Max Factor - Apple Iphone XS Max

The iPhone joins the giant phone trend with this 6.5-inch monster, but is it a big enough reason to upgrade?

For the last few years, when there’s been a ‘plus’-sized iPhone, the bigger one has always been better. The screen size is a matter of personal preference, but they’ve also had significantly better battery life and dual cameras instead of single-lens affairs. That all changes with the release of the iPhone XS models. The 5.8-inch iPhone XS and 6.5-inch iPhone XS Max are the same phone in different sizes, so apart from talk of physical dimensions, this is effectively our review of both.

Beauty factor

We might as well start by looking at that screen. The 2688x1242 OLED screen is absolutely stunning, leading the field in vibrancy and colours without question, even if the 6.4-inch Samsung Note9 actually has it beaten for sharpness. When things are this high-res, it’s not a problem.

Watching movies on the screen is especially impressive: all of Apple’s OLED phones support Dolby Vision, which is the most advanced kind of HDR, and is supported by Netflix and iTunes movies, so there’s plenty of content. Firing up a blockbuster that makes the most of the dynamic range on offer here puts most TVs to shame – the depth of the blacks and richness of the colours is gripping.

As an added bonus, the stereo speakers actually give you true left and right separation if you’re using them, so you can hear things move in space as they travel across the screen. Good headphones will always be better, but the speakers are so clear, loud and well-balanced that this really doesn’t seem like a bad way to watch something. They’re among the most impressive we’ve heard, though the Razer phone’s amazing Atmos speakers still has them beat, since they somehow also added in height, despite coming from a phone you’re holding in front of you.