18 Pro vs Pro Max?

[u/Ok_Department_6045]

I’m upgrading from an iPhone 11 and I’m really torn between the 18 Pro and Pro Max. I’m set on the burgundy colour. I checked out both in the Apple Store.

Dimension-wise, I know the Pro is supposedly slightly bigger or at least comparable to the iPhone 11, but when I saw it in person, it just felt so small and boxy I also wasn’t the biggest fan of how it looked when I saw it in other people’s hands.

On the other hand, I absolutely loved the burgundy Pro Max in person. It looked so much more premium to me, and less boxy. I just preferred its overall look and feel.

My main concern is practicality. I’m worried the Pro Max might end up inconvenient to carry around in my pockets/bag. I really don’t want to end up regretting the size!

The other option is to just hold on to my iPhone 11 for now and wait for Apple’s 20th-anniversary iPhone in 2027, especially since my current phone is still holding up fine. Part of me wonders if that might be a more worthwhile upgrade, but obviously there’s no guarantee it’ll be anything special.

Any advice from anyone who recently got the pro/promax or anyone who ended up switching between the 2?

Thanks!

[u/AVIZN4U]

I'm going to preface this by saying, I'm 6'2" 265 and in my youth (a million years ago) I was in the "Pest Control" end of the nightclub business in NYC back when everything was still...ahem..."organized"! (IYKYK)

I am not a diminutive person. BIG HANDS!!

Now, I was getting very invested in upgrading from my 15P to an 18PM for the first time. Specifically, I use my phone for video audition work and thought the bigger screen would be great...and it would. I had read a lot here about people complaining about the weight and size of the 18PM and I would chuckle to myself trying to understand how lame you had to be to complain about weight of a friggin smartphone.

My neighbor had an 18PM he bought for his wife, and she did NOT like it at all and wanted to trade it for a pro. He let me use it for an evening just to play games and surf the web...things I might ordinarily be doing while in the recliner after dinner. After about 2 hours, I was done. It was heavy and my now, mildly arthritic hands were NOT having it. Between the significant increase in weight and the stretching I forced my fingers to do to try and use it one-handed, it was all too much!! I am THAT lame guy!! I admit it.

So, I ordered a 18P in black and called it a day. Very happy with my choice.

[u/Ok_Department_6045 → u/AVIZN4U]

I’m almost a whole foot shorter and with much smaller hands so I can only imagine what it’s going to be like for me! Thank you for such a great insight and great storytelling btw

[u/Ceezeecz → u/Ok_Department_6045]

The Pro Max is not a one hand device. If you’re looking for that get the Pro.

For me it has to fit in my hand, in my purse, and in a leggings pocket. Otherwise I’ll just get annoyed with myself for choosing the larger one. I’m 5’3” and these things matter for usability.

I went from a 14 Pro to the 18 Pro and absolutely love it. So fast and the camera is flat out amazing.

I have an iPad if I need a larger screen for videos, etc.