With so many different iPhone models to choose from, it can be difficult to tell the difference. In typical fashion, Apple announces their latest iPhones every fall and it leaves consumers wondering what the difference is in the new phones and if it’s even worth buying a new model. With the newest iPhone 12 and the iPhone 12 Mini now on the market, we’re looking back at previous models and what they can still offer you for a fraction of the price. In this buying guide, we’ll take a look at the iPhone 11 Pro Max vs iPhone XS Max.
First off, let’s look at a rundown of their specifications
Specifications
iPhone 11 Pro Max
Display: Super Retina XDR OLED, HDR10, 800 nits (typ), 1200 nits (peak) 6.5 inches
Resolution: 1242 x 2688 pixels
Chip: Apple A13 Bionic
CPU: Hexa-core (2×2.65 GHz Lightning + 4×1.8 GHz Thunder)
Front camera: 12MP
Rear camera: 12MP
iPhone XS Max
Display: Super Retina OLED, HDR10, 625 nits (typ) 6.5 inches
Resolution: 1242 x 2688 pixels
Chip: Apple A12 Bionic
CPU: Hexa-core (2×2.5 GHz Vortex + 4×1.6 GHz Tempest)
Front camera: 7MP
Rear camera: 12MP
iPhone 11 Pro Max vs iPhone XS Max – Design & Display
First of all, if you’re going to compare the designs of these phones then you’re going to be impressed with both. Each of these iPhones come with glass front and back and surgical grade stainless steel throughout. They have a very similar size and each share an impressive 6.5 inches in screen size. Interestingly, they also both have the same screen resolution.
The iPhone 11 Pro Max does come in more colors, including Silver, Space Gray, Gold and Midnight Green – which is a personal favorite – whereas the iPhone XS Max only comes in the first three colors mentioned. The iPhone XS Max is waterproof up to 2 meters of water for 30 minutes and the iPhone 11 Pro Max is waterproof up to 4 meters and 30 minutes. The most obvious difference in the designs is the main camera.
iPhone 11 Pro Max vs iPhone XS Max – Performance
Both iPhones are powerful but the iPhone 11 Pro Max just nicks it. The iPhone 11 Pro Max runs on the A13 Bionic Chip which is a speed upgrade on the iPhone XS Max and it has a much-improved battery life too with up to 20 hours video playback compared to the iPhone XS Max’s 15 hours.
As mentioned, the camera is what you’ll notice between the two and the iPhone 11 Pro Max outshines the iPhone XS Max yet again. The main camera features a 2x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, 4x optical zoom range and a digital zoom up to 10x. The iPhone XS Max features 2x optical zoom in and a digital zoom up to 10x. The front and rear camera also have 12MP’s whereas the iPhone XS Max features only 12MP and a front-facing camera with 7MP.
Should You Buy An iPhone 11 Pro Max or An iPhone XS Max?
Apple no longer sells these two models but you can find them from 3rd party sellers. If you’re after an iPhone for photography, you’ll probably want to go with the iPhone 11 Pro Max but if you’re not fussed and want to save some money you can always find an iPhone XS Max on contract for a lot less with the ability to unlock your phone if you ever need to with handy services like this that will do the job in seconds.
Neither of these iPhone will touch the new iPhone 12’s but you likely won’t care if you just want a really impressive iPhone for a fraction of the price!