The iPhone XS Max (pronounced ‘Ten S Max’) is the most important smartphone Apple has ever made. With a 6.5-inch show, hardly any display screen bezel and the now-iconic display screen notch it’s a dominating presence within the hand.

It additionally dominates the pocket, each by way of dimension and worth. In addition to being the most important, the iPhone XS Max can also be the costliest iPhone up to now, with Apple delivering a handset with a display screen dimension that rivals probably the most premium of Android flagships.

Replace: we have spent extra time reviewing the iPhone XS Max, and have up to date this evaluation with our definitive findings on the battery.

This can be a daring assertion from a agency that has, up till final 12 months with the introduction of the 5.Eight-inch iPhone X, resisted the urge to push the display screen dimension envelope to the identical scale as its Android rivals.

Nonetheless, Apple has determined that now could be the best time to supersize its smartphone show and the iPhone XS Max is the primary technology of the brand new, bigger type issue.

For individuals who crave extra display screen for video and gaming on the transfer, the expansive show of the iPhone XS Max might be a welcome addition to Apple’s lineup, whereas these wanting a premium expertise with out the supersized dimensions can take consolation that it’s launched alongside the smaller iPhone XS.

Watch our 48-hour evaluation of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max video beneath

iPhone XS Max worth and availability

• iPhone XS Max 64GB worth: $1,099 (£1,099, AU$1,799)
• iPhone XS Max 256GB worth: $1,249 (£1,249, AU$2,049)
• iPhone XS Max 512GB worth: $1,449 (£1,449, AU$2,369)

As we have already hinted, it is a premium telephone with an much more premium price ticket. The iPhone XS Max begins at $1,099 (£1,099, AU$1,799) for the 64GB mannequin, which is $100 (£100, AU$170) greater than the iPhone XS.

If you would like extra inner storage, the 256GB iPhone XS Max worth is $1,249 (£1,249, AU$2,049), whereas the costliest 512GB model will set you again a staggering $1,449 (£1,449, AU$2,369).

There is not any mainstream smartphone that prices greater than the 512GB iPhone XS Max, placing it in a league of its personal by way of pricing. You do get quite a lot of telephone for the cash – however there is not any getting away from the truth that it is an terrible lot of cash that Apple is asking for.

iPhone XS Max pre-orders have been open since September 14 in most main markets, however supply estimates are already rolling into 1-2 weeks or longer.

Which means you will not make the iPhone XS Max launch date of September 21 if you happen to’re pre-ordering now, along with your different alternative being to queue up outdoors an Apple retailer on the day if you happen to should have the telephone in your hand at launch.

Design

• Identical design as iPhone X, however larger
• A contact shorter and slim than the iPhone Eight Plus, with a much bigger display screen

The iPhone XS Max design is misleading. Decide it up, and the rounded sides of the handset make it really feel noticeably thick.

The result’s a telephone that does not sit as comfortably within the hand because it may, and contemplating the dimensions and price of the XS Max it is a telephone you need to have the ability to securely maintain. That is solely half the story although.

We in contrast the iPhone XS Max to a lot of telephones throughout our in-depth evaluation, together with the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (6.Four-inch display screen), OnePlus 6 (6.2-inch) and Sony Xperia XZ3 (6-inch), and the iPhone felt thicker, and fewer planted within the hand then all of them. 

The humorous factor is although, the iPhone XS Max is thinner than all of these telephones at simply 7.7mm.

The rationale for that is easy: tapered edges. The Samsung, Sony and OnePlus all taper their rear edges, giving the impression of a thinner system whereas additionally permitting them to sit down slightly higher within the curvature of your hand.

The iPhone XS Max has a completely flat again that is slightly extra awkward to carry, and we discovered tactfully-placed pinkie finger on the underside of the telephone was a should for one-handed use.

iPhone XS Max hands-on gallery

What’s extra spectacular is that the XS Max manages to squeeze an enormous 6.5-inch show right into a physique that is a contact shorter and narrower (at 157.5 x 77.4mm) than the iPhone 8 Plus, which solely boasts a 5.5-inch show.

Whereas the iPhone XS Max does really feel slightly chunky within the hand there is not any questioning the truth that you are getting an enormous quantity of show actual property crammed right into a type issue which does a very good job of holding it usable.

The metal body across the outdoors and the brand new formulation of glass on the entrance and rear – which is more durable than the glass on the iPhone X – give the iPhone XS Max a supremely premium feel and look, whereas its resistance to mud and water has additionally been enhanced.

Apple has upped the safety to IP68, enabling the iPhone XS Max to be submerged to a depth of as much as two meters for 30 minutes with out struggling any in poor health results. Apple claims it is examined the safety in a lot of liquids, together with salt water, chlorinated water, milk, wine and beer, though we would not advise purposefully exposing the handset to any of those.

It is value noting that Apple’s guarantee, like these of all telephone producers, would not cowl ‘liquid contact’ injury, which implies if the liquid resistance does fail on the iPhone XS Max you will not be lined.

There is not any headphone jack on the iPhone XS Max. The port is now completely useless after Apple killed off the iPhone 6S and iPhone SE post-iPhone XS launch (the final two handsets with the three.5mm jack that had been obtainable from the agency’s website), which implies you get a centralized Lightning port alongside speaker and microphone holes on the bottom of the iPhone XS Max.

There is a pair of Apple EarPods with a lightning connector within the field with the iPhone XS Max, however if you happen to plug this into the lightning port on the bottom of the telephone you may’t join the charging cable to it on the identical time.

Fortunately, the iPhone XS Max additionally helps wi-fi charging, so when you have a charging pad handy you may prime the handset up whereas listening to a wired set of headphones.

The facility/lock secret is on the best facet of the XS Max, and is straightforward sufficient to hit with thumb or forefinger, whereas the amount keys sit beneath the bodily mute swap on the left of the handset.

General although, Apple hasn’t moved removed from the design of the iPhone X with the iPhone XS Max, aside from to stretch it slightly. There may be, nevertheless, a brand new shade choice over the X.

Apple launched a brand new gold end for each the iPhone XS Max and XS, and it is slightly richer than the extra delicate gold end choice for the iPhone 8 and eight Plus. When you discover the gold a bit an excessive amount of, the iPhone XS Max additionally is available in Silver and House Grey.