iPhone: my switch to the XS Max
· Michel Aguilera
As an iPhone user since 2007, I have been able to follow the developments and changes at the apple brand, along with its other products (Mac, iPad, Apple Watch). I wanted to describe here why I switched to this new model… and what made me hesitate! Because yes, I did have a moment of doubt. Some soul-searching about the device and about my choice.
iPhone… my feelings and me…
Yes, I admit it, I have been a fan of the brand for a few years now. As I write these few lines, I am doing so on my 2017 MacBook Pro. In a few hours, I am going to receive my new iPhone, an XS Max Silver 512 GB. I am still on my iPhone 8 Plus. It has given me a lot of pleasure and served me well. I am, it can safely be said, addicted to my smartphone. Because yes, I use it every day and not only to communicate. Home automation, films or series, games but also video conferencing. Phone calls and sending iMessages are part of an almost daily flow. A heavy user of iCloud and Photos, I make maximum use of all the various services Apple offers (including Apple Music, as well as Spotify, even with duplicated libraries). So why change? What is pushing me to want to give up my current device (especially as it still works very well)?
First of all, I was tempted to switch to Android. For reasons of price, but also out of a curiosity that is, all things considered, natural for the geek that I am. The new Samsung devices, as well as other brands, caught my eye, notably with features such as Android Desktop (a very interesting idea, though one attempted many times that has never managed to take off). An attempt that nevertheless seems quite advanced is Miraxess, which offers not only a solution of this kind on Android but also smartphone “companions”.
Wireless charging and charging other devices with your smartphone: that is another interesting idea… Except that I don’t charge anything wirelessly (not even my iPhone 8 Plus). Storage expansion by SD card with Android? Yes, it is a very attractive aspect… Except that I more often get my documents from the cloud than keep them on my smartphone (maybe with 512 GB I will change my habits). Which brings us to the screen. So yes, there is the famous “notch”, since the move to Face ID (which replaced the Touch ID fingerprint biometric system). But what a screen! Super AMOLED and excellent colour rendering (better than LCD, but given the quality of the previous panels, it is hard to really tell).
Compared with the display of my old 8 Plus, there is plenty to appreciate in the 6.5 inches (even if, I admit, this notch bothers me when I try to display in landscape). Well yes, Max necessarily means widescreen. Having the notch is frankly infuriating, and I am starting to understand why. One of the things I miss from my 8 Plus (which I expected to find here BUT WHICH HAS DISAPPEARED!) is the landscape mode display.
So frankly, I don’t understand why they removed it, especially since with such a screen it would have looked great. Since we are talking about video rendering, we also have to mention the advantage of a bigger iPhone: a bigger battery.
Yes, a gain in battery life, but one that remains anecdotal compared with the competition (some devices offer almost 20 hours of battery life for similar use). As for what is inside, yes, Apple has gone all out in terms of performance (a better A12 Bionic processor (a hexa-core), an improved Apple GPU, 4 GB of RAM). A 12 MP camera sensor (7 MP on the front for selfies). A 9-minute video summing up everything inside in terms of components:
In short, am I satisfied?
Well yes, coming from an iPhone 8 Plus, I am not disappointed (it is faster, although I have to change my habits, as there is no longer a button to access the menu). A small disappointment nonetheless: no fast charger supplied (still the same charger for years), so not very efficient. But given the (totally crazy!) price of this new iPhone, we are entitled to expect a few changes or additions to the package Apple offers. Not having the time to move all my data from Apple’s cloud to Google or elsewhere, I am sticking with a new iPhone for another 2 years… at least. But for my next smartphone, if Apple offers nothing new or no noticeable improvement, I will make the switch. And to conclude, a video from Unbox Therapy that sums up the feelings of many iPhone XS Max users: