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Which one should you buy?

  • pbi-iphone-15-pro

    iPhone 15 Pro

    The iPhone 15 Pro is the new Pro series flagship from Apple. It’s equipped with the new Apple A17 Pro chipset and 8GB of RAM. It comes in new colors, and it has an even more powerful camera setup and a refined design.

  • pbi-iphone-15-pro-max

    iPhone 15 Pro Max

    The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest and the greatest smartphone in Apple’s lineup. The smartphone is powered by the latest Apple A17 Pro chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM. It has a more refined Titanium chassis that makes it lighter and more comfortable, and it features a new periscope telephoto camera.

At its annual fall event, which took place on September 12, 2023, Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 lineup, headlined by the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. While the phones are identical in many ways, there are a few differences, and here we will dive into those.


iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Pricing and Storage Options

While the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max have some size differences, the first and foremost one that most buyers will notice is the cost. The iPhone 15 Pro still starts at $999, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn’t feature its base variant from last year. Instead, you must shell out $1,199 for its 256GB variant.

In simpler terms, for the iPhone 15 Pro, you can choose between four variants — 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB — whereas the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers just three — 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB. We’ve also detailed the exact prices in the table below:

Model

iPhone 15 Pro

iPhone 15 Pro Max

128GB

256GB

512GB

1TB

iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Technical Specifications

  • pbi-iphone-15-pro

    iPhone 15 Pro

    SoC
    Apple A17 Pro

    Display
    6.1-inch, LTPO Super Retina XDR, OLED, 120Hz

    RAM
    8GB

    Storage
    128/256/512GB & 1TB

    Battery
    3200 mAh (Unconfirmed)

    Ports
    USB-C

    Operating System
    iOS 17

    Front camera
    12MP, f/1.9

    Rear cameras
    Primary: 48MP, f/.8, 24mm sensor-shift OIS | Ultrawide: 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120-degree FOV | Telephoto: 12MP, f/2.8, 77mm, 3x optical zoom, OIS, PDAF

    Connectivity
    5G, LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC

    Dimensions
    5.77 x 2.78 x 0.33 in (146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3 mm)

    Colors
    Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium

    Weight
    6.60 oz (187 g)

    Charging
    30W wired, 15W wireless (MagSafe), 7.5W wireless (Qi)

    IP Rating
    IP68

  • pbi-iphone-15-pro-max

    iPhone 15 Pro Max

    SoC
    Apple A17 Pro

    Display
    6.7-inch, LTPO Super Retina XDR, OLED, 120Hz

    RAM
    8GB

    Storage
    256/512GB & 1TB

    Battery
    4852 mAh (Unconfirmed)

    Ports
    USB-C

    Operating System
    iOS 17

    Front camera
    12MP, f/1.9

    Rear cameras
    Primary: 48MP, f/1.8, 24mm, sensor-shift OIS | Ultrawide: 12MP, f/2.2, 13mm, 120-degree FOV | Telephoto: 12MP, f/2.8, 120mm, PDAF

    Connectivity
    5G, LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, NFC

    Dimensions
    6.30 x 3.02 x 0.33 in (159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm)

    Colors
    Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium

    Weight
    7.80 oz (221 g)

    Charging
    30W wired, 15W MagSafe, 7.5W (Qi Wireless)

    IP Rating
    IP68

iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design and Display

li-iphone-15-pro-series-sizes

Regarding the design of the two phones, seeing they’re from the same family of devices, you’ll notice similarities between them, i.e., both models feature the all-new titanium frame, the Action Button, the smaller display bezels, and contoured edges.

So, at least visually, the size difference between the devices is the only noticeable factor. The use of Ceramic Shield and the standard of IP68 water resistance remain identical, too.

Focusing on the display hardware: the iPhone 15 Pro has a 6.1-inch display (2556 x 1179), while the iPhone 15 Pro Max features a 6.7-inch panel (2796 x 1290). And despite the different sizes, Apple maintains 460 pixels per inch on both phones, which means you can expect equally sharp output on either phone.

Other aspects of the panels remain identical, just like the overall design, as ProMotion support, brightness levels (1,000 nits in typical use, 1,600 nits for HDR content, 2,000 nits in Outdoor mode), and contrast ratios are the same.

Related: iPhone 15 colors: Which one should you get?

iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance and Connectivity

A17 Pro Processor Graphic
Image Credit: Apple

The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max ship with the A17 Pro, Apple’s latest silicon for its mobile devices. It’s based on a 3nm fabrication process and is an upgrade over the A16 Bionic that we’ve seen in the iPhone 14 Pro and will find in the iPhone 15.

According to Apple, the A17 Pro delivers a 10-percent improvement in processing performance. There’s also an upgraded six-core GPU — up from five cores in the A16 Bionic — adding a 20-percent gain in performance. The iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will also support hardware accelerated ray-tracing, something that’s missing on the previous generation hardware.

Apart from this, support for Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, and the second-generation Ultra Wideband chip are common across the two devices. So, you won’t find any difference between the two devices on the performance and connectivity front.

iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Camera

li-iphone-15-pro-series-colors

Now we move on to the one segment where the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max aren’t similar, and here, the difference isn’t only about the size.

Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max feature the same 48MP wide camera and 12MP ultrawide, but when it comes to the telephoto, the iPhone 15 Pro remains on the 12MP unit — with 3x zoom — we saw last year, whereas the 15 Pro Max sees an upgraded 12MP sensor — with 5x zoom — joining the fray. This upgrade gives the larger phone a more extended zoom range, with the optical type increasing to five times zoom and the digital now capable of 25 times zoom. The optical zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro is three times, whereas the digital zoom is 15 times.

Apart from this, the software features Apple announced for 2023 remain common between the phones, and so does the front-facing 12MP TrueDepth camera. Spatial video recording, which will tie into the Apple Vision Pro experience, is also available on both models. However, the feature will make its way to the phones later in the year.

Related: iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max: What’s new and should you upgrade?

iPhone 15 Pro vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery Life and Charging

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Lastly, let’s talk about battery life and charging up the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple’s official estimates rate both phones to last for a similar amount of time as their predecessors when used for video playback, i.e., 23 hours for the iPhone 15 Pro and 29 hours for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. A Chinese regulatory listing forum revealed the exact sizes to be 3,274 mAh for iPhone 15 Pro and 4,422 mAh for iPhone 15 Pro Max.

As for charging the devices, despite rumors of support for faster charging, Apple hasn’t changed its officially reported numbers from 2022. iPhone 15 Pro will charge 50% of its capacity in 30 minutes, whereas the larger Pro Max model will need 35 minutes, provided you use a 20W adapter.

Wireless charging support remains identical between the two devices, as both charge with up to 15W via the MagSafe-certified accessories and 7.5W via those rated for Qi or Qi2.

Which should you buy?

The number of differences between the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max isn’t too many. If you’re in the market for a compact phone, the Pro should be your pick, as you’re not losing out on a lot. Yes, the telephoto lens on the 15 Pro Max will shoot better pictures of subjects that are far away, but the 15 Pro can hold its own. But if more battery endurance is on your wishlist, the 15 Pro Max will fare much better.

  • pbi-iphone-15-pro

    iPhone 15 Pro

    The iPhone 15 Pro is the new Pro series flagship from Apple. It’s equipped with the new Apple A17 Pro chipset and 8GB of RAM. It comes in new colors, and it has an even more powerful camera setup and a refined design.

  • pbi-iphone-15-pro-max

    iPhone 15 Pro Max

    The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the latest and the greatest smartphone in Apple’s lineup. The smartphone is powered by the latest Apple A17 Pro chipset, coupled with 8GB of RAM. It has a more refined Titanium chassis that makes it lighter and more comfortable, and it features a new periscope telephoto camera.


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