14 DAY TRIAL // The new iPhone XS may seem to be identical in terms of design, dimensions, and price with the iPhone X, but as discovered recently, a 1mm difference between the two is quite a big deal.
Macotakara noticed that the camera bump on the iPhone XS measures 25.50 mm from top to bottom, while on the iPhone X it’s just 24.13 mm. This means the iPhone XS camera module is a little over 1 mm taller than the one of the iPhone X, which in turn means that cases for one model could not work on the other.
As a photo comparison shows, an iPhone XS back cover appears to be a little loose on an iPhone, all because of the said difference. Apple has also increased the width of the camera on the iPhone XS by less than a millimeter, and while it doesn’t seem to be much, it’s enough to make rigid cases incompatible with the previous model.
iPhone X cases no longer being sold
With the release of the iPhone XS, Apple has officially retired the original iPhone X model, together with a series of older iPhones like the iPhone 6s and 7 generations.
And because the iPhone X itself is no longer available for purchase, Apple has also retired compatible cases too, which means that you won’t find any in the Apple Store. Of course, there are many retailers out there selling iPhone X cases, though buying one from Apple is no longer possible.
Apple itself hasn’t said anything about backward compatibility of iPhone XS/iPhone X cases, so we assume that the company is aware of the difference and this is a reason for remaining tight-lipped about it.
However, unless you use a solid plastic or carbon case, which needs to fit just perfectly, there’s a chance that you should be able to put an iPhone X case on an iPhone XS with a little pressure.