The first new iPhone I’ve seen in a while that really made me say “wow” is the iPhone 15 Pro Max. And the reason is an all-new titanium construction that makes this big, 6.7-inch flagship incredibly light. Apple has created a huge-screen beast that doesn’t feel so big by reducing the bezels and making the phone tall and narrow.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a number of additional positive improvements, such as a useful action button that provides a number of shortcut functions. The A17 Pro also includes history’s first 3nm processor, enabling console-quality graphics. Additionally, a larger 5x telephoto lens is now available for up close and personal photography. The iPhone 15 Pro Max will get even better when Apple releases iOS 18 with Apple Intelligence this fall.
Not all aspects of the iPhone 15 Pro Max are staggering. The device has a starting price of $1,199, which is $100 more than the previous generation. Even though the Lightning port has been replaced with a USB-C port, charging is still a bit slow. Is the iPhone 15 Pro Max the best phone ever? In my detailed evaluation of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I will cover every pro and cons.
iPhone 15 PRO MAX Review Updates
- June 20: Apple has released iOS 18, which will bring a number of important enhancements to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, including Apple Intelligence.
- February 28: Find out which smartphone has the best camera by checking out our comparison of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
- February 22: According to Apple, the battery life of the iPhone 15 series is twice as long as previously stated, so even after 1,000 charging cycles, you should expect 80% capacity.
- October 25: The iOS 17.1 update brings a number of bug fixes and new features, including improved standby and AirDrop.
iPhone 15 PRO MAX review: Specs
iPhone 15 Pro Max specs
| Price | $1,199 |
| Display | 6.7-inch OLED |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz adaptive |
| CPU | A17 Pro |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Rear cameras | 48MP main/12MP ultrawide/12MP telephoto w/ 5x zoom |
| Front camera | 12MP |
| Battery | 4,422 mAh [rumored] |
| Battery lfe (Hrs:Mins) | 14:02 |
| Charging Port | USB-C |
| Size | 6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches |
| Weight | 7.8 ounces |
| Colors | Black, white, blue, gray |
iPhone 15 PRO MAX release date and price
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is set to be released on September 22. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the most expensive iPhone ever, with a starting price of $1,199, which is $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Thankfully, this price includes 256GB of storage, which is double last year’s flagship.
Plus, you can upgrade to 1TB for $1,599 and 512GB for $1,399. If you’re looking for the best deal, our iPhone 15 offers page has the most recent information on discounts on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design
It’s a big deal that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a titanium construction instead of the stainless steel sides of the previous Pro models. Why? Because Apple uses space-age grade 5 titanium, which is both lightweight and strong. Indeed, the Mars Rover is made of the same titanium.
I like the natural titanium color because it has a sci-fi aura to it. You can also get the phone in silver and black titanium, but blue titanium is also quite striking.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max weighed 8.5 ounces, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs 7.8 ounces. The difference between holding the phone in your hand and in your pocket is clearly visible to me.
The new model is also smaller, with dimensions of 6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches compared to the 6.33 x 3.05 x 0.31 inches of the previous Pro Max. So, even though the new iPhone is a little thicker, it’s easier to use it with one hand. It’s the first iPhone with a big screen that doesn’t feel bulky.
The curved form of the iPhone 15 Pro Max also makes it look better. Compared to the previous Pro Max, the edges are softer and less sharp, which means your hands will hurt less.
The long-awaited but still welcome new USB-C port, located on the bottom edge, allows you to charge your iPhone, iPad, and MacBook with a single cable.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX: Action Button
One of the best and most annoying features of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the Action Button, which replaces the ringer switch. Allow me to start with the positive update.
If you’ve assigned a silent mode setting, you can still long-press the button to silence a call. However, you can set the Action Button to access multiple apps and features, such as the camera, voice recorder, flashlight, translator, and more, within the Settings app. You can also choose special actions directly from within an app, such as taking a quick selfie using the Camera app.
If you want even more options, you can create shortcuts to perform tasks like sending a message to a specific contact or launching an app by long-pressing it by assigning the action button to work in conjunction with the Shortcuts app. This is useful when I want to notify my family that I’m running late or on my way home.
The fact that the action button can only handle one function at a time bothers me. So, you can’t use it to silence calls other than using the camera. I suggest Apple allows users to double-press apps for shortcuts and retain the long-press option for silent mode.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX: USB-C
It’s time for the iPhone 15 Pro Max to support USB-C charging. After more than ten years, Apple has officially retired the Lightning port. Granted; it’s clear EU regulations forced Apple to make this move against its will. But since so many of my everyday gadgets are USB-C, I like not having to carry around extra cables to charge my iPhone.
Your other Apple devices, such as the recently released AirPods Pro with USB-C charging case, can also be charged using this connector.
Faster photo and video transfers to your Mac or external disk are possible with the iPhone 15 Pro Max thanks to USB 3’s 10Gbps speed capability. This isn’t exactly new; some other phones use the more recent 3.2 standard.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display
There’s a 6.7-inch OLED panel on the iPhone 15 Pro Max with reduced bezels around it, but other than that, not much has changed. Apple claims maximum brightness is still 1,600 nits indoors and 2,000 nits outdoors.
With its constant 120Hz refresh rate, the ProMotion display delivers fluid scrolling and animations. Additionally, you can check notifications, the clock, and more without having to unlock your iPhone thanks to the always-on display.
iPhone 15 Pro Max display test results
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | iPhone 15 Pro Max | Galaxy S23 Ultra |
| Max brightness (HDR) | 1,550 nits | 1,444 nits |
| sRGB | 119% | 112% / 193% (Vivid) |
| DCI-P3 | 84.5% | 78% / 136.7 (Vivid) |
| Delta-E (lower is better) | 0.14 | 0.3 |
I still find Dynamic Island quite fun. Real-time updates, such as the status of my Uber trip, my United flight, or my Spotify playlist, are easily accessible at the top of the display.
When playing HDR material, the Pro Max tested at a maximum of 1,550 nits, which is on par with the iPhone 14 Pro Max. In the same test, the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s brightness was marginally lower at 1,444 nits.
I noticed that this panel’s color reproduction is still strong when watching the Aquaman 2 teaser. The colors of underwater environments appeared vivid, and Jason Momoa’s shiny suit had accurate details.
During our evaluation, the iPhone 15 Pro Max accurately captured 84.5% of the more accurate DCI-P3 colour space and 119.4% of the sRGB colour range. In Natural mode, the Galaxy S23 Ultra scored lower at 111.2% / 78.8%, but scored higher in Vivid mode at 193% / 136.7%.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max display has a Delta-E score of 0.14, which is better than ideal, indicating more accurate colour reproduction. The S23 Ultra has a 0.3 notch.
iPhone 15 PRO MAX: Cameras
The biggest camera update on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is that it is competing with competitors in terms of zoom, but overall, it can outperform all the top camera phones. The 48MP camera has a larger primary sensor and currently takes 24MP images by default. However, the Pro Max allows you to choose between 48MP HEIF (to save storage) and ProRAW (for more creative control).
You can also choose from three different shooting options from the main camera: 24mm, 28mm, and 25mm. Toggle between them by pressing the 1x button. In addition, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s camera can detect depth information, so you can capture portraits of people or pets without switching to Portrait mode. Additionally, you can change the focus point of a shot after you’ve taken it.
To begin, let’s zoom in. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s new tetraprism lens allows for 5x optical zoom, which is a significant improvement over the 3x on the previous model and the standard iPhone 15 Pro. Plus, you get a maximum digital zoom of 25x, which is more than the 15x on the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro Max produced a 5x clearer and warmer image in our side-by-side tests. However, the iPhone’s photo has less detail and more noise than the Samsung at 25x digital zoom.
This was also the case in this image of the FDNY boat. The iPhone 15 Pro Max offers the clearest detail in the boat and surrounding water when magnified five times.
However, the iPhone lags behind the Pixel 7 Pro and Galaxy S23 Ultra, especially at 25x zoom. Look at the words ‘Never Forget’ on the Marine FDNY sign.
As you can see from these comparison photos, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s Night Mode performance impresses me the most. First, we snapped this photo of some interior Halloween decor. The writing on the spine of the book below and the skull have maximum definition thanks to the 15 Pro Max. Additionally, the iPhone photo doesn’t have the true blackness of the TV, while the Pixel and Samsung photos have a cloudy look.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max creates a crisper, more colorful volleyball in this poolside photo, and the sidewalk also appears more shiny.
So what about portraits? In this photo taken at Little Island Park with the New York City skyline, I give the edge to the Pixel 7 Pro. My blue clothes and face look better.
But in this selfie photo, the iPhone 15 Pro Max outshines the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The iPhone photo clearly shows my eyes and individual facial strands, while the Samsung phone over-smoothed my fact. Apple’s enhanced Smart HDR technology for more dynamic range may be responsible for this.
This fruit dessert is captured in a mouth-wateringly vivid photo by the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The blueberries have a bit more detail, so I chose the Pixel 7 Pro, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s photo is oversaturated.
The Pixel 7 Pro’s petals are better, thoughThe brightness is still visible, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max performs better in this extreme macro close-up of a white poppy flower right in the middle of the blur.
Not to mention, a new anti-reflective coating makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s ultrawide camera look a little better. The sun entering the frame from the left is expertly captured, resulting in a pleasing colour gradient in the blue sky. The structure on the right and the wooden poles in the foreground also appear more defined. However, not everyone may be a good fit for the warm colour profile.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX: VIDEO
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a number of improvements for video. Up to 3x digital zoom is now supported in Cinematic mode. Professionals will also value the USB-C port’s ability to export ProRes videos at up to 4K resolution and 60 frames per second.
My tests show that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has amazing video quality, and the 5x zoom allows you to get a closer look at the action than you’ve ever seen before. Check out this 4K video of a yacht floating in the Hudson River. As I zoom it in, you can see the reflection of the flowing water on the rearview mirror, with reeds swaying in the foreground.
The crisp video of a huge Saint Bernard surrounded by other pups in Madison Square Park was also shot with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The video appears clear and the exposure is even, even with a combination of sun and shadow.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max captured several birds flying without any blur in this movie-quality fountain clip, with the woman’s dress flowing with the wind. And the sound of the band on the left gets softer as I get closer to the flowing river. It’s quite remarkable.
iPhone 15 PRO MAX: Availability
The new A17 Pro CPU in the iPhone 15 Pro Max gives it the potential to be the best gaming phone ever. While Apple’s most recent hardware offers twice as fast machine learning performance and 10% faster CPU speeds, the most exciting feature is the all-new 6-core GPU.
On the phone, you can actually play games that compete with those found on consoles, packed with ray-tracing technology for the most lifelike lighting effects. Take a look at the smooth gameplay of Diablo Immortal, which features amazing graphics and realistic reflections.
Despite the touch controls being difficult to use, the Resident Evil Village demo I played on my Xbox Series X was just as terrifying and immersive as the original game.
iPhone 15 Pro Max benchmark results
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | Galaxy S23 Ultra | |
| Geekbench | 2,783 / 6,945 | 1,396 / 4,882 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited | 92 fps / 15,399 | 87 fps / 14,611 |
| Adobe Premiere Rush (video editing) | 24.5 seconds | 40 seconds |
The iPhone 15 Pro Max scored 2,783 on Geek bench, an overall performance benchmark, and 6,945 on the multi-core test. This is much better than the 1,396/4,882 displayed by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip in the Galaxy S23 Ultra and significantly higher than the 1,882/5,333 displayed by the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max achieved even better graphics scores, scoring a total of 15,399 in 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited, or 92.2 frames per second. This is up from the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 14,611 fps and 87 fps, and it’s about 25% faster than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
We also timed how long it takes the Adobe Premiere Rush software to transcode a 4K video to 1080p. The iPhone 15 Pro Max completed in 24.5 seconds, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max took 30 seconds and the Samsung took 39 seconds.
Check out our compilation of iPhone 15 Pro benchmarks with additional comparisons of the best phones for more details.
iPhone 15 PRO MAX: Battery life and charging
The remarkable battery life of the iPhone 14 Pro Max somehow surpasses the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The new Pro’s battery lasted an incredible 14 hours and 2 minutes in our rigorous battery test, which involves continuous web browsing over 5G. After 13 hours and 39 minutes, the older model finally gave up.
iPhone 15 Pro Max battery life (hours:minutes)
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | 14:02 |
| Galaxy S23 Ultra | 12:22 (Adaptive) / 13:09 (60Hz) |
| OnePlus 11 Pro | 13:10 (Adaptive) / 12:48 (60Hz) |
| Pixel 7 Pro | 8:04 |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | 13:39 |
Compared to the Galaxy S23 Ultra, this device has almost an hour more runtime (13:09 in 60Hz mode, 12:22 in Adaptive mode). Thus, the iPhone 15 Pro Max tops our list of phones with the best battery life.
Sadly, 20W charging speeds are still available for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple claims you’ll reach 50% in thirty minutes, but we only managed to get to 41%. Faster charging is available on other Android phones. For example, with its 45W charger, the Galaxy S23 Ultra reached 57% in the same time.
Compare the battery life of the four iPhone 15 models to earlier iPhones and rival flagships for more details.
iPhone 15 PRO MAX: IOS 17 and IOS 18
So what about the software? Here are some of my favourite improvements made to the iPhone 15 Pro Max by iOS 17.
The ability to use the always-on display for standby mode, which turns your iPhone into a kind of smart display with an alarm clock and rotating photos, is a feature I love. Name Drop is another app I enjoy using to easily share contact information with others — as long as they have iOS 17 — with just a single swipe.
Live voicemail is an added benefit. This feature will make incoming voicemails available to you are automatically transcribed in real time, allowing you to determine whether or not to respond to them. See our list of the best iOS 17 features and our review of iOS 17 for more details.
Starting in autumn 2024, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will run on iOS 18, which brings with it a number of significant enhancements. This includes a fully customizable Control Center and home screen, the ability to plan messages in Message, and a new Photos app. Apple Intelligence, the company’s focus on artificial intelligence, is perhaps the biggest improvement. It offers a variety of features, including rewriting tools, AI-generated graphics and emoji, and a redesigned Siri.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX vs. GALAXY S24 ULTRA
Apple’s flagship has a few advantages over the Galaxy S24 Ultra if you’re debating between the two devices. In a side-by-side test, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is found to have the better camera and a $100 lower price.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra, on the other hand, has significantly more zoom, faster charging, and longer battery life. Check out our iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Galaxy S24 Ultra face-off for a more detailed analysis.
Conclusion
For the first time, the iPhone 15 Pro Max isn’t just another evolutionary improvement. Titanium offers a more robust and lightweight design that improves day-to-day use significantly, as well as a clever alternative to the action button’s ringer switch.
My camera tests show that the iPhone 15 Pro Max may have the best photo quality available, especially in low light, and the big 5x zoom is a much-needed improvement. Despite the potential for a somewhat sharper digital zoom.
The best iPhone money can buy includes a powerful A17 Pro CPU for next-generation gaming, a USB-C port, and incredibly long battery life. Although the iPhone 15 Pro has a bigger screen, longer zoom, and more durability, I still prefer the other model.
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