The iPhone 15 Pro Max also now has the capability to record videos with an added depth component.
I will miss the old port, but believe we’ll all soon forget it.
The new setup is more versatile too.
Apple contoured the edges on the iPhone 15 Pro Max
In short (this is my two-minute review, after all), this is my favorite iPhone ever.
What you won’t get for that price, though, is more memory.
Even at this price, I suspect it will be Apple’s best-seller.
The three-camera array looks the same, but there’s now a more powerful 5x optical zoom lens
First are the new contoured edges.
The phone feels different because the dimensions and weight are different.
It is worth noting that the new phone is almost a millimeter thicker than the last model.
There’s your new USB-C port
That’s a noticeable difference.
Another major design change is actually a functional one: the new USB-C port.
I did, though subject the phone to a dunk in a water fountain.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is lighter and a little easier to hold
The IP68-rated phone handled it just fine.
This tiny little button replaces the long-surviving silence/ring switch (still available on theiPhone 15andiPhone 15 Plus).
After trying out the Action button in default mode, I quickly switched it to control the camera.
This side of the iPhone 15 Pro Max looks just like the iPhone 14 Pro Max
I can still remember when Apple started using biodegradable packaging on its EarPods.
The corn-based material would dissolve in water.
This iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 100% recycled aluminum interior and uses recycled cobalt in its battery.
Goodbye silence/ring switch, hello Action button
Beyond the phone, Apple is whittling away at its carbon footprint by using more earth-friendly materials.
This year, Apple is using a new material, FineWoven, on cases and MagSafe Apple Wallets.
Those cases, by the way, still feel luxurious.
Apple’s Action Control settings are look unlike any other iPhone feature settings
My wife thought they were faux suede, but I pointed out the ultra-fine weave.
Essentially, this iPhone is just giving those pixels a little more breathing room.
All motion looks smooth.
Doesn’t that button look at home next to the two volume buttons?
It’s larger and, reportedly aSony-made IMX903.
And Apple is using this sensor in ways it has never done before.
Every default image I shot with the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes rendered at 24MP resolution.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s new FineWoven case.
The only downside is that 24MP images will be larger than 12MP stills (by about a megabyte).
you might also shoot in 48MP RAW format for uncompressed imagery, ready for editing.
The result is some truly eye-popping images.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s Super Retina XDR screen’s 2,000 nit max brightness can beat back the sun
Even in direct comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, the iPhone 15 Pro Max won.
The colors in flowers are perfect and the sharpness is startling.
My macros are levels above what I gathered with the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max.
Everything, including streaming videos looks great on the big 6.7-inch display.
The skin tones are exact.
It didn’t matter the skin tone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max understood it and reproduced it.
I, for instance, look just as pale and freckled as I do in real life.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max camera array
Apple has stuffed this iPhone full of more pro-level photography tools than ever before.
you’re able to also go into parameters and set one of the lenses as a default.
For most consumers, though, this might be more control than they want or need.
You can change digital lenses on the fly. Here’s the 13mm view,(Image credit: Future)
It might help to understand what millimeters (mm) in lenses actually mean.
The mm defines the degree of magnification and field of view.
Lower mm means a wider field of view and lower magnification.
Here’s your 24mm lens.(Image credit: Future)
you might zoom quite a bit further with digital zoom but these images never hold up upon close examination.
The entire iPhone 15 line essentially refines portrait photography.
This works just as advertised and makes you feel like a god of portrait photography.
This is the 28mm lens.(Image credit: Future)
Apple has made some leaps in low-light and night photography.
Night photography is better, too.
I noticed less green in the star photography and more stars.
Here’s the 35MM lens.(Image credit: Future)
It’s a delicate balance.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max Geekbench 6 results support Apple’s performance claims.
Numbers, naturally, only tell part of the performance story.
This photo started off as a standard image. I changed it to portrait.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
For me, it’s what I can do with the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
One of the promised experiences is playing console-quality games natively.
Not gonna lie, I was skeptical.
You can see the controls here.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Capcom gave me test flight access to the ported version of Resident Evil: Village.
It was a large file that I needed to download at home on WiFi.
Once it loaded up I immediately saw a problem.
With portrait turned off.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
The game is designed for consoles and their controllers.
The graphics never stuttered or tore.
The game was otherwise responsive and the sound was excellent.
I tapped the car to switch focus.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
I tried editing multiple 4K 60fps clips in iMovie and found no issues with it or the output.
Lately, 5G speeds are making me pine for still-under-development6G.
Call quality is good.
This photo started out as a regular shot with the main camera. I tapped to convert it to portrait.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
My wife remarked I sounded good, clear, and “younger”.
Battery size, though, is only part of the story.
This is an anecdotal measure and your results will vary depending on what you do with the phone.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max can capture action shots(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Mine charged 47% in that time.
It took another hour and a half for it to fully charge.
I’m not sure why Apple can’t get fully on board with faster wired charging.
A front-facing camera selfie. The blue sky might be a little over-baked.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
I was surprised to see that the cable is now woven as opposed to the classic plastic/rubber protective jacket.
This is similar to MacBook and HomePod cables and may prove more durable than the old cables.
The phone also supports Qi and, obviously MagSafe charging (and accessories).
This was an impressive lowlight shot that captured me and the night sky(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Still, these end up being minor quibbles for a broadly exceptional iPhone experience.
Should I buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max?
The best possible collection of cameras is on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
New Yorker “P.pataci on Instagram” was kind enough to pose for me and let me try out the new potrait features.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
If money is an object, look at the iPhone 15 or last year’s iPhone 14 Pro.
Apple still hasn’t caught on, though.
It can zoom further, boasts a larger battery and stylus support too.
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Read more about how we test
First reviewed September 2023
A city shot with the ultrawide camera(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Stepped up to the Main camera(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Using the 2x zoom that uses the center 12MP of the 48 MP main camera(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Using the 3x optical zoom camera. The sky was blue. Was it THAT blue?(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
An untrawide city shot(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
A shot with the Main camera(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Using the 2x zoom mode(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Using the 3x optical zoom(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
A macro shot(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Flower that looks just like this in real life.(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
A city bird(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Ultrawide city shot(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Main camera(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
3x optical zoom(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Ultrawide shot(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Ultrawide shot(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Main camera(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
3X zoom of a challenging light shot(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Main camera(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Main camera(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
2x zoom(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
3x optical zoom(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Night photography(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Low light shot(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
(Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)
Geekbench 6 comparison
Playing Resident Evil: Village on iPhone 15 Pro Max
The SIM tray started to disappear with last year’s iPhone 14 series in the US. It’s still available on 15 models elsewhere in the world, however.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max on a Belkin MagSafe charger showing off iOS 17’s StandBy feature.
The new USB-C-to-USB-C cable that ships with the iPhone 15 Pro Max
The new USB-C port
