IPhone 11 Pro Max review: Apple gives us what we asked for

There was a feeling that lately the iPhone was lagging behind in some fundamental respects. For many it was the phone with the best overall score, but did not finish excelling in key points such as photography or autonomy, with rivals marking differences where before the iPhone dominated without problems.

To the power of its processor, the custom-made software and its excellent screen, elements where Apple has never failed, users wanted to add a camera that could rival the best on the market, and an autonomy that finally allowed us to leave the chargers at home without worries. This year Apple has listened to us, and the result is the iPhone 11 Pro Max.

Showing off camera

Apple has chosen this year to offer us a continuous design. This year it was the turn of the models without "S" which usually means a design change, and it has been so ... at least half. If you look at the front, it is identical to the XS Max, its predecessor, but the rear is different. None of the models that we have seen all these weeks prior to the presentation of the iPhone have been successful. It seemed difficult to get that module with three objectives to look good in a smartphone that always boasted of its design, but they have succeeded.

That rear glass has a new matte finish, as if it were a translucent glass, with a more gray than black color, and with the Apple logo right in the middle of the device. Apple has removed those horrible silkscreens from the bottom, and on that back we only see the bitten apple, because it goes without saying that it is an iPhone, that is seen with the naked eye. The matte finish also has a special texture that according to some gives better grip, but that I am not quite clear about. What you can tell is that this matte surface is not so sensitive to fingerprints. Apple says its front and rear windows are the toughest on the market, very good news.

As we said before, the models that came to us before the presentation of the new iPhone were not right, and it was simply because they started from a wrong premise: to hide the camera module. Apple not only does not try to hide it, it enhances it in its design. The rear glass stops being matte to be shiny, and it also has a soft curvature that achieves an optical effect that makes you doubt if it really stands out or could it be the other way around. The three lenses also stand out, surrounded by three metal rings in the same color as the iPhone.

Heavier, thicker, more battery, more powerful

The new iPhone 11 Pro Max is thicker and heavier. The change in thickness is negligible, only 0,4mm more than its predecessor, but the weight is noticeable when you have an iPhone XS Max in one hand and an iPhone 11 Pro Max in the other (18 grams difference). After a year with my XS Max, the feeling of carrying the new 11 Pro Max in your pocket is exactly the same, but if you come from a smaller device, like an XS, X, or even more if you come from other models, you will notice it. It is the price we have to pay to be able to enjoy one of the great improvements of this 2019 model: bigger battery.

The battery capacity of this new iPhone has been increased by 25%, reaching 3.969mAh. If we add to this a much more efficient screen and processor despite the improvements received, in total Apple ensures that the iPhone 11 Pro Max has 5 hours more use than its predecessor. In my first full 24 hours of testing, and taking into account that the use has been higher than usual, reaching 20% ​​at the end of a very intensive day is a success. We will see if with this model I end up needing the Smart Battery Case, for now I think not. By the way, it already includes the 18W fast charger and the USB-C to lightning cable.

XDR display: one lime, one sand

The screen of this new iPhone is better, undoubtedly better, and this will almost certainly be certified by the DisplayMate report that we will soon have published. This new “Super Retina XDR” display (no support required) maintains its size (6,5 ”), resolution and pixel density (458ppp). But it increases the contrast twice (2.000.000: 1) and has a maximum brightness of 1200 nits, although it is only used at this maximum when we enjoy HDR content.

However, Apple has chosen to eliminate a component of the screen that many of us have become accustomed to, and that gives you a bittersweet feeling when you start using your new iPhone. Removing the 3D Touch means reducing the thickness of the screen and thus having more space for the battery (the second payment we have had to make), and Apple has changed it for the Haptic Touch, which does not need additional hardware, it works only for software. What used to be "press harder" is now "press longer", and that requires adaptation time. Using iOS 13 since June has helped me to adapt to change, but the feeling is different from that of my XS Max, and it is something that bothers me right now, although I am sure that in a few weeks I will have forgotten it.

Taking advantage of the fact that we are talking about the screen we are going to say a few words about FaceID, responsible for the famous "notch" as criticized as it is imitated. Apple's facial recognition system is somewhat faster, but faster than something that is already fast, so you will not notice it unless you compare it against another model. What I have not noticed is a greater field of action, and it still does not work horizontally. Despite these small drawbacks, I still prefer it over Touch ID, without the slightest doubt.

The camera makes the difference

The element that makes the biggest difference compared to previous models is, without a doubt, the camera. The triple lens includes a wide angle and a telephoto lens, like previous years, and also adds an ultra wide angle:

• Wide Angle - ƒ / 1,8 - 100% Focus Pixels - 12Mpx
• Telephoto - ƒ / 2 - 100% Focus Pixels - 12Mpx
• Ultra Wide Angle - ƒ / 2,4 - 120º - 12Mpx

In addition to the hardware improvements, Apple has improved its Smart HDR system, the same one that last year was the center of the controversy for the "beauty effect" due to the tendency to soften the images. This year the story has changed, and the detail that can be seen in the photographs, even with the Smart HDR mode activated, is much greater. Portrait mode goes one step further, and although the background blur imperfections are still noticeable when the foreground and background are not well differentiated, the telephoto improvement and the ability to now take portraits with the wide angle (the best lens of the three) makes the quality of the photos higher.

But the star of the new camera is the new Night Mode. Apple has included this function, already present in the main smartphones of the competition, but it has done it being true to its style. The photos are not as flashy as the ones you can get with a Pixel or Samsung, simply because they are real. Apple does not want to give us a colored photograph, it wants to show us reality as faithfully as possible, and taking into account that the Night Mode itself already tricks reality, at least it does it in the most respectful way possible. The level of detail in the photos that you can get with this function is surprising.

And the best of all is that you don't have to be a professional photographer to use it, since it is activated automatically when you notice that the light conditions are not good, and if you want, you can modify the exposure time (up to 3 seconds ) or leave it in automatic so that the iPhone decides the best option. If it detects that you are on a tripod, thanks to the accelerometer, it will allow you to increase the exposure time up to 30 seconds!. You can even use it to get motion effects on your photos, just like the pros.

The incorporation of ultra wide angle, in addition to offering you the possibility of better photographing landscapes and open spaces, or capturing scenes with impossible perspectives, enables a very interesting function for those who have the habit of cutting people in photos. When taking a photograph you have the option of having the ultra wide angle automatically capture another, with a greater field of vision, and so you can reframe later the photo if something was left out. This option is disabled by default. But in bad lighting situations, better forget about it because it shows that it is the worst target of the three.

Even comparing the photos of an iPohne XS Max, with a great camera and with the Smart HDR mode, the differences are more than evident. And I'm not just talking about the lighting, but also the detail of the captures. The textures are maintained, the leaves of the trees are noticeable, as well as the blocks of the walls of the cathedral, something that in the photos of the XS Max does not happen. All these photos are taken without a tripod, holding my iPhone with two hands, and of course without retouching anything. And we still have to know what will happen when the Deep Fusion feature arrives, which is supposed to make photos that much better, but which we won't see until this fall on the new iPhones.

In terms of video, this new iPhone increases the difference with the competition, which was already great. It improves stabilization, and all of its lenses are capable of recording 4K 60fps video. You can even change the lens, increasing or decreasing the zoom, yes, always with 4K 30fps quality and lower. The iPhone will automatically choose the most suitable lens for the zoom you choose, and although some small "jumps" are noticed when changing lenses, the result is really good.

We cannot forget the front camera, which goes up to 12Mpx (ƒ / 2,2) and capable of recording video in 4K format at 24/30/60 fps, with Smart HDR and the new “Slofies”, slow motion video selfies that will soon flood Instagram stories and the like. Special mention should be made of the new Camera application for the three iPhone 11 models, with more tools and a renewed interface, which we will analyze later in another video.

Candidate for number 1

The new iPhone 11 Pro Max aspires to be number 1 in almost every category, as it should never have stopped being. A camera that does not need fireworks or tricks to achieve surprising results, a battery that will give you many hours of use, the unmatched power of always and a really beautiful design. There will always be those who say that it does not have 5G or that the connector is not USB-C, two details that will probably end up arriving in the near future, but that do not serve to blur a device of ten. What is inexcusable is that a "Pro" device that costs € 1259 starts at 64GB of capacity.