Apple iPhone XS Max vs Apple iPhone 8 Plus Comparison and Differences

Smartphone 1

Apple iPhone XS Max

Smartphone 2

Apple iPhone 8 Plus

Smartphone 3

Differences between Apple iPhone XS Max and Apple iPhone 8 Plus - Which to Choose?

Reasons to consider the iPhone XS Max:

Newer model (Released in 2018 vs 2017 for the iPhone 8 Plus).
Larger display size (6.5 inches vs 5.5 inches).
Higher resolution (1242 x 2688 pixels vs 1080 x 1920 pixels).
Better screen technology (Super AMOLED vs LED-backlit IPS LCD).
Higher pixel density (458 ppi vs 401 ppi).
More advanced chipset (Apple A12 Bionic vs A11 Bionic).
More RAM (4 GB vs 3 GB).
Dual SIM support for the China model.
Improved LTE connectivity with more bands supported.
Higher AnTuTu benchmark scores (indicating better overall performance).
Improved camera features.
Face ID for security vs fingerprint sensor on iPhone 8 Plus.
Better water resistance (IP68 vs IP67).

Reasons to consider the iPhone 8 Plus:

Lower weight (202g vs 208g for the iPhone XS Max).
Fingerprint sensor which some users may prefer for biometric authentication.
Lower starting price at launch (770 EUR vs 1250 EUR for the iPhone XS Max).
Potentially better durability with aluminum frame vs stainless steel frame of the XS Max which can be more prone to scratches.

Apple iPhone XS Max or Apple iPhone 8 Plus Specs Comparison

Common specs

Brand and model	Apple iPhone XS Max	Apple iPhone 8 Plus
Rating	(+0)	(+0)
Release date	2018, September	2017, September
Dimensions (HxWxD)	157.5 x 77.4 x 7.7 mm \| 6.2 x 6.2 x 3.05 in	158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm \| 6.24 x 6.24 x 3.07 in
Weight	208 g \| 7.34 oz	202 g \| 7.13 oz
Body Build	Front/back glass, stainless steel frame	Front/back glass, aluminum frame
Colors	Space Gray, Silver, Gold	Gold, Space Gray, Silver, Red
Battery	3174 mAh, Non-removable Li-Ion	2691 mAh, Non-removable Li-Ion
Battery life	Talking time - Up to 25 h (3G) Music play - Up to 65 h	Talking time - Up to 21 h (3G) Music play - Up to 60 h
Approximate price	1250 EUR	770 EUR

Screen

Technology	Super AMOLED	LED-backlit IPS LCD
Touchscreen	capacitive touchscreen	capacitive touchscreen
Display colors	16M	16M
Screen size	6.5" inc	5.5" inc
Screen area	102.9 cm²	83.4 cm²
Screen format	19.5:9 (height:width)	16:9 (height:width)
Screen to body ratio	84.4%	67.4%
Screen resolution	1242 x 2688 px	1080 x 1920 px
Screen PPI /points per inch/	458 PPI	401 PPI
Screen protection	Scratch-resistant glass, oleophobic coating	Ion-strengthened glass, oleophobic coating
Other specs	- Dolby Vision -HDR10 -Wide color gamut -3D Touch -True-tone -120 Hz touch-sensing	- Wide color gamut -3D Touch display & home button -True-tone

Camera and Video

Rear camera, main	12 MP, Dual	12 MP, Dual
Camera specs	-12 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide), 1/2.55'', 1.4µm, OIS, PDAF -12 MP, f/2.4, 52mm (telephoto), 1/3.4'', 1.0µm, OIS, PDAF, 2x optical zoom	-12 MP, f/1.8, 28mm (wide), OIS, PDAF -12 MP, f/2.8, 57mm (telephoto), 2x optical zoom, PDAF
Functions	Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR (photo/panorama)	Quad-LED dual-tone flash, HDR
Video	2160p@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps, HDR, stereo sound rec.	2160p@24/30/60fps, 1080p@30/60/120/240fps
DxOMark Main Score	106	94
DxOMark Photo	110	96
DxOMark Video	96	89
Front camera, selfie	7 MP, Single	7 MP, Single
Specifications	7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard)	7 MP, f/2.2, 32mm (standard)
Functions	HDR	Face detection, HDR
Video	1080p@60fps	1080p@30fps
DxOMark Selfie Score	82
DxOMark Photo	81
DxOMark Video	82

Performance

Operating system - OS	iOS 12, upgradable to iOS 12.1.3	iOS 11, upgradable to iOS 12.1.3
Chipset	- Apple A12 Bionic (7 nm)	- Apple A11 Bionic (10 nm)
Processor CPU	- Hexa-core (2x2.5 GHz Vortex + 4x1.6 GHz Tempest)	- Hexa-core (2x Monsoon + 4x Mistral)
Graphics processor GPU	Apple GPU (4-core graphics)	Apple GPU (three-core graphics)
External memory	No	No
Internal memory	64/256/512 GB, 4 GB RAM	64/256 GB, 3 GB RAM

Benchmark

Antutu 10 Total	676031	378011
Antutu 10 CPU	184996	118857
Antutu 10 GPU	176588	118036
Antutu 10 Mem	142942	60136
Antutu 10 UX	184996	118857
Antutu 8 Total	431328	302943
Antutu 7 Total
GeekBench 6 Single Core	1275	1050
GeekBench 6 Multi Core	2594	2162
GeekBench 6 Metal	8105	5298
GeekBench 5 Single Core	1111	917
GeekBench 5 Multi-Core	2477	1993
GeekBench 4 Single Core	4208	4224
GeekBench 4 Multi-Core	10588	10193
GeekBench 4 Battery		2842

Communication and Connectivity

SIM card	Single SIM (Nano-SIM)Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by) - for China	Nano-SIM
Network	GSM / CDMA / HSPA / EVDO / LTE	GSM / HSPA / LTE
Bands	-2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 - SIM 1 & SIM 2 (dual-SIM) - for China CDMA 800 / 1900 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 CDMA2000 1xEV-DO -4G - LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 14(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 28(700), 29(700), 30(2300), 32(1500), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500), 46, 66(1700/2100) - A2101 LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 14(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 29(700), 30(2300), 32(1500), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500), 46, 66(1700/2100), 71(600) - A1921 LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 14(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 29(700), 30(2300), 32(1500), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500), 46, 66(1700/2100), 71(600) - A2104	-2G - GSM 850 / 900 / 1800 / 1900 -3G - HSDPA 850 / 900 / 1700(AWS) / 1900 / 2100 -4G - LTE band 1(2100), 2(1900), 3(1800), 4(1700/2100), 5(850), 7(2600), 8(900), 12(700), 13(700), 17(700), 18(800), 19(800), 20(800), 25(1900), 26(850), 28(700), 29(700), 30(2300), 34(2000), 38(2600), 39(1900), 40(2300), 41(2500), 66(1700/2100)
Speed	HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (4CA) Cat16 1024/150 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps	HSPA 42.2/5.76 Mbps, LTE-A (3CA) Cat12 600/150 Mbps, EV-DO Rev.A 3.1 Mbps
GPRS	Yes	Yes
Edge	Yes	Yes
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot	Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot
GPS	Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS	Yes, with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, QZSS
NFC	Yes	Yes
USB	2.0, proprietary reversible connector	2.0, proprietary reversible connector
Bluetooth	5.0, A2DP, LE	5.0, A2DP, LE
Harmful irradiation		SAR - 1.19 W/kg (head) 1.19 W/kg (body) SAR EU - 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body)

Music and Audio

Radio	No	No
Headphone jack	No	No
Others	- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic	- Active noise cancellation with dedicated mic

Other features

Sensors	- Face ID, accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer	- Fingerprint (front-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass, barometer
Other extras	- -Siri natural language commands and dictation - Fast battery charging: 50% in 30 min -Qi wireless charging - IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 2m for 30 mins) -Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)	- -Siri natural language commands and dictation - Fast battery charging: 50% in 30 min -Qi wireless charging - IP67 dust/water resistant (up to 1m for 30 mins) -Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified)
Versions	- Versions: A2101 (Global market) A1921 (USA, Canada, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands) A2104 (China, Hong Kong); A2102 (Japan)	- Versions: A1864 (USA, Hong Kong, Australia, New Zealand, China) A1897 (EMEA, UAE, LATAM, Canada, USA AT&T/T-Mobile, Singapore); A1898 (Japan)