iPhone XS against the iPhone X in the real world

When launching the iPhone XS and the iPhone XS Max, most commentators, including ourselves, agreed that those who bought an iPhone X should ignore the model of the iPhone. iPhone XS and wait another year. After a month with the iPhone XS Max, the answer is blurry.

The iPhone XS always feels more upscale with its stainless steel construction and glass. But, being a fan of gold, I really like Apple's new color option. I spent a year with a gray space iPhone X and I noticed some small scratches on the group after only a few days, but the new gold band is resisting incredibly well.

The big picture

Like many people upgrading from the iPhone X, I went with the iPhone XS Max, mainly because of its larger screen. Since the launch of Apple's iPhone 6 Plus, I've always opted for iPhones Plus, and switching to the smaller iPhone X was a noticeable change.

It is true that the 5.8-inch display is technically larger if you measure it diagonally, but the 5.5-inch screen of the iPhone 8 Plus offers more space to l & # 39; screen. Going to the 6.5 inch screen was very enjoyable, especially for watching videos and using the phone in landscape orientation.

The XS Max is really hard to use compared to the iPhone XS or even to the iPhone 8 Plus, even for those with big hands. The display is so huge that it is very difficult to reach the upper right corner to lower the control center with one hand.

The display actually looks identical to that of the iPhone X, so you may not notice any difference with the iPhone XS. Apple has made significant improvements to display technology in its latest releases, leading DisplayMate to award the iPhone XS Max its "best smartphone display price" because it matches or beats records in 8 different categories.

In the real world, you probably will not notice the difference because the iPhone X already has an excellent screen.

When you watch YouTube, even though the XS Max has a resolution of 2688 x 1242, the 1440P option has been removed from the application. Still, the scaled 1080P still looks very good.

Stripes and signal

Apple has mentioned using a stronger glass, which is quite credible, given the number of drop tests performed online, but unfortunately, it is scratching just as easily as before. After only a few days, a few scratches of a few inches were easy to spot. Pretty disappointing.

Apple has introduced improvements regarding cellular connectivity, but there is little visible difference in speed, although this can easily be influenced by operator networks. There are some places in town where coverage is less than the idea, but again, there is no real difference. areas, which is a disappointment.

This will of course vary depending on your city and your carrier and speed tests show huge improvements, but it seems that Android's flagship products are still working better.

Performance

The latest Apple models include the A12 Bionic Beast Processor, based on TSMC's latest 7-nanometer process, which means more power and lower power consumption. The A11 Bionic was already a super fast processor, even beating the recently released Note 9, even though it's already a year old. As the iPhone X was already so fast, we did not expect major performance improvements, but I was wrong.

Everything is faster and smoother, from facial identity to faster applications, and keep background applications open longer. Lag is virtually nonexistent.

Compared to Note 9 in terms of gaming, the results of the iPhone XS were very impressive, with a perfectly fluid playback where the iPhone X sometimes slowed down at times. Both phones were compared in the Geekbench 4 graphical test, revealing a huge improvement in scores, so it's not surprising that it's performing as well. It is essentially the ultimate mobile gaming experience with a larger screen, which makes the game user interface much less cluttered compared to the iPhone X.

High fidelity

The speakers have also been upgraded, which makes them more balanced and with high frequency enhancement, but not much louder than before. It's worth noting that you're watching a lot of videos or playing games like Fortnite where iPhone X upgrades are more noticeable.

Unfortunately, the speakerphone stopped working after about a week of use, but luckily, before I had the chance to exchange it with Apple, the firmware update that corrected the problems load also corrected my problem. Treat this as a lesson to make sure you are using the latest version of iOS.

Camera and video

The camera is another area in which we did not expect a huge upgrade. Yes, there is a bigger sensor and better software, but the iPhone X was already fantastic. Smart HDR works incredibly well, and the photos and videos that come out are so good. The shutter lag is virtually non-existent, with more detailed images and an impressive dynamic range.

There is a bit of detail loss for the low-light selfies, but that should not bother most users. The reason has already been thoroughly explained.

Video stabilization is definitely improved, and as long as you're shooting at 30 frames per second or less, Smart HDR also improves the dynamic range. The video is virtually even more detailed than before.

If your iPhone is your main camera and you take a lot of pictures and videos, this feature alone deserves to sell the iPhone X, which offers a very good resale value, and move to the XS Max.

Battery life

The last thing to cover is the battery life, and the boy is awesome. Many phone vendors claim that their products have a long battery life, but honestly, it is the first phone that has done it for me. In my case, I use the phone constantly, which requires me to plug it in or place it on a wireless charger during the day, otherwise it will die at night.

By switching from the iPhone 8 Plus to the iPhone X, the battery life has decreased slightly, but the XS lasts 30 minutes longer than the iPhone X, while the XS Max lasts 1.5 hours more. Consumer reports said that the difference was even greater in their tests and that my own intensive use confirms it.

The battery differences are really noticeable and it's a big problem if your life or your business revolves around your phone.

In summary

After a month of use, I am more impressed by the XS Max than when I first received it. Admittedly, the big screen is nice, but even if you have the smaller XS model, camera upgrades and battery life are elements that you will notice day in and day out.

The resale value of the iPhone X being so good, if you can afford the difference, it is highly recommended to upgrade to the iPhone XS or XS Max.

Offers on the iPhone X, XS and XS Max

If you have not yet ordered Apple's iPhone XS or XS Max, mobile operators encourage it to buy by buying one, get a discount of $ 700 or more . Want to get your hands on a new iPhone as soon as possible? EBay sellers are also shipping units now.

Carrier offers:

Those who wish to save $ 100 on the original MSRP of the iPhone can also do so at Verizon Wireless, AT & T Wireless, T-Mobile and Sprint.