We put the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max through our rigorous SBMARK Display test suite to measure its performance across six criteria. In this summary of test results, we’ll break down how it performed in a variety of tests and several common use cases.
Overview
Key Display Specifications:
- 6.7-inch AMOLED Retina XDR (~89.5% screen-to-body ratio)
- Dimensions: 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25 mm (6.30 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches)
- Resolution: 1290 x 2796 pixels, (density ~460 ppi)
- Proportions: none
- Refresh rate: 120Hz
Pros
- Readable in most conditions tested, even outdoors
- More vivid colors in photos
- Strong frame dropping performance
Against
- A strong orange cast affects color rendition and skin tones in photos and videos
- HDR10 videos lack contrast in the midtones compared to its predecessor
- Low flicker frequency
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is very similar to its predecessor overall, sharing fourth place with the 14 Pro Max in our Display database, behind the Honor Magic5 Pro and the latest foldable phones from Google and Samsung. The performance of the 15 Pro Max in our readability category ranks first among all other smartphones tested to date. In other categories, the 15 Pro Max shows excellent performance in motion and artifact management; and while video and color performance are good, those attributes still have room for improvement.
Test summary
About SBMARK display tests: For scoring and analysis in our smartphones and other display reviews, SBMARK engineers perform a series of objective and perceptual tests under controlled laboratory and real-life conditions. Please note that we evaluate display attributes using only the device’s built-in display hardware and its still image (gallery) and video apps with default settings. (For in-depth information on how we evaluate smartphones and other displays, see our articles “How SBMARK Tests Display Quality” and “A Closer Look at SBMARK Display Tests.”
The following section brings together key elements of our comprehensive testing and analysis performed in SBMARK laboratories. Detailed performance evaluations in the form of reports are available upon request. Do not hesitate to contact us.
How the display readability score is composed
Readability evaluates the ease and comfort with which users can read fixed content (photos and web) on the display in various real-life conditions. SBMARK uses its display stand to recreate ambient light conditions ranging from total darkness to bright sunlight. In addition to laboratory tests, perceptual analysis is also carried out in real-life environments.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max is readable in most conditions, even outdoors, with an impressive 2260 nits measured on a 20% APL (average image) white model. However, brightness drops dramatically at higher APLs, reaching only 1100 nits at 80% APL (similar to the APL of web pages), meaning the device is better suited for viewing photos than web pages outdoors. Additionally, the 15 Pro Max is still tuned to just 2 nits in low light; While this is suitable for a nighttime environment, users may need to manually adjust the brightness in other conditions. The 15 Pro Max has better screen uniformity, with only a slight shadow around the notch.
Readability in an indoor environment (1000 lux).
From left to right: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
(Photos are illustrative only)
Readability in an outdoor environment (20,000 lux).
From left to right: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
(Photos are illustrative only)
Readability in a sunny environment (>90,000 lux).
From left to right: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
(Photos are illustrative only)
Significant improvement in brightness uniformity, as seen in the graph below. The slight shadow on the sides of the device’s Dynamic Island may be visible on dark backgrounds.
Measurement of luminance uniformity
This graph shows display uniformity with a gray pattern at 20%. The more visible the green color, the more uniform the display will be.
How the display color score is composed
The color attribute evaluates the device’s ability to accurately reproduce colors. The measurements taken concern fidelity, white point color and gamut coverage. We perform color evaluations for different lighting conditions to see how well the device can handle color in its surroundings. Colors are measured using a spectrophotometer in a controlled lighting environment. The perceptual analysis of the color rendering takes place compared to the reference model displayed on a calibrated professional monitor.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max was measured with a slightly more saturated default color mode on sRGB content. While photos generally appear more attractive and vivid, the saturation in sunlight in high brightness mode can be a little too strong on faces and skin tones. Of greater impact on the color rendering of photos is a strong cast that degrades the appearance of skin tones.
White point under D65 illuminant at 1000 lux
Indoor color rendering (1000 lux)
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
(Photos are illustrative only)
Color rendering in sunlight (>90,000 lux)
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
(Photos are illustrative only)
Colors remain true below 1000 lux, although the Display-P3’s contents desaturate under bright ambient lighting. On the other hand, sRGB colors appear more saturated in low-light conditions and when High Brightness mode is enabled.
Color fidelity measurements
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the sRGB color space
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, color fidelity at 1000 lux in the Display-P3 color space
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, color fidelity at 20000 lux in the sRGB color space
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, color fidelity at 20000 lux in the Display-P3 color space
Each arrow represents the color difference between a target color model (arrow base) and its actual measurement (arrow tip). The longer the arrow, the more visible the color difference. If the arrow remains inside the circle the color difference will only be visible to expert eyes.
In the graphs below showing angular color shift, you can see that the 15 Pro Max has slightly better color stability at an angle than the 14 Pro Max.
Color behavior on the corner
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
This graph shows the color shift when the screen is tilted. Each point represents a measurement at a particular angle. The dots inside the inner circle show no color change in the corner; those between the inner and outer circles have changes that only trained experts will see; but those that fall outside the outer circle are noted.
Color shift on the corner
From left to right: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
(Photos are illustrative only)
How the Display Video score is composed
Our video attribute evaluates each device’s Standard Dynamic Range (SDR) and High Dynamic Range (HDR10) video handling in indoor and low-light conditions. We measure the tone mapping, color gamut, brightness and contrast of the display. We perform perceptual analysis Cons our professional reference monitor (Sony BVM-HX310) to ensure rendering meets artistic intent.
As with the color rendering of photos, colors in SDR videos on iPhone 15 Pro Max are more saturated than standard ones in low light conditions and HDR10 videos have an orange cast that negatively affects the rendering of skin tones. Finally, the midtones on the 15 Pro Max have a flatter look than the 14 Pro Max.
Video rendering in a low light environment (0 lux).
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
(Photos are illustrative only)
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
(Photos are illustrative only)
As shown in the graphs below, we compared the video color performance of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max with our professional reference monitor. Notice how the arrow in region 2 on the graph extends further towards orange on the newer device, confirming the impression our experts felt.
Color difference of iPhone videos in a low light environment (0 lux).
Top: Region of interest measured in the video
Bottom, left to right: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max results
Each arrow represents the color difference between the color measured on our reference monitor (base of the arrow) and its actual measurement on the devices (head of the arrow). The longer the arrow, the more visible the color difference. If the arrow remains inside the circle the color difference will only be visible to expert eyes.
In the illustration below you can see that Apple devices struggle to reproduce details in red tones. This type of effect may occur when playing certain HDR videos.
Clockwise from top left: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max, Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, Honor Magic5 Pro
(Photos are illustrative only)
The 15 Pro Max’s color gamut for SDR video is wider than the BT.709 standard, thus indicating more saturated reds and greens.
Gamut coverage for video content
Primary colors are measured in both HDR10 and SDR. The extracted color gamut shows the extent of the color area that the device can reproduce. To meet artistic intent, the measured gamma must match the primary color space of each video.
How the Display Motion Score is composed
The motion attribute evaluates dynamic content handling. Dropped frames, motion blur, and playback artifacts are examined using games and videos.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max achieved near-perfect frame drop performance, with little to no frame drops in video playback. However, our experts have spotted some discrepancies between frames when playing video games.
Dropped video frames
These long exposure photos have the number of frame irregularities in a 30 second video. Good performance shows a regular pattern (a flat gray image or a drop-down pattern).
How the Display Touch score is composed
To evaluate touch, SBMARK uses a touch robot and a high-speed camera to play and record a series of scenarios for evaluating smoothness, accuracy and response time.
The touch performance of the iPhone 15 Pro Max was identical to that of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, with high responsiveness and smooth interaction. The responsiveness of most flagships measures 60 to 70 ms and, in this regard, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is no exception. As for fluidity, we noticed that the games we tested were still stuck at 60 fps, but it’s likely that game developers haven’t yet adjusted those games to fit the capabilities of the iOS platform.
This response time test accurately evaluates the time that elapses between a single touch of the robot on the screen and the displayed action. This test is applied to activities that require high responsiveness, such as gaming.
How the display artifact score is composed
Evaluating artifacts means checking for performance, image rendering, and motion defects that can impact the end-user experience. SBMARK precisely measures device reflectance and the presence of flicker, and evaluates the impact of residual aliasing when playing video games, among other features.
With an improved screen-to-body ratio, slightly better reflectance ratio performance, and good aliasing control in gaming, the iPhone 15 Pro Max finished several points ahead of the iPhone 14 Pro Max in dealing with artifacts. However, both Apple devices still lag behind many other competitors in this category, especially some Huawei and Xiaomi phones, especially when it comes to flicker rate, which is still low.
Aliasing (foreground)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
(Photos are illustrative only)
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max – Crop 1
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max – Crop 2
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max – Crop 3
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