iPhone 15 Pro Max review six months later: Still an exciting upgrade

AppleInsider

I've spent a half-year to the day with Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max, and it has not just held up to the rigorous trials of daily life -- it has been worth every penny.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: Apple's top-of-the-line smartphone

It was exactly six months ago, to the day, that Apple released the iPhone 15 lineup. Since then, the 15 Pro Max has been our daily driver.

It's come on vacations, been through major life events, and taken more photos than any other device we've owned before it.

There's this growing sentiment in the space that the iPhone has gotten a little stale. That year-over-year changes are increasingly small and lack the "wow" factor Apple is known for.

We find ourselves in this boat, too, sometimes, but with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, it feels different. Six months later, it feels like a notably new experience to me. It's not perfect, but I haven't enjoyed an iPhone this much in a long time.

iPhone 15 Pro Max review six months later: Moving to the Max

We've been using the 6.1-inch Pro for the past-few generations, but since Apple included the better camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, we figured we'd try it again.

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One of the first things that caught our attention was how much of a difference the move to titanium made. It's significantly lighter and hasn't weighed down our pockets as much as we remembered.

I also missed the larger screen more than we expected, and the battery life was incredible. By late afternoon I still regularly have more than 80% battery life.

Overall, I'm happy I went with the larger size and will probably stick with it again next time we upgrade.

iPhone 15 Pro Max review six months later: Action Button

One of the biggest new features on the iPhone 15 Pro line is the action button. But even six months later, we're torn on its utility.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: The new Action Button has its perks

I go through phases where we just... forget it exists. There's nothing the Action button can do that you can't already do easily in some other way -- like running a shortcut, or opening an app.

Yes, it can be faster for some tasks, but muscle memory is hard to break.

I still mindlessly swipe to the left for the camera, tap the Lock Screen to turn on the flashlight, triple-tap the side button to turn on the magnifier, and change Focus modes directly through Control Center.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: Some of the Shortcuts from the Action Button

Currently, I have it set to open a folder of Siri shortcuts. That grants us quick access to getting our blood glucose value, running the vacuum, feeding the cat, and other frequent tasks.

But that's only when we remember it exists. Unfortunately, that isn't that often.

iPhone 15 Pro Max review six months later: Other new features

Action Button aside, there are other changes on iPhone 15 Pro Max to appreciate.

USB-C, for example. I don't doubt that this is a big deal for some users and was sorely needed, yet I have probably only used it once or twice since we got the phone.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: StandBy Mode is still a great iOS 17 feature

I would prefer a Qi2 or MagSafe charger. There are many options, and StandBy mode on a MagSafe charger is too cool.

Don't get me wrong, I'm glad I don't need to worry about carrying a Lightning cable around -- but this wasn't as big of a shift as I thought it would be.

The iPhone 15 Pro is also the first time Apple added a Thread radio to one of its smartphones. Thread is a networking standard that will go unused by the bulk of users, but for anyone who loves smart home tech, this is a great addition.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: Thread allows for faster smart home control

Across the AppleInsider staff, we haven't measured it, but anecdotally it feels as though supported accessories -- like smart plugs, shades, and lights -- respond more quickly to commands since our phone is almost always nearby.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max also just looks better. There was no keeping older models clean. This brushed finish looks outstanding, is fingerprint-friendly, and is part of the reason I choose to go caseless.

iPhone 15 Pro Max review six months later: Cameras

Arguably, the most important upgrade of the iPhone is the camera, so let's talk a bit about that. In fall 2023, there was a slew of meaningful changes from setting the focal distance in the Camera app, Smart HDR5, and the 5X telephoto lens.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: The telephoto lens looks much better than the iPhone 15 Pro

That new telephoto lens is exclusive to the iPhone 15 Pro Max and has come in handy. Not only do you get significantly better optically zoomed photos, but you now also get up to a 25x digital zoom.

Sometimes, we even use the phone like a magnifying glass or pair of binoculars to see things you can't see with the naked eye. It's like some new iPhone-assisted superpower.

What I love most about the new camera is the combination of Live and Portrait photos. You no longer have to choose one or the other.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: We use the Portrait and Live selector all the time

When you take a photo and it detects a human, dog, or cat, it automatically captures depth data alongside the picture. Especially with a kid, this has been huge.

I can snap ten photos of a child running down the hall while still keeping our eyes on him. When looking through the pictures, I can choose one action shot to keep as a Live Photo and another as a clean bokeh-ridden black and white portrait.

To compound all of those camera features, the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max can record Spatial Video for use with the Vision Pro. Unfortunately, Apple puts owners of its titular headset in a tight spot here.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: Apple has to significantly crop the 12MP ultra wide lens for Spatial Video

To record Spatial Video, you are limited to just 1080p. Standard HD isn't enough in 2024.

This is because Apple must use the 12MP UW lens for capturing the stereoscopic image. When the 12MP gets cropped in, it can only capture footage at 1080p.

I hate this tradeoff but it sounds like Apple may look to remedy it with the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro. These are purported to adopt a larger 48MP ultra-wide lens, which would have the resolution to capture 4K.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: We love watching Spatial Video on Vision Pro

These stereoscopic videos look great, especially if you don't move the camera around too much. Watching spatial videos of a child running through the yard is tear-inducing.

They drop you into that moment more than anything else. Not everyone has an Apple Vision Pro, but start to capture these memories now, in anticipation of buying a second, third, or even fourth-gen headset down the line.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: The front glass

Our only real gripe with the iPhone 15 Pro Max isn't even exclusive to this phone. It's something that has plagued all past iPhones.

It's that front glass.

Apple says it has a special ceramic shield coating, but it still takes on these tiny scratches endlessly. Six months in and my iPhone is covered in little marks.

It may be mitigated somewhat by using a case, but not even that prevents the eventual buildup of micro-abrasions that dance across the display.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: Why does the screen scratch so easily?

You don't see them when it's on, but when the screen is off they're everywhere. It's a phone with a price tag above a thousand dollars and yet it gets marred by just debris in your pocket.

We haven't dropped our phone, we don't put it in our pockets with keys, yet these scratches prevail probably because of the incredibly hard grain of sand that gets in there from time to time. Not only does it look bad, but it can also hurt the resale value.

This isn't just cosmetic, it can also hurt the resale value of a phone. For people who upgrade frequently, that's a big deal.

The good news is that Apple has finally decided to do something about this -- just not anytime soon.

The iPhone 17, debuting in 2025, is rumored have a new anti-glare screen that's more protective against scratches. I can't wait for this, but like I said, it's not here today.

iPhone 15 Pro Max review six months later: Should you still upgrade?

I love this iPhone. There are bigger changes this time around that keep the experience fresh again.

USB-C was a bit of a "meh" upgrade for me and I often forget the Action Button. But, I love the titanium body, the new telephoto lens, and the other camera improvements are huge.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: This iPhone has become a part of our lives

Plus we got some smart home love this year with Thread. I didn't even get into the A17 Pro processor that enables a new era of games.

An iPhone is still an iPhone so there is always going to be that overwhelming sense of familiarity. But this phone still has me excited to use it every day.

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: Pros

• Action Button is still a nice edition


• Very speedy and great battery life


• Telephoto lens is a huge upgrade


• Spatial Videos for Vision Pro are jaw-dropping


• Combination of Live Photos and Portrait Photos is huge


• USB-C simplifies your cables


• Thread radio makes your smart home faster

iPhone 15 Pro Max long-term review: Cons

• Screen easily scratches


• Action Button is easy to forget

Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Where to buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max at a discount

Apple's iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199, but wireless carriers are incentivizing the smartphone, bringing the cost down to as low as free via bill credits.

The best iPhone deals are at your fingertips in our roundup, but you can also jump straight to individual carriers below.

• AT&T Wireless


• Verizon


• Visible


• Red Pocket Mobile


• Xfinity

Read on AppleInsider

sloth77

"It's a phone with a price tag above a thousand dollars and yet it gets marred by just debris in your pocket."

I think you know the answer to this problem: don't keep other crap in your pocket along with the phone.  I have an iPhone 13 Pro that is approaching two years old and has a flawless front screen, even when turned off.  But it has a dedicated pocket that I never keep other stuff in.  I also don't leave it lying around - if its not in my pocket, its on the charger.

Otherwise, nice article :-)

dj2k3000

Thanks for the six month update review! Me personally, going from a 14 Pro Max would be a little much. My habit of yearly upgrading has ended with these phones being so good, as well as the fact that the aggressive 1K off AT&T sale of the 14 Pro Max was just too good to pass up (only caveat being that you get the deal with monthly rebates. Still a fantastic deal netting me a $600 1TB iPhone when all is said and done after 3yrs). You mention going caseless, which would worry me somewhat especially with the rear glass being more susceptible to shattering due to the new Titanium frame, at least based on some drop tests I have seen. Still, a great update, if I were coming from an 11 or 12 series, especially.

pulseimages

Use a screen protector! Why is this so hard?

dk49

There's nothing exciting left about phones now. Switched from XS to 15 Pro Max, and not feeling much difference. It's basically the same, but smoother and better. Maybe ios 18 and iPhone 16 will change this with generative AI. 

40domi

I upgraded from the 13 pro to a 15 Pro, predominantly for the standby mode (it doesn't work as well without always on display) secondly for the reduced weight and for the improvements in camera particularly the HDR.
I loved the 13 Pro, but I love the 15 Pro more!
As for your issues with micro scratches, put a Flolab screen protector on it and it won't scratch, also you don't have to wait for the iPhone 17 pro for anty reflective screen, Flolab already offer that on their screen protectors (they're not cheap) but well worth it, especially if you want to go case less, you won't notice it's there!

M68000

The writer does not mention the early reports of overheating,  which probably should have been found during QA testing at Apple.    Just wondering if an ios update slowed down the processor to handle the issue. 

M68000

sloth77 said:

"It's a phone with a price tag above a thousand dollars and yet it gets marred by just debris in your pocket."

I think you know the answer to this problem: don't keep other crap in your pocket along with the phone.  I have an iPhone 13 Pro that is approaching two years old and has a flawless front screen, even when turned off.  But it has a dedicated pocket that I never keep other stuff in.  I also don't leave it lying around - if its not in my pocket, its on the charger.

Otherwise, nice article :-)

There are some pouch cases available , some of which are really nice.   These protect the phone nicely but are not for lazy people who don’t want to be bothered taking phone in and out.

bluefire1

I have the 14 Pro and am awaiting the 16 Pro or Pro Max. I usually buy the Pro version because the Max (aside from the extra weight of past versions)) almost hangs out of my jeans pockets (I know, I know -buy clothes with deeper pockets). Either way, the 16 Pro and Max will be winners.

fred1

Great review. Thanks. 

As for the screen scratches, ever since I dropped my iPad Pro facedown on a radiator, and the screen protector kept it together and working, I have protectors on all my devices. 

I’d love to hear about what you think of the LIDAR feature of the camera on the Pro and Pro Max models. Useful? and if so, for what?

cpsro

The display of my 6-month old 15PM still looks like new and I keep it in a tight jeans pocket a lot, but with nothing else except sometimes tissues. I don't often lay it on a table face down, which the author might ponder.

charlesn

sloth77 said:

"It's a phone with a price tag above a thousand dollars and yet it gets marred by just debris in your pocket."

I think you know the answer to this problem: don't keep other crap in your pocket along with the phone.  I have an iPhone 13 Pro that is approaching two years old and has a flawless front screen, even when turned off.  But it has a dedicated pocket that I never keep other stuff in.  I also don't leave it lying around - if its not in my pocket, its on the charger.

Otherwise, nice article :-)

He carefully points out that he doesn't keep "other crap" in his pocket, which is the reason for the criticism. By debris, he specifically refers to the inevitable grain of grit that finds its way into a pants pocket, although perhaps you engage in daily vacuuming of the special "iPhone-dedicated" pocket of your pants. His larger point--one with which I agree and that reflects my own experience--is that a $1200 smartphone shouldn't scratch up so easily from completely normal (i.e. non-abusive) use of the device as a smartphone. Keeping the screen relatively scratch-free shouldn't require an obsessive dedication to only keeping the phone in a dedicated "phone pocket" or on a charger. 

I still view the new 120mm telephoto lens on the Max as a step backward for most photographic situations. Yes, absolutely, at 120mm and above, you will get much better results than the 77mm telephoto on the regular 15 Pro. But in the FAR more useful range of 77-119mm, the regular 15 Pro telephoto lens will provide superior images because the Pro Max relies on its main 24mm lens to cover everything from 24-119mm, which is only possible through extensive sensor cropping and computational tricks. The lens, itself does not zoom--it is a fixed focal length of 24mm. So the new tetraprism lens forces you to trade superior performance in a very useful photographic range for better image quality in a range that's not as useful for most photographers. And that, to me, is a poor trade-off done solely for marketing purposes in the "telephoto wars." 

danox

Nice article I have a 11 Pro iPhone with a screen protector on front and case on the back still looks like new. Protection front and back is a must. (too many concrete floors and driveways out there).

Kierkegaarden

Pretty smart looking spiral notebook in the photo — what is that?

cmka~+

AppleInsider said:

I also missed the larger screen more than we expected, and the battery life was incredible. [. . .] I go through phases where we just... forget it exists.

I really appreciate this review but I have to say the first person plural for such a personal device and review felt forced, and was particularly distracting when toggling between singular and plural, sometimes in the same clause.

mac_dog

pulseimages said:

Use a screen protector! Why is this so hard?

I always use a privacy screen (protector) and my 12 Pro Max looks like I just walked out of the store with it. 

jbdragon

sloth77 said:

"It's a phone with a price tag above a thousand dollars and yet it gets marred by just debris in your pocket."

I think you know the answer to this problem: don't keep other crap in your pocket along with the phone.  I have an iPhone 13 Pro that is approaching two years old and has a flawless front screen, even when turned off.  But it has a dedicated pocket that I never keep other stuff in.  I also don't leave it lying around - if its not in my pocket, its on the charger.

Otherwise, nice article :-)

I'm still using an iPhone Xs, now going on past 5 years and the phone still looks almost like new.  There are a couple really small, light scratches on the screen if you look closely at the right angle with the display off.   It does have a case on it and it has been dropped a few times over the years.

I do think it will be time to upgrade this year. However, I have said that for the last 2 years.  

escargot

fred1 said:

I’d love to hear about what you think of the LIDAR feature of the camera on the Pro and Pro Max models. Useful? and if so, for what?

The LIDAR scanner has many niche uses, but one that is pretty universal is that it allows the rear cameras to focus much quicker, even in extremely low light. 

It’s also very useful for AR applications and photogrammetry. For example, a real estate agent can use the PolyCam app to capture and create a 3D interior model or a dwelling, or someone into 3D printing can use it to capture an object to then adjust and 3D print.