Apple has unveiled the iPhone 15 Pro Max, touted as the pinnacle of smartphone technology. With advancements in camera capabilities, processing power, and design aesthetics, it aims to justify its premium price tag. But does it truly stand apart from its predecessors and competitors?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a refreshed design, featuring a titanium frame that reduces weight while enhancing durability. Available in four elegant colors—black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium, and natural titanium—this model exudes sophistication. The device is also IP68-rated, meaning it’s water and dust resistant, making it suitable for everyday use.
The 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display continues to impress with its vibrant colors, deep blacks, and high brightness levels. Offering ProMotion technology with a 120Hz refresh rate, users can expect buttery-smooth scrolling and a more responsive touch experience, ideal for gaming and multimedia consumption.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max features Apple’s new A17 Pro chip, a titanium frame, and a 48MP camera with enhanced zoom. Its 6.7-inch ProMotion display delivers smooth visuals, while the addition of USB-C offers faster charging and data speeds. With extended battery life and new video capabilities, it’s ideal for performance-driven and photography-focused users.
This phone is designed for tech enthusiasts, creatives, and power users who want the best in performance, camera capabilities, and build quality. It's ideal for those who use their phone as a primary device for photography, gaming, or other intensive tasks.
Starting at $1,199 for the 256GB model, with higher prices for 512GB and 1TB storage options. This is a premium device with a price to match.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max impresses with its stunning titanium build, powerful A17 Pro chip, improved camera zoom, and all-day battery life. The introduction of USB-C adds much-needed compatibility with other devices.
The high price tag may be a deterrent for some, and despite its lightweight frame, the large size may still feel cumbersome. The lack of fully open software customization is another drawback for users who prefer flexibility.
The camera system is where the iPhone 15 Pro Max truly shines. The new 48MP main sensor captures stunning detail, while the upgraded telephoto lens offers 5x optical zoom for unparalleled photography versatility. The low-light performance has seen significant improvements, making night shots clearer and more vibrant. Photonic Engine enhances image processing, delivering professional-quality photos even in challenging conditions.
Powered by the A17 Bionic chip, the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers lightning-fast performance. With a 6-core CPU and a 6-core GPU, multitasking and gaming are a breeze. The device runs iOS 17 smoothly, featuring enhancements in battery efficiency and overall system performance. Additionally, the 5G capabilities ensure faster connectivity for streaming and browsing.
Battery life has improved marginally, offering up to 29 hours of talk time. The introduction of USB-C charging speeds up the charging process, although it’s not as revolutionary as some might hope. Fast charging capabilities allow users to charge up to 50% in about 30 minutes with the right adapter.
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The 15 Pro and Pro Max are the first iPhones to ship with the A17 Pro chip, which is 10% faster with 20% more powerful graphics and supports advanced ray tracing graphics, which should enable more realistic, console-quality games.
Users reported the phone becoming very hot to the touch, which Apple addressed with the iOS 17.0.3 update. However, even before the patch the Max did not get any warmer than previous models or rivals in my testing, including when pushed via benchmarks and games.
The phone lasts about 44 hours between charges, including actively using the screen for just shy of six hours. This was while primarily being used on wifi with a couple of hours of 5G browsing. That means charging it about every two days with moderate use. Even on the heaviest days of use out and about on 5G most of the time, using the camera and maps, the 15 Pro Max would still last a good 36 hours between charges.
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | iPhone 15 Pro | iPhone 15 Plus | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £1199.00 | £1199.00 | £1199.00 |
| CPU | Apple A17 Pro | Apple A17 Pro | A16 Bionic chip |
| Processor | A17 Pro chip with 6-core GPU | A17 Pro chip with 6-core GPU | A16 Bionic chip with 6-core GPU |
| RAM | 8GB | 6GB | 6GB |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB | 256GB, 512GB |
| Battery Life | 29 hours of video playback | 27 hours of video playback | 25 hours of video playback |
The 15 Pro Max is Apple’s best big phone yet, offering more camera, more screen and longer battery life than other models. But it is the new titanium sides and decrease in weight that makes the biggest difference in day-to-day usage.
The camera is genuinely great, with the new 5x optical zoom, which meaningfully closes the distance to objects, and the automatic portrait mode that makes fancy shots super simple. The screen is tremendous. The action button is handy. The USB-C port is very welcome, as is long battery life, fast chip and the larger 256GB of storage as standard.
But it is still very much a superphone. Massive, colossally expensive and facing stiff competition with even greater zooms and more features. For iPhone buyers the 15 Pro Max is undoubtedly the pinnacle, if you have the hands and wallet capable of handling it.
Oliver Grant
Senior Tech Editor
With over 15 years in tech journalism, Oliver focuses on the latest in mobile devices and wearable technology. Known for his detailed, balanced reviews, he provides readers with insights into the best tech products on the market.
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