The design of the iPhone XS Max is disappointing. Pick it up and make it look amazingly thick from the rounded sides of the phone.
The effect is a telephone that does not sit as easily as it can, and considering the size and expense of the XS Max it is a telephone you want to keep securely. However, this is just half the story.
In our in-depth analysis we compared the iPhone XS Max to a range of smartphones, including the Samsung Galaxy Note 9 (6.4-inch screens), OnePlus 6 T (6.41-inch) and Sony Xperia XZ3 (6-inch), the iPhone felt heavier and less in the hand than everything.
The funny thing is that the iPhone XS Max is just 7.7 mm thinner than all those phones.
The reason is simple: the edges are tapered. Samsung, Sony and OnePlus all taper their rear edges, giving you the feeling of a thinner device, while allowing you to settle a bit better in your hand curvature.
The iPhone XS Max has a completely flat back that is a little bit more difficult to hold, and we discovered that a touchy pink finger on the bottom of the phone is a must for one-handed use.
More impressively, the XS Max manages to squeeze a huge 6.5-inch display into a body which is shorter and smaller (157.5 x 77.4 mm) than the iPhone 8 Plus, with a display of 5.5-inch only.
Although the iPhone XS Max feels a little chunky, there’s no denying that you get a lot of display real estate in the middle of a structured factor that makes it accessible.
The steel frame on the outside and the new glass formulation on the front and rear – harder than the glass on the iPhone X – give the iPhone XS Max an excellent feel and look, while also increasing its resistance to dust and water.
Apple has increased the IP68 protection so that iPhone XS Max can be submerged for 30 minutes at depths of up to two meters without any harmful effects. It has been tested in a number of liquids, including salt water, chlorinated water , milk, wine and beer, even though we would not recommend that the handset be exposed to any such products intentionally.
It is worth noting that Apple’s warranty, like those of all phone producers, does not cover ‘liquid contact’ damage, that means you won’t cover your liquid resistance if your iPhone XS Max fails.