IPhone 11 Pro Max still impresses
Camera remains its best feature by far, but carrier connectivity woes persist
After a month of getting to know the smartphone, our tech writer still lauds the camera.
When I wrote my review of the iPhone 11 Pro Max about a month ago, I’d only had the phone for about a week. I don’t like writing about something after spending so little time with it, because no matter how thorough you are when exploring a product, it can’t compare to day-to-day use over time.
After more than four weeks, I still love it, and as I wrote originally, I still believe the cameras on the iPhone 11 Pro series are the primary reason to buy it — and based on my experience using the phone in public, they are indeed the component that draws the most interest.
Here’s a look at how three key features have fared over time:
The cameras
It still strikes me as the best camera on a current smartphone. While I haven’t yet laid hands on a Google Pixel 4, the comparison photos I’ve seen with the 11 Pro phones give the edge to the iPhone, particularly when it comes to Night Mode. As you can see in the photo of the outdoor scene, shot last weekend at a wedding in Austin, it’s pretty impressive.
But the cameras have some annoyances. Faces often seem rosy, or even orangey, in both regular and low-light situations. iPhones have always had a certain color “look” to them, and this phone emphasizes that. (Samsung Galaxy phone cameras also have their own, usually more saturated, color palette.)
The way Night Mode works — automatically, without having to do anything — has one downside. With Night Mode on, indoor low-lit scenes end up looking like they were shot in broad daylight. But what if that’s not the look you want? What if you want darker atmospherics? You have the ability to manually dial back Night Mode by tapping on its icon on the iPhone’s screen, then using a slider to reduce the brightness.
It’s not intuitive, but you can also completely turn off Night Mode by tapping on the Flash icon — not the Night Mode icon — twice, then manually adjusting the exposure. Tap a point of focus and move your finger up or down.
By the way, an update to iOS 13.2 — the iPhone’s operating system — released last week included a new camera feature called Deep Fusion that combines images from all of the cameras on the iPhone 11 series for more details and less noise. I haven’t had time to dive into this, but like Night Mode, it happens automatically.
The battery
I continue to be impressed by how much longer the battery lasts compared to previous iPhones. I wrote last month that I had been ending the day with an 80 percent to 85 percent charge, when I was deliberately keeping it way from any charging as a test. But in real life, I typically connect my phone to the USB port in my car several times a day because I use the CarPlay interface on my Toyota C-HR’s infotainment system screen. That results in about 30 minutes of charging each time, but at a slow speed.
The result is that with average use I’m closer to 90 percent at the end of the day. With heavy use, it’s down to about 75 percent. Either way, I’m getting to the point where I really never worry about how much charge I have left — which is exactly the way it should be.
Connectivity
If I harbor any disappointment in the iPhone 11 Pro Max, it’s in this category — but I am not sure where to lay the blame.
I’ve had repeated, occasional instances of dropped phone calls, and in a strange way. I’ll be chatting away, and the call fails. I look at the status indicator at the top of the iPhone’s screen and I have zero bars — as in, no service at all. I try to call back and I can’t. About 10 seconds later, I get bars again and I can resume the call.
Is this a hardware, software or a carrier issue (mine is T-Mobile)? Hard to say, although I can say I haven’t experienced the issue since the release of iOS 13.2 last week. I have not yet reached out to Apple or T-Mobile, but if it continues, I will.
It also seems as though LTE data speeds are slower than they were on previous iPhones. For example, I used to get download speeds in the 80-90 megabit-per-second range in the parking lot of the Kroger on West Gray near my home. Now, I’m seeing 25-30 Mbps speeds, with a full five bars. Is that T-Mobile’s problem, or my phone?
Some indicators point to T-Mobile. I have gotten impressive LTE speeds in other locations — 78 Mbps in Austin recently, for example.
Despite the occasional annoyance, I’m still happy. While I originally didn’t plan to go from the XS Max to one of the 11 series phones, I’m glad I did.
And by the way, the Pro Max continues to draw attention when I am using it. At the previously mentioned wedding, someone who used to be a pro photographer came up to me to ask about the phone. By the end of our discussion, and after I showed him what it could do, he walked off saying it had been a while since he’d bought a new smartphone, but maybe it was time to invest.
( A version of this story first appeared in Dwight Silverman’s Release Notes email newsletter. Sign up at https://houstonchronicle.com /releasenotes.)