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iPhone XS Max Should i buy it?

DeanPSN

DeanPSN

macrumors 6502
Original poster
May 21, 2018
284
215
Dublin, Ireland
The last iPhones i used were 6s and 7, but i used them briefly and then switched back to Galaxy S7Edge /Note 7 and currently still using the Note 8.

I was always on the Android side, but recently just got really fed up with their stupid update system (ie: Getting updates months after release on cheaper devices) and the overall lag and stutters that happens ocassionally.

I do love my i9 MBP 15" 2018 and seriously thinking of picking up a 256GB XS Max today and get back into Apple ecosystem.
Just having trouble deciding if is worth the extra money i would pay on the XS Max or not.
 
DeanPSN said:
The last iPhones i used were 6s and 7, but i used them briefly and then switched back to Galaxy S7Edge /Note 7 and currently still using the Note 8.

I was always on the Android side, but recently just got really fed up with their stupid update system (ie: Getting updates months after release on cheaper devices) and the overall lag and stutters that happens ocassionally.

I do love my i9 MBP 15" 2018 and seriously thinking of picking up a 256GB XS Max today and get back into Apple ecosystem.
Just having trouble deciding if is worth the extra money i would pay on the XS Max or not.
Click to expand...
Depends on what you are considering along side it. If it's between the XS and the Max, I would recommend the XS because I prefer the smaller form factor but based on the phones you mentioned in your OP, sounds like the Max would be more suited for your usage case.

Matter of fact, the Max would probably be the last iPhone I'd recommend but people who have them really seem to enjoy them.
 
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Knowlege Bomb said:
Depends on what you are considering along side it. If it's between the XS and the Max, I would recommend the XS because I prefer the smaller form factor but based on the phones you mentioned in your OP, sounds like the Max would be more suited for your usage case.

Matter of fact, the Max would probably be the last iPhone I'd recommend but people who have them really seem to enjoy them.
Click to expand...

No question i would choose the Max.
I wouldn't be able to go back to a smaller screen then the current Note 8.
Just wasn't sure if its worth upgrading from the Note 8 considering the huge price difference, but i guess i'm better off taking the iPhone which holds its value way better until next upgrade.
 
Given that its getting to 6 months into the XS life-cycle; I wouldn't pay full price for one today. You'll have to look for a price that includes the loss of support span from Apple at this point of time.
 
Also Samsung is releasing their new phones next week. I would make sure you don't want one of those first, and then if not, make sure you get some kind of deal on the max since it is halfway through the Apple cycle right now.
 
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uwdude said:
Also Samsung is releasing their new phones next week. I would make sure you don't want one of those first, and then if not, make sure you get some kind of deal on the max since it is halfway through the Apple cycle right now.
Click to expand...


Definitely don't want another Samsung.
I got a deal already 400€ off the original price, so its more than fair i suppose.
 
Just be aware of what's at work when you feel a desire to get into the "Apple ecosystem." It isn't functionality we're talking about, as both Samsung and Apple make highly functional and versatile phones. If deciding between Samsung and Apple was a decision based on functionality, one couldn't go wrong choosing either one. What's at work here, as it is with millions of others, is an understandable (but not always acknowledged) mix of personal desires that range from a fondness for the appearance of the phone, to its perceived status, to preferences of software, services and many other important--but not essential--things.

This is very often the case with high technology consumer products. I point the obvious out not to minimize it or make fun of it, but just as a reminder that it is the huge motivator in making buying decisions, and it largely determines how happy one will be after the purchase. There's absolutely no need to justify or apologize for making purchases based on non-essential personal preferences or even whims. Buying something because it makes you feel good--that is, adds to the quality of your life--is an excellent thing, not a problem or vice.

I know this wasn't foremost in your post, but I had to throw in my two cents. Whatever decision you make, be sure to run with it and enjoy.

Take care.
 
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If it were me, I would ask myself would I miss some of the things android can do better than ios. Personally I really my Max. But then you have only face id as the authentication method, if don't know if that would factor into your decision. Since you used the iphone 6s/7 you know what you're getting into and presumably you have read the threads regarding some of the reported (and random) issues with the max.

You can always get the max and if you want a 2019 apple phone, sell it and swap.
 
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Thank you all for replying, some really helpful answers here.

I love Apple that's for sure, and i like Sammy.
Going back between them it was a time when i found the "edge" display pleasant and interesting and iOS quite limiting at the time when i had the 6s/7.
Now its very different story, i find the curved screen on the Note 8 annoying, its not as deep as it used to be on the S7 Edge for example and i find it more or less useless + pain in the ass because there is no decent screen protector that will work with it.

What i always liked about iPhones is that they feel different in hand, more premium, more expensive even though they are made from same materials. They feel like they are put together better, i dont know.
Camera, speakers, iOS optimization and so on everything pulls me towards them and the new A12 chip on the XS is a beast no doubt about it.

So i'll most probably go ahead and get the iPhone.
 
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Hal~9000 said:
I personally wouldn’t. $1,249 + tax for a phone is way beyond what I’m willing to pay.

Only phones I would even consider right now are:
  • refurbished 8+ ($599)
  • refurbished X ($769)
  • Xr ($749)
Click to expand...
Refurb X is a really good buy, IMHO. It's just not that far behind the XS and still has the OLED screen and the 2x zoom the XR does not have.
 
Been an iPhone user since the first one. Owned every model since and even jumped into a Note 9 for a trial run. Just switched from an XS Max to Xr. Not one single regret. Telephoto Lens didn’t matter to me and 3D Touch was no big deal either. Max was just a little too big and Xs too small. When the Xr released it was perfect. No regrets in the screen resolution or lack of Oled. I actually prefer the lcd and the battery life is incredible. Factor in the $400-600 cost savings and I think the Xr is the best iPhone made yet.
 
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Shanghaichica said:
The comparison is between the note 9 and the Xs max.
Click to expand...
Excellent observation which I also noted as well. Just stating my observation in relation to my current Xr. Max will not
blow away the Note either. No iPhone will blow away the Note in battery performance and this coming from an iPhone lover.
 
I haven’t owned the 9. The other ones I have owned and the thing I learned is to always be prepared to charge during the day.
 
DeanPSN said:
The last iPhones i used were 6s and 7, but i used them briefly and then switched back to Galaxy S7Edge /Note 7 and currently still using the Note 8.

I was always on the Android side, but recently just got really fed up with their stupid update system (ie: Getting updates months after release on cheaper devices) and the overall lag and stutters that happens ocassionally.

I do love my i9 MBP 15" 2018 and seriously thinking of picking up a 256GB XS Max today and get back into Apple ecosystem.
Just having trouble deciding if is worth the extra money i would pay on the XS Max or not.
Click to expand...

Three days ago I pulled the trigger and upgraded from an S7 Edge to the XS Max 256GB. I was torn but decided to do it and I am sure glad I did. This is my first iPhone (I do have a 10.5" iPad Pro) and I will never go back to an Android phone (I started with the first Android devices and am a power user). I can't put this phone down, it is so good.
 
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mtneer said:
Given that its getting to 6 months into the XS life-cycle; I wouldn't pay full price for one today.
Click to expand...

This generally is not how consumers think though, they don’t think like ‘Oh, the XS has already been available six months, I think I should wait another six months for the new iPhone launch’. Consumers upgrade when they want to, either that might be based on if their phone is having hardware issues, the battery is not holding a charge, ect or their last phone is paid off.

If I hadn’t already purchased my Max, I wouldn’t hesitate to upgrade in the middle of a cycle to the latest iPhone if I truly wanted it. [And the Max will still be an outstanding phone even when the 2019 iPhone launches].
 
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