iPhone Xs and iPhone Xs Max display surface area comparison

September 22, 2018

I'm really tempted to get either the new iPhone X🅂 or the iPhone X🅂 Max, the only "issue" I have right now is deciding on the preferred screen size. I currently own and use an iPhone 8 Plus, and I had the 6s and 6 Plus before, effectively using the same display surface area for over 3 years. I'm kind of used to this size now, but I am also starting to feel that I would like to try something new, so the iPhone Xs it is... but which one? I'm still not a fan of the notch, but I guess I can get used to it. The notch however is that part that takes away a sizable screen real estate area from these phones. I've read on many forums that the 5.8 inch iPhone X wasn't really bigger than the iPhone 8 Plus. I wanted to be sure on that, so I started think how could I measure the display surface area only (in square inches or square centimeters), and after checking some forums, I finally figured it out!



My methodology

The method was rather simple, and full disclaimer, it is not 100% accurate. What I did is, I took out a ruler and measured the screen area of my iPhone 8 Plus. The dimensions were 4.80 inch x 2.70 inch (12.2 cm x 6.85 cm). I then went to Apple's website, to the iPhone X🅂 product page, and made a screen grab of an image that compares the sizes of the new phones with the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus. I then dropped these images into Photoshop, selected the display surface area and got all the dimensions in pixels (see a screen grab here). I then calculated the display surface area of my iPhone 8 Plus in square inches (12.96) and square centimeters (83.57), and divided it with the pixel dimension to get the size of 1 pixel in both square inches and square centimeters. Once I had this, I just multiplied it with the pixel dimensions of other phones I measured (the iPhone X🅂, iPhone X🅂 Max, iPhone X🅁 and also the iPhone 8). I then rounded up all the values and here they are for your easier understanding.

The iPhone 8 Plus compared to iPhone X🅂 Max and iPhone X🅂.

The iPhone 8 Plus compared to iPhone X🅁 and iPhone 8.

As stated above, the numeric results are not 100% accurate, because I was rounding up a lot of decimal numbers, and my ruler is also not that accurate, however the screen surface sizes and how they stand in relation to other phones are accurate (for example the fact that the iPhone 8 Plus has a bigger display surface area than the iPhone X🅂 etc).

Some observations

- The iPhone X🅂 has a 2.2% smaller screen surface area than the iPhone 8 Plus
- The iPhone X🅂 Max has a 20.5% larger screen surface area than the iPhone 8 Plus
- The iPhone X🅂 Max has a 23.2% larger screen surface area than the iPhone X🅂
- The iPhone X🅂 Max has a 4.8% larger screen surface area than the iPhone X🅁
- The iPhone X🅁 has a 17.6% larger screen surface area than the iPhone X🅂

Bottom line is: The iPhone X🅂 Max as well as the iPhone X🅁 are huge, while the iPhone X🅂 is actually much smaller than Apple wants us to believe. And because it's so stretched out, it's more or less like an iPhone 8 limousine. The 8 Plus now has its own Plus model: The iPhone X🅂 Max!

Here is a chart I made based on my display surface area calculation, that should give you a better idea about these phones than Apple's own website (for example, did you know that the iPhone X🅁 and the iPhone 8 have the same PPI? I guess this is a good upgrade for current iPhone 6/7/8 users).


In conclusion

This is a real display comparison, because it deducts the areas like the notch and the rounded corners, basically it's the screen size you actually see every day, not the display panel size, which is partly bent and hidden behind the notch and the corners. I wish Apple would provide this information to us, it would be more appropriate than the diagonal size. Meanwhile, my data should be good enough for most consumers to have a better idea about the sizes, and make a more informed decision. I will definitely go to the Taipei Apple store and have a hands-on experience before I purchase (initially leaned towards iPhone X🅂 but now I think I will have to opt for the iPhone X🅂 Max). I advise you to do the same, if you have the chance.

No comments:

Post a Comment

Please comment on topic. Spam, off-topic stuff, and hate speech will be removed.

Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.