Apple launch new iPhone Xs, Xr and Watch Series 4

Today Apple launched the new iPhone Xs, Xs Max and Xr phones. These replace the iPhone X and offer a wider range of sizes and options.

The iPhone Xs and Xs Max are the new top of the range phones. They come with a new faster A12 Bionic processor, a better camera offering 12MP with zoom lens, and a Portrait mode which allows the user to choose and vary the level of blur for the background of images.

The new iPhone Xs range comes in two sizes- 5.8" Xs version and the 6.5" Xs Max. The latter is the biggest screen ever produced on an iPhone.

Aside from the top of the range Xs, Apple also announced an Xr range, which comes with a cheaper price point. It has the same chip as the Xs but only a single lens camera.

Here is the new range and prices for Ireland:

Xs:
64GB €1,179.00

256GB €1,349.00

512GB €1,579.00

Xs Max:

64GB €1,279.00

256GB €1,449.00
512GB €1,679.00

Xr:

64GB €879.00

128GB €939.00

256GB €1,049.00

The other major news at the event was the new Apple Watch Series 4, which in the US comes with an ECG Heart monitor that can detect heart defects such as low and irregular heart rates. For an Irish audience., the biggest disappointment is the absence of Ireland in the launch dates for the Cellular version. This also happened last year and means that Ireland remains excluded from the mobile-linked version of the Watch.

The Series 4 Watch comes with a larger screen which gives over 30% more screen space, allowing for better Watch faces and complications. It has an improved Digital Crown with Haptic feedback, new microphone and speaker, and comes with a new S4 chip, giving twice the speed of last years S3.

The new Watch comes in two sizes, 40mm and 44mm, up slightly from the 38mm and 42mm. The prices start at:

40mm: €439

44mm: €469


Lastly, Apple announced launch dates for new versions of their operating systems:

iOS 12: 17th September

macOS Mojave: 24th September

HomePod update and tvOS: 17th September