Last year's iPhone X defined a new kind of normal for Apple's smartphone fans. This year's iPhone XS, meanwhile, is all about balancing polish and progress. The XS uses the same thoughtfully updated iOS 12 as the iPhone X and their physical designs are basically identical, but a more powerful chipset and much-needed camera improvements make the XS a solid step forward. If you're itching for a new iPhone and can justify the hefty cost, the XS is the safe choice -- but you should probably wait to see what the forthcoming iPhone XR has to offer.