Another one here in a similar spot... I am upgrading from a X. I ordered and received a regular 11 Pro, but I am in a crisis of sorts trying to decide if I should have gotten the Max. A few trips to the Apple Store to play around with the Max version have not made my decision any easier.
Prior to the X I always had a Plus device dating back to the 6 Plus. The Max display is awesome for video, but it’s a lot of phone to carry around every day...
Any thoughts are greatly appreciated. It would be nice to hear from people who have either Pro model and maybe we can compare and contrast.
Talk about first-world problems... LOL
Thanks everyone!
I bought both the 11 Pro and Max so I could easily compare them and make a decision. First off they're both great phones so it's hard to go wrong.
Obviously the Max is larger and bulkier. Even if you’re coming from a Plus phone previously, the Max could be too big since it is heavier than ever and the larger screen (compared to Plus models) means your fingers need to cover a larger area than before. So even if you were comfortable with a Plus version previously, the Max may be too large.
Weight: Don’t underestimate the weight either, it is noticeable. After extended use my fingers/wrists ache a little, primarily during one-handed use. The Max is definitely a two handed device, while the 11 Pro can easily be used one handed and for long periods without pain.
Software: The Max also lacks any usability improvements since iOS is not optimized for the big screen unfortunately. There is no multi-window or split screen mode, and few apps offer extra features in landscape mode. Also, even though the screen is larger, surprisingly little extra content is shown. A little extra on the right, and on the bottom. For example on a Google search results page, only half a result more is shown. On the iOS settings home page, only two extra settings are shown at the bottom.
The only usability reasons I can see to go Max are if you watch a lot of video content or play games, both are definitely better on the Max. Also if you like to have your text really large, or prefer a wider keyboard. The Max keyboard is wider but the same height as on the 11 Pro. There is a one handed keyboard mode which on the Max makes the keyboard slightly narrower than the 11 Pros default width. But again, due to the size and particularly weight of the Max, it is tiring to use for me. I'm sure there are other use-cases where the Max is a big improvement but I think video and gaming are the big ones.
Battery: If you care about battery life the Max is the way to go for sure. I have done lots of testing against the two and on average the Max is 25-30% better. For light web browsing the Max is nearly 40% better. I think it would be very difficult to kill in a single day unless you were constantly gaming, and even then you could safely expect 6-7 hours. It will be a multi day battery for many users for sure.
For me, I still haven’t decided which to go with. The battery on the Max is very tempting but the extra bulk in-hand/pocket and 1-handed use difficulty is off-putting.
Let me know if you have any questions.