iPhone XS Max APPLE FALLING BEHIND IN HARDWARE

[MacLappy]

A tired cliche that keeps being brought up over and over... Why? Because all they do nowadays is update. The iPhone has looked pretty much the same for how long now? The MacBook Pro looks the same, the Mac Mini looks the same, the iMac looks the same. They are just updating the same old hardware over and over. Well I guess you can call a $1000 aluminum monitor stand an innovation if you must... What's a cliche is people claiming the "eco system" is what keeps them here.

It is the ecosystem. No other ecosystem completely dominates across almost every screen, you are likely to interact with on a daily basics.

1. From the smallest to the largest, Apple watch, iPhone, CarPlay, iPad, Macs and finally Apple TV. The consistency across platforms, Continuity that allows you to pick up where you left off on another apple device. No other OS has that kind of integration across platform.

2. Apple walled garden, ensures that apps work well across platform. No only do majority of apps launch first on iOS. It usually works well and consistently across all enabled apple devices on the get go. So paying once for a supported app allows for usage on multiple devices, one of the benefits of staying in the ecosystem.

3. Greater community support. From riding the bus to the train. It’s so easy to pay with apple watch, no more fumbling in the bag for my wallet or iPhone. Again possible because of staying in Apple’s ecosystem.

4. Consistent updates and support for Apple devices ensures that products last longer, with fewer security flaws. Till today I see quite a fare amount of people on the iPhone 6S/6S Plus. Phones that were launch way back in 2015. Still works amazing well after 4 years. Fluid with good consistent performance. Compared to the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, which was launch in the same year, it becomes clear which platform is a better choice for longevity of use and long term sustainability of the planet. Rewards of being in Apple ecosystem.

5. If privacy matters at all, there is no other option. Android is not ever trying to protect your privacy and windows mobile is dead.


To me, hardware is not just the casing around a device but the sum total of components, inside and how that helps improve the user experience. I don’t think there is any product that quite exemplify this like the current batch of iPhones, of note, the iPhone XR.

From the gorgeous colours, to the seamless interface, the easy access of face id, the brilliant yet suitable 326dpi display, the enormous battery life, the fastest and most efficient mobile processor on the most stable mobile platform.

It’s the phone I would recommend

1. To the gamer for the best graphically performance at the highest frame rate with the longest playtime.

2. The power user who is on the phone all the time and needs the best speed to battery ratio.

3. The smartphone videographer and editor who wants to upload consistent videos at the fastest rate.

4. The casual user, who intends to use it for a few years. By far the best price to longevity ratio in the smartphone world currently. Especially those whose needs fall within the 128gb column.

5. The person who loves adding new accessories to their phone. iPhone have more support from third party products in terms of choices and also for a much longer time them most android smartphone.


There are phones that might be exceptional in 1 aspect, which basically caters to a niche market (e.g note 10 pen, Pixel 3 camera), but I am unaware of a product that is quite like the iPhone XR which is consistently good in all areas, at since a reasonably price, for a product that is supported for so long. So to me Apple still has the best hardware today.

 

[ApplesandOranges]

It is the ecosystem. No other ecosystem completely dominates across almost every screen, you are likely to interact with on a daily basics.

1. From the smallest to the largest, Apple watch, iPhone, CarPlay, iPad, Macs and finally Apple TV. The consistency across platforms, Continuity that allows you to pick up where you left off on another apple device. No other OS has that kind of integration across platform.

2. Apple walled garden, ensures that apps work well across platform. No only do majority of apps launch first on iOS. It usually works well and consistently across all enabled apple devices on the get go. So paying once for a supported app allows for usage on multiple devices, one of the benefits of staying in the ecosystem.

3. Greater community support. From riding the bus to the train. It’s so easy to pay with apple watch, no more fumbling in the bag for my wallet or iPhone. Again possible because of staying in Apple’s ecosystem.

4. Consistent updates and support for Apple devices ensures that products last longer, with fewer security flaws. Till today I see quite a fare amount of people on the iPhone 6S/6S Plus. Phones that were launch way back in 2015. Still works amazing well after 4 years. Fluid with good consistent performance. Compared to the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, which was launch in the same year, it becomes clear which platform is a better choice for longevity of use and long term sustainability of the planet. Rewards of being in Apple ecosystem.

5. If privacy matters at all, there is no other option. Android is not ever trying to protect your privacy and windows mobile is dead.


To me, hardware is not just the casing around a device but the sum total of components, inside and how that helps improve the user experience. I don’t think there is any product that quite exemplify this like the current batch of iPhones, of note, the iPhone XR.

From the gorgeous colours, to the seamless interface, the easy access of face id, the brilliant yet suitable 326dpi display, the enormous battery life, the fastest and most efficient mobile processor on the most stable mobile platform.

It’s the phone I would recommend

1. To the gamer for the best graphically performance at the highest frame rate with the longest playtime.

2. The power user who is on the phone all the time and needs the best speed to battery ratio.

3. The smartphone videographer and editor who wants to upload consistent videos at the fastest rate.

4. The casual user, who intends to use it for a few years. By far the best price to longevity ratio in the smartphone world currently. Especially those whose needs fall within the 128gb column.

5. The person who loves adding new accessories to their phone. iPhone have more support from third party products in terms of choices and also for a much longer time them most android smartphone.


There are phones that might be exceptional in 1 aspect, which basically caters to a niche market (e.g note 10 pen, Pixel 3 camera), but I am unaware of a product that is quite like the iPhone XR which is consistently good in all areas, at since a reasonably price, for a product that is supported for so long. So to me Apple still has the best hardware today.

Better gaming performance than the Razer phone? Not sure about that one.

All in all a well reasoned post. For some the walled garden might seem like paradise but to others it feels like a prison. If one part of the eco system does not work for a person’s needs, the eco system only acts as a hinderance.

 

[fokmik]

If apple will put promotion , beside everything we already know...its not behind...it will be even in front of many

 

[Closingracer]

You’ve got to look at many sources combined. Arguably the S10 tested better than the Note 10+ in his test if you look specifically at the data. If you read Anandtech’s review of every single Android phone in the display section you’ll see what I mean. My Xs Max makes the Galaxy Tab S4, Tab S5e just look stupid during dark scenes.

It’s not only the automatic color management between sRGB and DCI-P3 color gamuts that actually works, but also having access to 700 nits of brightness whenever the user chooses, not just under high ambient lighting. But to me it’s how they deal with black crush and all of the negatives that are inherit in AMOLED displays. Apple is still the only one to have properly dealt with these things. The only specification they could arguably be lacking in is resolution. That’s it!

The tab S4 screen was amazing .... I still don’t love the Apple oled screen as much as Samsung’s own phones and multiple sources have said the note 9 screen was better ....soooooo

 

[Closingracer]

Damn I think Apple can crush it in the hardware department. The 7NM A12X in a 5.9mm thick iPad Pro is a monster! The GPU is more powerful than a Xbox one S. And the CPU is more powerful than a Xbox one X and plenty of high end laptops, or i5 desktop computers. We have the juice in our phones and tablets with A12’s and A12X. We need the content to push them now. Console ported games, better applications to utilize this power. The only thing lacking is better application development to push our hardware to what it is really capable of.

Still Apple to oranges ... different architectures .

 

[Closingracer]

It is the ecosystem. No other ecosystem completely dominates across almost every screen, you are likely to interact with on a daily basics.

1. From the smallest to the largest, Apple watch, iPhone, CarPlay, iPad, Macs and finally Apple TV. The consistency across platforms, Continuity that allows you to pick up where you left off on another apple device. No other OS has that kind of integration across platform.

2. Apple walled garden, ensures that apps work well across platform. No only do majority of apps launch first on iOS. It usually works well and consistently across all enabled apple devices on the get go. So paying once for a supported app allows for usage on multiple devices, one of the benefits of staying in the ecosystem.

3. Greater community support. From riding the bus to the train. It’s so easy to pay with apple watch, no more fumbling in the bag for my wallet or iPhone. Again possible because of staying in Apple’s ecosystem.

4. Consistent updates and support for Apple devices ensures that products last longer, with fewer security flaws. Till today I see quite a fare amount of people on the iPhone 6S/6S Plus. Phones that were launch way back in 2015. Still works amazing well after 4 years. Fluid with good consistent performance. Compared to the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge, which was launch in the same year, it becomes clear which platform is a better choice for longevity of use and long term sustainability of the planet. Rewards of being in Apple ecosystem.

5. If privacy matters at all, there is no other option. Android is not ever trying to protect your privacy and windows mobile is dead.


To me, hardware is not just the casing around a device but the sum total of components, inside and how that helps improve the user experience. I don’t think there is any product that quite exemplify this like the current batch of iPhones, of note, the iPhone XR.

From the gorgeous colours, to the seamless interface, the easy access of face id, the brilliant yet suitable 326dpi display, the enormous battery life, the fastest and most efficient mobile processor on the most stable mobile platform.

It’s the phone I would recommend

1. To the gamer for the best graphically performance at the highest frame rate with the longest playtime.

2. The power user who is on the phone all the time and needs the best speed to battery ratio.

3. The smartphone videographer and editor who wants to upload consistent videos at the fastest rate.

4. The casual user, who intends to use it for a few years. By far the best price to longevity ratio in the smartphone world currently. Especially those whose needs fall within the 128gb column.

5. The person who loves adding new accessories to their phone. iPhone have more support from third party products in terms of choices and also for a much longer time them most android smartphone.


There are phones that might be exceptional in 1 aspect, which basically caters to a niche market (e.g note 10 pen, Pixel 3 camera), but I am unaware of a product that is quite like the iPhone XR which is consistently good in all areas, at since a reasonably price, for a product that is supported for so long. So to me Apple still has the best hardware today.

Lol... Samsung , google to name a few. The extreme fan sees only what they want and ignores everything else. Gaming would be fine on a note 10 and a iPhone 11....

 

[macfacts]

Are you kidding me?
The Samsung Note 10 has no jackass too
Don't even mention they offer 12gb ram to match Apple 4gb ram??
Fingerprinter sensor? Dude, the face recognization on apple is phenomenal '

Most android devices use that extra ram to allow you to multitask split screen. iPhones still have app refreshes and safari tabs reloading.

 

[mrochester]

Most android devices use that extra ram to allow you to multitask split screen. iPhones still have app refreshes and safari tabs reloading.

I don’t on my iPhone X.

 

[macfacts]

I don’t on my iPhone X.

And you don't have split screen multitasking either but iPads do. Enjoying that fragmentation?

 

[mrochester]

And you don't have split screen multitasking either but iPads do. Enjoying that fragmentation?

My iPhone and iPad sync very nicely together. Split screen is pointless on the iPad never mind the iPhone.

 

[ApplesandOranges]

My iPhone and iPad sync very nicely together. Split screen is pointless on the iPad never mind the iPhone.

Speak for yourself. It would be great to be able to text, send an email and look at my calendar at the same time.

 

[mrochester]

Speak for yourself. It would be great to be able to text, send an email and look at my calendar at the same time.

Just do one at a time instead of compromising all three on such a small screen?

 

[macfacts]

My iPhone and iPad sync very nicely together. Split screen is pointless on the iPad never mind the iPhone.

I use it all the time to watch Netflix and browse the web at the same time.

 

[mrochester]

I use it all the time to watch Netflix and browse the web at the same time.

you wouldn’t catch me wasting money on things like Netflix.

 

[The Game 161]

Spilt screen is very useful so is picture in picture...features I wish my iPhone had

 

[Chidoro]

Here are few:
Display
Cameras
Sound : Dac + Amp
Design
Un display ultrasonic FP scanner
Modems: lte, 5G and wifi 6
Gpu (imo snapdragon adrenos from 845 and 855 are better)
Dynamic Vibration System - see sony xperia 1
Audio jack
Etc
[doublepost=1565949772][/doublepost]Usb C 3.1 with 5Gbps speed and Hdmi support
[doublepost=1565949814][/doublepost]And thats only hardware side ...

So many holes in one post.

 

[Suckfest 9001]

And you don't have split screen multitasking either but iPads do. Enjoying that fragmentation?

dude they're two different device classes entirely, what are you even talking about

 

[I7guy]

I use it all the time to watch Netflix and browse the web at the same time.

And do neither well?

 

[MacLappy]

Better gaming performance than the Razer phone? Not sure about that one.

All in all a well reasoned post. For some the walled garden might seem like paradise but to others it feels like a prison. If one part of the eco system does not work for a person’s needs, the eco system only acts as a hinderance.

Yes I believe that it performs better than the Razer phone which in it’s latest iteration still runs on a snapdragon 845 chipset. Not sure if they are ever going to release a version with the Snapdragon 855.

Even in comparison to this year’s snapdragon 855. Anandtech has this to say:

“we’ve had the opportunity to test the newer generation SoCs from HiSilicon as well as Qualcomm, both employing Arm’s new Cortex A76 CPU cores. While both SoCs have shown fantastic gains, especially in regards to energy efficiency at peak performance, absolute CPU performance and ISO perf/W of the Android vendors are still very much lagging behind Apple’s best. As a result, these latest-generation Android SoCs are having trouble competing with even last year’s A11, never mind the A12. The new Exynos 9820 is the only other important chip for 2019 on which we don’t have data on – and I’m not expecting any miracle on Samsung’s side, which means the A12 and subsequently the iPhone XR will remain very much a top performer for the rest of the year.”

Regarding actual gaming performance

“ Because of the relatively low screen resolution on the part of the XR’s display – a sub-FHD 1792×828 – I’ve had a lot of trouble actually getting workloads to push the A12's GPU to its peak frequencies in on-screen scenarios. This causes an interesting dilemma for the iPhone XR: It has absolutely abundant GPU performance that won’t be used any-time soon. As game developers on iOS will be targeting and tuning their workloads to run smoothly on the most demanding devices of a generation, it means that games will most likely be setting their baseline as the higher-end iPhone XS Max, which has to push over twice the pixel resolution. The net result is that for any given 60fps graphics workload, the iPhone XR will run cooler and with a longer battery life than what you would experience on the XS or XS Max.

If gaming and gaming performance (and battery efficiency) is important for you, then the iPhone XR is definitely the phone to get. Not only does it deliver class-leading performance, but it also will be quite future proof in terms of performance thanks to the lower-resolution display.”

 

[Gameoro44]

lol tf? The DAC in the Qualcomm chipsets sucks . Apples was always better . If it was the Exynos chipset or the dac in the LG phones then maybe.
The gpu isn’t better in the 845 or 855.



I am fine with android unlike some people here but still that list is a bunch of nonsense

the gpu is really worse in the A12 chip.

For example, if you play the game PUBG and select the highest quality.

The iPhone X (A11), for example, had very long frame drop problems. and many players have noticed by stuttering.

it is the same with the current iphones. the longer you play the worse it gets.

the iphones were never optimized for strong gaming.

 

[ApplesandOranges]

Yes I believe that it performs better than the Razer phone which in it’s latest iteration still runs on a snapdragon 845 chipset. Not sure if they are ever going to release a version with the Snapdragon 855.

Even in comparison to this year’s snapdragon 855. Anandtech has this to say:

“we’ve had the opportunity to test the newer generation SoCs from HiSilicon as well as Qualcomm, both employing Arm’s new Cortex A76 CPU cores. While both SoCs have shown fantastic gains, especially in regards to energy efficiency at peak performance, absolute CPU performance and ISO perf/W of the Android vendors are still very much lagging behind Apple’s best. As a result, these latest-generation Android SoCs are having trouble competing with even last year’s A11, never mind the A12. The new Exynos 9820 is the only other important chip for 2019 on which we don’t have data on – and I’m not expecting any miracle on Samsung’s side, which means the A12 and subsequently the iPhone XR will remain very much a top performer for the rest of the year.”

Regarding actual gaming performance

“ Because of the relatively low screen resolution on the part of the XR’s display – a sub-FHD 1792×828 – I’ve had a lot of trouble actually getting workloads to push the A12's GPU to its peak frequencies in on-screen scenarios. This causes an interesting dilemma for the iPhone XR: It has absolutely abundant GPU performance that won’t be used any-time soon. As game developers on iOS will be targeting and tuning their workloads to run smoothly on the most demanding devices of a generation, it means that games will most likely be setting their baseline as the higher-end iPhone XS Max, which has to push over twice the pixel resolution. The net result is that for any given 60fps graphics workload, the iPhone XR will run cooler and with a longer battery life than what you would experience on the XS or XS Max.

If gaming and gaming performance (and battery efficiency) is important for you, then the iPhone XR is definitely the phone to get. Not only does it deliver class-leading performance, but it also will be quite future proof in terms of performance thanks to the lower-resolution display.”

I guess we can pick and choose our review sites of choice....

"The $800 device has a 120-hertz display and an 8-millisecond response time, making it faster than Apple’s most-competitive iPhone XS and XS Max phones when it comes to refreshing the screen for fast gameplay."

Both Razer and the new iPhones have a 120-hertz display when it comes to touch detection. But the screen refresh on the new Apple devices is 60 hertz, while the Razer device has a 120-hertz refresh rate.

The Razer Phone 2 has a 5.72-inch UltraMotion IGZO LCD screen, which is 50 percent brighter (at about 645 NITS) and it has a wider color gamut.

The camera isn’t quite as good as what Apple offers...

 

[MacLappy]

Lol... Samsung , google to name a few. The extreme fan sees only what they want and ignores everything else. Gaming would be fine on a note 10 and a iPhone 11....

The problem with Samsung and google ecosystem are:

1. Fragmentation, the fact that you have 2 ecosystem on a single device(e.g. samsung smartphone) would be a telling sign that there is some kind of fragmentation going on. For example google pay works on samsung phone but not on samsung watch. Samsung galaxy watch runs on Tizen OS, not Google Wear OS a whole different OS, with a different app store. Not to mention the countless inconsistencies running from device to device and the way they interact with one another.

2. Privacy issues, device powered by android are basically a collection point of you personal information for the biggest internet Ad company in the world, google.

3. Poor software support on Android. How long it takes for android OS updates to filter down to an Android smartphone other than google’s own nexus/pixel brand is a well established norm. This affects day to day operation(security patch) and also longevity of said device(OS update). Iterating what I said before, till today, I know quite a few people who are still happily on their iPhone 6S/6S plus, 4 years old iPhones that have fluid and smooth performance, running the latest iOS 12.4. On the other hand I can’t say I know of a single person using a Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 edge(launch in the same year), much less having one that runs smoothly on the latest iteration of Android OS.

Ecosystem means very different things from company to company and no other Ecosystem maintains the same consistent experience across board quite like Apple’s.

The note 10 plus is basically a fresh take of the S10 plus, not much difference in chipset technology. So while there are difference like bigger screen, 1 more rear camera, S pen, faster charging, slightly bigger battery. Not much has change that would positively impact game performance. It is still way behind in performance/efficiency in comparison to Apple’s A12.

In regards to the iPhone 11, I agree with you it would be a great phone for gaming, probably the best. As always the expectation is that the next generation of Apple A series processor will rule the mobile space again, seeing that they have a 2 year lead on Android.

 

[Solomani]

Apple used to be a leader an innovator when it came to iPhones but now it seems that Apple cares more about services for the iPhone. Really hate to see Samsung and others make more enticing phones
If Apple gives people new styles of iPhones people would upgrade quicker

How so? Because Samsung is "ahead" with their failure foldable phones? LOL

 

[MacLappy]

I guess we can pick and choose our review sites of choice....

"The $800 device has a 120-hertz display and an 8-millisecond response time, making it faster than Apple’s most-competitive iPhone XS and XS Max phones when it comes to refreshing the screen for fast gameplay."

Both Razer and the new iPhones have a 120-hertz display when it comes to touch detection. But the screen refresh on the new Apple devices is 60 hertz, while the Razer device has a 120-hertz refresh rate.

The Razer Phone 2 has a 5.72-inch UltraMotion IGZO LCD screen, which is 50 percent brighter (at about 645 NITS) and it has a wider color gamut.

The camera isn’t quite as good as what Apple offers...

The Razer phone is as you probably know a niche product to cater to gamers.

I agree that the 120hz screen looks great for day to day use, the faster response rate is great for competitive gaming, unfortunately gaming is held back by the processor. Meaning most people are just going to tune the screen down to 60hz to save battery.

The iPhone XR peak brightness is 694, it also supports the wider colour gamut P3.


From stuff magazine


“The Razer Phone 2 still maintains the display that supports 120Hz - I haven’t tried the Razer Phone before but gaming on the Razer Phone 2 does feel a whole lot different than with my phone, which really goes to show a good quality display can do for gaming. That being said, most games have their frame rates capped at 30 fps, some 60. PUBG mobile and Fortnite, for example, are capped at 30fps, though Fortnite does run on 60fps for select phones. Other games that support 60fps include Pokemon Go, Titanfall Assault, Hitman Sniper, Don’t Starve and more. My point is, that you probably won’t be fully utilising that 120Hz for gaming and until mobile games support 120fps, you can turn the display down to 60Hz for better battery life in general.”

 

[macfacts]

Iterating what I said before, till today, I know quite a few people who are still happily on their iPhone 6S/6S plus, 4 years old iPhones that have fluid and smooth performance, running the latest iOS 12.4. On the other hand I can’t say I know of a single person using a Samsung Galaxy S6 or S6 edge(launch in the same year), much less having one that runs smoothly on the latest iteration of Android OS.

I recently found a Samsung note 3, meaning someone was still using a phone from 2013. Do you know anyone still using a iPhone 5s, a 1gb ram device.