I was an Android user for many years, having transitioned from a venerable iPhone 4S to a Samsung Galaxy S6 in 2015. Since then, I’ve used some of the best Android phones available. My brief flirtation with iOS and an iPhone 13 Pro at the end of 2021 unexpectedly led to a committed relationship with an Apple smartphone. Sure, I still have access to devices like the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, but my SIM card (we still use them in the UK) sits in an iPhone.
Transitioning from Android to iPhone
Lately, the variation of Android and general boredom with iPhones nearly saw me swap back to Google’s smartphone platform. But just when I thought I was out, the iPhone 15 Pro Max pulled me back in. And I’m okay with that, as it’s a fantastic flagship-grade smartphone. However, it might be a little too good – to the extent that I have no clear idea of where phones can go next to be more than just iterative upgrades over their predecessors.
Switching Sides: My Journey from Android to the iPhone 15 Pro Max
First Impressions of the iPhone 15 Pro Max
But let me first tell you why the iPhone 15 Pro Max has my attention, despite me never really being into the Max phones. First off, the titanium construction is a game-changer, taking what could be a heavy and unwieldy 6.7-inch-display-equipped phone into a device that I can just about use one-handed. And subtle tweaks to the sides, adding a degree of curvature at the edges means the iPhone 15 Pro Max still rocks the slick flat-edges Apple brought back with the iPhone 12 series but makes them a little more comfortable to hold. The matte finish of the phone’s rear and the way the colors are blended with the titanium chassis is also very neat.
Design and Build Quality
The titanium build not only makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max feel premium but also ensures it’s durable and lightweight. This combination of strength and elegance is something I truly appreciate, especially given the size of the device. The matte finish on the back is a nice touch, reducing fingerprints and smudges, which is a common issue with glass backs.
Dynamic Island and Display
While the Dynamic Island isn’t perfect, it’s a welcome departure from the notch I begrudgingly got used to on the iPhone 13 Pro. And I don’t feel it’s much more intrusive than the punch-hole cameras on Android rivals like the Google Pixel 8 Pro; plus the added functionality is appreciated if not always used to its full potential.
New Action Button
I like the new Action button too, which I use to quickly trigger the ‘torch’ – aka the rear camera flash. USB-C connectivity is very welcome. And I still love Apple’s take on a 1Hz to 120Hz screen with its ProMotion display. Combined with slick software, the iPhone 15 Pro Max feels very fast.
Performance and Gaming
Of course, it’s ridiculously fast with its A17 Pro chip, which can run console-quality games on a device that’s a heck of a lot more pocketable than an Xbox Series X. There’s scope for more performance to help these games run a little better, but with how much Apple Arcade has to offer, you’re never stuck finding a neat little game to play while surviving a tedious commute.
Camera System
Finally, the camera suite on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is fantastic. The move to a 5x telephoto optical zoom lens adds a much-appreciated degree of flexibility to the camera system, while the main and ultrawide cameras can pump out consistently great photos time and time again. I stand by the decision to put the Galaxy S24 Ultra on the top spot of TechRadar’s best camera phones list, but I prefer Apple’s computational photography and image signal processing over Samsung’s.
Video Capabilities
Video is simply class-leading, and it’s dead-easy to record usable footage, even if you have all the camera skills of a dopey dog.
Addressing Apple’s Critics
I’ve always rallied against what can be a sycophantic love of Apple and its devices, feeling that Cupertino gets a pass for things people would crucify an Android phone for missing; I’m talking a 60Hz display on the standard iPhone 15 and the glacially slow adoption of USB-C. But while I can’t defend the standard or iPhone 15 Plus, I do believe the iPhone 15 Pro Max is pretty much the pinnacle of smartphones right now.
Why the iPhone 15 Pro Max Made This Ex-Android User a Believer
Where Do We Go from Here?
The thing is, this all has me concerned that Apple won’t have much left in the tank to innovate further. Sure, Tim Cook’s crew will surely follow in Google and Samsung’s footsteps and embrace generative AI tools. And it’s not hard to forecast that the likes of the iPhone 16 will be faster and have better battery life than before, perhaps with some proper fast charging added into the mix, too.
Evolution or Plateau?
But in terms of there being a big step-change for iPhones, and indeed Samsung’s Galaxy series, it feels like we’ve hit a plateau in smartphone evolution and innovation, at least in hardware terms. I’m old enough to remember the days when each new smartphone felt like a real step up from what came before, with cameras getting better and better, performance mattering from generation to generation, and all sorts of new features getting added.
These days, one generation of phones is largely similar to what came before. Granted, a suite of small changes to the iPhone 15 Pro Max have made it my phone of choice and one worth upgrading to. But now I feel Apple has nailed the formula, I can’t see the iPhone 16 or iPhone 17 being much better: that’s unless someone comes up with massively different screen tech or battery materials.
The Hope for Exciting Innovation
So, am I now bored of phones? Well, not quite. I think my hope for exciting iPhones will be laid at the promise of a foldable iPhone, as I reckon Apple has the scope and savvy to nail a great folding phone experience. Equally, I’m willing to embrace the software side of innovation, of which AI is surely going to play a part. But for now, I’ll just have to comfort myself with the idea that I have a near-perfect phone for me at this moment. And at a time when all sorts of things look rather bleak, that’s no bad thing.
Graphene and Thermal Issues
According to Notebookcheck, Apple considers iPhone 15 Pro models running warmer than previous iPhones to be “expected behavior.” A major design change is coming to the iPhone 16 series to (finally) address this issue. Apple is rumored to be exploring the “use of graphene to mitigate lingering thermal issues.”
The iPhone 15 Series: Great but Not Perfect
It seems to be a commercial success, but that doesn’t mean it’s perfect. As you can see, there have been several issues with the devices already, and it’s only been out for several months.
Upgrading to the iPhone 15 Pro Max
The bottom line: It’s worth upgrading to the iPhone 15 if you have an iPhone 12. The updates go beyond new technologies like Dynamic Island and USB-C; you also get a notable upgrade in everything from general performance to battery life and camera quality. Across a variety of tests and benchmarks, the A16 Bionic in the iPhone 15 outperforms the A15 Bionic in the iPhone 14 in every way. The differences can be as great as a 10 to 15% improvement in most areas including compute power, graphics processing, and power efficiency, all of which are great.
Overheating Issues
Since its launch, the iPhone 15 series has received reports of overheating. Although Apple tried to fix the issues and promised to improve thermal management through software updates, many users still report that their iPhone 15 devices tend to get excessively hot.
Popularity of the iPhone 15 Pro Max
Of all the iPhone 15 models – namely the iPhone 15 itself, the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max – it’s the last of them that’s the biggest hit right now, according to an analyst’s report.
Water Resistance and Durability
The latest phone features won’t mean much if your new phone gets wet and stops working. The newest iPhone 15 is not waterproof, neither are the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max. However, these iPhone 15 models are water resistant. Seven months into using the iPhone 15 Pro Max, one of the biggest surprises — which, unfortunately, I can confirm through personal experience — is that it can survive drops. Many, many drops. It’s fallen off the arm of my couch onto my living room hardwood floor multiple times.
Battery Life and Charging
Batteries of iPhone 14 models and earlier are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions. Batteries of iPhone 15 models are designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity at 1,000 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions. With all models making small improvements that make life a bit easier, the iPhone 15 is a bigger upgrade than its familiar design might suggest.
That said, for all of its handy advancements, the iPhone 15 pro max is still stuck in the past in a few frustrating ways. The decision to buy the iPhone 15 now or wait for the iPhone 16 depends on your specific needs and preferences. If you need a reliable, high-performing phone right now, the iPhone 15 is an excellent choice with its enhanced battery, camera capabilities, and performance.
