Apple iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max review → Alttib
In recent years, Apple’s updates in the first category have become progressively more subtle. The most significant visual alteration to the iPhone Pro series was the introduction of the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro, which replaced the notch and instantly made Apple’s flagship phones distinctive from the front. However, when it comes to the phone’s rear, the Pro model hasn’t undergone substantial changes.
On the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max released this year, you won’t find any features that immediately scream “brand new iPhone” from a distance. However, I’m delighted to report that the subtle design modifications on the iPhone 15 Pro are something you’ll genuinely appreciate as you begin using it.
Notably, these new models have shed some weight. The iPhone Pro’s chassis has switched from stainless steel to titanium, a material known for its strength and lightness. The brushed titanium frame, combined with the textured matte glass on the phone’s back, imparts an aura of sophistication and luxury. While this change may not be immediately obvious to onlookers, what you will unmistakably notice is the reduced weight.
To be precise, the iPhone 15 Pro now weighs 6.60 ounces, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes in at 7.81 ounces. Compare these figures to the weights of the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max (7.27 and 8.47 ounces, respectively), or even to the original Pro models, the 11 Pro and the 11 Pro Max (6.63 and 7.97 ounces). Remarkably, the iPhone Pro has never been this lightweight, even when it was considerably smaller in size.
To provide exact figures, the iPhone 15 Pro tips the scales at 6.60 ounces, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max registers 7.81 ounces. These weights can be contrasted with those of the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, which came in at 7.27 and 8.47 ounces, respectively. Alternatively, you can make a comparison with the inaugural Pro models, the 11 Pro and the 11 Pro Max, which weighed 6.63 and 7.97 ounces. Remarkably, the iPhone Pro has never been this lightweight, even when it was considerably smaller in size.
The contrast in weight becomes strikingly evident in everyday use. As someone who uses an iPhone 14 Pro Max as their daily driver, I’ve experienced the strain it can put on your hand during longer sessions (not to mention those unwelcome moments when it threatens to tumble onto your face while in bed). This weight burden becomes even more pronounced when you encase your phone in leather and carry an Apple Wallet with several cards inside.
However, Apple is now shifting towards more eco-friendly materials, including their new FineWoven case and Wallet, to replace all their leather accessories. While I don’t possess official specifications for these items, they do feel noticeably lightweight. The collective result is that a fully equipped iPhone 15 Pro feels like a featherweight in comparison to my previous phone.
There are additional subtle differences that enhance the tactile experience of the new phones. Apple has trimmed down the bezels around the displays, which, despite maintaining the same size as previous models, results in the phones feeling noticeably more compact compared to last year’s versions. The display also features a slight curvature along the edges, blending seamlessly with the contoured titanium chassis, giving the phone an almost soft and ergonomic feel when held.
Another noteworthy change, while not a head-turner for your Android-using friends, significantly improves the overall user experience: the replacement of the old Lightning port with a USB-C charging port. This shift, partially prompted by the European Union’s influence, now ensures compatibility not only with Apple’s MacBooks and iPads (which have had USB-C for a while) but also with virtually every other phone accessory on the market.
USB-C offers not only increased convenience but also supports faster data transfer speeds, up to 10 Gb/s, provided you use a cable designed for these speeds. As an added benefit, you can now charge USB-C AirPods Pro and the Apple Watch by connecting them directly to your iPhone.
The old mute toggle switch is also gone on the Pro, replaced by the new Action Button. It is in every way a superior solution, as it’s customizable. You can still set it to toggle sound, but it can be used for other things, such as firing up the flashlight, camera, or a Shortcut of your choosing.
In a very interesting departure from Apple’s typical design language, the Settings menu for the Action Button is animated, flashy, and colourful; perhaps it’s a hint at a wider-reaching UI redesign in the future. My only issue with the Action Button is that it mostly functions in one way: Short press to see the status of the attached command, and long press to activate that command. I’d like to be able to set up multiple gestures, such as double clicks, to perform different functions.
Put all of that together, and you get a phone that’s refined in many little ways; it’s lighter, smaller, nicer to hold, more compatible with other devices, and easier to operate. But you do have to hold it in your hand to really appreciate the upgrades.
A phone for gamers
Inside, a lot has changed, but it’s not as noticeable in everyday usage. Apple’s new A17 Pro chip (noticed that the Bionic moniker was replaced by Pro) is the first such chip created with a 3-nanometer process, allowing for more power while consuming less battery. But the actual improvements have been quite timid; Apple says the CPU is 10% faster. I’ve tested it with Geekbench and it spewed out record-breaking numbers: 2,145 for the single-core score, and 5,761 for the multi-core score. In my experience, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was fast, but not noticeably faster than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Given the new chip, it would’ve been reasonable to assume the battery life would improve, but it’s roughly the same as on last year’s phones. The iPhone 15 Pro will last you a day of heavy use, and the Pro Max will endure well into the next day.
Next-gen games will look great on this phone. Credit: Apple
One area where you’ll find a big difference is gaming, though; if you’re an avid gamer, and especially if you like graphics-heavy games, this is the phone for you. Apple’s new 6-core GPU enables stuff like mesh shading and hardware-accelerated ray tracing, which makes light and shadow in games a lot more life-like.
Unfortunately, games that actually support this do not exist right now (for example, Capcom’s Resident Evil 4 will launch on the App Store later this year). From what I’ve seen in demos, Apple’s claims of desktop console-like gaming aren’t overblown, but I wasn’t able to test it myself.
Zooming in
Another big reason why people buy new phones are the camera improvements, and I’ve got great news here: The cameras on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max are better in nearly every way than the cameras on last year’s phones (note that only the iPhone 15 Pro Max has the new, 5x telephoto camera).
It’a s little tricky to explain why. The cameras on the new phones have the same resolution (48 megapixels for the main camera, 12 megapixels for the telephoto and the ultra-wide cameras) as last year’s models. But the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max default to taking 24-megapixel photos, while the 14 Pro models take 12-megapixel photos. When you take a photo, the new iPhone actually takes photos at different resolutions, using all the data it can squeeze out of them, and produces a wonderfully sharp and detailed 24-megapixel photo. I took photos on default settings, from the same vantage point, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max and 15 Pro Max, and the new phone won every time, largely because the resulting photo had double the resolution and thus a ton more details.
Originally published at https://alttib.com on September 22, 2023.
