Apple iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max review: More than just titanium and USB-C

Note: This review was first published on 25 September 2023 and was updated on 5 October 2023 with remarks concerning reports of overheating.

USB-C, finally

News of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have been dominated by Apple’s inclusion of USB-C. Having held out for so long, the company has finally acquiesced and ditched the good old Lightning port and made the switch to USB-C on its newest phones. We could speculate about the reasons why, but the truth is that the reasons are not as important as the impact that this simple change makes. So let’s address that first.

The TL;DR version:



The on-paper improvements may not sound impressive, but they improve the iPhone in meaningful ways and make the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max extremely capable and enjoyable phones.

It only took one day for me to appreciate the convenience that moving to USB-C would offer. I was working on my 15-inch MacBook Air when I discovered the iPhone 15 Pro Max that I was testing was running low on power. I simply unplugged the USB-C charging cable that was connected to my MacBook Air and plugged it into the iPhone. How wonderfully simple is that? 

The change to USB-C is timely, given that most of Apple’s products already use USB-C – all iPads and Macs powered by Apple Silicon have and can be charged via USB-C. However, the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max don’t support the outrageously fast charging speeds of some of its Android competitors. It still tops out at 27W, so although you can get a 50% charge in 30 minutes, a full charge is going to take longer.

Having a USB-C port also opens up interesting use cases and possibilities. Because the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are powered by the new A17 Pro chip (more on this later), their USB-C ports support the USB 3 standard and faster data transfer rates of up to 10Gbps. This means you can use the USB-C port to output video to an external monitor, or even connect to an external SSD to unlock new video recording options (more on this later also). You can also use it to charge other devices like the new AirPods Pro with the USB-C charging case. 

That said, you’d think that if you paid well over a grand for a phone, it’ll come with a USB3 cable, but no, the nice-looking braided USB-C cable that you get in the box is only good for USB2 speeds. This means you’ll need to buy your own USB3 cable to unlock faster speeds and some of the functions that I mentioned above. Seriously, Apple?

Anyhow, apart from the new port, there are other visual changes. The enclosure is now titanium, which you will definitely notice the first time you pick up these phones because they feel appreciably lighter. The titanium sides also have a brushed finish, which looks and feels luxurious. Speaking of sides, they are now rounded so the phones feel less boxy. It’s hardly noticeable to the eyes, so they still look like slabs of metal and glass, but they are easier to hold and dig into your hands less. 

There are four colours to choose from: Natural, Blue, Black, and White. As I mentioned in my hands-on, Natural is my favourite. Blue is too subtle and similar to Black, while White doesn’t quite accentuate the unique brushed titanium finish. Natural seems to be the pick of most people that I spoke to at the keynote event too.

The insides of the phones are still aluminium, because it is the material of choice for heat dissipation. Despite its weight and strength benefits, titanium has a lower thermal conductivity. In other words, it's less effective at drawing away heat from the processor. The aluminium structure of the internals is then bonded to the titanium enclosure using what Apple calls "solid-state diffusion," a thermo-mechanical process that joins the two with very high strength.

There's been a lot of discussion surrounding the use of titanium and whether it is causing phones to overheat. That hasn't been my experience and I found the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max to run no warmer than previous generation iPhones. It's natural for iPhones to run warm on initial setup because there's a lot of on-device processing that needs to take place.

Photos, for example, require index libraries to be rebuilt because because Apple insists on protecting user privacy and doing this on device as opposed to in the cloud and on their servers. So if you have a lot of photos in your photo library, the phone will inevitably run warm as it attempts to index all of them. At any rate, Apple recently released an iOS update that claims to fix these overheating claims.

Apple also says the bezels are thinner and that the entire phone is slightly smaller. I certainly couldn’t tell, not even when I placed the new phones next to their predecessors. The size of the displays and the displays themselves are the same. So the iPhone 15 Pro is still 6.1 inches, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max is 6.7 inches. Both phones have OLED displays that Apple calls Super Retina XDR and they feature ProMotion technology and are always on. They look bright, sharp, and vivid – as they always have.

You’ll also notice that the silent switch has been replaced by a button called the Action Button. Presumably inspired by the Apple Watch Ultra, it’s essentially a customisable shortcut button that can be used to activate functions like the camera, flashlight, and more. You can even use it to run a Shortcut so the possibilities are almost endless. I use mine to turn on the flashlight. 

Say hi to A17 Pro

Apple has a new chip for its flagship phones and it’s called the A17 Pro – not Bionic. It’s hard to say what this new nomenclature means – only time will – but we do know that this is the world’s first smartphone chip to be built on a 3nm process.

I’ve written about the A17 Pro in greater detail in an earlier article here so I won’t go into the details. But here are the highlights of this chip that you ought to know:

• Built on a 3nm process – an industry-first
• 6-core CPU with 2 high-performance cores and 4 efficiency cores
• 6-core “Pro-class” GPU
• 2x faster Neural Engine (up to 35 trillion operations per second)
• Hardware-accelerated ray tracing
• USB3 controller

Just how fast is it? Just look at these charts where we pit the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max against other iPhones and the fastest Android devices we’ve tested.

Apple claims up to 10% better CPU performance and up to 20% GPU performance. And in our tests, we found that those figures were accurate. What I think most people didn’t count on was how much faster it was than the competition, and how, in some instances, it came close to or even outperformed Apple’s own M1 and M2 chips. The A17 Pro's GPU with its support for hardware-accelerated ray tracing, also scored significantly better than old A-series chips and even the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. Simply put, the A17 Pro is the fastest smartphone chip we’ve ever tested.

In practice, it just means the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are fast and a joy to use. There's nothing it can't run. Although the same can be said for most iPhones, these do feel just a bit more snappy and responsive. I also got to try an early version of Resident Evil Village and not only did it run smoothly, but the graphics looked impressive for something running off of a smartphone. If mobile gaming is a priority, you'll be pleased with what the A17 Pro delivers.

Battery life

Our standard battery test for mobile phones has the following parameters:

• Looping a 720p video with screen brightness and volume at 100%
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity turned on
• Constant data streaming through email

The battery lives of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max appear to have dipped slightly compared to last year’s Pro iPhones. The iPhone 15 Pro Max lasted 27 minutes or 5% shorter, while the iPhone 15 Pro lasted 18 minutes or 4% shorter. It’s not a huge deal but it’s still something worth pointing out. If battery life is a priority, you might want to consider the iPhone 15 Plus.

Of course, we must emphasize that this test was done with the screens at 100% brightness, which, on these phones, is eye-searingly bright. In practice, you’ll likely be able to get 6-8 hours of screen time a day with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and slightly lesser with the iPhone 15 Pro. This also means most people should be able to get by an entire day with no problems.

Camera system (loads of sample images)

Most people look at the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max’s camera systems and find it stale because not much has changed – apart from the Pro Max’s new 5x telephoto camera (more on it later). But actually, Apple is doing some really interesting computational photography stuff in the background that is worthy of your attention.

The camera hardware is unchanged. The iPhone 15 Pro has the same main, ultrawide, and telephoto as the iPhone 14 Pro; while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has the same main and ultrawide camera as the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The only difference is the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s telephoto, which now has a 120mm focal length or a 5x optical zoom.

Though it looks disappointing, we humans, as ever, have short memories, so let me remind you that the camera hardware was actually extensively updated last year with the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. So this year, the updates are mostly on the software side of things. And because taking photos is the thing that I use my iPhone the most for, I have lots of thoughts. Buckle up.

24MP, the new default

Though there are few hardware changes, there are, however, big changes to the way images are processed and the photo-taking experience. The default resolution for the main camera is now 24 megapixels and this is achieved thanks to a new image processing pipeline. Whenever you take a photo, the phone fuses a 12-megapixel image that you would typically get with a 48-megapixel one that’s taken with all of the sensor’s individual pixels intact. The idea is to use the higher resolution 48-megapixel image to increase the amount of details in the final image. And this works with the main camera when you shoot between 1x to 1.9x zoom. It outputs 12-megapixel images the moment from 2x and above, or below 1x.

Users demanding even more resolution will be happy to know that there are more 48-megapixel output options. Now, you can output compressed 48-megapixel images in either JPG or HEIF, which are much smaller in file sizes. A 48-megapixel HEIF file might be around 4-5MB in size, while a comparable JPG would come in at around 8-10MB. This is much smaller than a 48-megapixel ProRAW that starts at around 70MB in size. Take note, these options are available for iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max users too when they update to iOS 17.

The main camera, as ever, takes very pleasant photos. The new image processing technique also seems to work and yields more detailed images. It may not be obvious, but you can see it if you go looking for it (just see samples at the bottom of the page).

Does it make a difference? I think it does for people who really care about their photos or the subject of photography. For everyone else, they’ll just think that the new iPhones take great pictures and feel good about their purchase. My only gripe about the main camera is that the minimum focus distance remains quite long, which means you’ll have to rely on the ultrawide or the digital zoom of the main camera for close-ups.

Speaking of which, the ultrawide and telephoto cameras don’t get to enjoy the new 24-megapixel output nor the new processing pipeline and will output regular 12-megapixel photos. I don’t see any difference to the ultrawide and it remains the camera that I use the least. It remains noticeably less sharp than the main camera. I’ll get into the telephoto cameras below.

More focal lengths

The main camera still has a 24mm focal length, but Apple has added 28mm and 35mm equivalents too. This is basically the equivalent of 1.2x and 1.5x zoom respectively, but it’s nice to see Apple adding “shortcuts” to these popular focal lengths. What’s crucial to note is that this isn’t a mere digital crop. Apple is applying the same principles to these images where the image is a combination of a 12-megapixel processed image and a 48-megapixel “full resolution” image. You can choose any of these focal lengths as your new default. Personally, I like to shoot tighter so I’ll be using 35mm as my default. 

Automatic portrait mode

Portrait mode was introduced with the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus and is 7 years old now. The idea of it is simple: to replicate the bokeh produced by large sensor cameras and fast lenses. The execution, however, could be better because unless you set it as your default camera mode, you needed to swipe to enter Portrait mode. This meant many people often did not use it at all. I have taken around 35,000 photos since Portrait mode was introduced and guess how many them were in Portrait mode? Just 53.

That’s going to be a thing of the past because Portrait mode is activated automatically whenever the camera detects a face or pets (only cats and dogs). It also activates if you tap on the scene to focus. You’ll know when it’s activated when you see a small “ƒ” button appear at the corner of the screen. What’s even more impressive is that you make adjustments to the focus and background blur in post, and it also works with all cameras except the ultrawide. This works quickly and reliably, and I’m certain it’ll open up new photo-editing possibilities. 

The 5x telephoto

The only significant hardware change this year is the 5x telephoto camera and that’s exclusive to the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max. It basically gives you the equivalent of a 120mm focal length so it gives you a tighter frame or simply lets you shoot objects that are further. Traditionally, this focal length is preferred for wildlife and sports photography. 

To achieve this focal length, Apple is using a 25% larger sensor and a “tetraprism” lens design to create enough space between the f/2.8 lens and sensor. And because you need steadier hands to shoot at such long focal lengths, the 5x telephoto has what Apple says is their “most advanced stabilisation system” ever and it combines OIS and a 3D sensor-shift module that moves in three directions. 

This 5x telephoto mostly takes very decent photos, but it gets noisy right quick when the light starts to fall off. It’s nowhere as good as the main camera, but that’s to be expected given the smaller and lower resolution sensor. Fortunately, you can get around this somewhat by forcing Night Mode in challenging scenes.

You also get 25x digital zoom with the 5x telephoto, but I won’t bother, because unless the conditions are optimal and you have a steady hand, you might see odd artefacts introduced into your photo. In terms of image quality, I’d say it’s about the same as the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3x telephoto camera, so don’t think you’ll be getting any crisper images from the Pro Max – you’ll mostly be getting the benefit of a longer focal length.

The decision to have a 5x telephoto camera also poses a dilemma because it means that from 3x to 5 (77mm to 120mm), the iPhone 15 Pro Max actually produces poorer images than the iPhone 15 Pro. In this range of focal lengths, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has to rely on the digital zoom from its main camera, while the iPhone 15 Pro has the benefit of a dedicated 3x telephoto camera. The difference in image quality at this range of focal lengths is obvious even on a phone and something buyers should definitely consider. Don’t blindly get the iPhone 15 Pro Max just because it has a fancy new camera, because if you often shoot around 77mm, the iPhone 15 Pro actually suits your needs better.

One annoying thing about the telephoto is how Apple decides when to use it. It usually works if you taking a subject that’s far away, but if you try to use it for close-ups, it might actually use the main camera instead. Which means you end up getting a crop or digital zoom from the main camera. However, it appears that the telephoto camera has a very long minimum focus distance. Using Halide, a popular third-party camera app, to force the telephoto camera, I discovered that it doesn’t start to focus properly until you are about 80cm away.

Other pro updates 

One important video update for professionals this year is the ability to shoot in Log when shooting ProRes videos. It’s the flat colour profile that’s preferred by many videographers because it gives them greater flexibility to manipulate the colours and control the final look of the video. Speaking of ProRes, you can also now shoot ProRes at 60fps, but only if you connect an external storage device like a fast external SSD or memory card. Sadly, support for 8K video is still missing, but that’s not a huge deal given the rarity of 8K displays. Also, lens flare when shooting directly at light sources is still at issue at night. But even so, these iPhones still take mostly very excellent videos. 

More sample photos

The new 24-megapixel processing pipeline can sharper images with more details in certain situations. If you look closely at the pair of images above, the one taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max is slightly sharper and has better detail. Text is noticeably crisper and the screws around the metal frame are more prominent.

Though Apple didn't mention any improvements to Night Mode, the image taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max on the right has sharper text. This was taken with the 2x telephoto so the iPhone 15 Pro Max doesn't have the benefit of a higher resolution output. Both are 12-megapixel images.

The ultrawide camera may not be the sharpest but it remains handy for macros since it can focus from as little as 2cm. If you have good light, you can get remarkable results.

Again, look at the amount of detail the ultrawide camera can extract as long as you have decent lighting. You can see all the wear on the hands and even make out the reflection of the seconds hand off the hour hand. 

That side, the ultrawide camera is clearly not quite as sharp as the main camera. However, distortion is well-controlled and there's little warping at the edges. The fall-off in sharpness from the centre isn't too bad either.

The same scene but taken with the main wide camera instead. Not only does it have way more detail, it's also noticeably sharper and crisper.

The 5x telephoto is handy for the times when there's no way for you to get closer to your subject. It opens up new photography opportunities.

This is an example of the phone sometimes making the decision of which camera to use for you. Despite me picking the 5x telephoto camera for this shot, the phone actually ended up using the main camera instead. This image was taken with the automatic Portrait mode which allowed me to change the focus point of the image in edit.

Final thoughts & buying advice

Let’s set the stage by talking about prices first. There were rumours that Apple was going to increase the prices of its phones this year, but thankfully, we in Singapore were mostly spared. Prices of the iPhone 15 Pro still start at S$1,649 for 128GB. However, there’s no longer a 128GB version of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, so it starts at S$1,999 for 256GB. That’s S$30 more than what you’d pay for last year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max with the same amount of storage. That isn’t too bad. These are expensive phones, but we already knew that. 

In the past, I’d always advise people against upgrading if they already have last year’s flagships. This year, however, I feel that it might be worth upgrading just for the convenience that USB-C offers. Don’t underestimate the convenience of having to rely on just a single charging connector. If you have invested heavily in Lightning accessories, then this point doesn’t apply to you.

Furthermore, Apple has made appreciable improvements to the overall performance of the phone – thanks to A17 Pro – but also the way its cameras work. The new 24-megapixel default results in sharper and more detailed photos and the new automatic Portrait mode opens up new editing possibilities. The Action Button is handy and the new titanium frame makes the way lighter and more comfortable to hold for long periods.

And when you combine all these together, I think the overall improvements are significant enough for people to entertain the thought of upgrading. When you put all the little improvements together, they have a significant and profound impact on how these phones feel and work. 

Between the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, the choice is perhaps trickier, particularly for photography enthusiasts because of that 5x telephoto. After mulling over this for days, I think it boils down to how often you felt you couldn’t get close enough to your subject. If you frequently wished that the 3x optical zoom cameras of older iPhones weren’t enough, it makes sense to get the iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you don't care for the telephoto camera, then it’s a simple matter of deciding whether you want a phone with a bigger screen and if you can stomach the higher starting price.

Regardless of which phone you pick, these are very solid phones. Sure, you could make the case that they don’t break new ground and that they are playing catch-up in some ways, but it’s also hard to deny that they are highly capable and do very little wrong. I know I say this every year: anyone who buys these phones will be very happy with their purchase. But I also think that this statement is a little more true this year than the last.

	Click to see the score breakdown
	Click to see the score breakdown

Note: You can find the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max at on Amazon, Lazada, Shopee, and the Apple Online Store.