Apple Kills Off The iPhone XS And XS Max After One Year
Rather than cutting the pricing after the debut of iPhone 11 Pro models, Apple will instead discontinue last year's OLED iPhones.
Apple is establishing a pattern of only offering its OLED iPhone models for a year before pulling them from the lineup.
Mirroring the one-year tenure of the iPhone X, Apple on Tuesday revealed that it will no longer offer the year-old iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, with the arrival of successor OLED models.
[Related: Apple's iPhone 11 Pro And Pro Max: 10 Things To Know]
Apple's newly announced OLED models are the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, which feature identical display sizes and starting prices to the iPhone XS and XS Max.
The discontinuation of the iPhone XS and XS Max suggest a concern that offering those devices at a lower price point—as is customary after a year—could cannibalize sales of the new iPhone 11 Pro models.
The iPhone 11 Pro features a 5.8-inch display while the iPhone 11 Pro Max measures in at 6.5 inches—the same as on the iPhone XS and XS Max, respectively.
Enhancements on the iPhone 11 Pro models include the introduction of a triple rear camera system (with a new ultra-wide camera), compared to a dual camera on the iPhone XS models; improved Face ID facial recognition; several hours of additional battery life; enhanced water and shatter resistance; and a faster new processor, the A13 Bionic.
What isn't changing from the XS models is the pricing, with the iPhone 11 Pro priced at $999 to start and the iPhone 11 Pro priced at $1,099. Pre-orders for the iPhone 11 Pro models will begin on Friday, with the devices shipping Sept. 20.
In total, Apple disclosed that it will have six iPhone models in the lineup.
The company will continue selling the popular iPhone XR, even with the announcement of the iPhone 11—which has an identical 6.1-inch LCD display. The iPhone XR will see a price drop to $599 from $749 previously.
Meanwhile, Apple will also still sell the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus, which debuted in 2017. The iPhone 8 will now be available for $449, down from $599, while the iPhone 8 Plus will go for $549, compared to $699 previously.