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iPhone 15 Pro Max
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest and the greatest smartphone in Apple’s lineup. The smartphone is powered by the latest Apple A17 Pro chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM. It has a more refined Titanium chassis that makes it lighter and more comfortable, and it features a new periscope telephoto camera.
Pros- Beautiful, responsive and bright display
- Powerful A17 Pro chip with more memory
- Great camera upgrades and new telephoto sensor
- USB-C port and 30W charging
Cons- The titanium finish is slippery and a fingerprint magnet
- $100 more expensive than previous generation
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iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 14 Pro is the latest large-screen premium smartphone from the brand. It features a new pill-shaped ‘Dynamic Island’ notch, 48MP primary camera sensors, an A16 Bionic chipset, and much more.
Pros- Beautiful display
- Excellent camera
- Great performance
- Long battery life
Cons- It’s large and heavy
- Price
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the most advanced iPhone to date, and it’s Apple’s best smartphone yet in the entire lineup. The device features the brand-new A17 Pro chip, up to 8GB of memory and 1TB of storage. It has a new telephoto sensor capable of 5x optical zoom, and 25x digital zoom. It features a USB Type-C port, enabling users to transfer files at up to 10 gigabits per second, and it supports 30W wired charging. That’s not all, there are many under-the-hood improvements and changes, and the display is also now brighter, making it easier to use in direct sunlight.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max will remain a top alternative for those who want to spend less money, since it packs most of the flagship features from the new iPhone 15 series, except for a few hardware enhancements. The phone will receive many more software updates, and the price will lower over time, making it an excellent smartphone.
In this guide, we’ll compare the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max vs the iPhone 14 Pro Max, last year’s best and highest-end Apple smartphone. We’ll show you the differences, the pros and the cons of each, and tell you whether it’s worth upgrading, or if you should sit this one out.
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iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 Pro Max SoC Apple A17 Pro Apple A16 Bionic Display 6.7-inch, LTPO Super Retina XDR, OLED, 120Hz 6.7-inch, LTPO Super Retina XDR, OLED, 120Hz RAM 8GB 6GB Storage 256/512GB & 1TB 128/256/512GB & 1TB Battery 4852 mAh (Unconfirmed) 4323 mAh Ports USB-C Lightning port Operating System iOS 17 iOS 17 Front camera 12MP, f/1.9 12MP, f/1.9, PDAF, OIS Rear cameras Primary: 48MP, f/1.8, 24mm, sensor-shift OIS | Ultrawide: 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120-degree FOV | Telephoto: 12MP, f/2.8, 120mm, PDAF Primary: 48MP, f/1.8, 24mm, PDAF, sensor-shift OIS | Ultrawide: 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm | Telephoto: 12MP, f/2.8, 77mm, 3x optical zoom Connectivity 5G, LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC 5G, LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC Dimensions 6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 in (159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm) 6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 in (160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm) Colors Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple Weight 7.80 oz (221 g) 8.47 oz (240 g) Charging 30W wired, 15W MagSafe, 7.5W (Qi Wireless) 30W wired, 15W MagSafe, 7.5W (Qi Wireless) IP Rating IP68 IP68 Material Grade 5 Titanium Stainless Steel
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Price & Availability
The iPhone 15 Pro Max retails at $1,199 that’ll get you 256GB of base storage. The phone is also sold with 512GB, and 1TB storage configurations retailing for $1,399, and $1,599, respectively. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is available in four colors, Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium. This year’s colors are lighter and more pale compared to previous generations, and we miss out on the Purple and Gold models that we saw in previous years.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max is no longer available to purchase from the Apple Store, but it remains available at third-party retailers online and in-store, such as Best Buy, and carrier shops. The iPhone 14 Pro Max had a $1,099 starting price that used to get you 128GB of storage, but there’s a good chance the device will receive price cuts from retailers as they try to deplete their stocks and focus on the 15 Pro Max instead. The iPhone 14 Pro Max comes in four colors, Space Black, Silver, Gold, and Deep Purple.
At the time of publishing this post, both smartphones are widely available at most retailers and online stores. If you’re due for an upgrade, you might want to see if your carrier has unmissable discounts to save extra cash. Don’t forget to use the links above, as we usually update them with discounts and other deals we find throughout the year.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Design & Display
The differences between the outside chassis seem minimal at best, between the two flagships. The iPhone 15 Pro measures 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm while the 14 Pro Max measures 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.9 mm. The 15 Pro is slightly smaller, narrower, and 0.4mm thicker than its predecessor. The most noticeable difference will be in weight, where the 15 Pro Max weighs 19 grams less than last year’s flagship. The 15 Pro is is made of grade 5 titanium, instead of the stainless steel of the 14 Pro. It’s lighter and more durable, but reports claim its also a fingerprint magnet, despite it being less prone to scratching. If you’re not a fan of shiny frames, you might want to consider buying a case.
The most significant change is to the design of the chassis. It’s not only made of the more durable titanium material, but it’s also slightly curved, making it easier and more comfortable to use. The sides are still flat, but the edges have been rounded off, so the 15 Pro will no longer feel sharp.
The dislay of both phones are covered by the Ceramic Shield glass, and the back is protected by a Corning-made glass. Both phones feature large 6.7-inch LTPO OLED displays, providing great viewing angles, colors, and up to 2000 nits of peak brightness. The screen is easily viewable and readable in direct sunlight, and it’s perfect for consuming content and media. Naturally, the phones also support the Always-on Display feature, with a 120Hz refresh rate for a smoother scrolling experience.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Camera
The camera on smartphones have gotten significantly better over the past few years, and it seems like Apple is finally catching up to the likes of HONOR and Samsung with a new telephoto camera. Unfortunately, the leaks were not accurate, and we’re not seeing a periscope telephoto camera on the 15 Pro Max. Instead, Apple opted for an improved telephoto sensor to improve the zooming and quality of the image.
The 15 Pro Max comes with a 48MP primary, a 12MP ultrawide, and a 12MP telephoto sensor, capable of up to 5x optical, and 25x digital zoom. While this is nowhere near some of the competition’s offerings, it’s still great to see, and it’s a major step up from the previous 3x optical zoom feature that was on the 14 Pro Max.
Regarding the quality, both the 15 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max feature the same primary and ultrawide sensors, and only the software and the telephoto are different. That said, Apple claimed that it has made the portrait shots much better, and that low-light photos should be even more impressive on the latest 15 series.
On the front, the Dynamic Island houses the same front-facing camera, a 12MP sensor with f/1.9 aperture. Both devices come with PDAF and OIS, so vloggers and content creators can take stabilized videos that are less blurry.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Battery
The new Apple A17 Pro chip is built on the 3nm process, and provides better performance and efficiency compared to the A16 Bionic SoC, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max also comes with 8GB of memory, instead of 6GB. While Apple doesn’t share the battery capacity for its devices, the 15 Pro Max features similar dimensions to last year’s device, and it’s safe to assume that it might have the same, or similar 4,323 mAh capacity.
In terms of endurance, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to perform slightly better and longer than the 14 Pro Max, given that it’s equipped with a more efficient chip. That said, Apple quoted similar numbers when it comes to battery life, and we’ll have to test it for ourselves and see how the new flagship compares to its predecessor.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max supports up to 30W wired charging speeds, 15W wireless via MagSafe, and 7.5W via Qi. None of the iPhone 15 series are Qi2 verified, although the newly introduced USB Type-C port will make charging and transferring files significantly easier and faster.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: Which should you buy?
If you’re looking for the absolute best iPhone, the 15 Pro Max will offer just that. It’s lighter than the 14 Pro, features the new UWB 2 for more accurate location tracking, comes with the new 5x telephoto camera, and has a powerful new chip and the USB-C port. While it might cost $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max did at the start, you’re also getting double the storage.
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Best Overall
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest and the greatest smartphone in Apple’s lineup. The smartphone is powered by the latest Apple A17 Pro chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM. It has a more refined Titanium chassis that makes it lighter and more comfortable, and it features a new periscope telephoto camera.
However, if you’re not keen on having the latest and the greatest and are happy with what the 14 Pro Max offers, you’ll be glad to know that it’s still a viable option in 2023. It’s fast, takes beautiful photos, and features a great battery life. There’s nothing wrong with going for a one-year-old smartphone, especially when we know it’ll continue receiving the latest updates for a few more years.
If you have a lower budget, you should buy the 14 Pro Max, or the 14 Pro, assuming you can handle large and heavy devices. For anyone else, the iPhone 15 series and the iPhone 15 Pro will do an excellent job, and the iPhone 15 Plus is a great alternative for anyone looking for the latest large iPhone experience.
