iPhone 11 Pro Max in Late 2024 - Review (+iOS 18 Beta)

[@quandey]

I'm still using my iPhone 11 Pro Max as of today, but I'll be getting the 16 Pro Max when it comes out. I care a lot about being sustainable, but I love having all the specs of a newer phone. That's why I upgrade only once every 5 years, but when I do, I buy the latest phone. The last phone I had before the 11 Pro Max was the iPhone 6s.

[@Gidyongidyon9871]

Great bro for ur patience 👍😀

[@shelloshello19]

Wow I’m also 6s -> 11 Pro Max -> planning to get 16 Pro Max. Sustainability ftw!

[@TheTCTech]

@@quandey you’ll definitely feel a ton of improvements! Hope you enjoy the 16PM! I do believe that we’re coming to a point where modern phones are so similar and good that year to year upgrades are completely pointless. I do think a 3-5 year upgrade cycle is what most people should be doing to get the maximum benefit of the new devices. And thank you for commenting as well! :D

[@doc9927]

Wait bro until notch is completely gone i still use my iphone 11 pm too i just replaced the battery and still no problem after 5yrs of using it

[@holguineroloco]

Same here 😂😂

[@thedownhilla]

Helpful - thanks! Arrived here as an 11 Pro Max user running iOS 17.7 with no intention of updating to iOS 18.x. I hold onto iPhones as long as possible, pretty much until no longer Apple supported + apps no longer update, then jump several models and repeat. I arrived at the 11 Pro Max from an iPhone 8

[@TheTCTech]

@@thedownhilla hope that you enjoy it! 11 Pro Max is still a really nice phone, you should have no problem with it for a while. For what it’s worth, iOS 18 beta fairly really smoothly on the 11 Pro Max and the final release has been pretty good too. I understand though if you don’t want to update, the photos app is honestly a major downgrade lol.

[@Auf_dem_Sonnendeck]

I still really enjoy using the 11 Pro Max. Especially because it has the extremely good battery case with the special camera button.

[@TheTCTech]

@@Auf_dem_Sonnendeck for sure, that battery case was really good honestly! It’s kind of funny to think that Apple was putting a capture button already on this phone ;) I was playing around with mine the other day though and noticed the camera button doesn’t work to take photos, only to open the camera app now :( not sure if it’s a bug in iOS 18 right now.

[@akshayaddy]

Which strategy makes more sense? Buying base iPhone every 3 years or buying Pro Max model every 6 years if camera matters? Coz I bought 11 Pro Max but noticed it getting beaten by 12's camera.

[@Lex-gv7wi]

Pro max all the way

[@TheTCTech]

@@akshayaddy pro max has enough features over the base models to justify the extra costs imo. Not only do you usually get pretty stellar cameras, but also the battery life tends to be significantly better. Even if the next years iPhone has a technically better camera, I don’t think the difference is enough to justify a new phone for a new camera. Technically every iPhone gets pretty much demolished by any actual modern dedicated mirrorless camera except for dynamic range.

[@akshayaddy]

​@@TheTCTech Yeah but the issue is even if it's pro max, quality doesn't look as good if used for 6 years. If I change base iPhone every 3 years, it makes quality more consistent and then the camera quality also doesn't stay the same as it was when it came out due to several reasons. Agree with the dedicated camera but can only use iPhones for now. Thinking of creating content with iPhone.

[@TheTCTech]

@@akshayaddy it’s an understandable concern, but I think it’s not something you should have to worry about too much. I started my KZbin channel exclusively shooting with my iPhone, so you can easily get away with it. I even use my 13 Pro Max to shoot videos in my job for content for a restaurant, so it really boils down to what you’re looking for the most. If you want the best camera quality, then you’d have to upgrade frequently, but that’s only one aspect of the experience of the phone so. Something to think about.

[@sdelliott31]

I am running the 11pm on 18 version 6. I just see a little hesitation at times. I am hearing it’s the RC version. I’m not really big into AI. I also have the Fold 6 and mainly use the 11pm because of FT and iMessage. Because of the screen resolution the 11pm is close the the same viewing size as the Fold 6 when watching videos. To me that is crazy.

[@TheTCTech]

@@sdelliott31 for sure, it definitely feels like the beta has been getting smoother over time at least. I’m also running beta 6 which is pretty much RC at this point and it’s worked out a lot of the kinks I feel like. Theres some graphical UI glitches here and there and stutters, but I’m pinning it down to it being beta software for the meantime. 11PM still runs pretty much everything most people would want to do, it has a really nice screen, and I don’t think many people would really miss out on AI features like I mentioned in the video either. The only pitfalls imo is the lack of ram (4GBs) and software support in the future if people are looking at purchasing this phone for personal daily drivers.

[@brian6556]

I am still using my iPhone 11 Pro Max. I will also be upgrading to the 16 Pro Max.Really looking forward to seeing the upgrades in my hand.

[@TheTCTech]

@@brian6556 think it’ll be a really nice upgrade for you, what color do you think you’re going to get? Also, thanks for commenting! :D

[@brian6556]

@@TheTCTech Good question! I have alwasy had the darker colours. I went for the green on the 11 but might go lighter this time. Depends what the gold colour looks like in real life!

[@TheTCTech]

@@brian6556 that green color for the 11 was really great. I wish they had a green option for the 16 Pro haha. It’ll be interesting to see what the new gold/bronze color looks like. It’s going to be something that will look different in person than it does online, I’m sure.

[@akshayaddy]

@@brian6556 Which strategy makes more sense to you? Buying base iPhone every 3 years or buying Pro Max model every 6 years if camera matters? Coz I bought 11 Pro Max but noticed it getting beaten by 12's camera.

[@brian6556]

@@akshayaddy You know I am not really sure. It depends on financials but I would upgrade the pro models every 3-6 years. I also have some screen damage so this is a big reason why I want to upgrade.

[@akshayaddy]

Should I update to iOS 17.6.1 or iOS 18 if performance and stability matters with normal tasks? Currently jailbroken on 14.8. Also do you think it'll get iOS 19? You talked about the RAM but XR with 3GB Ram is also getting iOS 18 update.

[@TheTCTech]

@@akshayaddy I would wait for 18.1 if you want a more stable build of iOS 18. The 11 Pro Max won’t get any of the AI features so that should help keep iOS 18 more stable for it but it’s never going to be as stable on the first major update (a .0 update). From what I remember, iOS 17 on it ran really well, not really any hiccups with it. Yeah, I do believe it will receive iOS 19, but I think that’ll be the last major iOS update it receives. I’m assuming Apple will cut the XS/XS Max and XR next year and end their software support with iOS 18.

[@elmoshmelmo8216]

I plan on getting the 11pro but know it doesn’t support 5g and I’m also switching to Verizon so should I stick to the lowest plan or is the highest plan still worth it

[@TheTCTech]

@@elmoshmelmo8216 hi! I’m not sure how Verizon Tiers their plans actually. I use T-Mobile as my main carrier, but I’m also using Visible as a secondary carrier. Visible runs off of Verizon and it’s normally $45 for the faster plan, but if you’re getting an 11 Pro, you don’t need the access to 5GUW anyway. I think their regular plan is $35 a month for unlimited. Might be something to consider if you’re paying more with Verizon, hope this helps!

[@justmytwocentsdontgetmad]

Crazy how 5-year old things are perceived as "dated" already. Has consumerism become too much? In the next 10 years, tech companies will be convincing us that 1-year old gadgets are already dated.

[@TheTCTech]

@@justmytwocentsdontgetmad thanks for the comment! Yup, it’s actually pretty weird to think about. Although even though they’re older, they still function fairly well. Really, some main points today of upgrading are for security and app compatibility over time. Eventually these devices get software locked to the highest OS version the companies want to push onto it, which in turn results in apps losing compatibility over time for not supporting that software version anymore. Of course the 11 / 11 Pro series is still probably two software versions away from the last OS they will receive, so they have some time. And even then, probably another two years after that till app updates begin to lose compatibility. Another thing is that the majority of people are using their phones as their one and only devices for replacing things such as their computer, cameras, consumption devices, etc… so they justify the upgrade reasoning this way as well. In the end, we could most likely make do easily with the older devices, but it all comes down to preference of whether people want the newest thing or are being forced into it. It’s an interesting thing to think about!

[@fotosvond_]

yes... that's idiotic because most "upgrades" these days are really just cosmetic, there are no big leaps anymore and they try to get you into thinking "I need the latest" even though it makes basically no difference. In August, I switched from iPhone to Sony Xperia even though I don't really like Android, but for me it was a big thing to have casual connectors like the headphone jack, a cheap opportunity for storage expansion or a fast USB-C, all of these have to be paid heavily on top with Apple's products. This kind of things makes a difference for me or that Sony lets me choose how I want my camera footage to look like, but apart from these details you can do the same things with nearly every device nowadays and it is plain marketing and people's naivity to believe what they are told. You can use tech from 2018-2020 with no problems today because it is powerful enough for 90% of applications. Yeah, they show you tests with graphic-intensive games to show "ha it's so much faster" but you won't notice this difference for most of the daily stuff, so most people don't ever really benefit from this increase in CPU and GPU power.

[@princeshah120]

Battery drain fast.even if not use.i don't know why

[@TheTCTech]

Hey there, thanks for your comment, do you happen to know what your battery health is at? Also take a look at your battery settings and see what apps might be taking the most battery life during standby, usually things like location settings or background refresh for some apps can kill the battery quicker. Hope this helps!

[@swapnilchowdhury8774]

Sir Can i see you screen on time and battery section? cause my phone has also 91% battery health.

[@xXUnrulyXx]

i was a long long time user of android (sidekick and droid 1 days) i bought an iphone 8 plus for something different and i hated it.. it was tiny, the camera sucked, and the battery life on it wasnt that good.. but i was determined, so i got the 11 pro max on launch day the best phone i've ever owned. battery life is great, pictures for me are just fine, plenty of storage.. i mean, who doesnt have apple cloud storage too, or g-drive i am thinking about upgrading tho.. its either GAS, or FOMO.. but i'd like a new phone regardless lol.

[@TheTCTech]

@@xXUnrulyXx if you find it being more than enough for you, you can stick with it if you’d like and see what the 17 series brings next year. I bought the 16 Pro Max and I’m picking it up tomorrow so if you have any questions, feel free to ask and I can try to address them in my review or answer you directly here :)

[@xXUnrulyXx]

@@TheTCTech i keep wanting to upgrade.. but my 11 pro max just wont stop lol. i imagine this update to ios 18 for it will be the crippling death blow for the phone im sure lol

[@TheTCTech]

@@xXUnrulyXx haha, it works fine in my experience with iOS 18, and I was running the beta since July. It has some graphical glitches when doing the customization stuff, but after a while it fixes itself. I’m sure it’ll get smoother as iOS 18 gets more refined. It does get kinda warm though

[@xXUnrulyXx]

@@TheTCTech i upgraded my ipad mini and its been fine.. i wont upgrade my phone until i have a couple days off from work.. just in case lol

[@TheTCTech]

@@xXUnrulyXx fair enough. Maybe you can wait for 18.1 for any bugs to be worked out.

[@cabkuykui1977]

Should I buy a used iphone 11 pro max 256GB for $200? It is still in a very good condition and the battery health is in 90% condition. Is 11 p m still going to get update next yr?

[@TheTCTech]

@@cabkuykui1977 $200 isn’t bad at all. The phone still works good, the biggest thing is software support in your case. I think it will get iOS 19 as its last major software update, but this isn’t a given either so proceed with caution if you plan on keeping it for 2+ years.

[@cabkuykui1977]

@@TheTCTech thanks, mate.

[@lalalala5098]

I have one in graphite and I updated my iOS to ios18 and it’s freakin amazing!!!!!!! I say go for it. My battery health is 100%

[@cabkuykui1977]

@@lalalala5098 cheers, mate

[@EggsPoint]

Which color?

[@swapnilchowdhury8774]

Sir, will you please make 11 pro max battery backup on (ios18 RC)

[@swapnilchowdhury8774]

I want to know the idle battery drain at and Nighttime

[@alexanderakintunde2744]

I still use the iphone 7 lol.

[@Flaxety]

how much is the battery at

[@TheTCTech]

@@alexanderakintunde2744 if it works, why not? Phones are super expensive and I commend anyone still using their devices and getting life out of them.

[@alexanderakintunde2744]

@@Flaxety dead, had it changed recently.

[@alexanderakintunde2744]

@@TheTCTech I’m just poor man😂

[@TheTCTech]

@@alexanderakintunde2744 honestly, fair lol

[@Umar._xd]

Iphone 11 proo review plz.

[@TheTCTech]

@@Umar._xd I’m sorry, I don’t have the regular 11 Pro :( pretty much everything I said in this review applies to the regular 11 Pro though. The only difference I would say is that battery life is obviously worse on the smaller one and the display is smaller but also makes the phone a lot lighter and pocketable in comparison. Both should perform exactly the same though.

[@slavonijacro]

Dated design 😂they all look the same from the back till 16

[@1sttikoAquila]

i believe you meant the a13 chip cuz 13 pro is the one with a15 🫣

[@TheTCTech]

@@1sttikoAquila whoops! Sorry about that, yes I meant A13 Bionic. Thanks for pointing it out!