iPhone 15 Pro Max lands with 5x optical zoom, faster USB-C

AppleInsider · September 12, 2023 6:18PM

After over a year of feature rumors, Apple has revealed its iPhone 15 Pro Max, its largest premium iPhone using the new A17 Pro chip, a new Tetraprism camera with 5x zoom, and more.

At Tuesday's "Wonderlust" special event, Apple launched the iPhone 15 Pro Max. The bigger model of the two premium Pro editions for 2023, the iPhone 15 Pro Max, offers more than just a bigger screen and more performance.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is mostly the same as the iPhone 15 Pro, except with a larger display. In this instance, it's a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED always-on display.

The resolution of 2,796 by 1,290 and a pixel density of 460ppi return for the model, along with a 2 million to one contrast ratio, up to 1,000 nits of brightness for typical usage, 1,600 nits of peak brightness for HDR, and 2,000 nits for outdoor use.

The Dynamic Island is at the top of the display, with Apple reusing the notch replacement for another year.

The overall design of the iPhone 15 Pro Max hasn't changed much, but the front and back glass now covers a Grade 5 titanium chassis. This helps reduce the weight of the iPhone while also making it stronger and enabling the thinnest borders ever.

The IP68 rating gives it water resistance to a depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes.

iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max

While there are curved and thinner bezels on show, most people's attention will be on the now-removed mute switch, which has been replaced by a new Action button. This multi-function button can be used for various customizable features, such as acting as a camera shutter button.

The onboard A17 Pro is Apple's fastest Apple Silicon mobile chip, the first using a 3-nanometer production process. It has six CPU cores, two performance cores that are 10% faster with improved branch prediction, and four high-efficiency cores.

The GPU is 20 percent faster, with a new 6-core design that boasts higher peak performance and energy efficiency. Hardware-accelerated ray tracing that's four times faster than software equivalents is possible with the chip.

There's a dedicated AV1 decoder, allowing for even more efficiency when viewing streaming video.

Tetraprism camera

The biggest change concerns the camera array on the back, which uses the traditional three sensors.

The 48-megapixel Main camera uses a new larger sensor to capture more light, with it also having a second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization system. It also now defaults to a 24-megapixel image.

Apple's Telephoto lens uses a 12-megapixel sensor with optical image stabilization but with a new tetraprism lens system that is exclusive to the Pro Max model. The addition reflects the image to create more distance for the light to move before hitting the sensor than a usual flat-mounted camera and lens arrangement.

Rear triple cameras of the Pro models

This trick allows Apple to significantly increase the optical zoom capabilities of the Telephoto lens, from a 3x optical zoom of the iPhone 14 Pro Max to a new 5x optical zoom, giving it a 120mm equivalent focal length. Digital zoom now goes up to 25x thanks to the new optical zoom.

The Ultra Wide is still a 12MP sensor but incorporates a Macro function. The back also has the usual LiDAR sensor, which uses depth mapping to help with focusing and for AR applications.

Video can be captured at 4K 60fps in Dolby Vision or 30fps in HDR Cinematic Mode. Video producers will be happy with the new high of ProRes video at 4K 60 with external recording support, log video recording,m and support for the Academy Color Encoding System.

Apple's changes will make the iPhone 15 Pro Max more attractive to videographers

The TrueDepth camera returns with a 12MP sensor and f/1.9 aperture, 4K 60 Dolby Vision video, and many of the features iPhone users will be familiar with already.

Roadside Assistance via Satellite and USB-C

Expanding on top of Emergency SOS via Satellite, Apple is introducing Roadside Assistance via Satellite. Operating similarly to the Emergency SOS version, a message can be sent from an iPhone to get assistance, with AAA the first service to use it in the United States.

Ultra Wideband is enhanced with a second-gen chip, enabling users to find each other using the existing range and direction-finding feature.

Apple's new Roadside Assistance via Satellite feature.

As widely rumored before the event, Apple has added USB-C to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, replacing Lightning and offering 20 times the connectivity speed. The change also introduces the ability to recharge an AirPods charging case using the iPhone's battery for the first time.

Battery life for the Pro Max runs to 29 hours of local video playback, 25 hours for streamed video, and 95 hours for audio playback. Recharging via Qi and Magsafe is available, with a fast charge enabling a 50% charge in about 30 minutes with a 20-watt adapter.

The Pro range has a dedicated USB-C controller onboard to help speed up transfer speeds.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max will start from $1,199 and ship with 256GB of storage capacity. Available in four colors, including black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium, and natural titanium, pre-orders will start on September 15 and ship on September 22.

Read on AppleInsider

teflondon · September 12, 2023 6:27PM

ummm, i think ima sit on the sidelines for this upgrade. I have the 14 Pro Max and the Ultra, I REALLY didn't see anything worth upgrading to. I've upgraded every year since the first iPhone... It was kind of sad actually.. I was honestly looking for the >> button 🥱

scot1 · September 12, 2023 6:30PM

Wasn’t the event called wonderlust? Not wanderlust?

aladick · September 12, 2023 6:31PM

Well, so much for the periscope lens configuration. 3x to 5x is not much of a selling point for me. I'll wait another year.

hmlongco · September 12, 2023 6:34PM

Interesting that the periscope telephoto zoom actually seems to be a fixed focal length 120mm eq.. Like the brushed titanium finish, and the new action button.

The addition of Spatial Video was a surprise, as was reverse charging the Watch and AirPods.

edited September 2023

twolf2919 · September 12, 2023 6:36PM

Anyone else think the 15 Pro is a bit underwhelming? In terms of new hardware based features, it's an action button and 5x zoom (which rumors forecast to at least by 6x). Sure, there's the usual SoC performance improvements - mostly geared towards gamers an professional photographers - that are expected every year and the expected change to the USB-C connector (with the rumors of the base iPhone 15 models only getting the slower USB speeds and only the Pro models getting 10gb/sec). That's pretty much it. Well, there's the use of titanium, making iPhones lose a small bit of weight (10%?).

The only bright spot is the trade-in. If you have an iPhone 14 Pro Max, you might be able to trade it in for the 15 Pro Max for, maybe $200-300. With such good trade-in an upgrade might be worth it, even if the improvements are so limited.

edited September 2023

eightzero · September 12, 2023 6:39PM

twolf2919 said:

Anyone else think the 15 Pro is a bit underwhelming? In terms of new hardware based features, it's an action button and 5x zoom (which rumors forecast to at least by 6x). Sure, there's the usual SoC performance improvements - mostly geared towards gamers an professional photographers - that are expected every year and the expected change to the USB-C connector (with the rumors of the base iPhone 15 models only getting the slower USB speeds and only the Pro models getting 10gb/sec).

The only bright spot is the trade-in. If you have an iPhone 14 Pro Max, you might be able to trade it in for the 15 Pro Max for, maybe $200-300. With such good trade-in an upgrade might be worth it, even if the improvements are so limited.

Nope. I'll buy on launch day. Now I gotta consider the pro max as it comes in a 256GB they're at the same prices as that they're even considein iPhone 14 pro max.

Even considering adding a AW9 to the bag.

Nice upgrades across the board at stable prices. I'm in.

avon b7 · September 12, 2023 6:42PM

My first reaction when I saw the gaming possibilities was that most savvy gamers would simply put off a purchase and wait for the A17 Pro to hit the lower tier next year if that is what Apple is going to do from now on.

kkqd1337 · September 12, 2023 6:44PM

urghhh i really wanted to upgrade to the pro max for the usb c.

but i really cant justify it. disappointing.

next year i will

ralphie · September 12, 2023 6:49PM

So much for a periscope lens (with continuous zoom). Analysts and rumors sites sure missed the mark on that one. Worst (non)event ever.

edited September 2023

daveflash · September 12, 2023 7:00PM

kkqd1337 said:

urghhh i really wanted to upgrade to the pro max for the usb c.

but i really cant justify it. disappointing.

next year i will

better i think, as next year they'll pass usb 3 speeds onto non pro's, while pro's will get thunderbolt 3/4 i think, if apple's usual pattern in these things holds up with passing down enhancements over time, also, they've really got no choice but to do that next year, as in december 2024 the EU's common port comes into effect. yes technically apple could try to wait until 2025, as they introduce phones in september and the law will only apply for new devices introduced from december 2024 onwards, but i think it's a save bet that next years phones will get fester charging and faster usb all around....

capt. obvious · September 12, 2023 7:00PM

Sorry so many are disappointed…I’m still running a 6S (*with* the original battery) which replaced a stolen 6+ & is giving up the ghost, so I’m pretty solidly pleased with the new offering.

As a photographer, I find the 15PM a basket of very welcome improvements over the 6; since I’m old & poor, this will likely be the last phone I (live long enough to) get…& 256GB is also a very welcome bump to the 6S’s 64

Figuring $45/mo for it vs $35-40/mo for the now-‘old’ 14PM makes it super-easy to choose…

edited September 2023

hmlongco · September 12, 2023 7:05PM

ralphie said:

So much for a periscope lens (with continuous zoom). Analysts and rumors sites sure missed the mark on that one. Worst (non)event ever.

Back when I was doing a log of photography one of my cameras usually had a 70-200/f2.8 lens glued to it (as in I almost never took it off). But that said, I almost always used it at 70 or 200. Rarely anything between.

So I've pretty good with simply having a 120mm eq lens on it (in addition to the standard and wide lenses). But it Is a bit puzzling. Wonder if someone had the periscope patents locked down and refused to license them?

daveflash · September 12, 2023 7:06PM

ralphie said:

So much for a periscope lens (with continuous zoom). Analysts and rumors sites sure missed the mark on that one. Worst (non)event ever.

i don't think so, i think it's to do with yields and quality controls, my thoughts is apple is not yet satisfied with that, i think it'll be in next years pro max or ultra

emoeller · September 12, 2023 7:18PM

I wasn't expecting too much in advance of the launch, but there were three key things that have swayed me to upgrade (from a 13P):

1) USB transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s
2) Ray tracing (thanks to 3nm chip)
3) WiFi 6e (with thread support)

In addition two other factors influenced me:

A) Excellent trade in reductions (for models going back to iPhone 11)

Vision Pro video support

Not sure I will jump on day one upgrade - I might just wait until first quarter for a big splurge (replace 2018 iMac with Studio and new monitor, Vision Pro, and iPhone 15P, and assuming rumored specs on iPad Pro 12" are true probably upgrade 2018 model as well). 2024 is going to be a big Apple year for me...

calamander · September 12, 2023 7:23PM

Yup getting it - I wish it had a titanium back - all that focus on the design is a bit wasted because you're not going to balance your $1500 camera, wallet, dating device all-in-one naked... only the brave. So it's going to be in a case. Maybe they got brushed cases?

15 Pro colors look great - the 'regular' iPhone 15 colors on the other hand - OMG my eyes, I hope they look better in person, but that is the worst lineup in history.

But the 15PM is fine looking and I also really like an apparently huge jump in battery.

Fixed focal length is also good, I don't like moving parts on a phone - they break.

Upgrading from 11 Pro this should be good.

r_mari · September 12, 2023 7:25PM

This is a huge upgrade for iPhone X users from 2017.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is intended for iPhone X, 11, and 12 users.
If you have an iPhone 14, wait until the iPhone 17 before upgrading.
Apple always incrementally upgrades.

nubus · September 12, 2023 7:28PM

This is our first look at next generation Apple Silicon, and clearly CPU performance with +10% is disappointing. However the GPU is outstanding.

I guess we will see A17 (not Pro) in iPad Air this year and iPhone 16.
M3 will deliver fantastic GPU performance from next year. It will take the Mac to a new level. Perhaps even Apple TV will move to gaming.

Oh... and I guess Apple introduced a phone as well...

woodworks · September 12, 2023 7:40PM

I'm using the 14 Pro now, and am going to up at 5 am this Friday to order the 15 Pro Max for the cameras alone. In between the cash back I've accumulated in my Apple Card account, and the trade-in value of my current 14 Pro, I'll be paying $0 out of pocket for the upgrade. So it's pretty much a no-brainer for me. I'm sorry so many here seem to be underwhelmed. But the cameras are pretty much all I care about in a new phone. And this update ticks a lot of boxes for me, and will allow me to start unloading some of my "traditional" digital camera lenses on eBay. Too bad they couldn't fit the periscope camera into the regular Pro model. But I'll manage to live with the bigger size.

mike snoow · September 12, 2023 7:42PM

hmlongco said:

Interesting that the periscope telephoto zoom actually seems to be a fixed focal length 120mm eq.. Like the brushed titanium finish, and the new action button.

The addition of Spatial Video was a surprise, as was reverse charging the Watch and AirPods.

zoom is very easy to test can do it in mins at bestbuy . but rest of the camera will take weeks to test. since i am always doing side by side with strangers phones.

as it stands samsung 23 ultra has about 13 optical zoom( they r using AI to enhance the zoom by 30% starting with ultra23 didnt have this only ultra22)
pixel 7pro is a bit shy of 12x optical zoom google uses high res zoom AI to enhance it by 240% but pixels have had this AI for 5yrs when it started it was only capable of enhancing the zoom by 160%

timmillea · September 12, 2023 7:46PM

The 15 Pro Max is a photographer's and cinematographer's phone. The 'spatial video' combined with Vision has huge potential. Pro-Res with external recording (via USB-C), Academy Color Encoding System and lenses from 13mm ultra-wide to 120mm (35mm film equivalent) telephoto are absolute game-changers.

I wonder what else Apple has up its sleeves for that USB-C port.

iPhone 15 Pro Max lands with 5x optical zoom, faster USB-C

Tetraprism camera

Roadside Assistance via Satellite and USB-C

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