Here's What The Reviews Have To Say About The iPhone Xs
Ridiculous names aside (did anyone in Cupertino force themselves to say "Excess Max," as many consumers undoubtedly will, into a mirror?), the new iPhones are here. They are, of course, good. But how good are they? And are they worth the upgrade? Here's what the reviews have to say.
Those Displays…
Bigger and bolder than anything Apple has ever put in a phone, the iPhone Xs Max's OLED display is a sight to behold.
The iPhone XS has the same OLED display as the X, with curved corners and the notch. After a year of looking at this display, I'm confident in saying that it's one of the best displays available, with excellent color reproduction and brightness.
As a self-diagnosed phone addict who is trying to cut down on screen time, I decided the XS also felt healthier for me. The XS Max screen was so good-looking that I wanted to keep reading articles and looking at photos on Instagram.
The Cameras Are Great
You'll definitely see an improvement over the iPhone X…
The photos I captured on the new iPhone XS and XS Max are undoubtedly better than the ones I took on the iPhone 8 Plus, and slightly improved from the iPhone X photos. The new phones performed well in low light.
[Wired]
Apple said it upgraded the camera sensor that's over 30 percent larger, which means it lets in more light. Also, high dynamic range (HDR) photos can be snapped twice as fast, so there isn't the delay you see in other phones, and shadows are clearer. I also liked that I could take portrait pictures, like shots of my dog on the beach, and adjust the background blur after the fact.
[CNBC]
The improved camera hardware combined with a new automatic "Smart HDR" technology, powered again by the Neural Engine and the A12 Bionic's ISP (image signal processor), mean you get the best of both the advanced camera optics and computational photography… I wasn't entirely convinced of Smart HDR+ until I took a whole bunch of photos and compared them to the exact same shots from my iPhone X, Google Pixel 2 XL, and Galaxy Note 9.
[Mashable]
The neatest trick is the new advanced depth control in portrait mode. With this effect, you can simulate the artistic blur around your subject that photographers call bokeh. But I found that the phone still can't always get the blurring right around the edges of certain objects.
[WSJ]
…but nothing that blows Android competition out of the water
The camera upgrades on the XS over the X are significant — the XS makes the X camera look terrible most of the time. But we've been saying the best smartphone camera on the market is Google's Pixel 2 for a year now, so that's the standard to beat. And… I think the Pixel 2 still has a better camera than the iPhone XS. Don't get me wrong — most people are going to like the photos they get out of the iPhone XS. It has a solid camera, and I prefer it to the Galaxy S9. But compared to the Pixel 2, the XS doesn't really do it for me.
The XS Max's Usability Will Be A Personal Decision
After three days, I was surprised by how good it felt to use the XS Max with one hand. A key factor was how Apple had managed to cram a bigger screen into a slightly smaller body. (The body of the Plus phones was 6.24 inches by 3.07 inches, while the XS Max's body is 6.2 inches by 3.05 inches.)… After taking the larger XS Max everywhere with me for three days and feeling good about it, I switched to the iPhone XS — and immediately experienced a sense of relief.
At the same time, the XS Max's size gets away from it. The large bezels on the older Plus phones mean the top of the display is actually lower on the phone, making it easier to reach. To pull down notifications or Control Center on the XS Max, you have to reach the very top of the device. I have big hands, and I basically can't do it without tipping the phone over in my hand; I ended up having to use two hands most of the time. You can use Apple's reachability feature to pull down the UI and then swipe, but that's two swipes for one thing, and it just makes me a little sad.
Should You Upgrade?
The loose consensus among reviewers seems to be: Maybe, but wait for the XR to drop first:
Both the iPhone XS and XS Max are great phones, fantastic refinements and incredibly promising hubs for your super-connected universe. As you'd expect, they're the best iPhones at the moment. But here's the twist: That third new iPhone, the iPhone XR, may be the best pick for anyone upgrading from any iPhone other than the 2017 iPhone X.
[CNET]
[U]nless you are in an iPhone upgrade program or absolutely dying for that Max screen, don't jump from the X to the XS…. I realize this review may not have answered all your questions. Don't blame me, blame Apple…and keep your wallet closed. See you in a month with the XR review.
[WSJ]
But if you're dead set on upgrading, pick your priorities:
If you've already decided that you're getting one of these new phones, but don't know which one to pick, it really comes down to battery life and bigness. The iPhone XS Max has a larger battery than the iPhone XS, given its larger physical size. It's supposed to last an hour and a half longer than an ol' iPhone X. The iPhone XS, meanwhile, only lasts a half hour longer.
[Wired]
