Apple iPhone XS Max review

Final Thoughts

The people have spoken, and the Apple iPhone XS Max has already won the popular vote. The Max is massively outselling the regular XS, which makes it a winner in spite of the hefty price tag.

Unlike the same but different XS, the iPhone XS Max had one very big trump card to play - the large 6.5" OLED screen. It's a wish come true for all those users who patiently waited a year for an upgrade.

The largest screen on an iPhone, the biggest battery in an iPhone, the fastest mobile chip on the planet, the best stereo speakers, all-round flagship-grade camera skills. That's the iPhone XS Max and it's quite different from the iPhone X, alright.

It doesn't really matter what we'd write about the iPhone, because people will buy it no matter what. In fact, they bought it already, and they use it happily. It might be the most expensive phone, but that wasn't an issue.

And it's not only iPhone users who may be tempted by the iPhone XS Max. People tired of the constant googling of problems, errors, compatibility issues, non-stop system trash cleaning, irregular (if any) updates, and erratic system behaviour may like it, too. That's what's missing on an iPhone and a few limitations are the price to pay.

Anyway, the logical thing to do, if you are after an iPhone, is to buy some of the last year models. Or wait for the XR that's coming next month. That is, if you are on a budget. If not, well, there is little we can say to change your mind.

Apple iPhone XR • Apple iPhone X • Apple iPhone 8 Plus • Apple iPhone 8

The Competition

It's no secret Apple doesn't see the Android market as a threat. It does cater to millions of people, but most of them couldn't have settled with an iPhone anyway.

Apple is often setting benchmarks for the whole industry and some of the advancements eventually make their way to the Android phones. That's another reason of why no Google phone could get in the way of Apple. Chipmakers are still trying to catch up with Apple's last year achievements, while almost everyone boarded the 'notched' train and adopted the shape of the cutout Apple put on the iPhone X a year ago.

Samsung Galaxy Note9 • Sony Xperia XZ3 • Huawei Mate 20 Pro • LG V40 ThinQ • Google Pixel 3 XL

Samsung and Sony are among the few Android makers not to follow the notch trend. The Super AMOLED maker can be as stubborn as Apple for some things (stereo speakers!), while Sony relies on its elegant and water-proof designs, consistent Android experience and loyal fanbase. The Galaxy Note9 and the Xperia XZ3 are the pinnacles of both makers and among the worthiest of phones today.

Huawei Mate 20 is just around the corner and we expect it will set the next benchmark for the Android performance while enhancing further the iconic Leica triple-camera. And we can't wait to see what it's capable of doing!

LG V40 should premiere any day now, too. It will have a large OLED screen, but the highlight will be its triple camera - regular, super-wide-angle, and 80mm telephoto one. The V phones are very sturdy, too.

Finally, the Google Pixel 3 XL is going official any moment now and it's the one phone that could potentially sway some iPhone users. It has the cleanest Android with regular updates and thus the Pixel is among the rare phone to come close to the hassle-free iOS experience. Also, the current iPhones failed to beat the Pixel 2 camera, so we can only imagine what the Pixel 3's could do. Oh, and it will pack a massive 6.71" OLED screen!

The Verdict

If the iPhone XS weren't different enough from the iPhone X, the iPhone XS Max here is begging to differ. It offers more than enough upgrades to make it a worthy jump over the X, and the iPhones to come before that.

Sure, it's expensive, the storage options are ridiculously overpriced, you have to buy quite a few accessories as well, but those unpleasantries couldn't stain the Apple iPhone XS Max. Its future seems shining bright and it's probably breaking some records for Apple.

Our only concern is how this phone will change the trends in phone pricing, which will definitely be reshaped reaching new heights in the months to come.

Pros

• Gorilla Glass 6 panels front and back, IP68-rating
• Stunning, large OLED with superb brightness and sunlight contrast
• Industry-leading A12 Bionic chipset
• Excellent camera experience across the board
• Class-leading stereo speakers audio output

Cons

• Recycled design
• Charging is slow with the provided charger
• It's iOS and it has a ton of restrictions, especially customization-wise
• The most expensive smartphone with absurdly costly storage upgrades
• Apple, please put the camera settings in the camera where they belong already!