iPhone 11 Pro Max Tops Consumer Reports' Smartphone Rankings

Apple's new iPhone 11 Pro Max has taken the top spot in Consumer Reports' smartphone rankings, with the smaller iPhone 11 Pro claiming second place, after years of Apple being consistently edged out by Samsung smartphones.

greeniphone11pro
Consumer Reports said the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro models earned the top spots for having significantly improved battery life, excellent cameras, and other improvements, like a greater degree of water resistance, more durable glass casing, brighter displays, and faster performance powered by the new A13 Bionic chip.

On battery life:

For one thing, the battery life is much better. The iPhone 11 Pro Max lasted a more than impressive 40.5 hours in our testing. That’s the longest stretch of any phone currently listed in our ratings. And it marks a big turnaround for Apple. Just a few years ago, iPhones tended to lag behind the competition in this area.

On the cameras:

In the case of the 11 Pro and 11 Pro Max, our testers say they notched some of the highest scores in our ratings for still-image quality. The iPhone 11 also rated Very Good in this category. And all three phones received Excellent ratings for rear-video quality.

While the ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro models top the list, Consumer Reports emphasized how tight the scoring is at the top of its smartphone rankings. In some categories, it said just fractions of a point separate the top models.

Consumer Reports believes those with own an ‌iPhone‌ XS, ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, or even an ‌iPhone‌ XR can probably save their money and wait. Despite marked camera and battery life advancements, the non-profit firm said there just may not be enough in the way of new features to justify spending $999-plus on a new model.

A subscription to Consumer Reports is required to view the full smartphone rankings.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

bbrks Avatar
45 months ago
Highly expected. I am glad, best iPhone ever, just that crazy price :)
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
M.PaulCezanne Avatar
45 months ago
Really? You’d think it would be the Samsung Galaxy Fold (v1).

*obvious sarcasm alert*
Score: 13 Votes (Like | Disagree)
iGeneo Avatar
45 months ago
Well done Apple....
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
thermal Avatar
45 months ago
I'm pleasantly surprised by the success of the iPhone 11 family.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Jd3774life Avatar
45 months ago
Glad Apple finally listened and upgraded the battery life ? Has been one of my most requested "features" and my Pro Max has been incredible ?
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
djcerla Avatar
45 months ago
The Pro Max is the best Apple product, and probably the best product period, that I’ve ever bought. And I started with Apple in 1997 with a 7100.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

dynamic island

iPhone 15 Dynamic Island to Include New Integrated Proximity Sensor

Friday March 24, 2023 12:27 am PDT by
This year, all iPhone 15 models will include Apple's Dynamic Island that unifies the pill and hole cutouts at the top of the display, but there will also be a material change to the feature that wasn't included in the iPhone 14 Pro models. According to a new tweet by Apple industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the proximity sensor on the iPhone 15 series will be integrated inside the Dynamic Island ...
apple park at night 1

Apple 'Tracking Employee Attendance' in Crackdown on Remote Working

Thursday March 23, 2023 3:41 am PDT by
Apple is tracking the attendance of its employees at offices using badge records in order to ensure they are coming in at least three times a week, according to Platformer's Zoë Schiffer. Since April 2022, Apple employees have been operating on a hybrid home/office work policy as part of a gradual return strategy following the pandemic, with staff required to work from the office at least...
iphone 14 pro max deep purple feature purple

iPhone 15 Pro Rumor Recap: 10 New Features and Changes to Expect

Thursday March 23, 2023 6:42 am PDT by
While the iPhone 15 series is still around six months away from launching, there have already been plenty of rumors about the devices. Many new features and changes have been rumored for the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. Below, we have recapped 10 changes rumored for iPhone 15 Pro models that are not expected to be available on the standard iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus:A1...
maxresdefault

Nothing Launches $149 Ear (2) Wireless Earbuds to Compete With AirPods Pro 2

Wednesday March 22, 2023 9:48 am PDT by
Nothing today announced the launch of its second-generation wireless earbuds, the Nothing Ear (2), which offer many of the same features as Apple's AirPods Pro 2 at a lower price point. We went hands-on with the Ear (2) earbuds to see whether they're a viable alternative to the AirPods Pro 2 for those who want to save some cash. The Ear (2) earbuds are the successor to the Nothing Ear (1),...
TMobile Sprint

Apple Stops Allowing Sprint iPhone Activations, Removes Sprint References From Online Store

Thursday March 23, 2023 12:06 pm PDT by
Apple is no longer allowing customers who purchase an iPhone, cellular iPad, or Apple Watch to activate a device with now-defunct mobile carrier Sprint. Apple has also removed remaining references to Sprint from its online store. When checking out with a new purchase, Sprint is no longer an option for connectivity, a change that Apple appears to have implemented today. Prior to now, Sprint...
iOS 16

iOS 16.4 for iPhone Nearing Launch With These 5 New Features

Monday March 20, 2023 11:50 am PDT by
Apple says iOS 16.4 is coming in the spring, which began this week. In his Sunday newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the update should be released "in the next three weeks or so," meaning a public release is likely in late March or early April. iOS 16.4 remains in beta testing and introduces a handful of new features and changes for the iPhone. Below, we have recapped five new features ...
Hero0009

Best Apple Deals of the Week: Samsung's Smart Monitor M8 Gets Massive $250 Discount, Along With Year's Best AirPods Prices

Friday March 24, 2023 10:23 am PDT by
We saw a lot of great deals on Apple products and related accessories this week, including Samsung's iMac-like Smart Monitor M8 for $250 off, a 30 percent off spring sale at Anker, and the year's best prices on numerous AirPods models. All of these deals are still available to purchase right now, so we're recapping them and more below. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these ...
top stories 25mar2023

Top Stories: iPhone 15 Pro Design Leak, iOS 16.4 Coming Soon, and More

Saturday March 25, 2023 6:00 am PDT by
We're still almost six months away from the official unveiling of the iPhone 15 lineup, but it seems like every day we're learning more about what to expect from the next-generation models. Notably, this week gave us our clearest look yet at what appear to be some changes for the volume and mute control hardware. iOS 16.4 and associated releases are also right around the corner with some new ...