iPhone XS Max

A filmmaker and colorist who put the iPhone XS low-light video capabilities to the test says that the results are so good that it may be better to simply let the camera app do its own thing than to use flat or gamma log in something like FiLMiC Pro …

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Apple touted the improved capabilities of the iPhone XS camera during the launch, and shared a ‘Shot on iPhone XS‘ video. We’ve also shared some of our own sample photos, together with a hands-on of the real-time preview of apparent depth of field effects.

Apple has now shared iPhone XS photo examples, shot not by the company but rather by owners of the phone from around the world …

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Opera has ported its Opera Touch mobile browser from Android to iOS, and claims that it’s the perfect choice for iPhone X and iPhone XS/Max owners.

The company says ‘zero-step search’ and a Fast Action button make the browser ideal for larger-screened phones without a Home button …

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An analyst survey into the upgrade plans of iPhone owners found that more of them than expected plan to buy the flagship iPhone XS or XS Max models …

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Last year was one of the most revolutionary years ever for the iPhone. With the iPhone X, Apple ushered in a new era of design and ushered out what were once trademark features of the iPhone. Apple traded Touch ID for Face ID, it transitioned from the Home button to a complete gesture system. An OLED display replaced the iconic top and bottom bezels. This year brings the iPhone XS Max.

For me, the transition to the iPhone X was nothing short of a success. As I detailed last year here at 9to5Mac, I was wildly impressed with the iPhone X from the get-go. The one qualm I had was its size; as a long-time ‘Plus’ model user, the iPhone X was a bit of a downgrade in terms of screen size, even though it technically touted a larger 5.8-inch display.

This year, Apple has expanded the iPhone X design into a new form-factor: the 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max. Read on for my initial 1 week iPhone XS Max impressions.

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Update: Readers reporting similar problems on iPads and older iPhones. This gives credence to the idea that it is a software bug with iOS 12.

Update 2: Resolved in iOS 12.1 beta 2

We have received several reports of iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max owners noticing that their phones do not start charging when a Lightning cable is plugged in when the screen is off. Affected users find they have to ensure the screen is on and re-plug in their cables for charging to begin.

This issue has been highlighted in a video by UnboxTherapy (embedded below), who repeats the charging test on 8 different iPhone XS models. The majority of his phones exhibit the problem — the devices do not respond to the cable being plugged in as they should, with most kicking into action once the screen is woken up.

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The iPhone XS/Max drop tests just keep coming, and we’ve now got two from some of the most popular YouTubers to do them: JerryRigEverything and PhoneBuff – videos below.

Zack Nelson, who runs the JerryRigEverything YouTube channel, said that his own tests have proven him wrong …

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One feature difference between iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max is Display Zoom, an accessibility feature that makes content on the screen appear larger than the default resolution. This was introduced on iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, but was notably absent on iPhone X. The display feature is still absent on iPhone XS, but the larger iPhone XS Max version restores it.

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The embedded SIM (eSIM) functionality in the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max, a feature that will enable dual line support in the latest flagship iPhone, can be found in the latest iOS 12.1 beta.

As Apple has outlined in its support document, Dual SIM functionality allows users with two phone lines to use both lines on the same phone. Although the eSIM settings are present in iOS 12.1, you’ll need to gather a QR code or additional information from your carrier before you can put it to use.
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When Apple launched the iPhone XS with its A12 Bionic chip, it made some fairly significant claims for the performance improvements over last year’s iPhone X.

In particular, the company said that the two high-performance cores are up to 15% faster while using up to 40% less power, and the graphics processor is up to 50% faster. ‘Up to’ numbers can often be very misleading, so Macworld decided to carry out some careful benchmark tests …

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The first developer beta of iOS 12.1 was released last week, and it brings with it several new changes and features, including one noteworthy feature specifically aimed at iPhone XS users. Watch our video walkthrough for a brief hands-on look.
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iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max include the ability to edit the blur level on Portrait mode photos after they’ve been captured, and Apple has teased that the ability to edit blur in Portrait mode previews is coming in a future software update. The real-time preview in Depth Control feature is actually available now in the iOS 12.1 developer and public beta release for iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. Here’s how it works:

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Update: TechInsights now says Apple did not remove any of the display technology from the iPhone XS Max.

Following a report yesterday breaking down storage costs for the iPhone XS, TechInsights has today published its look at pricing for other parts within Apple’s new 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max. As noted by Reuters, the single most expensive part in the device is still the OLED display.

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In a synthetic test of real world app launch times, the iPhone XS Max beats out the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 by a decent margin. PhoneBuff uses robot arms to reliably open and switch apps as each app completes its loading tasks, so it is more scientific than most of these phone speed tests — at least the human error is eliminated.

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The promise of true “point-and-shoot” photography with the iPhone has always eluded me. Each year, more advanced camera hardware and new iOS features have improved my photos. Yet, when it comes time to capture a scene, I’m temporarily removed from the moment.

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While Apple hasn’t shared specifics about how the iPhone XS and XS Max offer the best iPhone displays ever (particularly over the iPhone X), DisplayMate has put the XS Max through rigorous testing to find out how the new Super Retina OLED display performs. After the iPhone X received an A+ rating for its display last year, the XS Max has received the highest A+ rating DisplayMate has ever given out and earned its “Best Smartphone Display Award.”

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I’ve upgraded my iPhone each year since replacing my months-old white iPhone 4 with the Siri-equipped iPhone 4S back in 2011. There’s always at least one new feature that makes me want to upgrade during the S years like Siri, Touch ID, and Live Photos.

The benefit of upgrading from iPhone X to iPhone XS is less obvious unless you really want the new gold color or the larger Max size, but I’m on an annual upgrade plan so I didn’t need much convincing. I pre-ordered the space gray iPhone XS Max with 512GB of storage to have something with tangible differences.

I take a lot of photos and videos of my kids and things that interest me so having more local storage and a larger viewfinder for the camera is useful. The camera quality is the feature worth upgrading over, however, as early reviews have noted. I spent the weekend comparing the iPhone XS Max camera to the iPhone X shooter.

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