Apple announced its new iPhones quite recently, the iPhone 17 series. The most powerful smartphone there is the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and in this article, we’ll compare it with one of its predecessors. We’ll be comparing the Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max. Many of you are probably considering upgrading after two years, and jumping from the iPhone 15 Pro Max to the iPhone 17 Pro Max kind of makes sense.
Some upgrades are there after two years, of course, though they may not be worth the upgrade to all of you, of course. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at their specs, designs, displays, performance, battery life, cameras, and audio output. It will hopefully help you reach a purchasing decision, though keep in mind this is not a review of either phone, just a comparison. We’ve reviewed the iPhone 15 Pro Max two years ago, while our iPhone 17 Pro Max review is on its way.
Specs
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
| Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 163.4 x 78 x 8.8 mm | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3 mm |
| Weight | 233 grams | 221 grams |
| Display | 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED | 6.7-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Refresh rate | 1-120Hz | 1-120Hz |
| Resolution | 2868 x 1320 | 2796 x 1290 |
| Chipset | Apple A19 Pro | Apple A17 Pro |
| RAM | 12GB | 8GB |
| Storage | 256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB | 256GB/512GB/1TB (NVMe) |
| Main camera | 48MP (1/1.28 aperture, 1.22um pixel size, sensor-shift OIS, dual pixel PDAF) | 48MP (f/1.8 aperture, 1/1.28-inch sensor size, 1.22um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, sensor-shift OIS) |
| Ultra-wide camera | 48MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 0.7um pixel size, PDAF) | 12MP (f/2.2 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV, 1.4um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF) |
| Telephoto camera | N/A | N/A |
| Periscope camera | 48MP (f/2.8 aperture, 1/2.55-inch sensor size, PDAF, 3D sensor-shift OIS, 4x optical zoom) | 12MP (f/2.8 aperture, 1/3.06-inch sensor size, 1.12um pixel size, dual pixel PDAF, 5x optical zoom) |
| Selfie camera(s) | 18MP (f/1.9 aperture, OIS) | 12MP (f/1.9 aperture, 1/3.6-inch sensor size, PDAF, OIS) |
| Battery size | 4,832mAh (nano SIM) / 5,088mAh (eSIM only) | 4,441mAh |
| Charging | 40W wired, 25W MagSafe wireless, 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included) | 20W wired, 15W wireless (MagSafe & Qi2), 7.5W wireless (Qi), 4.5W reverse wired (charger not included) |
| Colors | Silver, Cosmic Orange, Deep Blue | Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium |
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design
These two smartphones do look similar, but Apple did make a change with the new model. So, let’s talk about that first. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a frame made out of aluminum, compared with a titanium frame on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Apple opted to go back to aluminum because it’s better for heat dissipation. Some obvious design changes are visible on the back of the new model.
The two phones may have a similar camera layout, but the new model has a camera bar on the back. That camera bar is quite large, and it does protrude on the back. In addition to that, it includes a separate glass section on the back, for design purposes. Even the Apple logo is placed in a different spot. Differentiating between the two devices is not that difficult, as long as you don’t look at them from the front.
Speaking of which, they look basically the same from the front. There is a pill-shaped cutout on each display, the so-called Dynamic Island. The displays themselves are flat, while the bezels around them are thin and uniform on both phones. While both smartphones have a power/lock key on the right side, and volume up and down buttons on the left, joined by the Action key, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has an extra button on the right side. The Camera control key is placed there.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max does have a larger display too, and it is taller, wider, and thicker than the iPhone 15 Pro Max. On top of that, it’s also 12 grams heavier at 233 grams. Both smartphones are IP68 certified, and both are quite slippery in the hand.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max includes a 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That panel is flat, and it has an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10 content is supported, as is Dolby Vision. The peak brightness here is 3,000 nits, while the screen-to-body ratio is around 90%. The resolution this display offers is 2868 x 1320 pixels, while the display aspect ratio is 19.5:9. The panel is protected by the Ceramic Shield 2, and it also has an anti-reflective coating.
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a 6.7-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display. That display is also flat, and it also supports an adaptive refresh rate (1-120Hz). HDR10 content is supported, as is Dolby Vision. The peak brightness here is 2,000 nits. The screen-to-body ratio sits at around 89%, while the resolution here is 2796 x 1290 pixels. The display aspect ratio on offer is 19.5:9. This panel is protected by the Ceramic Shield glass.
Both of these panels are actually quite good. They’re both vivid and have great viewing angles. Both displays are also quite sharp and have good touch response. The newer handset does have some advantages, however. The iPhone 17 Pro Max’s display does get brighter, not to mention that there is a slight difference in glare thanks to the new coating on the display. It’s nowhere near what the Gorilla Glass Armor (2) offers, though. The new display is also more scratch-resistant thanks to the Ceramic Shield 2.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max is fueled by the Apple A19 Pro processor. That is a 3nm chip, and it is paired with 12GB of RAM. Apple also includes NVMe flash storage here. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, is fueled by the Apple A17 Pro processor, which is also a 3nm chip. Both of them are hexa-core chips with 6-core GPUs. The newer chip is more powerful, though, of course, and it’s also better with power consumption. The iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with 8GB of RAM and NVMe flash storage.
Do note that neither of the two phones supports storage expansion. So, you’ll be stuck with the model you buy. We still haven’t reviewed the iPhone 17 Pro Max, but from what we’ve seen, there’s not much difference in day-to-day use, as far as fluidity goes. Both smartphones deliver in that regard, without a problem, regardless of what you’re doing. Animations aside, the performance is really good.
Gaming doesn’t seem to be an issue either. The iPhone 15 Pro Max can still run the most powerful games from the App Store without a problem. The iPhone 17 Pro Max seemingly can do the same, without really getting all that warm, at least during shorter gaming sessions. We’ll have to dig in more in our full review, of course.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery
The iPhone 17 Pro Max actually comes in two battery versions. The nano SIM version of the phone includes a smaller 4,832mAh battery, while the eSIM model (which is sold in the US) includes a 5,088mAh battery. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a 4,441mAh battery on the inside. That goes for every variant of the phone that was ever released by Apple.
Many of you will recall that the iPhone 15 Pro Max offered great battery life. Well, the iPhone 17 Pro Max seemingly improves upon that. From what we’ve seen thus far, the phone does offer notably better battery life, and the best in the lineup. If you’re a power user and are looking for the best battery life in the new iPhone 17 lineup, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is the phone you should get.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max also offers faster charging, up to 40W. It can reach a 50% charge in about 20 minutes, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max will take around half an hour to get there. The new model also supports 25W MagSafe wireless charging along with 4.5W reverse wired charging. The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, supports 15W MagSafe wireless charging and 4.5W reverse wired charging. Neither phone ships with a charger in the retail box.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras
Both smartphones have three cameras on the back, but the new model has better ultrawide and periscope telephoto cameras. The iPhone 17 Pro Max includes a 48-megapixel main camera (1/1.28-inch sensor size), along with a 48-megapixel ultrawide camera (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV), and a 48-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 4x optical zoom).
The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has a 48-megapixel main camera (1/1.28-inch sensor size), a 12-megapixel ultrawide snapper (1/2.55-inch sensor size, 120-degree FoV), and a 12-megapixel periscope telephoto camera (1/3.06-inch sensor size, 5x optical zoom). Hardware only goes so far, though, of course.
Now, we’ll dig deeper into it in our review, but the iPhone 17 Pro Max seems to have better color reproduction in photos. Both of them do a really good job and provide images that are closer to real-life. The ultrawide camera on the iPhone 17 Pro Max does a better job overall, especially in low light, and the same goes for the periscope telephoto unit , too. Those two cameras also provide more detail, which is something you’ll notice once you zoom in.
Audio
Both of these smartphones ship with stereo speakers. Those speakers are very good on both phones. Not only are they quite loud, but they also offer good audio quality output. They’re pretty much on the same level.
You will not find an audio jack on either of these two smartphones. You can hook up your wired headphones to their Type-C ports, however, if you want. The newer phone ships with Bluetooth 6.0, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max includes Bluetooth 5.3.
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