There’s also the new app, Siri Shortcuts, which lets you combine steps to automate actions or record custom Siri phrases to launch shortcuts. It’s still in beta so the utility, at least for me, is somewhat limited.

You can install iOS 12 on your older iPhone (down to the iPhone 5s), but not all features, especially those involving AR, will work on the older devices. Still, I highly recommend the upgrade with at least anyone running an iPhone 7 and up. It’s simply a better, more polished, proactive, and intelligent user experience and, to be fair, I’ve barely scratched the surface of all the updates and feature enhancements you’ll find.

Battery and the bottom line

Apple claims 30 minutes more battery life between the iPhone X and Xs and 90 minutes more with the iPhone Xs Max. In my experience, either new phone can get you through most of the day on a single charge. I spent one day using only the iPhone Xs Max. I kept the brightness high and ran all kinds of apps and processes. It lasted a solid 10 hours. Maybe a little bit less than I expected, but still enough to get me through most of the day.

Honestly, with less than a week under my belt, it’s difficult to offer a full assessment of battery performance. There are so many variables and, of course, battery life is going to be great on new phones. Talk to me in six months or a year, and we’ll see if I’m still happy with battery life.

It’s no surprise that Apple didn’t lower the price for the new $999 iPhone Xs (or even hold onto the original model and sell it at a lower price). I’m not even shocked that we now have an almost $1,100 model or that we can pay a whopping $1,449 for the 512 GB iPhone Xs Max (which happens to be the model I tested). Apple’s already proven that people will pay almost anything to get their hands on the latest iPhone. Is $1,000 or more too much to pay for a smartphone? Perhaps, but how many of us think of the full price as opposed to monthly payments? I am, though, a little annoyed that Apple discontinued the lightning -to-3.5 mm adapter. It’s as if, in the last 12 months, we’ve all gotten rid of our Beats and Bose headsets, like it’s a solved issue. Memo to Apple: It’s not.

What I can say is that these are still the iPhones you want. The iPhone Xs doesn’t mess with what I now consider a classic design, and the Xs Max simply takes all that’s wonderful about the iPhone X and enlarges it. As a pair, they are just as beautiful as the original home-button-free iPhone X. The design looks particularly elegant in a gold finish. Photographers will love the new camera, and gamers and content consumers will want the big-screen iPhone Xs Max.

If you already own the iPhone X, I wouldn’t upgrade unless you absolutely need more realistic augmented reality and full depth control on your portraits. For iPhone 6s, 7, 8, and even 8 Plus owners, the iPhone Xs and Xs Max will feel like a giant leap into the future.