PICTURE PERFECT
iPhone XS Max Review
Life’s moments are precious, especially those involving family. Capture them.
THIS time a year ago, I had just got my hands on the latest iPhone X and was showing off portrait mode to my mum and dad.
I took a photo of my father, with his beaming smile, in a poorly lit church.
In an instant, using the stage light edit setting, I had created a beautiful deep-etched photo of my dad’s face with a solid black background – something that years ago would have taken a graphic artist ages to etch.
I showed the photo to Mum and Dad, who were suitably impressed.
Little did we know that we would be using that same photo in Dad’s funeral service after he passed away following a short battle with cancer earlier this year. The point is life’s moments are precious, especially those involving family.
It’s through that lens I look at the value of a good camera – whether it be a DSLR or the latest smartphone cameras.
Much has been written about the gobsmacking price of the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max. With prices starting at $1799 for the 6.5-inch Max to $2369 for the 512GB version, many will be wondering whether it’s worth the upgrade. If you’re upgrading from last year’s phone, the answer is no.
If you are upgrading from the 6 or 7 model or earlier, the answer depends on how much you value new technology and innovation.
At first look, the iPhone XS Max is a beautiful phone. Its finish, screen resolution, processing power and graphics capability are incredible.
Watching HDR content on the 458 pixels per inch OLED screen, together with its much more impressive speakers, is a mini cinema experience.
The A12 Bionic chip and next generation neural engine combine beautifully in applications ranging from augmented reality to mobile gaming.
But for me, the camera is always the main consideration in a phone.
And this combination is one of the best on the market, particularly when it comes to adjusting background blur after photos are taken.
While this is not new – Samsung and Huawei led the way – the user experience in adjusting F stops using a sliding scale is arguably superior.
After you have taken your photo in portrait mode, you can slide from F1.4 to F16, watching the blur of the background change as you do.
You can also still change the effect to through natural light, studio light, contour light, stage light to stage light mono.
The advanced bokeh and depth control creates some really beautiful family photos, something you would normally only achieve with an DSLR camera.
While the new iPhone XS models come with a big price tag, when you consider what is under the hood, there will be plenty willing to fork out for one of the best mobile technology packages around.
The bottom line, though, is memories are priceless. Spend more time with the ones you love, not the technology to capture them.