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Camera8
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It’s hard to believe that it’s been a year since the iPhone 15 Pro Max immediately became my default smartphone of choice.
Since then, I’ve been using the Samsung S24 Ultra and, more recently, the iPhone 16 Pro Max. This iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review isn’t going to head deep into the reasons I’ve been switching to different smartphones, because I’ve spoken plenty about that in the past and I think the people who have called me an idiot eleventeen seventy times are probably bored of doing so.
Instead, I’m going to reveal what Apple’s flagship smartphone is like to live with for half a year. What are the stars of the show? What doesn’t matter? What’s the one big disappointment that I keep encountering?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max was a fascinating release for Apple on numerous levels, so let’s start with the good things!
The important improvements: 5x zoom, A17 Pro and USB-C
I said in my original review that the 5x zoom on the camera system is the absolute standout feature of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. And that is still absolutely true; I shoot almost exclusively in 5x now on the iPhone.
It is such a useable and useful focal length which pulls off beautiful images in a huge number of scenarios. If a phone lacks a 5x focal length these days, I find it hard to adapt. This was a masterstroke by Apple.
The A17 Pro chip continues to be a barnstorming performer, too. The challengers from Snapdragon and Mediatek are hot on Apple’s heels – and, in some cases, ahead of them – but it’s hard to deny just how far ahead Apple is with its Silicon chips. Although, it does have an unfair advantage in so far as it controls everything from the hardware to the software.
The switch to USB-C for the iPhone was long-awaited – and worth it. Beyond the vastly increased transfer speeds over Lightning, having a USB-C-equipped iPhone is so convenient. I have one remaining Apple product that demands Lightning (AirPods Max, in case you’re wondering) and I’m reminded of how annoying it is to rummage to find that cable whenever a charge is required.
Lastly, the ecosystem remains a highlight – for me. However, at the time of writing, that ecosystem has landed Apple in very hot water with its own government which I’ll get to later.
It looks amazing!
There’s a reason the word ‘Titanium’ was so prominent within the advertising campaign for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Switching to Titanium for the flagship iPhone was a brilliant choice. It’s why so many people are talking about going caseless; this is Apple’s best-looking iPhone ever. In my humble opinion.
It looks the same as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but when finished in Natural Titanium, everything steps up a notch. It’s always been the most premium-looking flagship smartphone on the market, in my opinion, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max has more style, beauty, and rugged utilitarian presence than ever before.
Read my full iPhone 14 Pro Max review
Combining those design elements is what Apple does best, and this is the epitome of the industrial design team’s efforts. It’s also the lightest Pro Max iPhone ever, lighter than even the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
However, you soon forget that the phone is made out of Titanium, and the difference in weight isn’t as seismic as you might expect. This is still a big, cumbersome phone.
The ecosystem lawsuit
The Apple ecosystem is still (as of November 2024) currently at the heart of an antitrust lawsuit issued by the Department of Justice (DOJ) against Apple in the United States. Apple is, apparently, making its products far too sticky, with customers and developers paying the price.
The case against Apple is as wide and complicated as it is likely to drag on for years, but it’s hard to argue with the belief that Apple does make it difficult to escape from the grasps of its products. Despite this, we all have our own minds; nothing is stopping me from switching to the S24 Ultra for good – I’d just need to make some changes. Is that Apple’s fault? Nope – it just proves that, actually, the ecosystem doesn’t matter.
Action Button and Dynamic Island
Does anyone care about the Action Button? Because I certainly don’t. My guess is that most people simply set it to operate the camera shutter, and then proceed to use the camera in the way they did before, pre-Action Button. I have to remind myself to use it, which isn’t exactly an endorsement for its inclusion.
Lastly, the Dynamic Island – while admittedly introduced a generation earlier – remains an innocuous and fairly anticlimactic element of the user experience.
As cool as the animations are, and as useful as some developers have made it (here’s looking at you, RingGo), there’s always the nagging feeling that it’s only there to make up for the space taken up by the camera and Face ID equipment Apple steadfastly refuses to reduce in size.
Please don’t buy an iPhone 15 Pro Max solely for the Dynamic Island.
The big disappointment: battery life
I’ll keep this brief because, as you might expect, I’m not one for rigorous benchmarking.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max battery remains the least impressive of any smartphone I’ve tested over the last twelve months – by quite a distance. You get less than eight hours out of it.
This isn’t because I’m using it disproportionately more. On the contrary, when I get a new Android phone in to review, it gets hammered, and every single one I’ve used recently has destroyed the iPhone in terms of battery life.
Whether this relates to the hardware, iOS 17, or both, I have no idea. But the iPhone 15 Pro Max feels country miles away from the draw-dropping stamina possessed by the iPhone 13 Pro Max, and the current Android competition.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 16 Pro Max
Not much has changed between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 Pro Max. And that gives you an idea about which one you should buy.
The 16 Pro Max uses the new A18 Pro chip which is admittedly insanely fast, but so is the A17 Pro. You won’t be able to tell the difference between them in terms of performance in day-to-day use.
The camera systems a virtually the same too. The 16 Pro Max has a 48MP Ultra Wide compared to the 12MP Ultra Wide in the 15 Pro Max which, whilst a nice upgrade, is once again largely unnoticeable to those who aren’t obsessed with photography. The main camera which most people will use is inseparable between the two iPhones.
There’s the Camera Control button on the 16 Pro Max but I refer you to my thoughts on the Action Button for that matter (aka it isn’t very useful).
Therefore, if you can get a great price on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, buy it instead. You still get Apple Intelligence, and you’re not missing out on much apart from pro camera features which you likely won’t use on a daily basis.
How the iPhone 15 Pro Max compares to other smartphones
I should highlight that I don’t review every smartphone that enters the market. So, the list below is slightly odd, but it’s still worth looking at what the iPhone 15 Pro Max has been up against at Mark Ellis Reviews Towers recently.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Pixel 8 Pro
This is a very closely fought battle, but the Pixel still wins, in my book, thanks to the camera system. This is the most subjective element of any smartphone review, but there’s nothing that can beat the Pixel on that front, and the iPhone has always come second in that regard. I also think the Pixel 8 Pro is a better-looking device. More on that in my Pixel 8 Pro review.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Samsung S24 Ultra
The S24 Ultra is the best smartphone I have ever used. The display, the operating system, the design, and the AI stuff is, as yet, unmatched. As a premium package, it doesn’t currently get any better than this.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Honor Magic 6 Pro
Honor’s flagship smartphone for 2024 is cheaper than the iPhone 15 Pro Max and can more than hold its own when it comes to camera performance, speediness, and handsome looks. The only difference is the ecosystem, which isn’t as good as Apple’s. But, then, nothing is.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Nothing Phone (2a)
In my Nothing Phone (2) review, I called it the difficult second album, but Nothing Phone (2a) proves that Nothing is still capable of rubbing shoulders with the big boys – even with comical price differentials. The Nothing Phone (2a) is £880 cheaper than the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and the only area in which it suffers, performance-wise, is the camera system. And even that is pretty good for most people.
As you can see, the iPhone 15 Pro Max still holds its own against the competition, but only because it is the default choice for a lot of people, and because that damn ecosystem is so good.
Final conclusion
The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the best iPhone Apple had made in September 2023. Because of course it was.
That statement is far more than a guaranteed line on Tim Cook’s Keynote deck, though. This is a brilliant smartphone, and remains the pinnacle of flagship smartphone build quality. The problem is that it just isn’t as interesting as a lot of the competition, and the differentiating factors that swing people towards Apple’s flagship are becoming harder to identify.
With so many amazing budget phones hitting the market these days, that is a problem for Apple.
