introduction
“The best iPhone ever made.” Words you hear every year. And this iconic title will fall to the iPhone 15 Pro Max in 2023. If you have to have the best, this is it. And you probably pre-ordered it and this review is over. But if you need to know if this iPhone is worth the hype, we’ll get to work and put the iPhone 15 Pro Max to the test.
Titanium is Apple’s latest buzzword. The manufacturer switched from stainless steel to titanium frames on the 15 Pro models so they could make them even more premium, more durable and lighter at the same time. This is the first thing you will see, and this is how the iPhone 15 Pro series will go down in history.
Of course there are more important news. The new Apple A17 Pro chip looks pretty impressive with its improved processor and a brand new console-grade GPU with raytracing. The long-overdue move to USB-C has finally happened, with support for USB 3 speeds. Oh, and the 48MP main camera has been improved to shoot at 24MP and to offer additional focal lengths (28mm and 35 mm).
The main feature for non-gamers is probably the new telephoto lens with a special tetraprism periscope for 5x optical zoom. Apple has innovated the design, allowing this type of lens to let in more light and offer more advanced stabilization.
Apple has retired the mute on the Pro models, replaced by a configurable Action key, which can still be a mute if you want.
The rest of the iPhone 15 Pro Max carries over from the 14 Pro Max: a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate, Dolby Vision support, and Dynamic Island cutout. Ceramic Sheild panels are here to stay. And so are the powerful stereo speakers. The 12MP ultrawide camera with macro focus, 3D LiDAR scanner and 12MP selfie AF also return.
The larger iPhone is obviously chock-full of connectivity features. There is 5G dual-SIM support via a second eSIM card, NFC, Wi-Fi 6e, Ultra Wideband 2, crash detection and emergency SOS messages.
Of course, most of the iPhone’s magic, for better or worse, is courtesy of iOS, now in its 17th version. And the iPhone 15 Pro Max, just like any other model, will receive at least five years of guaranteed iOS updates, often more.
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max specs in brief:
- Body: 159.9×76.7×8.3mm, 221g; Glass front (glass made by Corning), glass back (glass made by Corning), titanium frame (grade 5); IP68 dust/water resistant (up to 6m for 30 minutes), Apple Pay (Visa, MasterCard, AMEX certified).
- Screen: 6.70″ LTPO Super Retina
- Chipsets: Apple A17 Pro (3nm): Hexa-core (2×3.78 GHz + 4); Apple GPU (6-core graphics).
- Memory: 256GB 8GB RAM, 512GB 8GB RAM, 1TB 8GB RAM; NVMe.
- Operating system/software: iOS17.
- Rear camera: Wide (main): 48 MP, f/1.8, 24mm, 1/1.28″, 1.22μm, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS; Telephoto: 12 MP, f/2.8, 120 mm, 1.12 µm, dual-pixel PDAF, OIS with 3D sensor shift, 5x optical zoom; Ultra wide angle: 12 MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120˚, 1/2.55″, 1.4μm, dual-pixel PDAF; Depth: 3D TOF LiDAR scanner.
- Front camera: Wide (main): 12 MP, f/1.9, 23 mm, 1/3.6″, PDAF, OIS; Depth:SL 3D.
- Video Capture: Rear camera: 4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, 1080p at 25/30/60/120/240 fps, 10-bit HDR, Dolby Vision HDR (up to 60 fps), ProRes, Cinematic mode (4K at 24/30 fps), 3D video (spatial), stereo audio recording; Front camera: 4K@24/25/30/60fps, 1080p@25/30/60/120fps, Gyro-EIS.
- Drums: 4441 mAh; Wired, 50% in 30 minutes (advertised), 15W wireless (MagSafe), 7.5W wireless (Qi), reverse wired.
- Connectivity: 5G; eSIM; Dual SIM; Wi-Fi 6e; BT 5.3; NFC.
- Various: Face ID, accelerometer, gyroscope, proximity, compass, barometer; stereo speakers; Support Ultra Wideband 2 (UWB), emergency SOS via satellite (send/receive SMS).
With USB-C you can now connect any compatible device and use it right away. Phones, hard drives, headphones, external camera accessories, HDMI cables or maybe connect a wired input device. Most modern peripherals use the USB-C connection, and now the new iPhones have it.
Without further ado, here is the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Unboxing of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
The new iPhone 15 Pro Max arrives in one of these slim retail boxes that contain the phone itself and a USB cable. There’s also a small paper compartment with some documents, an Apple logo sticker, and a SIM ejector tool.
The new USB (DC) cable now has braided shielding, which should significantly extend its life. Finally! It’s a USB 2.0 cable, though, if you were wondering.
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