iPhone Xs Review – A month of MAX

I’ve been an iPhone tragic since Apple lit up the mobile phone market over 10 years ago. I’ve also probably spent enough dollars updating to the latest and greatest over the years that I could have bought a small car. But when Apple announced the flagship iPhone Xs Max would be priced from $1799, even I planned to call it a day. But I’ve been given the chance to spend a month or so with most expensive iPhone ever, the Xs Max 512GB. A phone that tips the scales at a remarkable $2369.

Prior to being handed the equivalent of a very decent 4K TV in terms of price I was using an iPhone X. A phone I thought was the bees knees, the best I’d ever owned. It’s fast, had a great screen with plenty of real estate. The X was also my first encounter with Face ID, it makes Touch ID look ancient almost immediately.

I’ve never really been a fan of large phone displays. I guess that stems from the 8-inch Galaxy Note that was given to me for work back in 2012. So, it was with some hesitation I accepted the challenge of trying out the 6.5-inch Xs Max.

First of all, this is a beautifully put together phone. In fact it’s almost a sin to cover it with a case. The glass backing for wireless charging, edge to edge OLED screen and optional gold finish make for a very special looking piece of gear.

I instantly became very comfortable holding this phone, I actually think it’s the perfect size. Picking up an iPhone X with the 5.8-inch display almost feels like holding a box of Red Head matches. Going back is going to be bloody hard, especially since my already dodgy eye site has adjusted to bigger and brighter screen.

The Xs Max is more powerful at a spec level than my iPhone X, although the improvements are only just noticeable. Face ID is most certainly quicker as is Siri’s reaction times. The screen quality is dam amazing, probably the best of any phone.

If you’re the type of person who likes to lay on the couch while on some kind of YouTube journey, you’ll also appreciate the external speaker’s sound quality. The wider phone gives a much better sense of stereo sound than any other iPhone before it.

As for going all out and choosing the 512GB version, well I think that’s as mad as the price. You’d really have to have a severe mistrust of the Cloud to even consider having that much storage space on your phone.

The dual-camera makes a photographer out of just about anyone. I’m amazed at what the enhanced processing can really do. It really makes you the go to person at family events for professional looking, crystal clear eye-popping photos.

But would I ever consider forking out this kind of coin for a phone? The answer is still no, it’s just too much especially with the knowledge Apple will no doubt supersede it a year or two anyway. But I can confirm it’s definitely a case of “you get what you pay for”, the iPhone Xs surely has to be the best smartphone ever.