Hands-On With Apple's New 6.5-Inch iPhone XS Max

[Macaholic868]

The XS Max will be a huge upgrade for anyone not on the X.

I am on an X and want it.

The form factor of the iPhone Plus has always felt slightly larger than I’m comfortable with. If the Plus form factor is a good fit for you then the increase in screen size will be a huge selling point for the Max.

I basically stopped using my 9.5” iPad Pro after I got the X last year. The X was basically the same form factor as the standard iPhone but removing the bezel added enough additional screen space that I don’t feel like I’m missing anything when I browse the web or use apps in the way I did prior to the X.

I’d advise anyone planning on buying the iPhone XS or the iPhone Max who is also thinking of buying an iPad for the additional screen space to wait on the iPad unless you know for certain you need the features on the iPad Pro. You may find that after you have the XS or the Max that having more screen space is no longer an issue.

 

[iPhonefreak79]

Why this comment is getting spread around the internet is beyond me. The Max is the heaviest iPhone Apple has ever made. Nobody would say that the iPhone 8 Plus feels light- yet it actually is lighter than the Max.

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With anything you hold in your hand, some things will feel lighter depending on the shape, feel and the material - although the actual weight is heavier.

 

[Mr. Dee]

You know what I think is happening? A lot of those 2014 iPhone 6 Plus owners are really starting to upgrade. The past 4 to 5 years for them has been: meh. They have gotten a good long run out of their phone and that kinda offsets the upfront cost of the new phone, especially the XS Max. Skipping upgrades for nearly 4 to 5 years, thats nearly 4,000 dollars in yearly upgrades; realistically, 2,000 if you upgrade every 2 years.

Apple is in a very good position to reap some real good revenue off this generation. Another hint of this too is the amount of second hand iPhone 6 and a substantial amount of iPhone 7's I am seeing resold on my local Facebook Apple fan page.

For those not interested in spending a thousand dollars, more iPhone 5 and standard size iPhone 6, I think they are gonna jump on the iPhone XR.

The question is, with how good the last 2 to 3 generations of iPhones are, Apple is gonna have a really hard time getting users to upgrade over the next few years.

 

[macfacts]

The Xs Max takes ages to charge. Apple should definitely have included a fast charger in the box.

You can buy fast charger separately.

 

[tCdemon]

I want his job!

 

[kallyq]

I upgraded from the X to the XS Max and am super happy with it! I missed the larger phone. The screen on the new phone is a great size for consuming content.

 

[kcslc]

If you're buying a new phone right now, this one is clearly the one to buy if you have the cash. The Plus phones are just superior. They're super comfortable to read text and awesome for watching videos. If you've been using any Plus version then the X will be too small. The XS is like a longer 6 and the Max is exactly a slightly wider, by a fraction of a mm, bezel less Plus.

I went from an 8plus to a non-Max XS and love it. It’s finally comfortable to use my phone one-handed again.

 

[djlythium]

Just upgraded to a XS Max from an 8, and after just a few moments with the screen size and Face ID, I’ll never go back.

Holy sh... This thing is fast, authenticates security protocol on-the-fly... I’m stunned.

 

[4jasontv]

The new Apple Max.

Proof of the OS merger.

 

[kcslc]

I think the 'forehead' is better than the notch. The notch just looks shoddy IMO.

As much hate as the notch gets, I think it’s the least ugly notched phone of them all. Maybe I’m biased towards Apple. But I think they really nailed it on the shape and size.

 

[EugW]

You're saying the OLED screen sucks compared to LCD? lol.

We'll s/he'd be right in that regard. For off-axis colour balance, the OLED is significantly worse in comparison to the LCDs used in Apple's iPhones.

Most people wouldn't care though, since on-axis it looks great, and it does very well near-on-axis too.

 

[EdT]

Love mine! I must have large hands because I can still use it one handed and reach the top right and left corners.

It is only marginally bigger than my old 6 plus. The same width or damn close and just a little taller. Not more than 1/8 of an inch taller though. I thought the physical size would be a lot bigger from the way people were talking.

 

[seriouslyjaded]

What QI charger do you recommend? I was just looking at the Morphie Charger Stream pad+.

The 12w iPad charger gets you the best bang for the buck - it’s a fraction of the price of a 30w usb c charger and charges almost as fast. It’s also far faster and cheaper than a Qi charger.

 

[nikicampos]

Just got mine all setup and I am really liking it so far. I had a 7plus before I got last year’s X. And I missed the large form factor. Definitely love the bigger screen with its bigger text and icons and all that, especially since I turned the magic age of 48 this year and now seem to need reading glasses for many things. The larger font is a definite plus for me.

You mean "is a definite MAX for me"

 

[mantan]

Yeah, It's not noticeably faster. Still a ways to go before the efficiency matches the fingerprint scanner.

I respectfully disagree. After using FaceID for nearly a year, it's MUCH easier than TouchID. I was skeptical going in. It's just a different approach. For example, if I'm waiting in line, I can just activate FaceID and when I ready to pay just hold my phone over at any angle to complete the transaction. And it's made it possible to use my phone for ATM drive-through transactions. With a right thumbprint, it was impossible to hold activate Touch ID through a car window.

Touch ID was great, but FaceID is a definite improvement.

 

[dusters711]

Is that blueish wallpaper shown unique to the XS Max? I don’t have it on the XS

 

[Rockadile]

Love mine! I must have large hands because I can still use it one handed and reach the top right and left corners.

Video or bullsh...

 

[Baymowe335]

It is only marginally bigger than my old 6 plus. The same width or damn close and just a little taller. Not more than 1/8 of an inch taller though. I thought the physical size would be a lot bigger from the way people were talking.

This XS Max is actually shorter and not as wide as the 6S Plus, 7 Plus or 8 Plus.

 

[photograft]

Feels a lot like mobile device design has seriously plateaued. Now the remaining model sizes have gone "full screen" which was the last big thing Apple had left to do, be interesting to see where the iPhone goes over the next couple of years. I suspect just having an even speedier CPU and slightly better camera is not going to cut it. Not at this now astronomic price bracket.

Others are talking about foldable devices but I am not convinced that will work out as well as I hope they will. AR, not convinced by that either.

Guess it explains why the watch is seeing greater development steps being taken and the big shift to services too.

I guess the question becomes at what point do the watches become the phones and every touchscreen device is just a tablet of varying size.

 

[nikicampos]

I had a 6 Plus, 6S Plus and 7 Plus before getting the X last year. I do have to say even though the screen is 'larger' it was slimmer than my old Plus models, and as a result there was less edge to edge room to read emails and web pages and the keyboard felt cramped.

I checked out the XS Max today at a store just for fun and immediately comparing it to my X I liked the wider screen reminiscent of my Plus phones and the less cramped keyboard, but I do agree that while that big 6.5" display will be nice to read on and view on, reaching the top, especially for notifications and control center won't be as nice. As the S edition this year is one of the least impressive S year releases aside from the Max addition, I felt like staying with my X was the good move. Certainly a year from now, I will likely consider next year's Max but I'm not sure I want to go back to putting that bigger phone in my pocket.

That's exactly what I'm thinking, I haven't follow this year's features that much, but before, the Plus had a really unique feature that made it a no brainer, but with the Max I'm not even considering changing my X, I'll go tomorrow and check it in person, but I think the X hit the sweet spot for size, at least for me, I'll see if I am right tomorrow.

 

[Jensend]

The lock screen on Samsung phones confuses me. It has that little square at the bottom of the screen that looks just like the home button on pre-touchID iPhones.
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[355922]

Feels no different than my X.
If I wasn’t on the upgrade program I’d probably for the first time skip the upgrade.
I’m sure the bigger screen will come in handy, but it’s not noticeable right now.

 

[smoking monkey]

After the 8plus and going to the X I have to disagree. I am much happier with the smaller form factor [and I dont have small hands]. It all depends what you do with your phone - yes a lot of video makes the Max the better purchase, but stating it is the one to buy is not really good advice.
I suggest people in the market look at their phone usage rather than thinking bigger is better.

True. But I’d say that the vast majority of plus users who are happy with the x/xs never really found having a bigger phone worthwhile to begin with. But for the rest of us (most of us) with plus phones, going back to a smaller phone is a downgrade for a variety of reasons.

 

[Dephtones]

Absolute beast compared to the X. Might seem too big now but I’ll get used to it. (That’s what she said )

 

[SuperCachetes]

Love mine. Upgraded from a 7 Plus (6 Plus before that).

Size is good; love the screen real estate. Holding it in the hand is as comfy as the Plus models, but the screen is pushing the limits of reachability.

The OLED does color shift as viewing angles change; it is most noticeable on white backgrounds like this site.
Blacks are impossibly black. I tried the black wallpaper but it hurt my eyes. "None more black."

Face ID works a LOT better than I thought it would. No issues whatsoever. I figured I'd miss Touch ID, but what I really miss is the home button, and that is only because of 10 years of muscle memory.

I use a USB-C charging cable coming from an rMBP, and yes, this battery still takes a bit to get charged. Hoping that means it takes a bit to get depleted.

Hate the way "ATT WiFi" is so long of a status message it has to scroll on the left side of the notch. Also unjazzed about not just being able to look and see if my AirPods are paired. I really would rather have a full-width bezel instead of notch, so I can get more info at the top of the screen. I guess I'll get used to it.

All in all, a great upgrade from a 2-generation old phone. Concur with most reviews in that I don't see the point of going from a X to a XS unless you want the Max. Can't wait to play with the camera.