Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone XS Max as an iPad replacement
- Thread starter Kostas3000
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
The iPad Mini is huge compared to the iPhone XS Max. People don't understand how surface area works. Displays are measured diagonal from one end to the opposite corner. The problem with this is that it doesn't include aspect ratio. The iPad ratio is much closer to square at 4:3. This yields a very high surface area at 7.9". The iPhone XS Max aspect ratio is 39:18. It's a weird, elongated aspect ratio. This yields a much lower surface area at 6.5". It's not a matter of them being only 1.4" apart. It's a matter of you losing roughly half the surface area of the Mini. If you want to compare even bigger iPads, well, it's not even worth discussing.
That’s unlikely to happen though, as that device would pretty much be limited to people who ALWAYS carry a bag or have xlarge pockets (literally, not figuratively), and are also ok with always using two hands to operate the device. Seems like too small of a demographic for Apple to target.
you'd be surprised how many people would want this. It would eliminate the need to have 2 devices -phone and ipad. so my combo would be watch, ipad mini sized phone and macbook instead of what I currently have which is watch, phone, ipad, macbook... and I don't want to worry about so many devices.
also yea, I carry a bag all the time so no issue at all! Maybe for a guy, a small-ish messenger bag would not be too bad.
Well, if a folding iPhone ever materializes, you may pretty much get what you’re asking for.
yup; we already have fold-able devices. I am not sure how Apple can make this look sleek and durable.
I do doubt this will be the solution they would go with but I would like the extra screen real estate with minimal footprint.
I just finished editing a video with lumafusion. No need for ipad to do that.
Yesterday I had to do some detailed photo editing. I had to use the ipad. It wasn’t the display size so much, but the need for precise marking with the apple pencil.
I am disappointed that apple did not add pencil support for the XS Max
Yesterday I had to do some detailed photo editing. I had to use the ipad. It wasn’t the display size so much, but the need for precise marking with the apple pencil.
I am disappointed that apple did not add pencil support for the XS Max
I still think an iPad is just a device looking for a problem to solve. It's just designed so well that people love using it, but it's really redundant in so many ways. I'd rather have a nice light MacBook that runs OS X and an XS Max than introduce an iPad into my life.
For some. Depends what you do.
I draw digitally on my big iPad. And I don’t like big phones, so my iPad mini is useful for kicking back and reading an ebook. Can’t really do either of those things well on my phone nor laptop.
OK, good point. So it's really a pretty niche product I think is what I'm trying to say.
I could never give up the larger screen of the iPad for an iPhone screen, especially around the house. Both devices are optimized for different purposes.
I’ve had the 6 plus, the 6S plus and the 7 plus, X and Xs Max and before that several galaxy note phones but I’ve always had an iPad. A Phablet is still a phone and cant replace an iPad imo.
It’s closer to the size of the iPad mini but I still prefer the iPad mini for watching videos.
But my iPad Pro 10.5 is a lot bigger
But my iPad Pro 10.5 is a lot bigger
It’s closer to the size of the iPad mini but I still prefer the iPad mini for watching videos.
But my iPad Pro 10.5 is a lot bigger
thank you for the photos, they are very helpful in describing 3 common scenarios for my case
1) watching video. Ipad mini has the same width as XS Max, so similar watching experience (the mini just has the black legends below and above the movie). 10.5 has a larger width, but when I am laying in the bed to watch movie, I have actually been using the 10.5 in portrait mode, which makes the movie have almost the same size as XS Max. In short, watching video is a very nice experience in XS Max, definitely no advantage of the mini in this field, probably
a slight advantage for the 10.5 for those preferring watching video on the landscape mode in 10.5 iPP
2) reading scientific articles. Most of these articles have two columns per page. I have come to the conclusion that the 10.5 is the smallest size I can comfortably read these articles without zooming in. You can see that the XS Max has half the display width compared with the 10.5 in portrait mode. Some pdf apps allow you to double tap on the column and automatically zoom to column width. So by doing so, you can comfortably read one column in portrait mode at XS Max with some minimal panning
So XS Max is doing very well in this field
3) editing photo. Ipad mini offers no advnatage over XS Max because it doesn’t support Pencil and it is still relatively small display for detailed photo editing (no surprise that Affinity does not offer photo app for ipad mini). I use pixelmator for iphone and I am extremely happy with the app. The main disadvantage again is the lack of pencil support
My main complaints that prevent me right now for using the Xs max as my only device are:
- lack of pencil support (I use a donut stylus from time to time but it is not the same as pencil)
- annoying lack of support for some websites (mainly the fault is on the websites’ side for using obsolete or poorly designed websites not supporting mobiles devices) and poor desktop website experience (a problem
for all iOS devices, the most common reason for me to use my Mac)
- need for a precise input device with left/right click functionality. A pencil 2.0 might do the work or an advanced software solution (similar to using the keyboard as trackboard by long pressing space bar)
[doublepost=1540485676][/doublepost]
this is why I really want Apple to offer pencil support on the mini and make mini a stand alone phone that can pair with the watch. I really don't need the phone if I have the mini since I carry purses all the time anyways. I call using Airpods or it is put on speaker most of the time.
Last summer when I went on vacation for 10 days during a REALLY hectic time at work, I warned my wife that I would have to be taking care of work stuff from time to time but I chose NOT to bring my iPad Pro or MacBook Air with me. I wanted to travel light and only had my iPhone X, Apple Watch, and AirPods. It was liberating, and I was able to get all my urgent work stuff done just fine.
Now I have an iPhone XS Max and couldn’t imagine going back down in size ever again. I sold my iPad Pro not long ago in anticipation of the new models coming out, and I do very much miss my iPad, but if I’m not super impressed by what I see on Tuesday, I may just sit this round out!
Now I have an iPhone XS Max and couldn’t imagine going back down in size ever again. I sold my iPad Pro not long ago in anticipation of the new models coming out, and I do very much miss my iPad, but if I’m not super impressed by what I see on Tuesday, I may just sit this round out!
In my Opinion. It WILL 0nly R3place the iP@D IF you are very very tight on budget and cannot afford to own multiple device such as Both iPad Pro and iPhone XS Max at the same time and ended up using the XS Max as an iP@D even the screen size is like 6 Times smaller than the iPad Pro, forcing one eyesight to strain. which will cost more in the long run if the eyesight is strained enough for sure it will make you to wear strong eye glasses.
Also, for Garageband, the iPhone format isn't nice. Everything is well cramped on a tiny screen. Desktop view, obviously iPhone cannot replace the iPad unless you have 20/8 Vision or something like that.
Lastly, if you are going to use XS Max (witch is still a phone) for a long period of time like the way you use your iPad for Several hours. You're most likely to get dissapointed. You know iPads is placed a gap between a Phone and a Desktop. The iPad can be used for longer period of times without overheating due to larger body, than iPhone. On iPhone everything inside is cramped making it prone to overheat quickly than an iPad. (On iPad even for years you used it, you won't notice battery drain quickly, the battery on iPad is much much greater than iPhone) On iPhone Expect that after 1 to 2 years the battery isn't as great as before.
I posted early on this thread a few months ago. Since then, I exchanged my iPhone 6s and 2017 iPad for an iPhone XR. I still have a 2014 MBA. So, I am kind of back to old school with just 2 devices......laptop + smartphone. I would not want to go iPhone XR only. There are just too many times when I want to answer a lengthy email, type a document, or build a spreadsheet (even a simple one), and using an iPhone would be really painful.
There are some other options if you want to keep costs down on a second device because you splurged a bit on the top of the line iPhone. For example, there are some inexpensive big heavy 17 inch Windows laptops that you can buy for a couple of hundred bucks, and then use iWorks in your browser or Google Docs when necessary. This would basically be more like owning a desktop because you wouldn't want to lug it around unless absolutely necessary. Also, you can download iCloud for Windows, so you could sync from your phone. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 . Another option would be to buy a Chromebook, so you can create documents in Google Docs.
As I simplify my workflow, I could probably get by with just a desktop and an iPhone, but I have more flexibility than most people and can save the heavy lifting for when I am back to my desk. Actually, most of the time I have my MBA in clamshell mode as a desktop, and it is kind of liberating only carrying around a phone.
There are some other options if you want to keep costs down on a second device because you splurged a bit on the top of the line iPhone. For example, there are some inexpensive big heavy 17 inch Windows laptops that you can buy for a couple of hundred bucks, and then use iWorks in your browser or Google Docs when necessary. This would basically be more like owning a desktop because you wouldn't want to lug it around unless absolutely necessary. Also, you can download iCloud for Windows, so you could sync from your phone. https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204283 . Another option would be to buy a Chromebook, so you can create documents in Google Docs.
As I simplify my workflow, I could probably get by with just a desktop and an iPhone, but I have more flexibility than most people and can save the heavy lifting for when I am back to my desk. Actually, most of the time I have my MBA in clamshell mode as a desktop, and it is kind of liberating only carrying around a phone.
Last edited:
I just got an iPad. Have a max. Anyway I love the fact that I am watch videos on one side and safari or another app on the other. It’s irreplacea. I decided to replace the max with the xr.
I did this already. I got rid of my iphone a few years ago. I tried a little experiment. I have an unlimited AT&T data plan that i am grandfathered in on my ipad mini. I have a google phone number. I use imessage, facetime, skype and other voip apps. And i havent looked back. My ipad mini 2 is dying tho. So i am waiting to see if Apple updates it in March. Hopefully with pencil support.
That's so true. SUre the XS Max screen is well lengthy, however it's height witch is 2.78 inch vs iPad Mini currently at 4.79" is such a big difference. The iPhone XS Max width is much closer to iPhone 4S height at 1.92". For Garageband, it seems like still the 4S and iPhone XS Max are much closer than XS Max to iPad Mini. Also, some apps are letterbox on XS Max.
Even iPad Mini can be considered a baby laptop, with a bluetooth keyboard. However the iPad Mini's bluetooth keyboard or even a regular 7 inch bluetooth keyboard won't fit the TINY XS MAX can't because it's height and it's overall body is still closer to the regular iPhone 2G/3G/3GS/4/4S HEIGHT than to an iPad Mini.
If you're watching a 16:9 Movie on the XS MAX it will also look smaller, losing height if you're watching a movie with a substitle, how are you gonna read the subtitle at the bottom of the XS Max if you wanted to fill the screen? that's a big disadvantage. Otherwise there will be bars on the side of the XS Max as well. Again that is a disadvantage.
I have an XS Max and 11” Pro with keyboard folio and Pencil. I think of the Pro as my main computer, and the Max as the pocket sized version of it. My MacBook Air never leaves my desk and is no longer needed.