Apple iPhone X vs iPhone XS - A Faceoff!

Apple released the iPhone X back in 2017 and it was one of the bestselling smartphones of 2017. In 2018, Apple released the iPhone XS max and XS. Both these phones are incredibly similar and people often confuse the two. Refurbished iPhone X and XS both vary in price and specifications, if you’re on the budget looking for a phone, you need to make an informed decision. Is the iPhone XS better than the iPhone X refurbished and should you spend a bit extra for the XS? That’s what we are gonna discuss here so, without further delay, let get right into it.

Design

They both feel premium in the hand and the weight on the device is evenly distributed. Apple has done a marvellous job with the design of the phone. They have an all-glass design with a stainless steel frame in the middle. The stainless steel frame is miles ahead of aluminium and feels great in the hands.
The glass of both the front and the back on both devices is protected by Gorilla Glass which means the phone has a greater chance of surviving when dropped and it also offers better scratch resistance than normal glass.
All in all, both devices feel exactly the same and one would have a hard time distinguishing them.

Water Resistance

The iPhone X has an IP67 rating which makes it water resistance up to 1m for 30 mins. It offers water and dust protection meaning your phone is safe from accidental splashes and dust particles.
The iPhone XS on the other hand offers IP68 water and dust resistance which means it can survive in 2m of water for up to 30 mins. Apple advises against intentionally exposing your phone to water and it might even void your warranty.
The XS offers slightly better water and dust protection.

Display

The iPhone X has a 5.8 inch OLED display with HDR10 support and goes all the way up to 625 nits of brightness. It has a PPI density of 458 and a resolution of 1125 x 2436 pixels. Before the iPhone 10, Apple used the Retina IPS LCD screen which was colour accurate and bright but didn’t have the dark blacks and punchy colours like AMOLED displays. All that changed with the iPhone X, the colours and the contrast on the OLED display are excellent and this is one of the best smartphone displays you can find in 2023. The viewing angles are also excellent and this was a welcome change in the world of iPhones.
The iPhone XS, on the other hand, uses exactly the same OLED display. The displays of both the phones are evenly matched and they even share the same exact screen resolution. Both phones are equipped with 3d touch, a true tone display, a wide colour gamut and Dolby Vision.
The glass on both phones have an oleophobic coating and are scratch-resistant.

Connectivity

Both the models are equipped to handle Nano sim cards but the XS also has the options of an eSIM. Both are equipped with fast Wi-Fi, GPS and Bluetooth.

Camera

The iPhone X has a dual-camera setup on the back with a 12-megapixel wide lens and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with optical image stabilization. On the back, you’ll also find a quad-LED dual-tone flash. It takes great looking shots and the dynamic range is excellent. The low light performance of the device is remarkable and even in a dimly lit room, it was able to capture details exceptionally well. Let's talk about video recording a bit, it well equipped to handle up to 60 FPS in 4k resolution and up to 240 FPS in 1080p (Full HD) which is impressive and on par with other phones in 2023. The optical image stabilization greatly helps in reducing jitters and blurry videos.
The iPhone XS offers the same dual-camera setup except for a few minor upgrades. The XS also takes great looking shots effortlessly and is one of the best camera phones you can buy in 2023. Both phones are equipped with a 7-megapixel selfie camera which takes great shots.

Performance

Here’s where they differ from each other. Under the hood, the iPhone X has Apple’s A11 Bionic Chipset (10mn) and Apple’s GPU (three-core graphics). In my extensive testing with a refurbished iPhone 10, it proved to be a force to be reckoned with and performed remarkably well. It felt fast, responsive, snappy and seemed to easily handle everything with ease. It can handle anything from daily activities to gaming.
The iPhone XS, on the other hand, is powered by Apple’s A12 Bionic chipset, it’s a 7nm chip which means better performance and battery life. The XS too is an outstanding performer thanks to the A12 Bionic Chipset.
Both chipsets perform similarly in daily activities but you’d see a slight difference in gaming. The XS can run at slightly higher graphics settings than the X. Besides that, performance is on par and outstanding.

Software and Other Features

The iPhone 10 was launched with the iOS 11 but it can be upgraded to the latest iOS 14, whereas, the XS was launched with the iOS 12 but can also be upgraded to the latest Apple software. As always, Apples has done a remarkable job with the software and the iOS 14 is exceptionally smooth.
Both the phones lack a fingerprint reader so, you won't be able to unlock the phone with your fingerprints. Instead, Apple opted for Face ID, the notch houses the Face ID scanner which scans your face every time you unlock it. It’s smooth, fast, reliable and one of the most secure and easiest way to unlock your device. You should go for a higher capacity variant if you have a lot of data, a iPhone X 256Gb or an iPhone XS 256Gb will ensure that you don't run out of space anytime soon.

Battery Life

The X is equipped with a 2716mAh battery and the XS with a 2658mAh so, the battery life is pretty similar. They can easily last a day of use. Both support Qi wireless charging and 15W normal charging, Apple advertises that they can charge up to 50% in 30 mins.

Conclusion

Both the refurbished iPhone X and iPhone XS look and perform remarkable similar. In my opinion, you can’t go wrong with any one of them. If you’re on a budget, go for the iPhone X and if your budgets is slightly higher then go for a refurbished iPhone XS. As we said earlier, you can't go wrong with any of them as both offer great value for money and are feature-packed phones.

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