So effective a couple hours ago, my XS Max has now moved on to its new owner, aka my better half, while I've "downgraded" to try the Xr.
Some thoughts on my one month experience with the Xs Max... When the X was introduced last year, most Plus sized iPhone owners (including myself) yearned for a bigger screen and bigger battery in the same design. Sure, we all b*tched about the notch back then but look at every other Android flagship now, ha ha. Anyway, we got what we wished for this year, albeit at a very high price (RM5399 for the base 64GB model).
The good: -
- Build quality is really solid and although it's slightly on the heftier side, the weight distribution feels very balanced. Still, those of us who used an X previously may need to get used to having a "Plus" sized iPhone all over again.
- The huge screen is immersive and really great for media consumption. I also prefer the OLED screen of the iPhone compared to that of Samsung and Huawei flagships due to the warmer, more life-like colors but that could just be a matter of personal preference.
- The camera is great. It definitely is better than that of the X and the 8 Plus, especially with smart HDR.
- The speakers are amazing! It's time to do away with your X-mini speakers
- Face ID feels faster than it did on the X. Definitely feels more polished now compared to when it was first implemented.
- For someone who travels quite a bit for work, I can't stress enough how happy I am to finally see dual sim slots on an iPhone! Although why Apple wants to make one model with two physical sim slots and make it available to China, HK and Macau and another model with eSIM and one physical sim slot for the rest of us is terribly frustrating. Still, I bought a HK model so I definitely am reaping the benefits of dual sim immediately. I like how elegantly the sim cards are positioned in the SIM tray, especially.
The bad: -
- It really is not that special over the iPhone X, and that makes sense as this is more of an 'S' cycle upgrade. Yes, you get a bigger screen and a bigger battery, but beyond that it's hard to convince X owners to upgrade. Hopefully next year, we'll get an all new design like the boxy one on the new iPad Pros which I really dig. Reminds me of when I first saw and fell in love with the iPhone 4.
- Apple may have put their biggest ever battery into the Xs Max but battery life isn't stellar. Based on my charging and usage patterns (which averages around 4 hours SOT a day) I find that the battery life is pretty much similar to my iPhone 8 Plus previously, and maybe just slightly better than the battery life of the X, which is not great in the first place. Of course, you don't get that occasional abnormal battery drain as frequently as you do with some Android devices when an app or two runs rogue.
- Charging time getting to 100% is still slow if you compare to some Android flagships. Painfully slow. Of course Apple will argue this helps you preserve the battery life of your phone, hence the bundled stock 5W adapter. Sorry guys, I won't be endorsing any McDonald's cable here
The ugly: -
- The price. Enough said.
All in all, I enjoyed my brief stint with the XS Max, but I feel we should have had it last year instead
Nov 16 2018, 04:01 PM
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