5 Questions You Need To Know The Answers To Now That You've Seen 2018's New iPhones

Now that we have all of Apple¡¯s 2018 launches in front of us, you probably have a lot of questions about the devices. How do the new ones measure up? What happens to the old? What should you care about? Well, here are the biggest to think about.

1. Is it worth buying the iPhone XS or XS Max?

The iPhone XS and XS Max are to the iPhone X what the iPhone 6S and 6S Plus were to the 6 and 6 Plus. Which means they¡¯ve stayed largely the same as far as design is concerned, with a significant processor boost.

Aside from a new colour at launch, the gold finish, and a higher storage variant, there¡¯s not much else to look for on these devices. The cameras are the same, the features are largely unchanged. Here¡¯s it¡¯s purely a matter of personal taste, and what you currently own.

If you have the iPhone X in your pocket, it¡¯s probably not worth upgrading at all. After all, the experience will be exactly the same, minus maybe a bigger display if you go for the iPhone XS Max, though that also involves a bigger price tag. If you own a lower device like the iPhone 7 or 8, sure, knock yourself out if that¡¯s in your budget.

2. Should I buy the iPhone XR or the iPhone 8 / 8 Plus?

Here, the question actually involves more than just price. The iPhone XR is actually seems to be a good device, independent of all else. As Apple proudly declared, it¡¯s an ¡°iPhone X experience on an LCD display.¡±.

In fact, the iPhone XR has a 6.1-inch display, which is a bigger display than the iPhone 8 Plus¡¯ 5.5-inches. Yet, it¡¯s enclosed in a form factor that¡¯s noticeable smaller. So yes, for a reasonable price, the iPhone XR is a clear step above the iPhone 8 or 8 Plus, whether you¡¯re looking to pick between the three or upgrading from one to another.

3. What other iPhones are still available?

Thanks to the new launches, Apple is rotating out the old stock. That means the iPhone SE, iPhone, 6S, 6S Plus, and iPhone X are all being discontinued. In fact they¡¯ve already disappeared from Apple¡¯s website. In place of them, the prices of the more recent Apple devices have been lowered, as you can see below.

4. Does that mean the headphone jack is gone for good?

Yes, unfortunately it does. All the currently available devices lack a 3.5mm jack, and it¡¯s likely things will stay that way for at least a couple of iPhone generations. First they took your Mac USB ports, then they took your iPhone headphone jack, and then your Home Button. Soon they¡¯re probably going to take half your battery and force you to buy an external battery pack. You can¡¯t run, you can¡¯t fight it. There is only surrender to the dark lords of Cupertino.

5. When can will it get USB Type-C?

It¡¯s hard to say here when and if this will even happen. Noted analyst Ming-Chi Kuo did make a last-minute prediction before last night¡¯s launch, that Apple might drop the Lightning port for USB Type-C, however that turned out to be wrong. Hopefully though, it¡¯s sometime in the near future. Perhaps Apple will reach a point where appeasing customers matters more than cash grabs. However, given reports it¡¯s no longer providing a free Lightning to 3.5mm adaptor along with iPhone purchases, it¡¯s probably wishful thinking.