The latest Apple iPhone 16 series was launched last Monday and pre-orders will open at 8pm later. Every year Apple fans will ask the question is it worth it or not to buy last year's model or spend a little money to get the latest and greatest that Cupertino has to offer this year? This is a review of the iPhone 15 Pro Max after a year and I will give recommendations on which iPhone Pro Max model is worth buying now.
Specifications
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
6.7″ LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED screen,
120Hz, Dolby Vision
Apple A17 Pro processor
2 X 3.78 GHz High Power Chips
4 X 2.8 GHz Efficiency
Apple GPU Graphics Chip 6 Core
RAM 8GB RAM
Internal Load 256/512/1000 GB VNMe
Main Camera 48mp f/1.8 OIS, (Wide Angle)
12MP f/2.2 (Ultra Wide Angle)
12MP, OIS, f/2.8 5x Optical Zoom (Telephoto)
LiDAR
12MP f/1.9 Selfie Camera
4441 mAh battery
27W wired charging
MagSafe 15W wireless charging
7.5W Qi wireless charging
SIM/Telephony 1 Nano, 1 eSIM
5G
NFC Yes
No Audio Jack
Waterproof IP68
Face ID Scan System
Sale Price RM 6,499 (8/256GB)
RM 7,499 (8/512GB)
RM 8,499 (8/1TB)
*= original price that now changes according to the seller
SCREEN
The 6.7″ OLED screen comes with 120Hz LTPO support, a brightness of 2000 nits and can display Dolby Vision content on Netflix, Prime and more. I don't have a lot of negative things to say about the screen on the 15 Pro Max because in 90% of situations it works flawlessly. The haptics of the 15 Pro Max screen are also still best in class. Only Google Pixel and Oppo I feel have a realistic enough haptic system.
It's only when the sun is really hot that I struggle to see what's on the screen. In the screen category, the Galaxy S24 Ultra is still the king of all kings because it has a coating that significantly reduces reflections and therefore it is also the clearest under the hot Malaysian sun.
The disadvantage compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max is that the skin is slightly smaller. On the 16 Pro Max the screen now reaches 6.9″ while on the 15 Pro Max it is only 6.7″. The body of the device is also slightly larger. It depends on whether you need a bigger screen or feel that a large screen makes the device too big to use one-handed.
Allow me to criticize another issue with the iPhone screen which is that it has rounded sides. It causes when videos are played in full screen mode in YouTube, Prime and Netflix, there are parts that are slightly cut off. This is the reason why I prefer devices with square screens like the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
BIOMETRIC
Face ID is the best biometric system on modern smartphones. This cannot be debated anymore because until now after six years there is still no comparable system used on Android. Just look at the screen and the device will unlock quickly. It would be great if the Face ID technology patent was made standard on other platforms.
Back panel with Fine Woven frame.
Design
The design of the 15 Pro Max has been very influential since its launch in September last year. It's the go-to Android manufacturer this year with its DNA visible in devices from Samsung, Pixel, Oppo, and more. The use of titanium material is not only beautiful but makes the device a little lighter.
The squared/boxed body trend can also be traced back to the 15 Pro Max. In the Pixel 9 Pro XL review, I said the body design of the device is very similar to the 15 Pro Max. The fact here is that the design of the 15 Pro Max is indeed the best and is comfortable in the hand so that it follows other manufacturers. This is the highest praise that can be given in a review.
After a year of use, all the buttons still feel firm and there is no issue of loosening even though the phone has been dropped a few times. Action Button I have to say after a year I rarely use it. This is because it is not a very intuitive feature. I just mapped it to mute notifications. So that's why when the iPhone series adds another new button for camera control I can only scratch my head. Although the Action Button is like a white elephant, Apple added another button.
Audio adjustment button and Action Button
The back panel is made of glass with the camera bump getting bigger. The glass surface on the panel is not glossy so it does not trap dirt easily. All the years I used the frame, this panel still looks pure and pure like a new born baby. The unholy pure is the purchased Fine Woven frame. I'm thankful this accessory is no longer offered because within two months it was already furry and dirty looking.
The USB-C port on the bottom was last year's biggest innovation because I finally no longer had to carry a Lightning cable when running errands outside the house. Just one USB-C cable in the bag can charge MacBooks, iPads, iPhones, AirPods and Android phones.
iPhone 15 Pro Max also comes with USB-3 support that facilitates the process of transferring data from the phone to the SSD. I regularly transfer large video files to be edited by the our team. Since a year ago I no longer hear complaints that the data transfer process takes a long time.
Finally, on the left side there is a nano-sized SIM tray. If you want to use more than one SIM, you need to have one eSIM. This is another bold move by Apple in doing something different. We are still lucky because iPhones in the United States only support eSIM since last year. Despite having a speaker hole and a physical SIM tray, the 15 Pro Max passes IP68 dust and water resistance standards.
Use and Software
iPhone 15 Pro Max received iOS 18 support and I have been using this software for the past two months. I think it's fairer if I review the 15 Pro Max with iOS 18 because it better reflects the experience if it was purchased today. With the latest version of iOS, Apple is getting closer to turning this operating system into a real rival to Android.
Finally the phone's front cover can be personalized without the need to use a jailbreak. Icons can be resized, arranged as desired and icons can also be colored according to the wishes of the owner. The last bastion of Apple's insistence on personalizing the front of the phone has finally crumbled like the Berlin Wall. Let it be late as long as you can.
The experience of using iOS 18 is also smooth and there are no issues in all the common applications I use. Even in beta mode a month ago I didn't find any serious issues. Just sometimes the device heats up for no reason which is now gone after using the latest iOS 18 Release Candidate.
An interesting feature that can be used is Name Drop which allows phone number information to be sent to other iPhone users by simply touching the top of the device. Personal Voice allows the phone to speak using my own voice after being trained within a day. Ok I feel this feature is not very useful for most people and is designed for those who have lost their voice for certain reasons only.
In iOS 18, Siri is now finally intelligent. It can answer questions and commands as fast as Google Assistant. It's only been since iOS 18 that I haven't been disappointed by the answers Siri has given me. It's also smarter at accepting commands to open apps and answering questions without telling me to open a website link. I haven't been able to use all the new features of iOS 18 yet due to location constraints, but so far everything is nice and smooth.
It should be noted that to use all Apple Intelligence features, you should purchase iPhone 15 Pro Max, 15 Pro and iPhone 16 series only. Other iPhone models will not receive artificial intelligence with Apple's touch as well as OpenAI this year.
Benchmark
After a year, the Apple 17 Pro is still able to give fierce competition to chips like the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 in terms of CPU power and also NPU AI. Below you can see the Apple A17 Pro score on the iPhone 15 Pro Max when compared to the flagship chips on the market right now.
Geekbench 6
Apple A17 Pro – 2793/6925
Tensor G4 – 1916/4644
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 2329/7526
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 – 1860/4614
Apple A16 Bionic – 2634/6761
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – 1081/4204
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – 2071/5032
Geekbench AI
Apple A17 Pro – 3705 / 6515 / 5696
Tensor G4 – 2058 / 2017 / 3129
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 1704 / 1829/ 2773
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 – N/A
Apple A16 Bionic – 3514 / 6128 / 5344
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – 1642 / 1674 / 2474
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – N/A
AnTuTu 3D
Apple A17 Pro – 1,542,050
Tensor G4 – 1,016,712
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 2,200,000
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 – 1,490,495
Apple A16 Bionic – 1,457,779
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2– 1,222,747
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – 1,852,552
3DMark Wild Life Extreme
Apple A17 Pro – 3746
Tensor G4 – 2567
Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 – 4717
Snapdragon 8s Gen 3 – 3083
Apple A16 Bionic – 3355
Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 – 3712
MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – 4067
Only in graphics tests like Antutu 3D I can see lower scores. However in daily use the difference in synthetic test scores is not noticeable. First ones like COD Mobile and Genshin Impact can be played on high settings without any issues.
In fact, one advantage of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is that it can play console level games such as Assassin's Creed Mirage, Resident Evil Village and Death Stranding. All of these features are not available on the Android platform. However, I have to be honest with you, the graphics quality and smoothness of these three games on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is unsatisfactory when compared to the PS5 version. It's a good idea to offer console games but the reality is that it's still not up to par.
In some early tests on the leaked Apple A18 Pro, the difference in CPU performance was only up to 15% compared to the A17 Pro. This isn't such a huge upgrade that you should buy the iPhone 16 Pro Max tonight in my opinion.
Phone and GPS
The 5G, WiFi and GPS capabilities of the 15 Pro Max are excellent. Voice calls sound clear especially if using VoWIFI and VoLTE. I have also used this phone to several continents and the speed when roaming is quite satisfactory. The location on the map is quickly detected even between tall buildings in the middle of Kuala Lumpur.
Camera
The camera has been one of the main strengths of the iPhone since its launch 17 years ago. Their dominance in photography capabilities is now being increasingly challenged by manufacturers such as Xiaomi (with Leica) and Vivo (with Zeiss) for example. With a combination of 48MP wide-angle, 12MP ultra-wide-angle and 12MP telephoto lenses, it's admittedly on paper not as good as the flagship Android devices on the market. Meanwhile on the front there is a 12MP camera.
After a year of using the 15 Pro Max, I feel the strength of this device is in its main lens and portrait mode. The pictures taken look more natural with accurate colors. This was especially noticeable when I reviewed the Pixel 9 Pro XL earlier in the day. Pictures on the Pixel look more processed and therefore look sharper.
I belong to the group of people who feel that pictures should look beautiful, not natural. When on duty, I would like to take pictures that can be used in the article. There is no time to do a 5-minute edit when the employer in the office is already asking when the article can be published. So I can say here that if you don't care about editing after the picture is taken, the 15 Pro Max camera is compatible with your needs.
Selfies are sharp and skin tones are accurate. The bokeh effect in the background is also done brilliantly with the object being separated from the background well. The use of LiDAR by Apple for this purpose is clearly the right choice. The front selfie also looks good and bright. The iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera capabilities are still very good even after a year on the market.
The same can be said with its night mode. There is no blinding light source issue, having the effect of lens flare and breakage. Objects in pictures remain sharp and colors remain natural.
Battery
The 4441 mAh battery can last a whole day after a year of use. It's very consistent with an average of 15-20% left at 10pm despite being unplugged from the charger at 6am. Can I count on two hands the situations where I need to charge the iPhone 15 Pro Max during the day? This happens when working outside and using this phone as a hotspot for the MacBook. Only Android phones with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 I'm aware of can match the 15 Pro Max's battery life this year.
27W wired charging is the downside of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. While Samsung has already raised the flag and provided 45W charging on the S24 Ultra. The duration of recharging the iPhone 15 Pro Max battery is almost 90 minutes which I'm sure you wouldn't even dare to label it as fast. The MagSafe charger is only up to 15W which is slower than the 25W Qi2 on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Audio
The speakers do not disappoint because they are not only stereo but also balanced even though one points to the side and the other points to the front. At the loudest setting it's still clear and maintains good audio channel separation.
In the Box
Here's what's included in the box.
1x Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
1x USB-C to USB-C charging cable.
1x Manual.
1x SIM Pin.
Conclusion
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is still a competitive smartphone in 2024 when compared to other smartphones on the market. Solid screen, powerful processor, updated software, beautiful camera and long lasting battery. But the iPhone 16 Pro Max can already be ordered tonight. From every aspect, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is a better smartphone because of its larger screen, more recent chip, and improved camera.
In several online stores, I saw that on average the iPhone 16 Pro Max is only RM500 more expensive than the iPhone 15 Pro Max with the same storage. It is better to spend a little on the improvements I have listed earlier. Allergy buy win wear. Buy only the latest to get the best Apple has to offer this year.
Pro
Interesting design to follow the industry.
Apple A17 Pro is still one of the most powerful chips even though it is a year old.
iOS 18 makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max feel like a new iPhone.
USB-C with USB-3
Excellent battery life.
Very satisfactory camera capabilities.
IP68
Cons
The price is not that much different from the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Charging is only 27W
Zoom performance is unmatched by flagship Android devices on the market.