The much-awaited and ultra-buzzed iPhone 15 Pro Max is finally here! Apple launched the iPhone 15 lineup at its “Wonderlust” event on September 12, 2023. Like the past few years, the iPhone 15 lineup has four models- iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Ever since the latest maxed-out model came out, many users have been curious to know what is the difference between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 14 Pro Max. If you’re also thinking about whether it’s worth upgrading from iPhone 14 Pro Max to iPhone 15 Pro Max or are confused about which one to buy, you’ve landed at the right place. In this article, we’ve compared the features of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max to see how these high-end models differentiate from each other. Without any ado, let’s get started with iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max face-off!
iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro: Specs Comparison
Here’s a specs comparison of iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max:
iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 14 Pro Max Display Size 6.7-inches 6.7-inches Display tech Super Retina XDR OLED Super Retina XDR OLED Resolution 2796 x 1290 pixels at 460 ppi 2796 x 1290 pixels at 460 ppi Refresh rate 120Hz 120Hz Peak Brightness 2,000 nits 2,000 nits Dimensions 6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches 6.33 x 3.06 x 0.31 inch Weight 221 grams 240 grams Build Frame: Titanium, Back: Glass Frame: Stainless steel, Back: Glass CPU A17 Pro chipset A16 Bionic chipset Rear Camera 48MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 5x telephoto 48MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, 12MP 3x telephoto Front Camera 12MP 12MP Wi-Fi Wi-Fi 6E Wi-Fi 6 Charging Port USB-C Lightning port Battery Up to 29 hours of video playback,
25 hours of video streaming,
95 hours of audio playbackUp to 29 hours of video playback,
25 hours of video streaming,
95 hours of audio playbackRAM 8GB LPDDR5 6GB LPDDR5 Storage Space 256GB, 512GB, 1TB 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB Price starts at $1,199 starts at $1,099 Availability September 22, 2023 September 2022 Colors Black, White, Blue, Titanium Space Black, Silver, Gold, Deep Purple
Design Changes
Titanium frame
The latest iPhone 15 Pro Max feature the same 6.7-inch display and form factor as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but there are some noteworthy changes in the overall look and design. First, and probably one of the biggest design changes in iPhone 15 Pro Max is adoption of the Titanium frame. For the first time ever, Apple has used Grade 5 Titanium for any of its iPhones, ditching the polished stainless steel used in the previous iPhone Pro models. Not only Titanium has an improved scratch resistance, it can survive more damages and also weighs less. This makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max noticeably lighter at 221 grams than the iPhone 14 Pro Max which weighs 24o grams.
Apple also tweaked the design slightly. Compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the iPhone 15 Pro Max model has rounded edges. Yes, the curved corners that we last saw on iPhone 11 lineup have made a comeback.
Action Button
Another remarkable design change in the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the brand-new customizable Action button that replaces the Mute switch on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. You can use the Action button to mute your iPhone and even program it to do something different like opening the camera or running custom Shortcuts. Pretty cool, right!
USB-C Port
Now, talking about the most highlighting change on iPhone 15 Pro Max, the switch to USB-C port. Apple finally makes a transition to USB-C ports, ditching its proprietary Lightning port for good. Of course, the USB-C port brings the faster data transfer speeds. With USB 3 charging standard support, the iPhone 15 Pro Max supports up to 10Gbps transfer speeds, while the iPhone 14 Pro Max speed is limited to only 480Mbps. So, you can expect up to 20x faster file transfers on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Coming to the color options, both the Pro models offer some stunning finishes to choose from. The Phone 15 Pro Max comes in the Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium finishes. Whereas, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is available in Space Black, Silver, Gold, and Deep Purple options. The Natural Titanium and Blue Titanium iPhone 15 Pro Max colors have replaced the Gold and Deep Purple options available on iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Display
The newest iPhone 15 Pro Max sports the same 6.7-inch OLED screen as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but you’ll find much slimmer bezels for a more elegant look. It’s nice to see Apple sticking to the much-loved 6.7-inch display, rather than going for some weird size upgrades.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has the same Always-on-Display and Pro Motion-enabled Adaptive refresh rate as the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Also, the iPhone 15 Pro Max rocks extremely slimmer bezels around the screen.
Cameras
Last year, Apple made some big changes to the iPhone 14 Pro’s camera, including a 48MP primary sensor which helped them secure a top spot in the best camera phones list. The iPhone 14 Pro Max features a 48MP primary, 12MP ultrawide, and 12 MP telephoto lens on its rear panel. On the front, you get a 12MP sensor for capturing selfies.
This year, the Cupertino-based tech giant has raised its high-set standards. The iPhone 15 Pro Max offers improved zoom capabilities than the iPhone 14 Pro Max. As compared to 3x optical zoom on iPhone 14 Pro Max, the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max offers up to 5x optical zoom at 120mm focal length, thanks to the 25% bigger telephoto lens for better zooming, making it a better choice for macro photography.
Adding to this is the next-gen Portrait mode on the iPhone 15 Pro Max model that automatically detects the subject in the frame, allowing you to switch to Portrait mode after you’ve taken the photo. That’s not all. Compared to the previous iPhone 14 Pro Max, the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max has an enhanced Night mode, Smart HDR 5 support, ProRes videos, Spatial videos (3D content to be viewed on Apple Vision Pro), and more. If you’re a fan of night photography, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will offer an improved performance in challenging lighting conditions.
Performance Upgrades
The iPhone 14 Pro Max already offers a powerful performance with A16 Bionic chipset. Now, the iPhone 15 Pro Max takes the performance to the next level with the new, first-of-its-kind 3 nanometer-based A17 Pro chipset with some big GPU redesigns. It houses a 6-core CPU and a 6-core Pro-class Apple GPU for up to 10% faster CPU and 20% faster GPU performance over the 4nm technology found in the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
The A17 Pro chipset also supports hardware-based ray tracing for smoother graphics, immersive AR experiences, and improved gaming performance. Apple claims that the insanely capable A17 Pro offers groundbreaking performance that can even challenge some high-end PC’s.
Long story short, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will offer faster performance, improved power efficiency, and better heat dissipation when compared to the iPhone 14 Pro. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is also one-step ahead of the previous model in terms of wireless connectivity speeds. Rather than the Wi-Fi 6 support found on iPhone 14 Pro Max, the newest big boy supports the faster Wi-Fi 6E standard for greater wireless performance. This makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max an exciting option for gamers and users who crave ultimate performance.
Moving on, the top-end iPhone 15 Pro Max offers a bumped-up base storage of 256GB as compared to 128GB on the 14 Pro Max model. On that topic, both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max models offers up to 1TB lucrative storage options for those willing to pay extra.
Coming to the software, the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with iOS 17 out-of-the-box while you can upgrade your iPhone 14 Pro Max to this latest iOS version. It means you’ll get to enjoy all the cool features of iOS 17, including NameDrop, StandBy Mode, Contact Posters, and more on both iPhones.
Battery and Charging
The iPhone 14 Pro Max packs a 4,323mAh battery with up to 29W (unofficial) wired charging, 15W MagSafe, and 7.5W wireless charging capabilities. It offers up to 29 hours of video playback, 25 hours of video streaming, and 95 hours of audio playback. Well, the iPhone 15 Pro Max also offers a similar battery performance.
Pricing
Now, let’s delve into the most awaited comparison- the price difference between iPhone 15 Pro Max and 14 Pro Max models. As anticipated, Apple technically increased the starting price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max by $100, only because it axed the 128GB model. Well, this is just Apple’s way of doing things smartly. The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 for the 256GB model, which falls in place with the price tag of the iPhone 14 Pro Max 256GB model.
Apple dropped the 128GB storage option for the Pro models this year, increasing the price and storage of the entry-level model. So, if you’re planning to upgrade to the latest Pro Max model, you’ll have to shell out an extra $100.
On the flip side, the iPhone 14 Pro Max starts at $1,099 for the 128GB model. Not to forget, you can find some tempting offers on iPhone 14 Pro Max from certain third-party resellers and cell carriers.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro: Bottom Line
Unarguably, the iPhone 15 Pro Max brings some noteworthy upgrades, adding more bells and whistles to the already fantastic performance of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Improved zoom capabilities, a customizable Action button, a USB-C port, and a much-capable A17 Pro chipset set the iPhone 15 Pro Max apart from its predecessor. Also, when you get the iPhone 15 Pro Max 256GB model at the same price as the iPhone 14 Pro Max, the latest iPhone 15 Pro Max seems to be a worthy upgrade. If you think this year’s top-end iPhone is worth upgrading, this is when the new iPhone 15 Pro Max will be available to purchase.
What’s your take on the iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max comparison? Are you planning to buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max? Don’t forget to drop your thoughts in the comments below.
