iPhone 11 Pro Max full review: triple lens camera, an all-day battery at last, and bokeh cat photos to boot
There’s a consensus among those who follow the smartphone industry: Apple is usually not the first to introduce new technology, but when it does, it does it well.
And so, while Android phone makers are adding a fourth, or even fifth, camera lens to their handsets, the new iPhone 11 Pro is the first iPhone to have a triple-lens camera system, with the addition of a wide-angle lens.
To, arguably, no one’s surprise, Apple’s implementation of the wide-angle camera is arguably the best yet; it avoids the usual compromises of barrel distortion, soft focus or inconsistent colour science that plague some of the wide-angle options on the market.
This review is of the larger iPhone 11 Pro Max, but unless specifically stated, everything written applies to the standard model as well. There is also a third iPhone 11 model, whose hardware deviates from the Pro line enough that it requires a separate review.
Design and hardware
If you’ve held an iPhone XS Max, you’ll know how the iPhone 11 Pro Max feels. The dimensions and shape are roughly the same, though the 11 Pro Max is slightly thicker to accommodate a larger battery, and has a matte glass finish that makes it significantly less prone to fingerprints; this has less grip than a glossy glass finish gives. Interestingly, the smaller iPhone 11 Pro keeps the glossy reflective glass back. The models’ stainless steel sides and reinforced glass mean the handset could survive a drop or two.