Apple has made a few key changes to the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max this year. First, they’re now crafted from Grade 5 Titanium and have a slightly contoured design that should make them easier to hold for extended periods of time. Apple has also replaced the mute switch with a customizable Action button that can trigger shortcuts, activate accessibility features and more.
Comparison with Older Models
Apple has made the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max look only minimally different from last year’s phones, with slimmer bezels around their gorgeous large displays. That makes them more ergonomic and comfortable to hold, though the bigger phones are still heavy.
The main difference comes with the inclusion of the A17 Pro chip on the Pro models, which offers about 10% better performance than the previous chips. This is mainly thanks to the 3nm manufacturing process, but also due to microarchitectural and design improvements.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max models also have a few features that are exclusive to them, including USB-C support for higher transfer speeds. This allows ProRes to be recorded directly onto external drives, which will appeal to video creators. The TrueDepth front camera also has a few upgrades, and can output 4K at 60fps for HDR viewing on external devices. There’s also the new Digital AV Multiport Adapter which enables you to connect HDMI monitors and standard USB devices.
Upgrades
Apple has packed the iPhone 15 Pro Max with some solid upgrades, despite keeping it largely the same size as previous models. For starters, the Dynamic Island feature and the 48-megapixel main camera are now available for all models – as is a new Portrait mode that delivers five times better zoom.
The display is also now a little bit narrower around the edges thanks to slimmer bezels. The screen itself is still the same 6.7-inch XDR ProMotion OLED HDR panel and it’s capable of up to 120Hz refresh rate.
In addition, a new Action button has been introduced on the left side of the phone and replaces the mute slider. It’s a programmable button that can launch different apps and features, like triggering the camera or flashlight, with a single press. This is in addition to the usual improvements brought by iOS 17 like mood tracking, interactive widgets and even emergency roadside assistance via satellite.
Differences
Despite the huge difference in size, the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max have a lot in common with their predecessors. For starters, both are powered by the A17 Pro chip — Apple’s first 3nm chipset.
Those chips bring about significant performance and graphical improvements, which should also help with battery life a bit. The Titanium chassis is a welcome addition as well, which makes these phones more durable.
Another change that came with the iPhone 15 Pro models is the removal of the Lightning port, which was replaced with a USB-C port. That’s a welcome change because it improves data transfer speeds considerably.
Moreover, the new phones support Wi-Fi 6E connectivity. They also have a more advanced location feature that works in conjunction with roadside assistance providers. Then there’s the customizable Action button that replaces the mute switch and lets you run custom Shortcuts. The rounded edges that made their debut with the iPhone 11 series also return this year.
Features
The iPhone 15 Pro Max offers a ton of features compared to the older models. This includes Night mode, Spatial video (which uses the ultra-wide and main cameras to capture depth information that can be viewed on Apple Vision Pro), enhanced low-light performance, Smart HDR, and next-gen portraits.
The A17 Pro chip also adds boosted neural processing for better low-light and faster motion capture. Plus, it supports augmented reality features like AR games and apps that use depth mapping to improve object tracking.
Other significant updates include the switch to USB-C (it has a reversible connector so you can plug in any standard USB device), which offers faster data transfer speeds, and a new Action button that replaces the mute ring switch with haptic feedback and customizable actions. And, unlike previous generations of iPhones, the edges on the new model are slightly rounded for a more comfortable feel in hand. Plus, the titanium grade 5 construction makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max 10% lighter than its predecessor.