Apple iPhone XS vs. Apple iPhone 12

Phone Comparison, Reviews and Tests

Detailed comparison and review of Apple iPhone XS and Apple iPhone 12. With our comprehensive overview, you can simply compare sizes, functions, but also other key features of both phones and easily decide which one is the right choice for you. Our goal is to help you identify the main differences between products and find the phone that best fits your needs and expectations.

Phone Specifications Comparison

Apple iPhone XS vs. Apple iPhone 12 Comparison Chart
DESIGN AND DIMENSIONS Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Product Type Smartphone Smartphone
Manufacturer Model Number A2097 A2403
Form Factor Touch Touch
Height 143.6 mm 146.7 mm Apple iPhone 12 has greater height than Apple iPhone XS.
Width 70.9 mm 71.5 mm Apple iPhone 12 has greater width than Apple iPhone XS.
Depth 7.7 mm 7.4 mm Apple iPhone 12 is narrower than Apple iPhone XS.
Weight 177 g 164 g Apple iPhone 12 is lighter than Apple iPhone XS.
Body Colour Space grey | Silver | Gold Black | White | Red | Blue | Green | Purple
Body Material Glass, surgical‑grade stainless steel Glass, aerospace-grade aluminium
Protection Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof Dustproof, splashproof, waterproof
Waterproof (Water-resistant) Yes Yes Both phones are waterproof.
IP rating IEC 60529 IP68 IEC 60529 IP68
Repairability Index - 6.6 (out of 10)
SAR Value 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.99 W/kg (head) 0.99 W/kg (body), 0.98 W/kg (head), 3.8 W/kg (limb)
Connector Type Lightning Lightning
SIM Card Type (Size) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM) Nano SIM, Electronic SIM card (e-SIM)
SIM Card Qty Dual-SIM Dual-SIM
DISPLAY Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Display Type OLED display OLED display
Display Technology Super Retina HD Super Retina XDR Display
Screen Size (Display Size) 5.8" 6.1" Apple iPhone 12 has larger screen size than Apple iPhone XS.
Screen Resolution (Display Resolution) 2436 x 1125 pixels 2532 x 1170 pixels Apple iPhone 12 has better screen resolution than Apple iPhone XS.
Pixel Density 458 ppi 460 ppi Apple iPhone 12 has better pixel density than Apple iPhone XS.
Max Brightness 625 cd/m² 625 cd/m² Both phones have the same display brightness
Contrast Ratio 1000000:1 2000000:1 Apple iPhone 12 has better display contrast ratio than Apple iPhone XS.
HDR Yes Yes Both phones have HDR.
HDR Technology HDR10 HDR10
Display Enhancement Technology Dolby Vision Dolby Vision
Display Refresh Rate 120 Hz -
Display Features True Tone display, Wide colour display (P3) True Tone display, Edge-to-Edge screen, Wide colour display (P3), Haptic touch, Hybrid Log-Gamma (HLG), 1200 nits max brightness (HDR)
Display Protection (Screen Protector) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, Ceramic Shield
PROCESSOR Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Processor Type (CPU) Apple A12 Bionic Apple A14 Bionic
Processor Core Qty 6-core 6-core Both phones have the same number of phone cores.
64-bit Architecture Yes - Apple iPhone XS has 64-bit architecture.
MEMORY Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Internal Memory Size (Storage Capacity) 64 GB 64 GB Both phones have the same internal memory capacity.
CAMERA Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
MAIN CAMERA
Number of Main Cameras 2 2
Sensor Resolution 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same camera resolution.
Sensor Type BSI -
Lens Type Wide-angle lens Wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture F/1.8 F/1.6 Apple iPhone 12 has better lens aperture than Apple iPhone XS.
Lens Construction 6-element 7-element
Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Dual OIS (Optical Image Stabilisation) Optical Image Stabiliser (OIS) Both phones have optical image stabilization.
Focus Adjustment Automatic Automatic
Optical Zoom 2x 2x Both phones have the same optical zoom.
Digital Zoom 10x 5x Apple iPhone XS has better digital zoom than Apple iPhone 12.
Special Effects Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode Smart HDR Smart HDR 3
Camera Modes Burst mode, Panorama, Timer mode, low-light shots, tap to focus, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos Burst mode, Panorama, night mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode)
Face Recognition (Face ID) Body and face detection Face recognition Both phones have face detection.
Light Source True Tone quad LED flash True Tone LED flash
Video Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, 1280 x 720 (720p) at 30 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 240 fps
Camera Features (Functions) Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Focus Pixels, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, Hybrid IR filter, Exposure control, geotagging, LTM (Local Tone Mapping), Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Slow Sync, Advanced red-eye correction, Optical image stabilization for video, Extended dynamic range for video Sapphire crystal lens cover, Cinematic video stabilisation, Cinematic video stabilisation, Playback zoom, geotagging, Stereo Recording, Continuous autofocus video, 8MP still photos recording 4K video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Slow Sync, Advanced red-eye correction, Optical image stabilization for video, HEIF image capture, Audio zoom, 100% Focus Pixels, Digital zoom up to 3x for video, QuickTake video, HEVC (High Efficiency Video coding), Extended dynamic range for video at 60 fps, Deep Fusion, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 30 fps
SECOND CAMERA
Sensor Resolution (2nd Camera) 12 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Both phones have the same second camera resolution.
Lens Type (2nd Camera) Telephoto lens Ultra wide-angle lens
Lens Aperture (2nd Camera) F/2.4 F/2.4 Both phones have the same second camera lens aperture.
Lens Element Qty (2nd Camera) - 5-element
Field of View (2nd Camera) - 120 degree(s)
Camera Functions (2nd Camera) Capture depth information -
Camera Features (2nd Camera) - 5-piece lens, Lens correction
FRONT CAMERA
Number of Front Cameras 2 1
Sensor Resolution (Front) 7 Megapixel 12 Megapixel Apple iPhone 12 has better front camera resolution than Apple iPhone XS.
Sensor Type (Front) BSI -
Lens Aperture (Front) F/2.2 F/2.2 Both phones have the same front camera lens aperture.
Special Effects (Front) Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono
HDR Mode (Front) Smart HDR Smart HDR 3
Camera Modes (Front) Burst mode, Timer mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting Burst mode, night mode, Live Photos, Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control, Portrait Lighting, wide colour capture for photos and Live Photos, Time Lapse (Night mode)
Face Recognition (Face ID) Body and face detection, face recognition Face recognition Both phones have face detection.
Light Source (Front) Retina Flash Retina Flash
Video Resolutions (Front) 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 30 fps, 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 60 fps, Slo-mo video 1920 x 1080 (1080p) at 120 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 30 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 60 fps, 3840 x 2160 (4K) at 24 fps
Camera Features (Front) FaceTime HD camera, Exposure control, Auto image stabilisation, Animoji, Memoji, TrueDepth camera, Extended dynamic range for video, Cinematic video stabilisation Auto image stabilisation, Animoji, Memoji, TrueDepth camera, Cinematic video stabilisation, Extended dynamic range for video at 30 fps, QuickTake video, Time‑lapse video with stabilisation, Lens correction, Deep Fusion, Dolby Vision HDR video recording up to 30 fps
SECOND FRONT CAMERA
Camera Functions (2nd Front) Infrared camera for Face ID -
Camera Features (2nd Front) Flood Illuminator, Dot Projector -
BATTERY AND CHARGING Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Battery Capacity (Battery Size) - -
Fast Charging Technology Apple fast charging technology Apple fast charging technology, Apple MagSafe wireless charging Both phones have fast charging technology.
Wireless Charging Yes Yes Both phones can be charged wirelessly.
Wireless Charging Standards Qi Qi
Talk Time 1200 minutes -
Run Time Details Talk: up to 1200 min
Active online usage: up to 12 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 14 hrs
Playback (wireless audio): up to 60 hrs
Playback (video): up to 17 hrs
Playback (wireless video): up to 11 hrs
Playback (audio): up to 65 hrs
Battery Technology Lithium Ion Lithium Ion
CELLULAR Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Technology WCDMA (UMTS) / GSM CDMA2000 1X / GSM / WCDMA (UMTS)
Mobile Broadband Generation 4G 5G Apple iPhone 12 has more advanced generation mobile network.
Operating System iOS 12 iOS 14
Intelligent Assistant Siri Siri
Payment Technology Apple Pay Apple Pay
Navigation A-GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS
COMMUNICATIONS Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Data Transmission GPRS, EDGE, HSDPA, HSUPA, HSPA+, LTE, DC-HSDPA, LTE Advanced, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, Gigabit LTE EDGE, EV-DO, HSPA+, DC-HSDPA, VoLTE, FDD-LTE, TDD-LTE, VoWiFi, Gigabit LTE, LAA, 5G NR FR1
2G Band 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM 850 GSM, 900 GSM, 1800 GSM, 1900 GSM, 800 CDMA2000 1X, 1900 CDMA2000 1X
3G UMTS Band - Band 1, Band 5, Band 8, Band 10, Band 25
3G UMTS Frequency - 2100, 850, 900, 1700 EAWS, 1900
4G LTE Band Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 14, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 29, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 46, Band 66 Band 1, Band 2, Band 3, Band 4, Band 5, Band 7, Band 8, Band 12, Band 13, Band 17, Band 18, Band 19, Band 20, Band 25, Band 26, Band 28, Band 30, Band 32, Band 34, Band 38, Band 39, Band 40, Band 41, Band 42, Band 46, Band 48, Band 66
4G LTE Frequency FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700 PS, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 700d, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 5150, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3 FDD 2100, FDD 1900 PCS, FDD 1800+, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 700a, FDD 700c, FDD 700b, FDD 800 lower, FDD 800 upper, FDD 800 DD, FDD 1900+, FDD 850+, FDD 700 APT, FDD 2300 WCS, FDD 1500 L, TDD 2000, TDD 2600, TDD 1900, TDD 2300, TDD 2500, TDD 3500, TDD 5150, TDD 3600, FDD 1700 - 2110 AWS-3
5G NR Band - N1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n20, n28, n38, n41, n66, n77, n78, n79, n40, n25, n12
5G NR Frequency - FDD 2100, FDD 1900PCS, FDD 1800, FDD 850, FDD 2600, FDD 900, FDD 800, FDD 700APT, TDD TD 2600, TDD TD 2500, FDD AWS-3, TDD TD 3700, TDD TD 3500, TDD TD 4500, TDD 2300, FDD 1900, n12
Wireless Interface IEEE 802.11ac IEEE 802.11ax
Bluetooth Bluetooth 5.0 Bluetooth 5.0
NFC Yes Yes Both phones have an NFC reader for mobile payments.
Ultra-Wideband (UWB) - Yes Apple iPhone 12 has UWB wireless technology.
Messaging Services SMS, MMS -
MEDIA Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Supported Digital Audio Standards Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2 Audible, MP3, FLAC, Apple Lossless, AC-3, AAC-LC, LPCM, HE-AAC, Audible AAX, Audible AAX+, protected AAC, EAC3, HE-AAC v2
Supported Digital Video Standards M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF M-JPEG, H.264, HEVC, MPEG-4 Part 2, HEIF
Sound Enhancements Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Digital sound Dolby Digital Plus sound, Dolby Atmos sound technology, Dolby Digital sound
Video Enhancements - HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10
FEATURES Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Phone Functions Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert Speakerphone, voice control, call timer, conference call, flight mode, voice dialing, vibrating alert
Sensors Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer Accelerometer, ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, 3-axis gyro sensor, digital compass, barometer
Security Devices Face recognition Face recognition
Security Technology Face ID Face ID
Additional Phone Features TTY compatible, FaceTime, MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, QuickType keyboard, Apple TV support (2nd or later), Neural Engine, AirPlay Mirroring AirDrop function, Audio zoom function, MIMO technology, Wi-Fi Calling, iBeacon microlocation, QuickType keyboard, Night Shift, Apple TV support (2nd or later), AirPlay Mirroring, Next-generation Neural Engine, Apple MagSafe, Express Transit cards with power reserve, 4K HDR AirPlay Mirroring, FaceTime HD (1080p), RTT/TTY compatible
OTHERS Apple iPhone XS Apple iPhone 12
Included Accessories Power adapter, Apple EarPods with Lightning Connector, Lightning to USB cable Lightning to USB-C cable
Compliant Standards IEC 60529 IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible) IEC 60529 IP68, HAC (Hearing Aid Compatible)
Max Depth of Water Resistance 2 m 6 m
Max Operating Temperature 35 °C 35 °C
Min Operating Temperature 0 °C 0 °C
Humidity Range Operating 5 - 95% (non-condensing) 5 - 95% (non-condensing)
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