Julie and Dave talk about the iPhone Xs Max – The Gadgeteer

ARTICLE – Every fall, Apple presents its new iPhone on which I will drool, I will order, and a few weeks later, I return to Apple for a full refund. At least that's how things are going for me in recent years, unlike my good friend Dave Rees who told Android to see you again later in 2016 and has not seen it since.

Dave: "… a few years …" ??? Julie and I sometimes joke about one of the definitions of madness, it's doing exactly the same thing over and over again and expecting a different outcome. I would not say that I never look back, I regularly check the latest and greatest Android devices, sometimes very tempted. But the reality is that I really like Apple hardware and that, for the most part, I fully embrace the ecosystem iOS / macOS.

Julie: Dave and I regularly talk about Apple's new technology and it keeps coming up against my inability to use what he calls "fully embracing the iPhone." We both had our brand new Space Gray phone for iPhone Xs Max 256GB for almost a week, so we thought we would make another post on the tag team.

First of all, we should let everyone know that our iPhones actually traveled together on what was most likely the same flight between China and Alaska, then to our respective states last week. We continued to send SMS with our UPS status updates because we are.ge.geeks. ?

Dave: Do not forget about Korea and Kentucky. It was pretty funny when it became clear that our iPhones shared an international taxi ride. Due to Apple's just-in-time delivery this year, I was a bit worried not to see our new fancy tech toys until the next week. The expected delivery date was maintained between Friday 21st and Monday 24. Fortunately, both arrived at the time and at the time (and OMG should have listened to me if it had received his three days before me).

Dave: The construction and hardware quality of the iPhone X series smartphones are impressive, that is the least that one can say. The stainless steel case sandwiched between sheets of glass gives the Xs devices an excellent high quality weight.

Julie: I agree that the look and feel of the Xs Max are impressive. However, I'm not sure I have a phone with a drink, because I have the impression that fate is tempting not to use a holster with this phone. If you're like me and you do not like it either, you'll want to sign up for Apple Care Insurance, which will give you peace of mind while saving you even more money. # 39; money. That is, if you have money left after buying the Xs Max, because that really means excess with a price of $ 1249 for the 256 GB version of Max. What the what? Crazy stupid spendthrift. But we still passed it is not us?

Dave: Yes, yes we did it … at midnight in the very first minutes after the return of the Apple Store online. Once again, we send an SMS on the status of our order, because we are.ge.geeks. The Max Plus tax and AppleCare Plus have reduced my technical budget by nearly $ 1,600. As I told Julie, twice as much as my first car. Crazy really.

Dave: I bought the original iPhone X a year ago and I liked using it all the time. In addition to manufacturing quality and material, its OLED screen and form factor close to the bezel were also very interesting. It was great to have a Plus size screen in a classic iPhone. I got used to the size of the X and I admit that I was a little worried about the bigger size of the Max. Now that I've been using the Xs Max for about a week, I do not feel so huge anymore. The added volume and weight are well worth the wonderful 6.5 inch OLED display from Max.

Julie: I had no qualms about ordering the biggest Xs Max, because a quick scan of the specs told me that it was almost the same size as my Pixel 2 XL, which I've been using for almost a year now. At the reception of the iPhone, I was not surprised by its size and I had no problem adapting to it. But what I noticed right away is how much the Max is heavier than the Pixel 2 XL. Dave says that means he has more quality. I think it's heavier, but I agree that the iPhone is very well done and oh yes, this screen is so pretty. It is definitely more beautiful than my screen Pixel 2 XL.

Dave: The biggest screen was really the point of sale for me. I could easily have managed with the original iPhone X. But I hoped to use the Max not only as a smartphone, but also as an iPad. I travel a lot for my daily work and every trip, I had to discuss the technology to use based on the time spent in the plane, the duration of the trip and what I needed to do. to perform during my absence. The screen of the iPhone Xs Max is not only beautiful but also immersive. Even the Gadgeteer Kid did not complain when we watch videos together while wasting a bit of time. Although I did not have to travel during the first week of acquisition, I plan to only take it during my next trip abroad for my media consumption needs. Reduce my load to my professional laptop and my iPhone.

Julie: After taking advantage of a 2 x Pixel for so long, it was difficult to adapt to a screen with no permanent feature. I rely on this feature all the time because my phone is also my clock and I use my phone as an alarm clock on my nightstand. Being able to take a look at the middle of the night to see the time is very convenient. It's also convenient to see the notification icons without having to pick up the phone or press a button. And another feature of the screen that the iPhone does not allow me, it is the display of the title of the song when the music is being played. I use this feature ALL the time.

Julie: I was also disappointed by the fact that the rumor that Apple was abandoning the Lightning connector for the benefit of a USB-C connector was proven to be false.

Dave: I've also been a little disappointed. With the rumor 2018 iPad Pros coming in a few weeks, this would be the perfect time for Apple to call on USB-C. That said, we have LOTS of lightning cables around our house. So for us at least, we will be able to hold on until Apple sees the light.

Dave: The new speaker design is a big improvement over the iPhones of the previous generation. The stereo sound is clear, loud and detailed. They can easily fill the sound of a suitably sized piece and watching a movie is as enjoyable as on an iPad.

Julie: I rarely listen to music through the speakers or watch videos without using headphones. But yes, I agree that if you wish, speakers do a good job.

Julie: You know that the FaceID scanner is the biggest feature of the iPhone. I was so used to using a fingerprint reader for all these months that I hated the idea of ​​not having one. I thought the face scanner would look like the scanner I remembered from the Samsung Galaxy S9 and it would not work in the dark or without glasses. But I am extremely satisfied with the speed and accuracy of the facial scanner on the iPhone Xs Max. It's fantastic that I wear my glasses in the dark or that I hold the phone under strange angles. I did not miss the fingerprint scanner.

Dave: I totally agree, FaceID works very well. I have been without a Home button for almost a year and I do not miss it at all. The extra screen earned by the waiver is really worth it. FaceID is rarely a problem, but I can not say that I never have to type my PIN.

Julie: I have not used a physical home button for a year either. But that raises another subject – gestures. Do you like them? I'm not a big fan of having to swipe back to the home screen. I prefer the virtual home button and the back button that Android uses compared to the swipe up or left to right movements of iOS. This is mainly because I have problems with the right hand / thumb, so it is difficult for me to do the sliding movements while holding the phone in my right hand without using the other hand to perform the gesture .

Dave: After a year of use, I am quite comfortable with the gestures to dance on my iPhone. Although I admit, even with my larger hands, the use of gestures is easier with X smaller than Max Xs. I often find myself using my two hands a lot more often because I do not want to give up the four-digit device, but it's just easier / faster / less tiring.

Julie: Let's talk about the camera. You can see some of my images below that have not been modified. Overall, I think the Xs Max does a great job in all lighting conditions. The central photo was taken in a really dark restaurant where I had to use the flashlight of the iPhone to read the menu. There are many shadows, but I was surprised to see skin tones.

Dave: Whatever smartphone I use, the camera is the most important feature for me. Not only do I use it to capture moments of fun, family and friends, but for my review work here, the Gadgeteer. I abandoned my DSLR and my high end camera for a long time, replaced by my iPhone. And I have never looked back. That said, the best I can say with limited use this week, the Xs Max is excellent, just as good as the original X … probably / probably better, but time will tell.

Julie: I am in the same boat to stop using DSLR. If the phone does not have a great camera, I do not plan to buy it. That's why I love my Pixel 2 XL That said, I use the Huawei P20 since 99% since the time I use it.

Julie: I also love the wacky little things that iOS 12 has added to the camera that turns me into a gigantic head cartoon character!

Dave: OK, the irritating part of Julie's cartoon with a giant head … I do not see how to create one (although Julie tried to explain it to me). Should be intuitive for a long time correct iOS user ??? Now, I grant you that I have not spent so much time trying to find out how to do it … but still.

Dave: The novelty that I love most in iOS 12 is the Screen Time feature, which tracks not only the use you make of your device, but also the type of use (media social, games, productivity, etc.) and / or individual. applications. This feature can combine all the uses of your devices (iPhone and iPad) or share data between family members (so that parents can better track their children).

Julie: What do you think of the battery life on the Xs Max? I'm really happy with that. I was able to spend more than one day between two charges, which is not usually the case with my phone 's usage habits.

Dave: I found the battery life on the iPhone X and impressive on the Xs Max. I use my smartphone a lot during the day and I still have not gone under 50%.

Julie: I'm also happy with the fast performance of the phone. I did not notice any problem to launch or switch between applications. Everything is smooth as butter.

Dave: Yes, zero complaints here. The iPhone X was fast and I believe the Max is just a faster / more fluid index. But considering Max Xs costs, I would expect nothing less.

Julie: Dave loves his iPhone Xs Max and for me, it's the same story as last year … I love the hardware, but it's several small things that prevent me from wanting to fully return to the iPhone / iOS. Some of these little things are the lack of permanent time display and notifications, no iMessages application for Windows computers and navigation gestures. I thought Dave would start crying when he saw the color of my cat iMessages go from blue to green yesterday. But of course, we'll come back to this saga next year with the iPhone Y or whatever Apple decides to call it.

Dave: Or better yet, the Y Max More … ok, I'm kidding, I have no buyer. I am very satisfied with the iPhone Xs Max and my purchase. Admittedly, it costs a lot of money, but for those who live in the Apple world and can afford it, you will not be disappointed. Especially for those who own a Plus device where there is little or no difference in size, the upgrade will be worth it. Finally, staying true to Android thanks to Julie allows me to live vicariously through it while trying the latest and greatest Android devices. We discuss many of them during the year and I am often tempted, but quickly / eventually, to make myself understood.

Julie: And you all there? Love your iPhone Xs Max? Have you gone from Android to a new iPhone? Let us know your thoughts.