가 아이폰XS 시리즈보다 업그레이드된 부분 중에 하나는 디스플레이입니다. 애플은 프로급 디스플레이라며 슈퍼 레티나 XDR 디스플레이라고 부르는데요.

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Super Retina XDR 디스플레이는 두 개의 새로운 최대 밝기 모드를 지원한다고 합니다. 그리고 각각의 모드를 자동으로 변경해서 적용한다고 하는데요. 태양광 아래에서는 최대 800 니트를 지원하고 극도로 높은 색상 표현 범위를 보여주는 익스트림 다이내믹 레인지로 담은 콘텐츠를 감상할 때에는 최대 1200 니트의 밝기를 지원한다고 합니다.

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참고로 iPhone 11은 리퀴드 레티나 디스플레이가 탑재되었습니다.

특별 제작한 OLED를 통해서 구석구석까지 일관된 색감과 밝기를 지원하는데 iPhone 사상 가장 밝고, 가장 선명한 디스플레이라고 합니다.

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여기서 주목해야 할 부분이 몇 가지가 있는데요. True Tone이야 이전에도 적용되어 있었던 것이 아니기 때문에 별로 대단할 것이 없는데 이번에 3D 터치가 아니라 햅틱 터치가 적용되었습니다. 굳이 카메라 앱을 열지 않고도 셀피를 찍거나 기타 원하는 작업을 보다 빠르게 할 수 있게 되었다고 합니다.

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A13

이번 iPhone 시리즈에 A13 칩셋이 탑재될 것이라는 사실을 몰랐던 분들은 아마 없으리라 생각합니다. 다만 어느 정도의 성능을 보여줄지가 궁금했을 텐데요.

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애플은 이번 A13 Bionic 칩을 제작할 때 칩의 모든 부분에 걸쳐 머신 러닝에 초점을 두었다고 합니다. 덕분에 스마트폰 역사상 가장 빠른 칩 성능을 자랑하는 칩을 만들어낼 수 있었다고 하는데요.

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2개의 성능 코어는 최대 20% 더 빠른 속도를 자랑하며, 40% 더 적은 전력을 소모한다고 합니다. 또한 4개의 효율 코어는 최대 20% 더 빠른 속도와 25%의 더 적은 전력 소모를 보여준다고 합니다.

GPU 역시 마찬가지입니다. 8 코어 Neural Engine은 최대 20% 더 빠른 속도를 자랑하며 최대 15% 더 적은 전력을 소모한다고 합니다. 이것이 트리플 카메라 시스템, Face ID, AR 앱의 원동력이 되어준다고 합니다.

또한 CPU에 장착된 2개의 새로운 머신 러닝 가속장치는 행렬 수학 계산을 최대 6배 더 빠르게 실행해서 CPU가 초당 1조 회 이상의 연산을 할 수 있게 해준다고 합니다.

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배터리

애플이 콕 집어서 배터리를 이야기한 건 그만큼 사용시간이 늘어났기 때문입니다. iPhone 11 Pro는 iPhone XS 보다 4시간 더 배터리 타임이 증가되었다고 하고요. iPhone 11 Pro Max는 iPhone XS Max 보다 5시간, iPhone 11은 iPhone XR 보다 1시간 늘어났다고 합니다.

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그리고 이번에 급속 충전을 지원해서 30분 충전으로 최대 50%의 배터리를 충전할 수 있다고 합니다. 요건 좀 마음에 드는 부분이죠? ㅎㅎ

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Face ID

전보다 30% 더 빨라졌고, 인식률 또한 더 높아졌으며, 더 가까이에서도 더 멀리에서도 더 다양한 각도에서도 인식한다고 합니다.

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소재

그리고 스마트폰 사상 가장 단단한 글라스 소재를 사용해서 제작했으며 한 장의 글라스를 통째로 정밀 가공했다고 합니다. 듀얼 이온 교환을 통해 강도를 증가시켰다고 하는데... 그래도 잘 깨지겠죠...;;;

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방수방진

최대 수심 4m에서 30분 동안 버틴다고 합니다. 참고로 iPhone 11은 최대 2m에서 30분 버틴다고 합니다. 왜 차이를 둔 건지는 저도 잘...;;

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색상

iPhone 11은 퍼플, 옐로, 그린, 블랙, 화이트, 레드 이렇게 6가지 색상이고요. iPhone 11 Pro 시리즈는 미드나이트 그린, 실버, 스페이스 그레이, 골드 이렇게 4가지 색상입니다. 저는 여기서 iPhone 11 Pro Max 미드나이트 그린을, 와이프는 iPhone 11 Pro Max 골드를 구입하려고 합니다.

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가격

아이폰 11 시리즈의 가격입니다. 11은 699달러, 11 프로는 999달러, 11 프로 맥스는 1099달러입니다. 기사를 보니 전작보다 오히려 6만 원 내려갔다고 하네요. 뭐가 됐든지 구입은 해야겠죠. 이번에는 공홈에서 iPhone 11도 구입하려고 합니다. 아무래도 이번에는 11도 꽤 잘 나온 것 같아서요. 구입해서 비교해드리도록 하겠습니다.

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참고로 저는 iPhone 11 Pro Max 2대는 통신사 판매점 사전예약을 통해서 구입할 예정이고 iPhone 11은 공홈 구매를 하려고 하는데요. iPhone 11 Pro Max 2대는 메인 폰으로 사용하는 거라 통신사 판매점 구입이 혜택이 좋고, iPhone 11은 그냥 테스트용으로 구입할 거라 공홈 구입을 해야 할 것 같습니다. ^^

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어쨌든 이번 발표회를 정리하자면 카메라입니다. 카메라가 마음에 든다면 구입을 하고, 아니면 그냥 거르면 되지 않을까 합니다. 그래도 가격이 조금 내려간 만큼 구입의 메리트는 충분하지 않을까 합니다.

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졸리네요. 어제저녁 장인어른 생신이라 급하게 시골 처가에 내려와서 술도 한잔하고 12시 넘어서 잠들었다가 2시에 깨서 애플의 신형 아이폰 발표회를 봤습니다. 영어라서 잘 알아듣지는 못했고 부분부분 핵심적인 단어와 문장만 들었네요. 그렇게 발표회를 다 보고 나니 4시가 다 됐습니다. 그리고 이제서야 글을 쓰기 시작합니다.

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이번 애플의 신형 아이폰, 즉 아이폰11 시리즈는 사실 특별한 내용이 없을 수도 있습니다. 그동안 많이 공개됐던 루머들에서 크게 벗어난다고는 생각하지 않습니다. 그렇기 때문에 별로 볼 게 없을 수도 있지만, 그래도 발표회인 만큼, 그리고 새로운 정보들도 있는 만큼 간단하게 정리해드리도록 하겠습니다.

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또한 애플이 이날 발표회를 통해 공개한 제품은 애플워치5, 신형 아이패드 등이 있는데 이 부분은 따로 정리해서 올려드리도록 하겠습니다.