Every Apple keynote is preceded by unprecedented buzz, accompanied by rumours spread around the world. Last night's event was no exception. But the surprise effect was smaller. In the end, there were no major revolutions in terms of top-of-the-range smartphones, but the largest edge-to-edge screen of all iPhones with the iPhone Xs Max and its 6.5-inch Oled screen, and finally a dual SIM that has been absent from iPhones until now. For this last point, the new-generation iPhone incorporates a physical SIM slot and an eSIM. Note that digital SIM card technology is not yet authorised by French telecoms operators.
Following on from the all-screen design of the previous generation iPhone X, the Xs Max features a 6.5-inch Super Retina display. The Oled panel has been adapted to Dolby Vision and HDR10 technologies for more precise colour and contrast rendering, as well as brightness. All of which makes it particularly suitable for video playback.
The iPhone Xs Max, like the other two models in the Xs family announced last night, is equipped with a new chip from Apple. The A12 Bionic chip has been heralded as the company's most powerful and intelligent, but it has also been heralded as the first 7-nanometre chip in a smartphone... Until Huawei's new Kirin chip arrives!
More concretely, the new iPhone should make it possible to process information more quickly, and moreover, with demanding video applications. Automatic recognition is not left out, with a new generation of "neural" systems, to use Apple's expression. The most important of these is undoubtedly an even more responsive facial recognition authentication system, with Apple securing its iPhones with the Face ID function, which is now even faster.
Photo functions are centred around a dual 12MP camera with a wide-angle module and a second zoom lens. Both modules are still equipped with an optical stabilisation system, but the new generation of iPhones Xs offers new features, including a bokeh effect (background blur). The principle of intelligent HDR is said to ensure more detailed and faithful colours.
In terms of design, the stainless steel band is now available in a gold finish, in addition to silver and sidereal grey. Both sides of the iPhone Xs Max are covered in glass that is claimed to be the most resistant in the iPhone family, so they are better protected from the risk of scratches, while the back allows wireless charging.
Still on the subject of resistance, the iPhone Xs Max, like the other Xs models, is IP68 certified. In other words, your jewellery will remain protected if it falls into the pool at a depth of two metres for 30 minutes.
Autonomy has also been optimised with a new battery, with Apple promising an extra hour and a half of autonomy compared with the iPhone X. We won't dwell on the principle of dual SIM cards, already available on most top-of-the-range phones but new to Apple, especially as eSIM technology is not yet recognised in France.
In short, the real difference between the iPhone Xs Max and its rivals in the ultra-high-end market, such as Oppo, is its price, announced at €1,259!
One more thing... - iPhone Xs Max
Screen: 6.5-inch Oled (2688 x 1242 pixels)
Photo: 12Mpx X2
Processor: A12 Bionic
Operating system: iOS12
Storage capacity: 64 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB
Price: from €1259
Available from 21 September
