I received my iPhone 15 Pro Max this past Friday. And I know exactly when it was first in my hands because that occurred at the 22:30 mark (the beginning of Chapter 4) as I was recording the most recent episode of the In the News podcast. Since then, I’ve been using this new iPhone extensively. I love it, and I have lots of thoughts to share.
Titanium
Nine years ago, when Apple introduced the iPhone 6 models, it increased the size of the display in two ways. First, the iPhone 6 itself was larger than the iPhone 5s because it used a 4.7” display instead of a 4” display. Second, Apple introduced the iPhone 6 Plus with a 5.5” display—the first time a larger model became an option. Some people gravitated to the larger models instantly, but many (perhaps even most?) folks preferred the standard size, even though what constitutes the standard size has changed quite a bit over the years. The original iPhone released in 2007 had a 3.5” display; the "standard" size of the iPhone 15 Pro is 6.1”. Of course, screen size doesn’t tell you everything about the size of an iPhone. The bezels are much smaller today than they were in 2007, and there is no longer a button occupying some of the face of the iPhone. Nevertheless, the trend has been towards larger screens. For nine years, I have been happy with the "standard" size, even as that standard has changed over time.
This year, Apple has made it easier to consider making the move to a larger iPhone because the case has changed from stainless steel to titanium. Titanium is much lighter while remaining very strong.
I can attest that the change makes a difference. As you can see in the podcast video that I referenced above, from the very first time that I put my iPhone 14 Pro in one hand and my iPhone 15 Pro Max in another hand, I have noticed that the iPhone 15 Pro Max feels lighter. I can switch hands, and I feel the same thing. When I spent time this past weekend taking pictures with both the iPhone 14 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max to see the difference between the former 3x zoom lens and the new 5x zoom lens, I again noticed the same thing.
I realize that I am being tricked. Apple says that the iPhone 14 Pro weighs 7.27 ounces and the iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs 7.81 ounces. So in reality, this larger iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs about half an ounce more than the phone that I used for the last year. But because the small amount of extra weight is distributed across a larger area, it doesn’t actually feel heavier. The only reason that this illusion works is that there is only a small amount of additional weight, and that is thanks to the use of titanium. Last year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max model weighed 8.47 ounces, so I’m sure that the iPhone 15 Pro Max would have weighed at least that much if Apple was still using stainless steel.
For me, someone moving from the standard to a larger phone, the use of titanium means that I don’t need to worry about moving to a heavier phone. If you get a new iPhone 15 Pro model and you stay with the same size—going from an iPhone 14 Pro to an iPhone 15 Pro, or going from an iPhone 14 Pro Max to an iPhone 15 Pro Max—your new iPhone will weigh noticeably less than your prior model, which is also something you will appreciate.
The best part about using titanium is the weight difference, but that’s not the only difference. The titanium iPhone has a matte finish that is noticeably different from the shiny stainless steel used in the past on the Pro models. That makes it just a tiny bit less slippery, although to be honest, not as much as I had hoped.
Another change that may have more to do with how Apple designed the iPhone than the change in material is that the edges of the iPhone 15 models are slightly more rounded at the corners. It is a subtle but nice change that makes the newest iPhone even more comfortable to hold in a hand.
Moving to titanium was a fabulous change in the Pro line, and it is a major reason that you feel like you are getting something much better when you upgrade to an iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max. I have already seen many advertisements on TV for the iPhone 15 Pro / Pro Max that emphasize the move to titanium, and this is not just marketing hype. It makes a difference.
A zoom that makes a substantial difference
Speaking of changes that make a difference, let's talk about the 5x zoom lens on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. While I have been curious about using a larger size iPhone for years, the reason I made the leap this year was to try out the 5x optical zoom lens, the largest optical zoom that Apple has ever offered. It is really nice, and it is the first iPhone zoom lens that I feel has really made a substantial difference. This feels like a real zoom lens, not just getting a little closer to change the emphasis.
Apple first introduced a zoom lens for the iPhone in 2016. On the larger Plus model of the iPhone 7, Apple added a second lens to add a 2x optical zoom lens (56 mm). The following year, the telephoto lens was included with the iPhone X and Apple even added optical image stabilization so that pictures taken with the zoom lens would be less blurry. The zoom lens increased to 2.5x on the iPhone 12 Pro Max in 2020, and the zoom lens increased to 3x on the iPhone 13 Pro in 2021.
Having different levels of zoom is often useful because it allows you to place an emphasis on different parts of the picture to make the picture tell a different story. I showed that off in this post from 2019 when I compared the 0.5x, 1x, and 2x lenses on the iPhone 11 Pro. The addition of the 3x zoom enhanced this even more, allowing you to get closer without the excessive blurriness that occurs when you simply crop a photo.
With 5x, however, the zoom is extreme enough that you feel like you are getting a completely different type of picture. It is especially useful when you want to get details that you could not otherwise see.
For example, as I was looking out of my office window this past Friday, I saw a tugboat pushing a barge on the Mississippi River. I took three pictures using the 1x, 2x, and 5x lenses and got these three pictures (which are compressed somewhat to make them smaller in this p0st):
When I look at just the tugboat in all three pictures, the first two pictures are very blurry, with 2x only slightly better. But with the 5x camera, I can actually read the words "Marquette Transportation" on the side of the boat.
That is the sort of difference that you expect with something called a "zoom" lens. You want to zoom in and see details.
Here is another interesting example: a picture of a French Quarter-style gas lamp taken with the iPhone 15 Pro Max in 1x. This picture is compressed for size:
That was about as close as I could get to the lamp without standing on a ladder, but I can get closer using different lenses. I took four pictures: the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 1x and 2x, the iPhone 14 Pro at 3x, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 5x, focusing each one on the small nameplate at the bottom of the lamp. Here are the results:
Thanks to the additional zoom of the 5x, I can see that this lamp was manufactured by Bevolo Gas & Electric Lights, the company that first invented the original French Quarter-style gas lamp and that still makes them using hand-riveted copper at their store in the French Quarter in New Orleans. What is interesting to me, though, is that the second most detailed image is not the 3x but instead the 1x. Why is that?
When the new iPhone 15 Pro Max takes pictures using the 1x lens, it takes a 24-megapixel picture using a series of pictures taken in rapid succession using the 48-megapixel lens and then merges them to create the best picture. With the 2x lens, Apple creates a 24-megapixel picture using just the center portion of the 48-megapixel lens, and while it does some additional processing, not as much as the 1x lens (because Apple doesn't want you to have to wait before you can take another picture). With the 3x and 5x lens, the lens brings you closer, but the quality of the overall picture is less for numerous reasons, one of which is that it is only a 12-megapixel image. What this means is that you will typically see the best results with the 1x camera. If you want to get closer, the best option—when you can—is to move your iPhone even closer and stick with 1x. If that is not an option, using the 2x and 3x lens will sometimes result in a better picture with more details, but not always. With the 5x lens, however, there is enough of a zoom increase that the lens can often compensate for other factors such as the 1x camera being an overall better lens.
Here is another example that provides results that are more expected. While I was in a well-lit coffeehouse this weekend, I saw a display with some books on it. Here is what I saw using the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 1x camera:
Now let's zoom in to the back of that blue book, which happens to be the The Little Book of King Cake by Matt Haines (Author) and Aileen Bennett (Illustrator). The words are not really much easier to read as you go from 1x to 2x. But at 3x, you can read the text, and with 5x, the text is even more sharp.
These are only three examples, but I took tons of pictures with both iPhones this weekend, and the results were pretty consistent. For the best picture, use the 1x lens, which you get with either the iPhone 15 Pro or the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But if you want to really zoom in to see some details, there is a substantial difference between the 3x zoom and the 5x zoom.
I should note that the 5x lens is only part of the story. Apple is also using sophisticated stabilization technology to limit how much the 5x lens moves so that you don’t get a useless, blurry picture. And there is also some amazing computational photography going on in the background as well. The net result is that the 5x camera is a great tool to have.
For those times in life when you want a zoom lens, you typically want a big zoom. You are not just looking to change the composition of your shot; you are trying to get substantially closer. You want to see an architectural detail. You want to see your child's face on stage from the audience or from across the gym during a basketball game. You want to read something on a sign that is far away. With the 5x lens, you get a substantial zoom that makes a difference. It is a great new feature.
Portrait mode, anytime
A camera improvement for all four of the new iPhone 15 models is that you no longer have to select Portrait Mode before you take a picture to achieve a blurred background, the bokeh effect. Now, just take a picture in the normal camera mode. After you take the picture, tap the Edit button in the Photos app. If the iPhone sees a person or a pet, the iPhone will let you blur the background using the depth information that was captured automatically.
I love this change. In the past, it was always difficult to decide before I took a picture which mode I would want to use, which often resulted in me taking the picture twice, once in each mode. Now, I can make all of those decisions later when I am reviewing and editing my pictures.
By the way, this effect also seems to be better than ever, presumably because of the improved A17 Pro processor, even in difficult areas like the edges of curly hair.
USB-C
Another major change for all of the iPhone 15 phones is the use of USB-C instead of Lightning. When you first get one of these phones, it means that you need to change some cords. I forgot to change the cord in my car, so when I got into my car on Friday afternoon and tried to use CarPlay, I realized that I needed a different cord (USB to USB-C) that I didn't have with me.
But once I got past these initial hiccups, I appreciated moving even closer to the day when all of my devices use the same connector.
Also, for the times when you need to transfer video to and from a computer, the support for USB-C 3 with 10Gbit per second speed is nice and makes a big difference.
Action button
This year, Apple replaced the ringer switch with an Action Button. When you hold down on the button, an action happens. That action can be turning the ringer on or off if you want. But it can also do just about anything else.
For now, I have the Action Button configured to launch the Camera app. This was especially nice this past weekend when I took lots of pictures to try out the improved camera. Regardless of whether my iPhone was locked or in use, and no matter what it was doing, all I had to do is press that button to launch the Camera. And then in the Camera app, I could press that same button to take a picture.
In the future, I may try associating the Action Button with a sophisticated Shortcut, perhaps even one that does different things at different times of the day. But for now, I'm happy with it launching the Camera.
One small surprise: although the Action Button is the same size as the switch that it replaces, I'm used to the larger volume and power buttons on the iPhone. As a result, the Action Button seems too small. I'm sure that is something that I will get more used to over time.
Larger screen
I know that other folks have been using a larger iPhone for many, many years, but it is a new experience for me. I'll need to spend far more than a single weekend with this new phone to really see what I really think. So far, however, I like it. Yes, holding a larger phone in my hand is a different experience, but it isn't uncomfortable, especially thanks to the new softer edge. And when I am looking at the screen, the extra real estate is a valuable. I started in the default mode, where I could see more on the screen at one time, such as an extra row when looking my Inbox in the Mail app. Then I switched to the Larger Text Display Mode zoom in Settings, which means that I see essentially the same amount on the screen as with my iPhone 14 Pro but everything is bigger, so I don't have to hold the iPhone quite so close to my face to see it. I'm not yet sure which mode I will stick with, but it is the larger screen that makes them both possible.
Of course, a larger iPhone screen is no match for an iPad. But when all that you have with you is your iPhone, it can be nice for that iPhone to have a larger screen. For example, this weekend I did not only the Saturday but even the Sunday New York Times crossword puzzle (with my wife's help!) on my iPhone, and the larger screen made a big difference in making the small boxes legible.
When I am wearing a button-down shirt, I virtually always carry my iPhone in a shirt pocket. I feared that the larger iPhone would be too big for that, but so far, that doesn't appear to be a problem.
I told myself that if this larger iPhone seemed wrong for me, I would return it and replace it with an iPhone 15 Pro during the first two weeks when returns are easy. I've already decided not to do that because my initial impressions are mostly positive. The real test will come this time next year when I make the decision on whether to stick with a Max size for what I imagine will be called the iPhone 16. But for now ... so far, so good.
Conclusion
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a great new iPhone. With the titanium finish, new design, 5x lens, Action Button, better portrait mode, and USB-C, there are plenty of meaningful changes that make this year's model seem like a real step up. And if you haven't tried a larger iPhone size in the past but you are curious about doing so, this is the best year ever to make that transition.
