iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Three Months Later
The latest iPhone introduces unprecedented features for both the iPhone line and smartphones overall
The iPhone 15 Pro Max represents a significant leap in smartphone technology, boasting the powerful A17 Bionic chip for blazing-fast performance. This translates to smoother multitasking, faster app loading, and handling even the most demanding tasks with ease. But beyond the raw power, let’s get practical. Does that extra processing muscle translate to real-world benefits for everyday users? Absolutely. For example, editing 4K videos on the go becomes a breeze, and power users who juggle multiple apps simultaneously will appreciate the seamless responsiveness.
While I personally haven’t encountered any slowdowns during my testing, it’s important to think about your individual needs. If you’re a casual user who primarily uses their phone for browsing and social media, the performance gains might not be a huge game-changer. However, for anyone who pushes their phone to its limits, the A17 Bionic is a true powerhouse.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Verdict
Design
Performance
Camera
Battery
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best iPhone yet, and one of the best phones overall! It looks and feels amazing, thanks to new materials and a super camera. It's almost perfect, but a bit pricey, not super fast at charging, and the zoom could be better. But these are tiny complaints compared to how great everything else is!
Pros
- Stunning Display: Offers an immersive viewing experience.
- USB Type-C: Ensures universal compatibility and fast data transfer.
- AAA Gaming: Delivers top-tier gaming performance.
- Impressive Cameras: Captures high-quality photos with primary and telephoto lenses.
- Customisable Action Button: Allows for personalised device control.
Cons
- Overheating: Tends to get hot quickly under heavy use.
- Charging Speed: Slow wired charging.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Spec
| Item | Spec |
|---|---|
| Battery | 4,441mAh |
| Charge speed | 20W wired, 15W wireless |
| Ports | USB-C |
| Colors | Natural Titanium, Blue Titanium, White Titanium, Black Titanium |
| Dimensions | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25 mm |
| Weight | 221g |
| Display | 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display with 120Hz, 1290 x 2796 |
| Front camera | 12MP |
| Rear camera | 48MP main; 12MP ultrawide; 12MP, 5x telephoto |
| IP Rating | IP68 |
| Operating System | iOS 17 |
| SoC | A17 Pro |
| RAM | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Price and availability
The iPhone 15 Pro Max, starting at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199, offers double the storage of its predecessor, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, at 256GB. This aligns it with the starting price and storage of the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
Available in-store and online since September 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has various deals for potential buyers.
Here’s a quick look at the prices:
| Storage | US price | UK price | AU price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 256GB | $1,199.99 | £1,199 | AU$2,199 |
| 512GB | $1,399.99 | £1,399 | AU$2,549 |
| 1TB | $1,599.99 | £1,599 | AU$2,899 |
While it may seem like a price hike, Apple has essentially removed a lower tier and made 256GB the new base model. This puts the iPhone 15 Pro Max on par with the similarly priced and configured Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra.
For those needing more storage, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers up to 1TB for $1,599 / £1,599 / AU$2,899. However, unlike the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which offers 12GB RAM from its 512GB model, the iPhone sticks with 8GB RAM across all models.
Despite being Apple’s priciest iPhone, various payment options are available, including monthly payments as low as $33 in the US. With its design, build quality, and exceptional capabilities, it’s worth the investment and likely to be Apple’s top seller.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Design
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a brushed titanium frame that’s lighter, stronger, and more resistant to corrosion than the previous stainless steel one. It feels more comfortable in your hands, pockets, and bags.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has contoured edges that soften its look and feel. The Super Retina XDR display looks bigger with a thinner bezel.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a bit smaller, lighter, and thicker than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. You can tell the difference when you try to put it in an old leather case.
The titanium body and recycled aluminum frame make the phone 19 grams lighter. That’s a noticeable difference.
The 15 Pro Max has a new USB-C port that’s bigger than the old Lighting port. It can transfer data at 10Gbps with the right cable.
This phone is protected by tough glass materials, including a Ceramic Shield on the front. It can survive in six feet of fresh water for 30 minutes, but you need to dry it before charging it.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has a new Action button, only for the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Display
The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a Super Retina XDR display with ProMotion, offering a stunning 6.7-inch OLED panel. It has a resolution of 1290 x 2796, a 19.5:9 aspect ratio, and supports HDR10 and Dolby Vision.
ProMotion signifies support for high and variable refresh rates, enhancing visual experience while conserving battery. The display’s brightness reaches up to 1000 nits, or 1600 to 2000 nits when viewing HDR content.
The display features True Tone functionality and supports the P3 color gamut entirely, with a contrast ratio of 2 million-to-1. Unlike many HDR10/Dolby Vision displays, it avoids exaggerated color pop, providing a balanced viewing experience.
The screen is shielded by a Ceramic Shield front, claimed to be tougher than any other smartphone glass. It also has a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating, reducing the need for frequent cleaning. Despite a few drops, the iPhone 15 Pro Max remains in good condition, thanks to a silicon case.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Camera and video
The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s camera is a key feature, with a 48MP main shooter that offers sensor-shift OIS and defaults to 24MP. It can shoot at 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm, with a 12MP Ultra Wide lens offering a 120-degree field of view. The Pro Max model boasts a 5x optical zoom, a significant increase from the previous 3x, and digital zoom can reach up to 25x. A new long-range zoom guide and advanced 3D sensor shift stabilization aid in capturing high-quality, steady shots from a distance.
A standout feature is the ability to shoot portraits directly from photo mode when a person, dog, or cat is detected in the frame. This captures depth info, allowing for the addition of a portrait effect later. This game-changing feature makes photo editing more flexible and fun, especially after a vacation.
Apple promises comprehensive improvements in photography, including enhancements to the Photonic Engine, Smart HDR, and a new anti-reflective coating on the ultra-wide camera. The front TrueDepth camera also offers auto portrait mode and improved dynamic range and night mode.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max continues to uphold its reputation as a top smartphone for video. It supports digital zoom up to 3x in Cinematic mode and is among the first smartphones to support the Academy Color Encoding System (ACES), a global standard for color workflows.
A major feature is the ability to record ProRes 4K60 video directly to an external SSD drive via a USB 3-capable Type-C port, freeing pro videographers from the constraints of the iPhone’s native storage. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also supports Log encoding, offering more post-production flexibility to pro users.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Performance
The iPhone 15 Pro Max delivers consistent performance, thanks to the new A17 Pro chip. This chip uses 3nm transistor technology and has a 6-core CPU, a 6-core GPU, a faster Neural engine, and dedicated engines for features like ProRes codec and USB 3. The A17 Pro chip also makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max a portable gaming console, with games like Resident Evil Village and Assassin’s Creed Mirage coming soon.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max handles any task smoothly, whether it’s productivity, social, entertainment, or gaming. There were some reports of heating issues, but Apple has fixed them with an update. The iPhone 15 Pro Max runs on iOS 17, which adds new features to almost every aspect of smartphone usage. iOS 17 improves messages, health, and more.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Software
The new iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with iOS 17, a minor update to an already rich and deep platform that most iPhone owners don’t fully explore. The StandBy feature turns the iPhone 15 Pro Max into one of the best bedside clocks and info hubs. New Contact Posters enhance the impressive Lock Screen update. The new Name Drop feature uses AirDrop to instantly share contact info with another iPhone nearby. But be careful, this feature is on by default and might connect automatically if two phones are close to each other. It is recommended to go into settings and turn this off until knowing how and when to use it. A FaceTime call looks amazing on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. iOS 17’s new gestures can send thumbs ups and balloons, and some of them show up behind the caller. It is a cool effect.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Battery life and charging
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 4,441mAh battery that matches its power-efficient processor. It supports 20W wired charging with a compatible adapter, 15W with a MagSafe wireless charger and 7.5W with a standard Qi-compatible charger. iOS 17 is very similar to iOS 16 on the iPhone 14 Pro or iPhone 14 Pro Max. The Dynamic Island feature isn’t widely adopted by app developers yet, but it’s still useful for native iOS 17 apps. StandBy is a great feature that works well when the phone is on a wireless charging stand. It’s exclusive to the recent Pro models that have an Always-On display.
Unfortunately, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has the same 20W charging speeds as before. Apple claims it can reach 50% in 30 minutes, but it only got to 41%. Other Android phones charge faster. The Galaxy S23 Ultra, for instance, got to 57% in the same time with its 45W charger.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Review: Our thoughts
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is more than an iterative upgrade. It has a stronger and lighter titanium design that improves everyday use, and a smart Action button that replaces the ringer switch.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has the best photo quality, especially in low light, and a bigger 5x zoom that we ’ve been looking for. The digital zoom could be sharper, though.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max also has the powerful A17 Pro chip for next-gen gaming, USB-C port and super-long battery life. It is the best iPhone money can buy. The iPhone 15 Pro is good, but the Pro Max has longer battery, bigger screen and longer zoom.
