This is the iPhone 12 Pro Max.
It has the biggest screen on any iPhone ever.
Impact several significant camera upgrades that the regular 12 Pro doesn't have.
So let's get big.
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When Apple announced the iPhone 12 family, it did something with the Pro Max that it had it done in years.
You see, the iPhone 11 Pro Max and 10 S Max or just larger versions of the 11 Pro antennas respectively.
The same way the iPhone 12 mini is just a smaller iPhone 12.
But in 2016, Apple release the iPhone 7 Plus, which wasn't just a larger iPhone 7. But it also had a dual rear camera, which the 7th didn't have.
Apple gave you a reason to buy a 7 Plus beside from just wanting a larger screen.
And the same could be said of the iPhone 12 Pro Max and with a starting price of $1,099.
You gotta wonder, are those upgrades worth the extra $100?
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At its core, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, like all the phones in the iPhone 12 family, has a bunch of things going forward like the new flat side of design.
It's reminiscent of the iPhone 5 and iPad Pro.
It has support for 5G.
An OLED screen with support for HDR, a ceramic healed covering and A14 Bionic processor support for Mag Safe wireless charging.
And it can be submerged in water to a depth of 6 meters for 30 minutes.
Now if you want to go deep on any of those features, make sure you take a look at my iPhone 12 and 12 Pro review.
The link is in the description.
Spoiler alert they are outstanding.
That said, there are a handful of things that separate the iPhone 12 Pro Max from its iPhone 12 siblings, the most notable, its size.
This is a big boy.
If you drop this on someone's head, there's a chance that that person will sustain a serious injury.
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The 12th Pro Max is just 2 grams heavier than last years 11 Pro Max.
But the flat edges make it feel incredibly solid and well built.
This is premium on another level, especially with that matt edged glass back.
The review unit I'm using is gold.
And the polished stainless steel sides look like C3po on his best day.
Defining all of this premium bigness is a 6.7 inch OLED screen, which is larger than last years 6.5 inch one found on the 11 Pro Max.
The new screen makes the 12 Pro Max a sliver taller, which combined with those flat sides gives the behemoth iPhone a tight like robust field and the screen well, it's excellent.
Everything looks rich and vibrant.
And there's fantastic contrast.
If you want an iPhone with the biggest screen, this is the one to get.
But let's flip this chunky boy over.
See the big old hunk in camera bump.
Here is an SD card next to the camera bump.
The camera bump is actually a hair thicker.
Now most people are going to put in a case which will level things out.
And I don't want to complain too much about the camera bump size because it houses the next feature that sets it apart from the rest of the iPhone 12 lineup.
And that's a revamped camera system.
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I've gotten a lot of questions about this and what cameras are the same and different on each phone.
So let's see if we can break this down.
Okay, all four phones have the same ultra wide angle and selfie cameras.
All four phones have a new faster F1.6 aperture lens on their main wide angle camera.
That said, the wide angle camera on the 12 Pro Max is different, which will get into in a second.
The 12 pro and 12 Pro Max also have a nifty LIDAR sensor.
Which helps with autofocus in low light.
Last, both the 12 Pro and 12 Pro Max have third rear camera with a telephoto lens for the lens on the 12 Pro Max is longer than the one on the 12 Pro.
So there you go.
Let's go back to the main wide angle camera on the 12 Pro Max.
What makes it different from the other iPhones 12 is that it has a large sensor.
And that combined with that faster lens, at least according to Apple and 87% improvement in low light capability.
On paper, that's pretty impressive.
But here's the other thing about the wide angle camera.
It has sensor based optical image stabilization instead of the lens based OS found on the 12, 12 Mini and 12 Pro.
By stabilizing the sensor, you gain the equivalent of one stop of light, which again on paper, is impressive.
The cameras on the iPhone 12 Pro Max seemed built around the singular goal of taking outstanding photos and videos in medium and low light situations.
Now for the most part that's true.
The Pro Max does take pretty great photos in low light.
But when comparing photos with the regular 12 Pro, the differences don't jump out at you right away.
And that's less of a strike against the Max and more of an indication of just how good the regular 12 Pro cameras are.
Now it's worth noting that the extra 0.5 times optical zoom you get on the Pro Max his a welcome addition.
We'll be going much more in depth on photos and videos from both phones in an upcoming camera comparison.
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If you're on the fence between the 12 Pro and the 12 Pro Max, you need to ask yourself if the additional size and half of the Max is worth the benefits you get in photography.
And I'd say for most people they're probably not.
And that's largely because the 12 Pro has an amazing all round camera system.
Okay, look, there's one feature that I was really excited about in the cameras.
Which is Apple's new ProRaw photo file, which kind of provides the flexibility of a raw photo file with the smarts of computational photography.
Sadly, this feature isn't out yet and won't come out until later this year.
Now powering all of this is the third feature that distinguishes the iPhone 12 Pro Max from the other iPhones 12 and that is a big battery.
Apple doesn't say how big the battery is.
But in the week I had the phone, it made it through a day and a half, no problem.
Over the weekend it made it all the way through Friday and by Saturday afternoon at 1:30, it still had 40% left.
I was able to run 1 battery test on it, where the phone plays a loop video in airplane mode.
Now Apples website says that the iPhone 12 Pro Max should last 20 hours doing this.
In my test, it lasted 19 hours and 48 minutes.
So yeah, it lines up.
Let's talk about iOS 14 in Mag Safe.
Promise this will make sense.
Like the rest of the iPhone 12 family, the Max can take advantage of Apples, Mag Safe charging and accessories.
Thanks to some magnets, and NFC the phone can get the most efficient wireless charge when attached to a mag safe charger.
And I'll be honest, it's a blast to use.
Even third parties can use MagSafe.
And I'm particularly excited about this MagSafe tripod mount coming out from moment.
Now Apple also makes this really nifty MagSafe duo charger that can charge the phone and an Apple Watch at the same time.
It costs $129.
Now folds up into a handy travel size.
An yes to me that seems expensive for a charger.
But why stop at cases and chargers?
What if you could do this?
Now if your heart skipped a beat seeing this Apple Pencil connect to an iPhone 12 Pro Max, then you know where I'm going with this.
If there was ever a phone to use Apple Pencil on, it's this phone.
But sadly, it doesn't work.
And that brings me to my last point, which is Apple can do more to take advantage of this 6.7 inch screen?
I mean there's iPad OS that optimizes iOS for the larger screens on the iPad lineup.
What about an iOS Max that allows me to use some of that iPad software and features like Split View on a 12 Pro Max?
Or what about supporting an Apple pencil?
Look an iOS designed to take advantage of the iPhone 12 Pro Max is screen would be another benefit that sets this apart from the other iPhones Apple sells.
When all is said and done, I do think the iPhone 12 Pro Max is worth an extra $100, especially compared to the 12 Pro.
But you have to decide if that's worth it to you.
Do you want a larger screen?
Do you want a longer battery life?
Do you want that half?
Do you want these cameras?
Well, what's the price.
And is it worth it to you?
That's what you have to decide.
Now I wanna hear from you guys.
What do you think of the iPhone 12 Pro Max, are you considering upgrading to it?
Do you think it's worth upgrading for the cameras from the 11 Pro Max?
Throw your thoughts in the comments.
