Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 15 Pro Max Review
The iPhone 15 Pro Max's A17 Pro chip is in a league of its own, but its camera performance is shockingly mediocre. Is this speed demon worth the compromise?
The 30-Second Version
A speed demon with a blind spot. The A17 Pro chip is phenomenal, but the camera is shockingly mediocre for a 'Pro' phone.
Overview
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a performance monster in a titanium suit, but it's got a weird identity crisis. The one thing to know? This phone is built for speed and power, not for taking pictures. With an A17 Pro chip that lands in the 100th percentile for performance and a stunning 120Hz display, it's a beast for gaming and multitasking. But that camera score? It's sitting in the 37th percentile, which is frankly shocking for a 'Pro' device at this price. It feels like Apple built a race car and forgot to put good headlights on it.
Performance
Let's talk about that A17 Pro chip. It's not just fast, it's in a league of its own. Our database shows it's literally in the 100th percentile for raw performance. Apps launch instantly, and gaming is buttery smooth. The 8GB of RAM keeps everything humming, even with a dozen apps open. The real surprise, though, is the battery life. With a 4422 mAh battery scoring in the 92nd percentile, this thing lasts all day and then some, which is a welcome change from some past Pro models that needed a midday charge.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Strong performance (100th percentile) 100th
- Strong display (96th percentile) 96th
- Strong build (93th percentile) 93th
- Strong connectivity (92th percentile) 92th
Cons
The Word on the Street
Specifications
Full Specifications
Display
| Screen Size | 6.7 |
| Resolution | 1290 x 2796 |
| Refresh Rate | 120 Hz |
Performance
| Processor | Apple A17 Pro |
| Processor Model | Apple A17 Pro |
| RAM | 8 MB |
| Storage | 1 TB |
Battery & Charging
| Battery | 4441 Wh |
Connectivity
| 5G | Yes |
| Bluetooth | Yes |
| NFC | No |
| SIM | eSIM |
| eSIM | Yes |
Design & Build
| Water Resistance | IP68 |
| OS | iPadOS |
Value & Pricing
At $645 for a refurbished 1TB model, the value proposition is messy. You're getting incredible core performance and build quality for the money. But you're also paying for a terabyte of storage most users will never fill, while accepting a camera that's worse than many mid-range phones. If raw speed is your only metric, it's a steal. If you care about photos, it's a hard pass.
vs Competition
This puts the iPhone 15 Pro Max in a strange spot. The Google Pixel 10 will run circles around it in photography for likely a similar price. The Samsung Galaxy S25 FE offers a much more balanced package of good performance, a great screen, and a competent camera, often for less money. And if you're deep in the Apple ecosystem and just want the fastest phone, the base model iPhone 16e might be a smarter buy, saving you cash without sacrificing much of the core A17 Pro speed.
| Spec | Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max iPhone 15 Pro Max | Samsung Samsung Galaxy S26 SM-S948UZKAXAA | Google Google Pixel 10 GA09899-US | OnePlus OnePlus 15 5011116281 | Motorola Moto G PB6V0014US | Apple Unlocked iPhone 15/15 Plus MTLY3LL/A |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Screen Size | 6.7 | 6.9 | 6.3 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.1 |
| Display Type | — | OLED | OLED | OLED | AMOLED | OLED |
| Refresh Rate | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 120 | 60 |
| Processor | Apple A17 Pro | Snapdragon® 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy | 3.78 GHz | 8 Elite Gen 5 | Snapdragon® 6 Gen 3 Mobile Platform | A16 |
| RAM (GB) | 8 | 12 | 16 | — | 8 | — |
| Storage (GB) | 1024 | 256 | 256 | 512 | 1024 | 128 |
| Rear Camera Mp | — | 200 | 50 | 50 | 50 | 48 |
| Front Camera Mp | — | 12 | 42 | 32 | 32 | — |
| Battery Capacity Mah | 4441 | 5000 | 4870 | 7300 | 5000 | — |
| Charging Wattage | — | 60 | — | — | 68 | — |
| Wireless Charging | — | true | false | — | true | — |
| Five (g) | true | true | true | true | true | true |
| Water Resistance | IP68 | IP68 | IP68 | IP69 | IP68 | — |
| Operating System | iPadOS | Android 16 | Android 16 | Android 16 | Android 15 | iPadOS 17 |
Common Questions
Q: Is the camera really that bad?
Compared to other flagships, yes. It scores in the 37th percentile in our tests. In good light it's fine, but in low light or for zoom, it falls behind phones like the Pixel or Galaxy.
Q: Is the 1TB of storage necessary?
Not for 99% of people. Unless you're recording hours of 4K video every day, 256GB or 512GB is plenty. You're paying extra for space you won't use.
Q: How's the battery life for gaming?
Surprisingly solid. It scored 85.2 for gaming and 73.3 for battery life. You can game for a few hours and still have juice left for the rest of the day.
Who Should Skip This
If you're buying a phone primarily for photography, skip this immediately. The camera is this phone's Achilles' heel. Go get a Google Pixel 10 or a Samsung Galaxy S25 instead. Also, if you don't need insane processing power for mobile games or video editing, a cheaper phone will do everything you need just as well.
Verdict
We can only recommend the iPhone 15 Pro Max to a very specific user: someone who needs the absolute fastest mobile processor for gaming or pro apps, doesn't care about having a top-tier camera, and found this 1TB refurbished model at a deep discount. For everyone else—especially photo takers—the camera performance is a deal-breaker. Look at a Pixel, a Galaxy S-series, or a standard iPhone 15 instead.