Apple has now unveiled the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, with all four phones ranking among the greatest iPhones ever.
But how do Apple’s latest devices stack up against one another? The vanilla iPhone 15 is effectively an iPhone 14 Pro dressed up in sparkling new clothes, and we’ve already compared the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro in a separate post.
In this article, we contrast the iPhone 15 Pro against the iPhone 15 Pro Max, comparing their costs, specifications, and features, as well as what we discovered in our iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max reviews.
IPHONE 15 PRO VS IPHONE 15 PRO MAX: SPECS COMPARISON
Once again, the iPhone Pros are available in two sizes, but this year, it appears that there is more to distinguish them than just their dimensions and capacities. We’re talking about the different telephoto cameras: the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a new tetraprism 5x zoom unit, while the 15 Pro retains the previously proven 3x module.
However, while this appears to be the primary difference, the two models are more or less distinguished by size and their byproducts. So we’ll look at the figures and test results to see if the 15 Pro Max is the best option for you or if the standard Pro is sufficient.
CAMERA
Both iPhone 15 Pro models include a triple camera array with a 48-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide sensor, and a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor. Whereas the iPhone 15 Pro can only achieve 3x optical zoom, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can go up to 5x.
Both cameras can also capture 4K video with Dolby Vision at 60fps and have matching 12-megapixel TrueDepth cameras on the front. We found the 5x zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max to be significantly more useful than the 3x on the normal Pro, giving you more shooting options and allowing you to get much closer to distant subjects.
DESIGN AND DISPLAY
The sole difference in the phones’ designs is their size and weight, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max being larger and heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro is 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3mm, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max is 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3mm. The latter weighs 221g, while the iPhone 15 Pro weighs 187g. Otherwise, both devices have improved design over the iPhone 14 Pro, with titanium sides instead of stainless steel.
Both devices include slightly softened edges, an IP68 dust and water resistance rating, a USB-C connection, and a new configurable Action button. We like this design, writing in our iPhone 15 Pro Max review that “the combination of a titanium body and new smoother curves is an aesthetic and ergonomic win.”
The size of the display is the only difference between the two phones. The iPhone 15 Pro retains the iPhone 14 Pro’s superb 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max retains its Pro Max predecessor’s 6.7-inch display.
Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max include adjustable 1-120Hz refresh rate technology (named ProMotion), which automatically adjusts the smoothness of their screens to match whatever is going on-screen and enables an always-on display. Oh, and of course, both phones use Apple’s Dynamic Island.
HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?
When it comes to performance, both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max feature the most recent generation of Apple’s silicon, the A17 Pro. This chipset improves CPU performance by 10% and GPU performance by 20% over its predecessor, making it a significant, but not gigantic, increase.
The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max both feature 8GB of RAM, while the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have 6GB. In other words, there is no difference between the latest two Pro iPhones in terms of power and performance.
We discovered the A17 Pro to be quite powerful, allowing the phones to feel speedy and responsive while handily surpassing Android phones in our benchmark testing.
GET THE IPHONE 15 PRO FOR:
- The more compact size.
- The lesser price.
GET THE IPHONE 15 PRO MAX FOR:
- Larger display.
- Better battery life.
