The iPhone XS – my non-expert review of my new shiny phone
Quick specs
model: iPhone XS
color: Silver
capacity: 256 GB
more info => https://www.apple.com/iphone-xs/specs/
First impressions…
Of course, I love it! It’s pretty and it’s fast and it’s new. I didn’t have a choice on the color and basically just took the one they had in the capacity I wanted. If I had had a choice, I probably would have gone for the gold colored one even though my previous phone was the oh so pretty Jet Black iPhone 7 Plus. I bought the silver XS and it’s now in a case so it really doesn’t matter what color it is (though you can still see the silver of the buttons).
The XS is smaller in hand than the 7 Plus but the screen is the same. I don’t feel like I’m looking at a smaller phone but when I’m holding it or slipping it into my pocket, I feel the difference. I love rocking a smaller phone but don’t think I wasn’t tempted by the XS Max. If the store had it in stock, it could have ended up being my phone. But I’m quite happy with the one I bought.
I went two days without a case and I loved it. It’s scary rockin’ a new phone, a glass one at that, without a case but I managed it without a mishap. I have a case now because the hubby doesn’t trust me to always be careful. What can I say, I drop things! Of course, having a case means I get to use my Pop Socket and I love my personalized one (it’s Kiari with Ares and Hades).
CAMERA
I don’t carry a camera with me anymore– I depend solely on my phone now for taking pictures. It’s crazy, right? And yet this has pretty much been my reality for about three years now. I gave up on my point and shoot and have relied on my trusty phone to capture moments in my life. My iPhone 6 Plus took the first picture of me and Tyler Rich and when I gave it up for my iPhone 7 Plus, I did mourn it a bit. My iPhone 7 Plus took the first picture of me and Jordan Davis as well as me and Jacob Davis (along with his cohorts) so it had its photographic moments as well.
One of my first days out with the XS was to our Oktoberfest. Dachshunds, beer, brats! I took some pictures and videos. I was actually impressed with the quality of the selfies in portrait mode. My selfies in the park turned out pretty spiffy and I’m sure it was a combination of good lighting and the camera’s ability.
I’m so impressed with the camera that I bought a $5.99 camera app (Halide) just because I want to take better photos and maybe learn more about the intricacies of the camera on my phone.
BATTERY
I am super paranoid about the battery on my phone. I know, if I was truly concerned, I might think about other phones but I am quite entrenched in Apple’s ecosystem and really, there are many ways to optimize the battery. Of course, some of the tips out there just don’t work for me because 1) I want to use the phone as intended the way I want to use it and 2) many of the tips involve disabling things that I’d rather keep on.
My daily work habit is to charge my phone after lunch so that it can be 100% by the end of my work day. Even though I don’t have a commute or anything like that, I like have a phone fully charged at the workday’s end. So far, I’ve only not charged my phone after lunch for one day, just to see what the percentage would be at the end of the workday. I don’t remember the percentage but it was pretty decent (above 50%). This was with normal use (checking messages, listening to music, light social media). Since that one day, I’ve plugged in my phone after lunch. I probably don’t need to do so but since I’m not actually using the phone while I’m at work, why not let it charge, right? Still, it’s probably a little silly considering I do carry a powerbank in my purse. Oh well!
From what I’ve seen so far, the battery does a good job. I will at some point actually truly test it by going at least two days in a row without charging after lunch but I just don’t know when that day will be.
OTHER STUFF & CLOSING
The display is gorgeous. I’ll let you read the specs on it but suffice to say it’s lovely on the eyes. When you touch it, it’s smooth and responsive, almost silky. The XS doesn’t seem like the same kind of fingerprint magnet the 7 Plus was but maybe I just needed to clean my 7 Plus more… I’m still getting used to the new way to get to the home screen (I sometimes feel for the home button) but I think I’m getting the hang of it. The apps seem a little faster and most of them work as they should…
Part of me wishes that I could have seen the iPhone XR in person before buying the XS but I was always going to want the XS so it’s really more just curiosity about the upcoming release than anything. Coming from the excellent iPhone 7 Plus, the XS is a very worthy upgrade for me. Even though I probably wouldn’t have minded the XS Max, I’m glad to have a smaller phone this time. I would definitely recommend the iPhone XS…
