Max VS X
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I know. There’s already two billion iPhone 13 Pro Max reviews out there.
But in researching for my own upgrade, I couldn’t find anything in-depth on the experience of transitioning from the (very popular) iPhone X to the much larger and heavier Pro Max. It seems like the bulk of the respectable nerd reviewers out there see the existence of the Max iPhone as a kind of evolutionary joke (“how big ARE your thumbs?”) and their reviews tend to focus on the smaller Pro size. Finally, reviewers these days seem to have assumed that everyone has already settled on what size device they prefer, but I sure hadn’t.
The state of the iPhone lineup has changed quite a bit since I last decided between the big phone and the really big phone, and so I’m sharing my experience shifting to the iPhone Maximus.
In fact, I was so ambivalent about which size iPhone to get, that I went a little nuts and made myself a true to size/weight prototype to carry around in my pocket for a few days before pulling the trigger.
My Brilliant (or crazy?) iPhone Pro Max Mockup
The state of the iPhone lineup has changed quite a bit since I last decided between the big phone and the really big phone, and so I’m sharing my experience shifting to the iPhone Maximus.
A Note on my iPhone POV:
I’ve started throwing in this little aside for my new articles, as every review is contingent on the experience and POV of the reviewer. I used to be a serial iPhone upgrader, and owned pretty much every iPhone from the OG through the iPhone X (I skipped the iPhone 3G back in the day). When the price of the premium phone went up, I opted to stick with the X for as long as I could resist upgrading. My iPhone use is 50% browser/apps, 20% texting, 20% photography, and 10% calls, and my phone often sits on its charger for much of the day while I’m working. I also have a couple of long trips I take to see family a few times a year (in the Pre-Pandy days anyway).
Here’s my ranked list of priorities for a smartphone:
MOST
-Screen quality
-Device usability (size/weight/thumb reachability)
-Camera quality
-Processor capability (aka “snappiness”)
-Battery life
LEAST
On to the review!
iPhone 2.0
The original pitch for the iPhone OG was this: the gadget that merges a web browser, a music player and a phone in one device.
Having spent many years now as an iPad lover, I’m well aware that simply increasing the size of a device can completely change the use cases for it, and I was curious to see if the same applied to the Pro Max.
To boil it down: Could the bigger phone excel at new tasks—and replace devices—that a smaller phone couldn’t? In theory, I wanted to trial using the Pro Max as an e-reader, as a navigation system for my aging car, and as a pseudo-replacement for my mirrorless camera (I know this one’s not quite unique to the Max size, but bear with me). In addition, I needed to know if the sheer bulk of the thing was a deal breaker (my iPad might make a fabulous navigation system, but it sure doesn’t fit in my pocket).
Perhaps that’s a good place to start.
Dealing with the Size and Weight
He’s a Chunky Fella
For reference, the iPhone X with Apple’s leather case weights 195g. My new Pro Max weighs a whopping 272g with the case, and measures over an inch taller. So how’d it work out carrying around a much bigger and heavier phone?
It’s honestly been pretty seamless—much more so than I’d expected.
I generally no longer have that typical iPhone feeling like I’m looking at the internet through a very small, very pretty porthole.
The size difference is fantastic from an immersion standpoint (bigger screen = good). As you might expect, I can fit a lot more text on the screen, many apps have an iPad style side-bar in landscape that makes me more productive, and I generally no longer have that typical iPhone feeling like I’m looking at the internet through a very small, very pretty porthole. The screen upgrade alone means I’m going to reach for my phone over my iPad in a lot more situations. I’ve also found it fits the front pockets of everything from my (now well worn) sweatpants down to my jeans (I don’t do skinny jeans, so hipsters be warned). Even holding the big phone up to my ear for a call (which always appeared ungainly to me in the past) feels perfectly natural in practice. So the size was pure upside.
The weight, on the other hand, is pretty darn noticeable.
If Apple could defy some laws of physics and density and make this exact same phone about half as heavy, that’d be awesome. BUT… Having used the phone for over a week now, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend the bigger size, even with the heft weighing on my poor abused pinkie). An important practical point: the weight of the phone with Apple’s leather case (272g) is noticeably less than the combined weight of my wallet and car keys (316g), a combo I’ve been pocketing for most of my adult life without complaint.
there’s no situation where the iPhone X (or, more importantly the iPhone Pro) would fit into my life, but the Pro Max wouldn’t.
Adjusting to the weight reminds me a lot of the transition from the iPhone 7 to the X.
For the first few days, I found myself trying to use a much bigger phone exactly how I used its predecessor. Then I started adapting. My finger placement has shifted. I’m more inclined to rest my arm on a sofa or table when I’m reading for long periods. Often (but not always) I’ll cradle the sucker in two hands instead of one. Crucially though, there’s no situation where the iPhone X (or, more importantly the iPhone Pro) would fit into my life, but the Pro Max wouldn’t. Even the typical one-handed browsing while I’m waiting in line at a store feels natural. So consider that test passed.