Appleis once again offering consumers two different sizes to choose from in its perennial iPhone Pro lineup. However, iPhone 15 Pro And 15 Pro Max When it comes to storage, the differences go beyond just sizes and storage capacities. The primary differentiating factor this time is the telephoto cameras: the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a new tetraprism 5x zoom unit, while the 15 Pro sticks with the tried-and-true 3x module from previous models.
While this may seem like a significant difference, the two models differ primarily in size and related aspects. Apple has kept the screen sizes the same this year, and although the bezels have been trimmed ever so slightly, the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max retain the same overall dimensions as last year. We’ll review the various features and test results to help you determine which one suits your needs.
Design and Construction
The most obvious difference between the two is their size and weight. Apple has slightly reduced the bezel size while maintaining the previous year’s screen dimensions. As a result, the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max retained their overall dimensions.
The switch from stainless steel to aluminum and titanium materials has led to a 19g reduction in the weight of each phone. This weight loss significantly increases the handling of both models. While the 15 Pro Max maintains its weight with 221 grams, the 15 Pro is not only compact but also light with 187 grams.
| iPhone 15 Pro | 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3mm | 187 Grams |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3mm | 221 Grams |
Although the new titanium frames do not feel as high-quality as the old models, they offer a pleasant touch experience with the help of the slightly curved screen glass called “Ceramic Shield” by Apple. These design changes, combined with weight reduction, make the Pro Max less bulky and the 15 Pro truly pocketable.
Both models come in the same color options and both offer dust and water resistance exceeding the IP68 standard, being able to survive in up to 6m of water for 30 minutes compared to the 1.5m required.
Screen
| iPhone 15 Pro | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | 1179 x 2556 Pixels | 461 PPI | 120Hz |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | 1290 x 2796 Pixels | 460PPI | 120Hz |
One of the most obvious differences is the screen size. The Pro Max’s 6.7-inch panel provides approximately 20% more screen real estate than the Pro’s 6.1-inch display. If you use your phone for tasks that benefit from a larger screen, like watching videos or playing games, the Pro Max is a logical choice. But thanks to Apple’s excellent scaling, the little Pro doesn’t feel cramped either. Both displays are equally bright, clocking in at just under 1,800 nits in testing. They have color calibration and support HDR10+ and Dolby Vision streaming.
Both iPhones have adaptive refresh rates, but the features of Apple’s app aren’t transparent. However, users experience a smooth interface on both models.
Battery Life
| iPhone 15 Pro | 3274mAh | 18:15 Talking Time | 19:05 Time Internet | 18:53 Time Video |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | 4441mAh | 25:05 Hour Talk | 24:07 Hours Internet | 24:08 Hour Video |
The 15 Pro Max has a larger battery capacity at 4,441mAh, making up for the larger screen by providing a significant advantage in terms of endurance over the 15 Pro’s 3,274mAh battery. It’s worth noting that while the Pro Max offers better battery life, the Pro still provides adequate daily performance.
Charging Speed
| iPhone 15 Pro | 20 Watts | 15 minutes 32% | 30 minutes 57% | 93 minutes 100% |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | 20 Watts | 15 minutes 23% | 30 minutes 46% | 109 minutes 100% |
15 Pro Max charges slower. With the 20W adapter, it reached 46% in 30 minutes, while the 15 Pro reached 57%. A full charge of the Pro Max takes 16 minutes longer than the Pro’s already slow 93 minutes. Apple’s charging speeds have long been a concern.
Both phones support wireless charging; Apple’s MagSafe puck provides up to 15W charging, while generic Qi-compatible pads provide up to 7.5W charging.
Speaker Quality
The Pro Max bested the 15 Pro in speaker quality, earning a ‘Very Good’ rating for loudness compared to the 15 Pro’s ‘Good’ rating. Both phones offer excellent hybrid stereo speakers, although the Max has a more pronounced midrange.
The Max has a slightly more pronounced presence in the mids (which probably explains the loudness advantage, since ‘the mid-range is where loudness mostly lives’), but in any case, both iPhones have great hybrid stereo speakers that are some of the best on the market.
Performance
| AnTuTu 10 | Geekbench 6 (Single Core) | Geekbench 6 (Multi-Core) | |
| iPhone 15 Pro | 1,566,329 | 2,922 | 7,172 |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | 1,487,203 | 2,926 | 7,237 |
Both the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max are powered by the same Apple A17 Pro chip and deliver industry-leading performance. There is no significant performance difference between the two models, even in GPU-intensive applications. The base 15 Pro model comes with 128GB of storage, while the 15 Pro Max starts at a more reasonable 256GB with the option to upgrade to 1TB. Both models have 8GB RAM.
Unlike previous years, we haven’t seen any significant performance differences between the two sizes, so you’ll get essentially the same performance. This is industry-leading performance. What’s not so good is the relatively heavy throttling, especially in GPU-intensive applications, but even then we didn’t observe any significant difference between the two models.
Camera Comparison
The key difference between this year’s two iPhone Pro sizes is the telephoto camera. The 15 Pro Max has the new tetraprism 5x module, while the 15 Pro retains the 3x unit of the 14 Pro. Other than that, they both share the same hardware and feature the same new 24MP mode on the main camera, as well as intermediate 1.2x and 1.5x zoom levels (28mm and 35mm equivalent focal lengths).
If we turn our attention to these telephotos first, we’ll notice that in good light the Max’s native 5x output isn’t much better than the non-Max’s digitally zoomed 5x.
On the other hand, at the 3x zoom level, the 15 Pro’s 3x telephoto camera results are significantly superior to the 15 Pro Max’s output, extending the main camera’s capabilities beyond what you might call a sharp image.
The main and ultrawide cameras are identical between the two models and produce the same images – these will be great images, although Apple’s default processing leaves colors a bit dull and random details don’t look as natural as we’d like. Either way, there’s nothing to differentiate Pro and Pro Max.
Similarly, in low light both phones behave the same way, and you get the same shots with the main and ultrawide cameras. Here, the Pro’s 3x telephoto camera cannot fully match the Pro Max’s 5x camera at 5x in dark scenes, but it does a great job at 3x.
The main difference between the cameras of the two models is the telephoto lens. The 15 Pro Max features a new tetraprism 5x module, while the 15 Pro retains the previous model’s 3x unit. The main and ultrawide cameras are identical and produce similar images. In low light, both models perform similarly.
| iPhone 15 Pro | iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|---|
| More compact size. | Bigger screen. |
| Lower price. | Better battery life. |
Decision
This really is one of the simplest dilemmas to solve – it’s pretty obvious how to choose the right iPhone 15 Pro for you. You’d think the 5x telephoto camera on the Max would be an easy decision maker – we think the 3x on the 15 Pro does a good enough job at 5x that it makes this small hardware difference irrelevant.
Choosing between the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max is a relatively simple decision. If you prioritize a larger screen and longer battery life, you can choose Pro Max. On the other hand, the Pro offers a more compact size, faster charging and is more budget-friendly. The difference between telephoto cameras isn’t significant, making size and related features the primary factors you should consider when making your decision. Also, this smaller size is cheaper (approximately 12,000 TL).