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iPhone XS Max Considering Xs Max - need help with decision

P

pward

macrumors regular
Original poster
Nov 26, 2008
138
48
Hi,

After a long association with iPhones (Original iPhone, iPhone 4, iPhone 6s) I jumped ship to a Samsung S8+ last year, basically as a reaction to Apple wanting to charge £1000 for a phone.

One year on, whilst I really like the Samsung hardware, I am not overly keen on Android. I get that it is much more customisable but I dislike the inconsistency of icons and widgets. Also, apps on Google Play are something of a crap-shoot - you're not quite sure what you're going to get. I miss iMessage (a bit) and one or two apps that are iOS-only.

I have been looking at the Xs Max. I like big screens so it ticks that box and its good to see consistent icons and iMessage again.

My use case doesn't justify it; I am a light user who doesn't watch videos or play games on my phone, but the big screen is important. I've looked at the Xr, in fact my wife has one, and whilst it's OK, if I got an Xr I would be forever knowing that there's something bigger and better out there.

I can afford it but for some reason I'm dithering over this decision. I guess I would like someone to either talk me into the Xs Max or talk me out of it.

Any thoughts much appreciated.
 
pward said:
Hi,

After a long association with iPhones (Original iPhone, iPhone 4, iPhone 6s) I jumped ship to a Samsung S8+ last year, basically as a reaction to Apple wanting to charge £1000 for a phone.

One year on, whilst I really like the Samsung hardware, I am not overly keen on Android. I get that it is much more customisable but I dislike the inconsistency of icons and widgets. Also, apps on Google Play are something of a crap-shoot - you're not quite sure what you're going to get. I miss iMessage (a bit) and one or two apps that are iOS-only.

I have been looking at the Xs Max. I like big screens so it ticks that box and its good to see consistent icons and iMessage again.

My use case doesn't justify it; I am a light user who doesn't watch videos or play games on my phone, but the big screen is important. I've looked at the Xr, in fact my wife has one, and whilst it's OK, if I got an Xr I would be forever knowing that there's something bigger and better out there.

I can afford it but for some reason I'm dithering over this decision. I guess I would like someone to either talk me into the Xs Max or talk me out of it.

Any thoughts much appreciated.
Click to expand...

Get it, it’s amazing! Best iPhone ever released. What else could you ask for in an iPhone is what I’ve been thinking while using it this week.
 
I made the mistake over a year ago going to the Note 8. I was lucky to come back to Apple was able to get the XS for me and my mom. After about a week of searching high and low I was able to track down a MAX at AT&T and jumped all over it. I love the MAX. More screen real estate, a bit better battery life. I think you will love it.
 
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Whatever you decide, sounds like you might want to take a week and see if your fever cools. I often make dumb decisions when I'm hot for a new item. Example: I upgraded from an X to an XS Max. And while I like the XS Max, I can't say my experience is any better (and my pockets feel smaller, both literally and figuratively!).
 
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I think if you’re coming from a S8 + then the max is the way to go. The Xr Will be smaller and the screen wont be as good as you’re used to. If you want to come back into the Apple ecosystem you might as well bite the bullet and just do it. I kind of did the same as you last year. I was not happy with the price of the X so I decided I was keeping my 7 plus and got a note 8. A few months later I sold the note and the 7 plus and got the X. The hardware on the note 8 is amazing and I don’t mind android, the issue I have is that I’m just so deeply entrenched in the Apple ecosystem that I find it so hard to use another device even if it’s as a secondary device.
 
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pward said:
Hi,

After a long association with iPhones (Original iPhone, iPhone 4, iPhone 6s) I jumped ship to a Samsung S8+ last year, basically as a reaction to Apple wanting to charge £1000 for a phone.

One year on, whilst I really like the Samsung hardware, I am not overly keen on Android. I get that it is much more customisable but I dislike the inconsistency of icons and widgets. Also, apps on Google Play are something of a crap-shoot - you're not quite sure what you're going to get. I miss iMessage (a bit) and one or two apps that are iOS-only.

I have been looking at the Xs Max. I like big screens so it ticks that box and its good to see consistent icons and iMessage again.

My use case doesn't justify it; I am a light user who doesn't watch videos or play games on my phone, but the big screen is important. I've looked at the Xr, in fact my wife has one, and whilst it's OK, if I got an Xr I would be forever knowing that there's something bigger and better out there.

I can afford it but for some reason I'm dithering over this decision. I guess I would like someone to either talk me into the Xs Max or talk me out of it.

Any thoughts much appreciated.
Click to expand...

You mentioned you have been ‘looking’ at the Max, have you actually physically handled it? Are you comfortable with a phone that large? If you have not handled it in the store, I would make an effort to do that first to see if that is something you would want a Phone of that size. That I think is the biggest hurdle with the phone with the Max is the overall sheer size of it.
 
Although the iPhone XS Max is only slightly bigger than the XR it's actually much heavier due to the use to steel instead of aluminum. So it can feel much heavier. I moved from a X to a XS Max and my first reaction was it felt very good in the hand, but after some use like watching a film or playing a game, it felt like a more significant weight compared to the X and the 7 Plus before that.

Now after getting use to the size, would I go back to a small phone? Probably not likely. Would I go to a XR? No, I would notice the crop boxes right away. The notch and rounded corners do not bother me. When I watch a film with crop boxes and the black is backlit that bothers me more. I think going the excellent Super AMOLED on the Note to the XS Max will be a good experience.

I don't take a ton of pictures or play games. I usually just consume content and use the phone for work. I think the XS Max is worth it if it's within your budget.
 
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Definitely handle it first. I was a Plus user for 4 years and got the Max on release date. The size was exactly the same but it was heavier and just felt overall bulkier even with the thinnest of cases. I also had very poor connectivity issues on all fronts. Ended up going with a smaller and last year’s X. Couldn’t be happier. Works and feels great.
 
My thoughts...it truly is an awesome phone. But, if you need someone, let alone strangers, to talk you into or out of it, you don’t really need/want it.
 
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I second what waterman ^^ has said, however, I upgraded this year from the X and am loving it, previous to the X I had a 7Plus which was (and still is) the best phone I have ever owned. The Xs Max is a close second.

It has all the good bits of the X with the benefits of a plus sized phone. I'm happy I made the jump back to a bigger phone.
 
richardbb85 said:
the more idiots that pay for this Xs max, the more chance apple will charge more for future iphone. thanks guys
Click to expand...
Just because a person purchases a iPhone XS Max, that doesn't make said person an idiot. If you can't afford, or don't want to purchase said product due to the price, that is fine. Don't go castigating others because they don't adhere to your personal preferences.
 
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Waterman316 said:
My thoughts...it truly is an awesome phone. But, if you need someone, let alone strangers, to talk you into or out of it, you don’t really need/want it.
Click to expand...

Side tangent to the XS Max:

Not everybody is tech orientated , and they don’t always know the most appropriate route to choose when it comes to something they don’t have knowledge On, that’s why they resort to forums like this, rather somebody ‘needs’ something, that’s not for us to decide , but if they want something, and they’re not sure about it, you have to realize, hundreds of thousands of forum members have been helped by others feedback on here in contrast to your own opinion.

That said, I always ask what someone likes/dislikes about the product, that way it allows for more discussion to find they actually ‘want versus need’ aspect.
 
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Relentless Power said:
Side tangent to the XS Max:

Not everybody is tech orientated , and they don’t always know the most appropriate route to choose when it comes to something they don’t have knowledge On, that’s why they resort to forums like this, rather somebody ‘needs’ something, that’s not for us to decide , but if they want something, and they’re not sure about it, you have to realize, hundreds of thousands of forum members have been helped by others feedback on here in contrast to your own opinion.

That said, I always ask what someone likes/dislikes about the product, that way it allows for more discussion to find they actually ‘want versus need’ aspect.
Click to expand...
Totally agree with you. I consider myself a bit of a techie but still value feedback from this community.
 
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It's not a noticeable improvement over the iPhone X other than size.

Even the camera is a bit of a side-step. I would see what a year old iPhone X costs.
 
AustinIllini said:
It's not a noticeable improvement over the iPhone X other than size.

Even the camera is a bit of a side-step. I would see what a year old iPhone X costs.
Click to expand...
I think the camera and speakers are significant improvements over the X. However I wouldn’t have upgraded from the X to the Xs. Only got the max because I wanted a bigger screen.
 
Shanghaichica said:
I think the camera and speakers are significant improvements over the X. However I wouldn’t have upgraded from the X to the Xs. Only got the max because I wanted a bigger screen.
Click to expand...
Don't worry, they're really not. Apple must have something in the pipeline for camera because they have fallen behind a bit.
 
Most of those who are critical of the Max are motivated by price. If you want the large format phone then get the Max over the X or XS. I too value the large format devices and you get outstanding battery life to boot. Best phone out there....no regerts.
 
kargurin said:
Most of those who are critical of the Max are motivated by price. If you want the large format phone then get the Max over the X or XS. I too value the large format devices and you get outstanding battery life to boot. Best phone out there....no regerts.
Click to expand...
Of course I wish it were cheaper but I like big phones. Last year although I liked the X I found it too small so the max had my name on it even though I moaned about the price.
 
richardbb85 said:
the more idiots that pay for this Xs max, the more chance apple will charge more for future iphone. thanks guys
Click to expand...
Sales would need to be rock bottom or very poor for apple to stop charging high prices and they will do so as long as the comp does the same,
 
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