On a recent trip to Japan, I visited the mountain resort town of Karuizawa, about an hour’s train journey from Tokyo. One of the most scenic spot in this small resort is the Kumobaike Pond.

Apple’s maxed the iPhone X in pretty much every way. The iPhone XS Max is more powerful and more durable, has a bigger screen and larger battery, and has a camera that’ll occasionally make you squee. But also the price-tag’s ramped up to the max as well. The 64GB model is £1099; 256/512GB models, respectively, give your bank account a kicking to the tune of £1249 and £1449. Those price points, for reference, match the first two levels of 13in MacBook Pro. Equivalent models of the Samsung S9+ are three hundred quid cheaper. And you don’t even get a headphone dongle in the iPhone’s box this year. So, yes, this iPhone is expensive, but – most importantly – it’s really bloody good. For anyone rocking a Plus or who feels hemmed in by the iPhone X, it’s an excellent upgrade. But if you don’t care about the extra screen space, or fancy something smaller and lighter, remember the iPhone XS is now basically the same phone – and a hundred quid cheaper.

Gorgeous display; Absurdly powerful; Superb camera; Great build quality;

Expensive; The notch still irks; Wobbles when set on a table; No headphone dongle in the box;

If you like a big-screen phone, you probably don't need to look elsewhere. This phone is the same size as the iPhone 8 Plus (actually, it's a whisker thicker but slightly shorter and less wide) and around the same weight. But it has a display that's a full inch bigger, and it looks utterly sumptuous as a result. It has lots of subtle upgrades, from the increased waterproofing to the longer battery life and then some bigger changes, such as the improved cameras, faster processor and upgraded colours on the display compared to the iPhone X. But it's the look that really sells it: a full-screen phone at this size is a real head-turner.

There are three new iPhones in 2018, in three different sizes and prices. The iPhone XR is the more affordable and has the best battery-life of the new iPhones. The iPhone XS is the smallest, and the sleekest. But the iPhone XS Max is the showboat.

The supersize iPhone XS Max crams a 6.5-inch screen and all of the same great features of the iPhone XS into a Plus-size body -- but it's not as huge a leap up as you might think.

The iPhone XS Max has a big, brilliant display and a little more battery life than the XS; It benefits from the improvements that the XS also has: faster speeds, some durability and water resistance improvements, better camera and dual-SIM support.

It's so, so, so expensive; If the iPhone Plus models were too big for your hands, this one will be, too.

In some ways the XS Max could be your perfect phone. It brings the option of a larger screen to those for whom 5.8in just isn’t enough and is the first iPhone to cater for those who need two SIMs. It also brings upgrades to photos (Smart HDR), videos (extended dynamic range) and audio (better stereo). However, it remains tricky to justify the high price (from £1,099), especially if 64GB isn’t enough storage for you. Battery life could be better and while performance is great, it isn’t a huge jump up from the iPhone 8 or X. The upcoming iPhone XR could be a better alternative if you’re after something cheaper, too. And if your current phone isn’t an iPhone 6, 7 or 8 Plus, go to an Apple store and try out an XS Max for size before you buy.

Gorgeous display; Absurdly powerful; Superb camera; Great build quality;

Expensive; The notch still irks; Wobbles when set on a table; No headphone dongle in the box;

One criticism we often used to hear about the iPhone X is that its 5.8-inch screen simply wasn’t big enough. In 2017, big-screen lovers had to opt for the less fully-featured iPhone 8 Plus to get the most real estate. Not anymore: Smartphone shoppers in 2018 and 2019 have the option of the Apple iPhone XS Max, which offers the biggest screen available in an iPhone to date, along with many top-shelf features such as Face ID. It’s the perfect option for people who want to upgrade from older Plus models. For the first time in a while, you no longer have to choose between features when looking at the iPhone XS and XS Max. In the past, opting for the smaller iPhone over the Plus model meant sacrificing some features such as the dual camera. With the iPhone XS and XS Max, that’s no longer the case. Both phones have the same features, except they differ in battery and screen size. As such, you’d hardly find any differences design-wise over last year’s iPhone X. The front carries the now-iconi...

Stunning, massive OLED screen; Solid battery life; Excellent performance; Beautiful design and build; Smart HDR greatly improves camera;

Difficult to use one-handed; Expensive; No fast-charging cable or headphone jack dongle included;

Having been the proud new owner of the iPhone XS Max for a few days, I’ve gotten a feel for the device. Here’s a compressed iPhone XS Max review. Everything is very fast and responsive. Apps spring right open. Photos scroll without delay. Maps render without a hiccup.