iPhone Xs Max: First impressions in Taipei's Apple Store

Since the new iPhone Xs variants were launched two weeks ago I am contemplating whether I should get one. Currently an iPhone 8 Plus user, I don't really have the need for a new phone. It serves me well for a year now, and there's no issue what so ever with it. The performance is still speedy, and the battery life is still excellent. This was not the case with older phones (like iPhone 6s for example), but the modern iPhones seem to be really durable, and usable for 2-3 years at least. With that said, there's a want in play here. And with that, there is a "struggle" as well, because the phones are really expensive (see the prices in Taiwan here). It's not that I don't have the money, even if I'm doing very well, I still have that guilt in my head, because I used to grow up poor, and the iPhone X🅂 Max with 1250 USD price tag (for my preferred 256 GB) is a pure luxury item. I'm not sure whether I will buy it, but the way I know myself, there's a 70% chance that I will.

Hands on

The Taipei Apple Store is full with new iPhones, especially the gold ones. I went there on a Wednesday evening, so a lot of tables were free for a hands-on experience. Usually when I go during the weekend the store is full and it's not that pleasant to be there. This time it was fine, and I had a lot of time to play with every color and size.


The optical display is amazing.


The side view in Gold is dazzling.


The double-lens is magnificent.


The notch greeted me. So did the hefty price.


Nice wallpaper caught my attention.


The different price tiers in Taiwan.


The silver models were nearby.


The black option is nice, too.


The lens again.



Conclusion

The iPhone X🅂 actually feels the best in my hand, but the screen feels a tiny bit too small for me. The iPhone X🅂 Max feels heavier than my iPhone 8 Plus, but the screen is so much better in quality, and the surface area is noticeably larger (read about that in my comparison post). The software is quite fluid, but not really faster than on the old iPhone 8 Plus. I'm not really sure all these things are a big upgrade, but the phone looks and feels much better - it feels premium, it feels like a luxury item. And I am known to buy some of these as a reward for myself, so I might pull the trigger on this one. We will see. I'll definitely blog about it, if that happens.