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The Apple iPhone 11 Pro (Check on Amazon.com) – be it the 5.8 or this 6.5-inch Max model – is the phone for those who want more than the iPhone 11 (Check on Amazon.com) has to offer, a smartphone that wins the title of the best smartphone of 2019.
Read more: Apple iPhone 11 review: redefining limits
Now that I have been using the iPhone 11 Pro Max (Check on Amazon.com) for several weeks I know the reason behind the existence of a 6.5 inch iPhone – considering that there is also a 6.1-inch similar one. The reason? The huge screen is a true joy when viewing multimedia content (or gaming); however, the main reason is its battery life.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – Design
The iPhone 11 Pro Max is large (158×77.8×8.1mm), with dimensions similar to last year’s iPhone XS Max (Check on Amazon.com) (157.5×77.4×7.7mm), but now a little more chubby and heavy – going from 208 grams to 226 grams. That extra weight, however, is justified: this phone now adds a third wide-angle camera and a bigger battery (Apple ensures that it will last five more hours than the iPhone XS Max).
The design remained the same, with somewhat thick bevels [compared to phones like the Galaxy Note 10+ (Check on Amazon.com) or the Huawei Mate 30 Pro] and the infamous notch.
Read more: Samsung Galaxy Note 10+ review: is this the best smartphone?
This is the third year that Apple recycles the design that revolutionized things back in 2017 with the launch of the iPhone X (Check on Amazon.com), and although it still looks pretty awesome and no way old-fashioned, we were expecting something more in order to distinguish this series of devices from the “bland” XS lineup (when viewed from the front, an iPhone XS Max and an 11 Pro Max are impossible to tell apart).
Read more: iPhone X review
Apple uses the same ultra-resistant glass panel all around and assures that it is the most resistant glass on a smartphone yet, thanks to an exclusive partnership with Corning.
The Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max is, of course, a premium device that exudes quality; it feels robust and sturdy as a tank — something that wasn’t always the case with iPhone handsets. It sits comfortably in the hand and although rather big for most the new matte finish makes it feel less slippery; you’ll still have to use it with both hands.
The positive side of its 6.5-inch OLED screen is that it is very beautiful to look at. Viewing content, editing photos (something I do a lot in Lightroom) or gaming – which I’m also doing more lately — is quite an experience on a screen of this size.
Sadly, iOS 13, although it comes with added features like Dark Mode or the welcoming changes in some apps like Reminders, still doesn’t take advantage of the screen… features like Picture in Picture or the option to open two apps at the same time are paramount. Phablets like the Galaxy Note 10+ with its even bigger 6.8-inch screen, take advantage of its display’s real estate with functions like the ones mentioned above and also with more productivity tools like the S Pen.
Apple has a huge gap in leveraging the screen on the Max. Yes, you can see or do more on the larger screen, but what about the software that takes advantage of it?
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – Autonomy
Apple emphasized that with software and hardware integration and other enhancements – where Apple is the master – on the new iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro (Check on Amazon.com), and iPhone 11 Pro Max, battery life has never been better. In the case of the iPhone 11 Pro Apple guarantees four more hours of battery life compared to the iPhone XS (Check on Amazon.com); while the iPhone 11 Pro Max offers five more hours of autonomy than the iPhone XS Max.
Read more: Apple iPhone XS review
During one of the days of use, I disconnected the iPhone around 7 am, then took the train to work (1 hour) while listening to music via Bluetooth and using apps like Gmail, iMessage, Apple Music. When I arrived at work, I took many pictures and kept answering emails and messages; I also browsed Twitter and then took even more pictures (for another article I’m working on). Then, on the way home, I used it again with iMessage, Gmail, Apple Music, and other apps. I reached home at 5 pm. and the phone still had 50 percent of battery life and, according to iOS 13 usage statistics, the screen had been on for 5 hours and 15 minutes. There is only one word to describe all this: Impressive.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – Camera
As with its smaller sibling, the iPhone 11 Pro, the iPhone 11 Pro Max includes a third wide-angle lens on its back, very similar to what Samsung phones already offer (and have offered for several years now). Apple arrived a little late to the party, but the execution is impeccable.
The pictures taken with any of the three lenses are very good. The factory calibration ensures that color tones not change too much between each lens and is so good that by cropping the image you can hardly notice that they are taken with different cameras, unlike those of other manufacturers.
Apple has also completely revamped the camera app — but its use is still very intuitive and familiar to users who have had an iPhone in recent years. The changes, in addition to the new typography, grant more control options in Night mode, modify the aperture in portrait photos and help you switch between different lenses more quickly.
Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max – Verdict
The iPhone 11 Pro Max (Check on Amazon.com) follows in the footsteps of the XS Max (Check on Amazon). It is similar to the 11 Pro (Check on Amazon) but has a bigger screen and a better battery life. It is worth buying over the Pro if you want the best iPhone there is, and you are going to love the beautiful OLED screen and the amazing rear triple camera.
Read more: Apple iPhone 11 Pro review: worth the wait
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