Test: iPhone 15 Pro Max - is it worthy of the title of the best?

Before the release of the new iPhone 15 phones, we all knew that they would be great devices. The only question was whether Apple would be able to make a significant upgrade or whether it would be more of a refresh of last year's models. I can say that some updates are more than just a refresh, while others are just those expected upgrades that are hard for any average user to notice. I tested the most powerful version of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which has all the latest toys built into it.

iPhone 15 Pro Max price in Slovenia?

• iPhone 15 Pro Max 256 GB: 1555 €
• iPhone 15 Pro Max 512GB: 1821 €
• iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB: 1960-2087 € (depending on color)

You can buy the phone from operators, iStyle stores and elsewhere on the open market.

iPhone 15 Pro Max: USB-C, action button, titanium case

Although the general appearance has remained more or less identical compared to last year's iPhone 14 Pro Max, some minor and major changes are still noticeable. USB-C stands out among the larger ones, which has finally arrived on iPhones as well. We know that the European Union played a big role in this. But whatever the reason, all iPhone users can be happy about this change. Why? Let's just say that the Lightning connector was obsolete a few years ago, USB-C is already a much better connector today and will only get better in the future.

With USB-C, the user can connect peripheral devices (mouse, keyboard), external displays to the phone, and Apple has added the option of charging other devices with the iPhone's battery. I'm surprised they limited the charging speed to just 30W, which is far behind the Android competition. Samsung comes closest with the Galaxy S23 Ultra's 45W charging, but Samsung isn't known for good charging speeds. I don't expect Apple to build in 120W or faster charging. I would be satisfied with a 66-W charger, which would charge my phone for almost a whole day's use in just over 15 minutes.

Another change is the action button, which replaces the silent mode button. I like the idea, but less the execution. For now, you can use the button as a shortcut to some apps, such as flashlights, cameras, and the like. I want more. I miss being able to have another shortcut available with two quick clicks. Or a third shortcut with a long hold. What is available now, I can also do on an Android phone with classic buttons. I hope they add this option in a future software update.

I also don't like the button layout. It is placed too high to reach with one hand.

The third change is the titanium case. As proven by the well-known phone disassembler JerryRigEverything, Apple used titanium "only" on the top layer of the case (about 1mm). I'm not a metallurgist, but as far as I know titanium is more difficult to control than other raw materials, so this is still an impressive achievement. Underneath the titanium is an aluminum alloy, so I would recommend you not to get the black version, but rather the grey. Why?

If you use the phone without a case and when you scratch the phone on the sides, instead of a perfect black color, you will have very ugly gray (aluminum) lines. I can also praise the resistance to fingerprint smudges, which are not visible on the back - and rarely on the sides. Due to titanium, this year's iPhone 15 Pro Max is also about 20 grams lighter than its predecessor, which is a difference that is immediately felt.

A minor change was also made to the edges where the sides meet the rest of the case. These edges are now more "rounded", similar to what we see on some Android phones.

I can also charge the included USB-C cable, which is 2nd generation, so the speeds will not be top-notch. Apple isn't the only one I've noticed this with, but it's still a practice that somewhat baffles and saddens me at the price of the phone. But I agree that it won't be a problem for many people, as AirDrop works fantastically and you probably won't use a cable to transfer (unless you're transferring large files).

iPhone 15 Pro Max – OLED display remains the same

Which didn't bother me. The OLED screen was already very good on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. 2000 nits of brightness, 120 Hz dynamic refresh, OLED colors and contrasts... I don't need or even ask for more than that. The screen is more than bright enough to use in bright sunlight, the refresh rate is great for gaming and flawless general use, and OLED screens impress me with multimedia content anyway.

If I may touch on the basic versions of the iPhone 15, they only have a 60-Hz screen, which in my opinion is unacceptable even for a phone for 400 euros, let alone for those over 1000 euros. I understand that Apple needs to make noticeable differences so that users can tell the difference between the iPhone 15 and the iPhone 15 Pro, but I think it's enough that they put last year's processor in the iPhone 15 (and 15+), and the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max got a newer processor. This should be a big enough factor to distinguish the models. However, the cameras have always been different in the basic and Pro versions.

But I have to touch on the dynamic island, which did not convince me even in this version. Its functionality is still very limited. Supported applications display useful information on the island, but this list, at least for Slovenian users, is too short. In most cases, when watching movies or playing games, the dynamic island got in the way. I really wish Apple and the rest of the developers would devote more of their time to improving this feature.

It is difficult to quantify this capacity

You've probably heard that Apple has installed a new 3nm A17 Pro processor in the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max, which all previous and future processors will look down on (at least according to Apple). It's true, the numbers achieved by the A17 Pro are remarkable and surpass those of any phone I've been able to test so far. Then there's the ability to use ray tracing technology in games. The Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 can do the same, but so far I haven't had a game available to test this feature.

I didn't have that opportunity with the new iPhone 15 Pro Max either. I also haven't been able to see first-hand how the iPhone 15 Pro Max manages to play some PC games, such as Resident Evil: Village and Assassin's Creed Mirage. As a sample, I only had Apple's presentation video in which the phone shined. The achievement is impressive and it happened much faster than I expected. I was sure it would be at least a few more years before any phone could play PC games with such ease. Even more importantly, these are not second-rate games, but AAA titles that also put a strain on computers.

The speed of the drive is not at the level of the newer UFS 4.0, which is built into the Xiaomi 13T Pro, Galaxy S23 Ultra and similar phones. Although it lags behind the best, it will still be sufficient for most users.

The battery is also very good. You can expect more than a full day of use. YouTube creator Mrwhosetheboss tested the last three generations of iPhones and the iPhone 15 Pro Max came in second, just behind the iPhone 15+.

Is the iPhone 15 Pro Max overheating alarmingly?

You could see in the news that the new iPhone 15 phones, especially the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, have problems with overheating or heat dissipation. At first, I expected that the core of the problem is playing demanding games, but according to the testimonies of users, overheating occurs even during the most mundane tasks, such as making calls, charging, taking photos and the like.

At first, there were hints that there was a flaw in the new A17 Pro processor, that it could not efficiently drain all this performance. There were also concerns about the titanium case, which also dissipates heat less well. Still others speculated that there was something wrong with the SIM card slot, as the problems were said to occur mostly in European versions of the phone.

Apple refuted all theories. They say the issue is in iOS 17 and they have also released a system patch recently. If you download iOS 17.0.3, you should notice a difference.

During testing before Apple released the patch, I was one of the few who didn't experience the same overheating as the rest. I was playing Genshin Impact, which is one of the more demanding games for phones - the phone got fairly warm, but still within normal limits. According to official measurements, it averaged a degree or two warmer than the best Android phones, which I don't think is a huge difference.

However, I noticed that it got hotter during the most basic tasks, which has never happened to me with other phones. For example: when I was browsing the web and listening to music at the same time, the iPhone 15 Pro Max started to get unusually warm. It was honestly warm to the touch and not "lukewarm" as I am used to with other phones, for example Huawei P60 Pro, Galaxy S23 Ultra, Xiaomi 13 and the like.

Overheating during less demanding tasks really shouldn't happen, at least not in the final versions of the phones available to buyers. However, it is commendable that Apple resolved the problem relatively quickly. However, I will keep an eye out to see if the bug is really fixed or if users run into another similar scenario.

The cameras were further polished, zoom and night photography were improved

The external and hardware appearance of the cameras have not changed compared to last year. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the only phone in the series to get a dedicated telephoto lens, closing the gap with the best Android phones here as well. The software side has also been further organized, which can be seen in the details of the pictures and recordings.

The sensors of the main (48 MP) and ultra-wide (12 MP) cameras are the same, but they have a new photo processing algorithm. Last year's iPhone 14 Pro Max used pixel-binning technology and took 12 MP photos. This year, the cameras take a 48 MP and a 12 MP photo at the same time, which the software subsequently combines. The user gets a 24MP photo that takes advantage of pixel-binning, but at a higher resolution.

The main camera and the telephoto camera have optical image stabilization (OIS), but the ultra-wide camera does not, which is noticeable in poor lighting conditions.

Photo gallery

The speed at which it does this is also at an extremely high level. The whole process is faster than the blink of an eye. The shutter is faster than, for example, Samsung's Galaxy S23 Ultra, but slower than the recorder vivo X90 Pro, which still remains in my memory precisely because of its lightning-fast shooting speed.

Even with last year's model, I had no complaints about everyday photography. Today's best phones can capture truly stunning photos, and the differences between them are often minimal and ultimately a matter of personal taste. Many complain about the saturation of Samsung photos, but the other half of users love it. So far, the iPhone has always stuck to more subdued tones that lean towards realism and add a touch of warmth to it.

This year's iPhone 15 Pro Max may have gone a little more into the world of realism. The colors are very subdued and neutral and a very good approximation of what I see with the naked eye. The overall quality is, as always, at a very high level. You rarely notice noises and artifacts, the detection of edges in the portrait is phenomenal (you can also create a portrait later in the image gallery), it also performs better at night and in an environment with many light sources.

The 12 MP telephoto camera is an addition that has long been on the wish list. With 5x optical zoom, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can compete with the best zoom sensors on the market, but the software side also helps it a lot. Unfortunately, I don't have a Galaxy S23 Ultra or Huawei P60 Pro on hand to test and compare all three under equal conditions. Based on past experience, I would give a slight edge to Huawei and Samsung, especially at higher magnifications. In any case, you will be extremely satisfied with the photos. We are in a quality range where only the most experienced eyes will be able to find major differences. Average users will be left speechless by all the listed phones.

Video, however, is an area where I think the iPhone will retain its primacy for some time to come. The stabilization is excellent, the details are in focus, the colors are beautiful, the automatic adaptation to the surrounding conditions is excellent... I really have a hard time finding any comment.

The front camera is also very good, I was also satisfied with the sound capture and the possibility of recording in 4K resolution (up to 60 fps), which will be important for vloggers.

Final opinion

If I say that the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best iPhone, you won't exactly be surprised. It has received some necessary and expected improvements (processor, USB-C), the titanium body is a surprising addition, and in the field of cameras it has done enough to rank it among the best photographers.

Should you buy it? If you own an iPhone 14 Pro Max, I don't see a need to upgrade unless you're unhappy with it for some reason or can sell it for a good price. The upgrade makes more sense for users of the base versions of the previous or older model, where the leap in performance is much more noticeable.

What about Android users? The first hurdle you'll have to jump over is switching from Android to iOS. If you don't think this is a problem and you're unhappy with your current phone, the iPhone 15 Pro Max could be the right phone.

What about me? Android's claws are deep within me, and Apple has an impossible task ahead of it. Endless personalization, use of third-party solutions and system unlocking of the phone are just some of the factors that make switching to iOS impossible for me. Still, I can see a certain appeal of iPhones and the Apple ecosystem. As always, every eye has its painter.