iPhone 15 Pro Max: Top Apple 48MP Camera Phone

The iPhone 15 series has arrived, and while the entire range has been upgraded, the iPhone 15 Pro Max may just be the finest iPhone ever. That may seem like an award that has lost meaning in recent years due to Apple’s evolutionary advancements, but there’s plenty this time around to easily justify upgrading from the 13 Pro Max, and possibly even the 14 Pro Max.

The USB-C connector is new this year (finally), but it’s what’s behind the hood that gets the most attention – the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s A17 CPU is a beast, capable of running games at astounding frame rates while maintaining remarkable battery life.

Add to that a fantastic evolution of the iPhone camera, complemented by clever new software tricks (particularly for Portrait shots) and a new Titanium construction that makes it feel a little lighter in the hand, and there’s a lot to like — even if the removal of the 128GB storage option makes the Pro Max more expensive than ever.

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iPhone 15 Pro Max KEY FEATURES

More pricey, but you get more storage for the money. The customizable key replaces the ringer switch and packs a lot of functions. The combination of a titanium body and new smoother curves is both beautiful and ergonomically beneficial. The screen is larger (but not higher quality) and appears better than ever. This is the nicest set of cameras I’ve ever used on an iPhone. The A17 Pro is as quick as advertised, and console gaming is now possible on an iPhone. iOS 17 is a solid release that brings welcome quality-of-life enhancements. Long battery life, but no quick charging yet.  This makes it far lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro.

APPLE IPHONE 15 PRO MAX UNBOXING

The new iPhone 15 Pro Max comes in one of these slim retail boxes, which include the phone and a USB cord. There’s also a little paper compartment with some papers, an Apple logo sticker, and a SIM ejection tool.

The new USB cable (C-C) now has braided insulation, which should increase its longevity significantly. Finally! In case you were wondering, it’s a USB 2.0 cable.

CAMERA

• Dedicated 5-times optical zoom camera
• New 48-megapixel main sensor
• Impressive new portrait photography capabilities

The big news with the iPhone 15 Pro Max camera is that Apple has finally enhanced the telephoto zoom, increasing it from 3x to a far more practical 5x (120mm equivalent).

This is still far from what Samsung delivers with the Galaxy S23 Ultra and Galaxy S24 Ultra, which are still the zoom champs in my opinion, and this additional zoom is only available on the Max version, with the smaller Pro remaining with the same 3x telephoto lens.

While photographing with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I’ve used the 5x lens significantly more than the 3x option.

Being able to get a little closer is quite handy and versatile. I’ve always found that 3x doesn’t get you very close, whereas shooting far away towering buildings in central London with the 5x feels worthwhile. The image quality is good, especially in daylight, with rich and detailed colors. The addition of OIS and sensor-shift stabilization also helps.

Things are less remarkable in low-light conditions, when the sensor, which is considerably smaller than the one inside the main camera, struggles and frequently fills photos with grainy details. In some darker settings, I’ve even discovered that the camera will entirely bypass the telephoto camera and zoom in from the primary camera, with no visible means to prevent this.

Color is recorded rather well, however, this accuracy can be improved further by using the Photography Styles filters, which can be applied before or after capturing a photo. You can still shoot photographs in ProRAW, but the file sizes will be large – the loss of the 128GB option means you’ll start with 256GB of storage. I haven’t discovered much new video since last year, except the ability to record directly to external storage via the USB-C port. That implies that if you have a drive, you can record 4K video at 24, 25, 30, or 60p straight to the storage device.

DESIGN AND SCREEN

• Contoured edges make it enjoyable to grasp
• It is lighter and slightly smaller
• 6.7″ Super Retina XDR OLED
• Ultra-thin bezels
• Unchanged resolution. Still supports ProMotion’s adjustable refresh rate

To be honest, we were expecting a somewhat more modern appearance, but as with each iPhone since the iPhone X, differences will be difficult to see here.

The Action Button replaces the Mute switch, which has been in use since 2007 (more on that later), and the phone’s exterior shell is now constructed of Titanium. This provides a lighter sensation in the palm or in your pocket, which is good, especially for a huge phone.

Still, if not for the more prominent ‘lip’ around the camera system, the iPhone 15 Pro Max would have fit into our 13 Pro Max cover. The most significant change this year, however, is Apple’s catch-up with USB-C. That’s true, the iPhone 15 lineup finally removes Lightning, which seems weird given that Apple adopted USB-C with its previous MacBook models – potentially to its harm.

Still, it’s here, and while much has been made of the need to purchase a suitable cable for high-speed data transfer, this isn’t anything new for Android flagships. Would it be useful to have a USB 3.0 cable included? Sure, especially at this price, but it’s nothing new, and to be honest, we’re just pleased to be able to charge the iPhone with almost any other cable we have around the house.

If you loved the 6.7-inch display on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, you’ll probably appreciate the screen of the iPhone 15 Pro Max a little better.

Apple chopped millimeters off the black bezel around the Super Retina XDR OLED screen to make it appear larger. Between that and the newly curved edges, the screen appears to reach to the phone’s outside edge.

To clarify, the screen is somewhat larger, but the resolution of 2796 x 1290 and 460ppi remains the same as the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Essentially, this iPhone is simply giving those pixels a bit more breathing room.

It maintains a gorgeous and brilliant screen, with a maximum brightness of 2000 nits, so I had no issue using it outside in strong sunshine. Its large color gamut results in vivid pictures, and its 2,000,000:1 contrast ratio supports even the darkest blacks. It’s a delight to look at images, games, apps, websites, and videos on this display.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s ProMotion compatibility means it can handle web page scrolling just as well as films and gaming. All action appears to be smooth. Furthermore, the phone’s ability to halt at 1Hz implies that it may save battery while still giving information, making it suitable for always-on functionality.

I placed the iPhone 15 Pro Max on a Belkin Boost Charge Pro 2-in-1 Wireless Charge Stand with MagSafe, which immediately switched the phone to iOS 17’s new Standby mode, and then placed it on my bedside. Overnight, the Always-On display remained bright enough for me to check the time in the middle of the night.

This is still an amazing smartphone display, but I’m curious why, now that Samsung’s flagship has an inbuilt pen and supports both touch and stylus input, Apple can’t finally add Apple Pencil compatibility to its largest and best smartphone. Nonetheless, I appreciate that not everyone needs or prefers pen input, which Apple may also recognize.

Essentially, you get Apple’s top-tier screen technology, somewhat enhanced and now backed by some fantastic new iOS 17 features.

HOW’S THE PERFORMANCE?

• Unbelievable performance from the A17 chip.
• Easily capable of multitasking.
• Great battery life.

The iPhone 14 Pro felt like an improvement over the 13 Pro, but the A17 in the 15 Pro series feels like a true leap in performance.

While Apple spent a large portion of its Wanderlust event advertising ray-tracing capabilities for more realistic lighting in games, you don’t have to be playing high-budget, console-quality titles to notice the improved performance across iOS.

Throughout our tests, we launched hundreds of apps at the same time, switching between them and running Lightroom edits to stress the processor – and we failed. Switching between apps is lightning fast, and while last year’s phone wasn’t bad in any way, this year’s model truly shines when it comes to gaming.

Our standard test case, League of Legends Wild Rift, is more responsive than ever, even when ten players converge on each other, slinging spells and swords. The frame rate is consistent throughout, which also extends to the usually visually stunning Genshin Impact.

Apple has claimed that games like Assassin’s Creed: Mirage will be released on iPhone with full-fat conversions of their console and PC equivalents, and while we’re hoping no sacrifices will be made, we weren’t able to test it, or the Resident Evil games presented at the event, at the time of publication.

When it comes to battery life, last year’s iPhone 14 Plus reigned supreme, but this year’s iPhone 15 Pro Max has beyond all expectations. Expect a massive 29 hours of battery life on a single charge, particularly while watching videos; expect less when talking or gaming. Fast charging takes a 20W converter and will get you to 50% in 35 minutes, but there is no charger in the packaging – only a USB-C to USB-C connector.

Finally, a word about the Action Button. While the new physical input is initially configured as a mute switch, there are numerous other choices available, such as translation and lights. Using Shortcuts (Apple’s automation product) allows users to do almost anything with it, including starting programs, changing Focus modes, and much more.

FINAL THOUGHTS

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is an excellent smartphone. It does a lot and puts a lot of pressure on Samsung, Oppo, and Xiaomi to make significant improvements over the next 12 months.

Importantly, Apple has addressed several concerns I had with the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The weight has been significantly decreased, the sides have been rounded for a more comfortable feel, and the outdated Lightning port has been replaced with a far more modern version. Then there are the minor modifications, such as the matte sides that repel fingerprints and the bezel being lowered.

It would have been preferable if the charging was faster and a higher-spec USB-C had been provided in the package. The pricing has also increased as the base 128GB model is being phased out. However, the UK price for the 256GB versions has fallen somewhat from last year.

It is not a total reinvention of the series, and those who have already updated to the 14 Pro (or even the 13 Pro) need not feel compelled to upgrade. Those phones remain outstanding, and the deluge of new features in iOS 17 further improves them.

Buy it if...

• Exquisite and now lighter design, water-resistant up to 6m deep.
• Outstanding OLED, extremely bright, color-accurate, and Dolby Vision.
• Excellent battery life.
• Excellent speaker loudness, balance, and sound quality.
• Excellent performance.
• Upgraded connection throughout the board, including UWB2.
• Outstanding video capture and stabilization, as well as outstanding Pro modes.
• Excellent daylight and nighttime images from all cameras.
• USB-C has arrived, and we adore it.
• Every iPhone includes at least five years of iOS updates.
• Duh! The finest iPhone ever produced!

Don't buy it if...

• Significantly more pricey than comparable Android solutions.
• There is no charger in the box, and charging is not particularly fast.
• Apple’s iOS restrictions can be discouraging to newbies to the ecosystem.
• When under load, the GPU reduces its performance to 50% of its maximum.
• Sometimes less sharpness would be beneficial in photo editing.
• The rear glass is supposedly substantially more shatter-prone than previously.

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