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.
My New Ad-Hoc Nav System
Ancient Prius Nav… BE GONE!
Mrs. Gremlin and I live in Los Angeles, so a good nav is about as essential as clean water. Back in 2011, my trusty Prius’ built-in navigation console felt state of the art. Not so much now (I mean, Toyota actually thinks I’m going to pay them $100+ to update the nav data, using… wait for it… a stack of DVDs).
The key to this endeavor for me was Apple’s addition of Mag-Safe.
I’ve thrice talked myself out of buying and wiring in a third party car-play console, but it’s a pricy project with a whole lot of risks and downsides for one of my most expensive posessions). Enter iPhone 13 Pro Max.
The key to this endeavor for me was Apple’s addition of Mag-Safe. Having to fiddle with a plug-and-holster system every time I wanted to navigate somewhere was an immediate no-go for me, but Mag-Safe has offered a potentially perfect system, where I can pop the phone onto the console in an instant, and have it both secured, charging, and navigating as seamlessly as a built-in console, but with MUCH better software.
The verdict is a resounding: HOLY SHIT.
Seriously, if you get a Pro Max, and you drive a motor vehicle, you owe it to yourself to buy a MagSafe mount and give this a try. After reading some troubling reviews that suggested the magnets wouldn’t reliably keep the big honking Max phone in place, I’ve found it to be rock solid (even on rough free-ways and over speed-bumps), and seamless to pop on, and pull off.
This ESR Magnetic Charging Mount is a Game-Changer
More importantly, that giant 6.7″ screen is simply incredible for giving directions. Paired with Apple’s latest iOS 15 mapping data update, the nav is insanely easy to read at a glance, quick to adjust if you’re at a stop, and just plain fantastic to use. My mount lets you pop on the phone in either portrait or landscape (although I’m stuck using the latter to avoid blocking the built-in view of the car’s backup camera). My only very mild criticism is that, in landscape, a few apps refuse to play nice and rotate, including the otherwise fantastic Overcast. One very important aside: this only works with cases that have legit Mag-Safe magnets built into them. So if you’re using a third-party case, YMMV.
Two quick notes: Ignore the mounts on Apple’s website which are just mechanical and don’t actually charge. If you do pickup the ESR mount, make sure you also get a QC rated charger brick for your car, otherwise you might not get the maximum charging speed.
So Nav replacement? CHECK.
My Very Expensive Apple Kindle
I should start by saying that I’m a fairly avid reader, and my purchasing habits have definitely helped keep the Amazon Kindle line in business (my Kindle Oasis is a delight, by the way). So my standards for an e-reader are high, and in the past, I’ve always preferred an e-ink display for reading books.
Here’s the problem. Books are not iPhone shaped, and that’s for a good reason.
That said, I’ve been humbly trying and failing to curb my device addiction, and have lately been pushing myself to replace my endless cycle of doom-scroll/refresh with more novel reading time. I figured some liberal use of the Kindle app for on-the-go reading could figure into that goal.
Here’s the problem. Books are not iPhone shaped, and that’s for a good reason. While a phone is designed to be pocketable, a book is necessarily wider, to allow for reasonably natural line length.
Otherwise, each sentence
gets cutoff
and it’s pretty annoying
to read.
Unfortunately, that’s kind of the experience I’ve had, even with the Pro Max. One thing you’ll note immediately coming from an X is that the Pro Max isn’t actually much wider than the old phone. It’s dramatically taller though.
Even Side by Side, the Width Isn’t That Different
After fiddling with the Kindle App’s text size and spacing settings for some time, I was finally able to settle on the best possible ratio of line-length to text-size.
In short: e-reading is definitely an improvement on smaller phones, but not by as much as you might think. It’d be a nice improvement when I find a quick moment to read while I’m out and about, but the Kindle Oasis is definitely sticking around.
A Mirrorless Camera in your pocket?
The Triple Lens System is a MONSTER Compared to My Poor iPhone X
Some of you may be irate at the idea of a smartphone replacing a real camera. The rest of you are probably asking “what’s a mirrorless camera?” To the former: yes, I understand that physics are real (along with other forms of science) and that there are hard limits on how good a lens and camera sensor can be when both are smaller than your big toe. To the latter: real cameras are still a thing, but I was curious to see just how close the iPhone Pro Max could take me, especially since its huge screen makes for the world’s greatest viewfinder.
In daylight, these cameras can absolutely compete with my Fuji XT1 for typical viewing
As other reviewers have mentioned, these cameras produce phenomenal pictures. This is the first phone I’ve owned that is capable of taking pictures that I’d swear came from a proper camera. That said, there’s still two big differences between this and a dedicated tool. The first is that the tiny photo receptors in these image sensors can only soak up so much light, and have to rely on AI tricks to compensate. The second is that this camera is all about “automatic” photography.
Some Sample Shots, Mostly with the Seriously Epic Macro Lens
In daylight, these cameras can absolutely compete with my Fuji XT1 for typical viewing on an average size print or screen. At night, sometimes the AI trickery produces something BETTER than my mirrorless camera (which lacks the sophisticated machine learning involved). Other times, it produces utter garbage (particularly on the light starved telephoto lens in semi-dark conditions). Generally, still subjects taken with night mode and a steady hand look like magic, moving subjects without night mode look harsh and waxy.
There are some wonderful third-party apps that unlock the power of your iPhone camera by letting you dial in settings like ISO and shutter speed like you would on a traditional camera. I chose to try out Halide (the developer gives you a seven day free trial, and the choice of a reasonably priced subscription (or, radically, the option to buy it outright).
The moment you open this app, you realize it’s meant to look and function like a real camera. And it does, albeit with some of the limitations of real cameras. Halide lets you do everything from the critical manual exposure settings, to manual focus, and even the option to view a live histogram as you shoot. It also lets you opt for RAW (read: uncompressed) photos. My favorite feature is an “instant raw” button which tweaks the slightly flat looking raw data file to match the more vivid output of a traditional heic/Jpeg, but retaining the option to tweak to hearts delight.
The one downside of this system, is that Halide lacks access to some of Apple’s AI processing capability, so using its automatic mode didn’t match the results of Apple’s built-in app in very low light.
I’ll end the camera discussion with this: pro photographers often work with two or more cameras at once. Usually there’s a “best quality” setup for the most critical shots, and then there’s often a smaller backup body in case the main camera fails or isn’t setup for other shots in the moment. I’m going to treat the iPhone as that second camera, capable of taking a quick macro, perfectly stitched panorama, or long exposure shot. And the truth is, for pure convenience’s sake, it’s the camera I’d reach for most of the time regardless.
TL;DR Do I Regret Moving to the iPhone Pro Max?
In a word, no. In two, hell no.
The combo of massive screen and silky smooth pro-motion scrolling makes every web page and app I use feel transcendently immersive. The cameras exceed what I thought would ever be possible in a smartphone.
Frankly the jump to the iPhone 13 Pro Max from my iPhone X may well be the single best phone upgrade I’ve had.
While not a uniform success, the phone absolutely takes on new roles (chiefly NAV system, intermittent iPad replacement and legitimate camera) that no iPhone has filled for me previously. Frankly the jump to the iPhone 13 Pro Max from my iPhone X may well be the single best phone upgrade I’ve had. For those coming from much smaller phones like the iPhone 7 or 8, you may find the increase in size and sheer heft to be a deal breaker. Coming from the X, I barely notice that heft-increase, but I notice the pros every time I pick up the phone. It’s exceeded nearly every hefty expectation I had for it.