Apple unveils 3 iPhones with dual SIM, sharp cams

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max will support dual SIM and dual standby functionality. The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max would be available in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB storage variants in space grey, silver and a new gold colour starting at Rs 99,900 and Rs 1,09,900, respectively through Apple authorised resellers in India. The cheapest of the lot – the iPhone XR – has a starting price of Rs 76,900. The premium iPhone XS is made with stainless surgical grade steel with a new glass formulation and has edge-to-edge screen, Apple said in a statement.

The Cupertino-based company also unveiled its new Apple Watch Series 4 with improved health features. Its next generation of Apple Watch features edge-to-edge display with smaller bezels, which is 30 per cent bigger. The device brings a design overhaul to the Apple Watch as the iPhone-maker is now using a new dual-core 64-bit chipset, custom designed to improve performance.

Redington India, the $6 bn distribution and supply chain giant for international brands in the IT and mobility sectors, will offer the iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max across 2,500 stores in India.

Technology enthusiasts who have been following the buzz since the past release went gaga on social media from Wednesday onward, adding more fuel to the launch. Siddharth Ravishankar, a hotelier and gizmophile from the city tells us, “Apple has made all the necessary upgrades, viz: the processor, the stronger glass sandwich design, the better cameras and AR capabilities. In other words it’s the correct iterative upgrade to the iPhone X of last year. However, all of these come at a significantly higher cost.”

He adds, “On the downside, despite the heavy pricing Apple has chosen to omit the headphone adapter in the hopes that all the customers would use the lighting earphones or their wireless earpods.” 

FoneArena founder Varun Krishnan echoes another sentiment as he says, “I have been in touch with many retailers and they have been quite downbeat about the new upgraded versions. Many of them are yet to clear their existing stocks of the iPhone X, which being a super premium product, found only its niche customers.”

The iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max would be available in 64GB, 256GB and 512GB storage variants in space grey, silver and a new gold colour starting at Rs 99,900 and Rs 1,09,900, respectively through Apple authorised resellers in India. The cheapest of the lot – the iPhone XR – has a starting price of Rs 76,900. The iPhone X comes with a 5.8-inch OLED display while the iPhone XS has 6.5-inch OLED screen – the biggest ever on an iPhone. Other than the size, both the models have 3D Touch and HDR. The Face ID in these models is said to work faster this time than last year’s iPhone X.