iPhone 11 Pro vs iPhone 11 Pro Max: Which should you buy?

The iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are pretty much the same feature-wise, but the Max has a larger screen and bigger battery. For most people, the iPhone 11 Pro will be enough, but the Max is for those who prefer to have the biggest screens and charge their phone less.

Let's break it down

iPhone 11 Pro

When you look at the specs for the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max, you'll see that they're pretty much identical in terms of features. The only differences between them are the size and battery life. But as far as internals and software, there's no difference. Let's take a look.

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Header Cell - Column 0 iPhone 11 ProiPhone 11 Pro Max
CostStarts at $999Starts at $1099
Screen size5.8-inches6.5-inches
ColorsMidnight Green/Space Gray/Silver/GoldMidnight Green/Space Gray/Silver/Gold
DisplaySuper Retina XDR display at 2436‑by‑1125-pixel resolution at 458 ppiSuper Retina XDR display at 2688‑by‑1242-pixel resolution at 458 ppi
Dimensions5.67-by-2.81-by-0.32 inches6.22-by-3.06-by-0.32 inches
Weight6.63 ounces7.97 ounces
Storage capacity64GB/256GB/512GB64GB/256GB/512GB
Battery life4 more hours than iPhone XS5 more hours than iPhone XS Max
Charger18W Fast Charger with USB-C to Lightning18W Fast Charger with USB-C to Lightning
Water-resistanceIP68 max depth 4 meters up to 30 minIP68 max depth 4 meters up to 30 min
ChipA13 Bionic 3rd-generation Neural EngineA13 Bionic 3rd-generation Neural Engine
CameraTriple Lens (Wide, Ultra Wide, Telephoto) with Audio ZoomTriple Lens (Wide, Ultra Wide, Telephoto) with Audio Zoom
Video4K up to 60fps4K up to 60fps
AudioDolby AtmosDolby Atmos
TrueDepth Camera12MP with wide-angle and slo-mo video12MP with wide-angle and slo-mo video
Face IDYes, works with more anglesYes, works with more angles
CellularGigabit-class LTE and Wi-Fi 6Gigabit-class LTE and Wi-Fi 6

Both the iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max are great devices, but we would go with the smaller iPhone 11 Pro. Even though the screen is smaller, it still takes up the entire front of the device with no bezels, so you can still get a lot of information on the screen at once.

Does size matter?

iPhone 11 Pro Midnight Green in hand

iPhone 11 Pro Midnight Green cameras (Image credit: iMore)

The biggest reason we like the iPhone 11 Pro over the iPhone Max is the fact that it is much easier to use the Pro with one hand. Plus, it doesn't hurt as much after using it for an extended amount of time compared with the Max size devices. Also, since the Pro costs less than the Max, it'll be less painful for your bank account too.

And while the iPhone 11 Pro Max has the longest battery life out of the entire iPhone 11 lineup, the regular iPhone 11 Pro is still pretty good, since it will already last four hours more than its predecessor. Plus, most of us will have access to chargers throughout the day (in the car, at our desk, wireless charging pads and battery packs, etc.), so it's not hard to top it off as the day goes on.

The iPhone 11 Pro will be enough for most of us, but the iPhone 11 Pro Max is great for those who have larger hands and don't have as many opportunities to charge throughout the day.

Christine Chan

Christine Romero-Chan was formerly a Senior Editor for iMore. She has been writing about technology, specifically Apple, for over a decade at a variety of websites. She is currently part of the Digital Trends team, and has been using Apple’s smartphone since the original iPhone back in 2007. While her main speciality is the iPhone, she also covers Apple Watch, iPad, and Mac when needed. When she isn’t writing about Apple, Christine can often be found at Disneyland in Anaheim, California, as she is a passholder and obsessed with all things Disney, especially Star Wars. Christine also enjoys coffee, food, photography, mechanical keyboards, and spending as much time with her new daughter as possible.