iPhone XR vs XS: Is the XS camera worth the extra money?

If you choose between the new iPhone XS and its cheaper and more colorful brother, your choice ultimately depends on the camera. The iPhone XS ($ 999) and the iPhone XR ($ 749) share many of the same specifications, but the XS has two goals on the back, while the iPhone XR n & # 39; 39, that's one. The second lens – which activates the 2x optical zoom that is not available on the XR – is it worth it? That's the question at $ 250.

We took both phones during a photo shoot in San Francisco to discover the differences and help you choose between the latest Apple iPhones.

General photos and video are neck and neck

Watching the results on the phones screens can be misleading as both phones use a different screen technology. The iPhone XS has an OLED display, which displays richer colors and deeper blacks than the LCD screen of the iPhone XR, which exhibits a slightly different color temperature and a less intense contrast.

But if you look at them on the phone, on the same computer screen for example, you will have trouble noticing the differences between your daily photos of people, landscapes or objects. This is because in theory they should be exactly the same. The iPhone XR is equipped with a 12-megapixel wide-angle lens with an aperture of 1.8 and an optical image stabilization. This is also the main purpose of the iPhone XS – the one you will use to take the majority of your photos that are not in portrait or zoom mode. And both have the same image sensors, the same processing software and the same new Smart HDR feature that Apple has added to the cameras of its 2018 iPhones: the XS, the XS Max and the XR. (The XS Max also has exactly the same dual rear camera as the XS – it just has a bigger screen.)

And the results are impressive: the colors are bright, highlights and shadows are well balanced and the picture is clear. The same thing applies to video. The iPhone XS and the XR are among the best phones we've tested for videowhether you are an aspiring director of photography or simply taking fun clips from your kids.

Winner: Draw

Selfies: the same front cameras

Selfies should also look exactly the same. The iPhone XR and the iPhone XS both have a 7 megapixel front camera it's able to perceive the depth. This "TrueDepth"The camera, as Apple calls it, is what activates the FaceID unlock function and is the backbone of the iPhone's portrait mode for selfies.

Although the iPhone X from last year was the only stable device from Apple to use multiple lighting effects directly on the camera interface, the iPhone XR can access the same settings as the iPhone XS on the camera before, which means that there is no difference. .

Winner: Draw

Zoom: The big differentiator

Here is where you can start to notice a difference between these two phones. The iPhone XS uses this second telephoto lens as 2x optical zoom, then switches to digital zoom beyond that. The iPhone XR uses only digital zoom.

This means that photos and videos with the same 2x magnification will be sharper on the iPhone XS than on the iPhone XR. Indeed, the iPhone XR only relies on software to frame in the photo, rather than on a lens capable of natively capturing superior quality.

Since the iPhone XR does not have this optical zoom, your total zoom is limited to 5x. The iPhone XS can go up to 10x using a combination of optical and digital zoom.

It is also much easier to use the zoom on XS. The iPhone XS has a 2x shortcut on the camera interface that allows you to switch to the nearest telephoto lens by simply pressing a button (to switch between the two lenses). The button also turns into a slider tool for zooming up to 10 times with one hand, which is especially useful when you record videos. The iPhone XR requires you to zoom in / pinch manually, which means you have to zoom in with both hands and that the effect is not as smooth as the slider.

Winner: iPhone XS, hands down

Portraits: No dogs allowed

If you are on the camera interface, the "Portrait" option will look the same on both phones, but the blurred background effect produces very different effects. The iPhone XS uses the second telephoto lens to capture the subject and uses the wide angle and telephoto information, associated with software, to determine what to keep sharp and what to make. blur in the photo. The iPhone XR has only one wide-angle lens. It relies on software that separates the background and the foreground.

At first glance, the biggest difference between the pictures taken in portrait mode on these phones is the distance at which they were taken. The one shot on the iPhone XR seems to have been taken much further than the one on the XS, even though they were taken at the same distance. Indeed, the XR uses the wide-angle lens, which can integrate more into the shooting, while the XS uses the telephoto lens, which seems to be taken closer.

But getting the effect on the XR was more difficult than on the XS, which is able to lock in the yellow zone in almost custom-made portrait mode. With the XR, I found myself constantly adjusting my distance to make it work. And when you have uncomfortable subjects (also called kids), those extra seconds are essential.

But once that works, the XR produces nice portraits that rival those of the XS. The blur effect on the XS seems to be a bit more natural, especially on the edges of the subject. But the subjects photographed with the XR camera seem to be brighter and sharper. In addition, you get a wider work angle.

The disadvantage of having this wider angle on the Phone XR is that it can distort the edges of the photo, or faces, if the person photographed is approaching too close to the lens.

Portrait mode on the XR is also limited to humans, while the iPhone XS can attack humans, animals, plants, food and virtually any inanimate object (although it still struggles with certain objects). Apple can add this feature to the XR with a future software update, and you can install a third-party application that will allow it, but for now, you will get a "no detected person" sign on the interface of the camera if you try it on something else than a human face.

The exception to this rule is when there is a person in the shot next to the animal. When I put my dog ​​next to my toddler in the frame, the iPhone XR was able to capture both of them and erase the background properly. But it took a lot of adaptation and patience. The XS has my subjects in portrait mode almost immediately.

Both phones have portrait editing tools that allow you to adjust the intensity of the blur before and after shooting. They also have light effects. But the iPhone XR does not include the dramatic effect of the scene, which darkens the background, nor the mono scene, which does the same thing in black and white.

Winner: iPhone XS, but the XR is good enough in many situations if you take the time to properly fit

Portraits in low light

Here is where the portrait mode shines on the XR. Because it uses the main lens with wider aperture, it can leave more light in dimly lit scenarios.

The same portrait photographed on the XS seems noisy and dark compared to the one taken on the XR which is brighter and sharper.

Winner: iPhone XR

The big winner is …

In the end, it depends on how you use the phone. The iPhone XR camera will suit you perfectly if 99.9% of your photos are taken in automatic mode. There is no significant difference in picture quality between these two phones for photos and videos in general and you may be able to save yourself $ 250 or more if you base your decision on the camera alone.

But the iPhone XS is your ideal camera if, like me, you are taking a lot of portraits of children and pets that do not like to keep laying. Or if you use zoom in still images and videos.

And then there are the other non-camera features to consider: the XS (and XS Max) has a nicer OLED screen, and comes in the form of a larger screen (or smaller) 5.8 or 6.5 inches compared to the 6.1-inch LCD screen of the iPhone XR. The XS has a stainless steel frame and greater water resistance, while the XR has more color options to choose from.

Anyway, you can not go wrong. Both phones have impressive cameras capable of producing photos worthy of printing.

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