Head to head · 2 phones

iPhone 12 vs iPhone XS

Verified specs side by side. The green tick marks the better value on each measurable row.

Comparing 2 phones
iPhone 12
iPhone 12—Score pending
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iPhone XS
iPhone XS—Score pending
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The short verdict

Scores pending

We haven’t scored these yet. Use the measured differences and full specs below.

iPhone 12
—
iPhone XS
—
Choose the iPhone 12 if
  • Budget secondary iPhone with 5G
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At a glance

Key differences

Measured differences only. Ties and tiny gaps are left out.
Why pick theiPhone 122 wins
+5%Larger screen6.1 vs 5.8 in
−13 gLighter in the hand164 vs 177 g
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Why pick theiPhone XS0 wins
No measured advantages in our spec data. Check the full specs below.
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Display4 differences
Screen size
6.1"
5.8"
Display type
Super Retina XDR display
Super Retina HD display
Resolution
1170 x 2532
1125 x 2436
Panel
Super Retina XDR display
Super AMOLED capacitive touchscreen
Performance1 difference
Chipset
A14 Bionic
A12 Bionic
Memory1 difference
Internal storage
64.0
64 GB
Main camera1 difference
Modules
12MP camera system: Main and Ultra Wide cameras - Main: ƒ/1.6 aperture - Ultra Wide: ƒ/2.4 aperture and 120° field of view - 2x optical zoom out - Digital zoom up to 5x - Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control - Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High-Key Mono) - Optical image stabilization (Main) - Seven-element lens (Main); five-element lens (Ultra Wide) - True Tone flash with Slow Sync - Panorama (up to
12MP wide-angle and telephoto cameras - Wide-angle: ƒ/1.8 aperture - Telephoto: ƒ/2.4 aperture - 2x optical zoom; digital zoom up to 10x - Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control - Portrait Lighting with five effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono) - Dual optical image stabilization - Six-element lens - Quad-LED True Tone flash with Slow Sync - Panorama (up to
Battery & Charging2 differences
Capacity
2,815 mAh
2,658 mAh
Wired charging
15W
18W
Connectivity1 difference
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) with 2x2 MIMO
Wi-Fi with 2x2 MIMO
Body2 differences
Dimensions
height: 5.78 inches (146.7 mm) · width: 2.82 inches (71.5 mm) · depth: 0.29 inch (7.4 mm)
height: 5.65 inches (143.6 mm) · width: 2.79 inches (70.9 mm) · depth: 0.30 inch (7.7 mm)
Weight
164 g
177 g
Launch & Software1 difference
Operating system
ios
iOS 12
Camera2 differences
TrueDepth Camera
12MP camera; /2.2 aperture; Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control; Portrait Lighting with six effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono, High‑Key Mono); Animoji and Memoji; Night mode
7MP camera; /2.2 aperture; Portrait mode with advanced bokeh and Depth Control; Portrait Lighting with five effects (Natural, Studio, Contour, Stage, Stage Mono); Animoji and Memoji; 1080p HD video recording at 30 fps or 60 fps
Video Calling
FaceTime video calling over cellular or Wi‑Fi
FaceTime video calling over Wi‑Fi or cellular; FaceTime video calling over Wi‑Fi or cellular
Battery & charging2 differences
Battery claims
Up to 17 hours
up to 30 minutes longer than iPhone X
Fast-charge capable
Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 20W adapter or higher (sold separately)
Up to 50% charge in 30 minutes with 18W adapter or higher (available separately)
Design3 differences
Height
5.78 inches (146.7 mm)
5.65 inches (143.6 mm)
Weight (oz)
5.78 oz
6.24 oz
Weights
5.78 ounces (164 grams)
6.24 ounces (177 grams)
Audio1 difference
Audio Calling
FaceTime audio
FaceTime audio · Voice over LTE (VoLTE)4 · Wi‑Fi calling
General3 differences
Cellular and Wireless
Model A2172* 5G NR (Bands n1, n2, n3, n5, n7, n8, n12, n20, n25, n28, n38, n40, n41, n66, n71, n77, n78, n79)
Model A1920* FDD‑LTE (Bands 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 12, 13, 14, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25, 26, 29, 30, 32, 66, 71)
Finish
Black · White · (PRODUCT)RED
Gold · Space Gray · Silver
Location
Built-in GPS · GLONASS · Galileo
Assisted GPS · GLONASS · Galileo
Where to buy

Specs verified against manufacturer data. Prices in USD before tax; we may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

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