Apple event brought significant news for the iPhone 15 Pro, particularly in terms of design, as the iPhone’s casing now boasts grade 5 titanium. However, the internal upgrades are equally impressive. Notably, Apple has provided a compelling reason to invest in the Pro Max beyond its size and battery life.
The largest iPhone in the lineup will feature an extended optical zoom compared to the standard iPhone Pro 15. This enhancement positions it to compete favorably with the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, addressing a previous gap in its capabilities. While comprehensive testing is necessary, it appears highly likely that the Pro Max will earn a spot among our top choices for the best camera phones.
It might come as a surprise to some that both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max haven’t seen a bump in megapixels, maintaining a 48MP camera akin to last year’s 14 Pro. However, the camera has undergone improvements with the introduction of a larger quad-pixel sensor, enabling high resolution across a broader range of focal lengths. Both models are equipped with the equivalent of 7 lenses, delivering high-resolution images at 24mm, 28mm, and 35mm. Additionally, there’s an option to customize the default lens, and the phone now supports capturing 48MP HEIF and Apple Raw images.
The most significant alteration lies in Apple leveraging the increased size of the iPhone 15 Pro Max to introduce a 12MP 5x optical zoom, which is equivalent to 120mm. While this doesn’t quite measure up to the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 10x zoom, it does boast a wider f2.8 aperture, a notable improvement over the Galaxy’s f4.5. When combined with Apple’s 2x crop factor, they assert that it essentially provides a 10x optical zoom. While it’s not an identical comparison, the results will be intriguing to observe.
It’s important to highlight that the zoom is now fixed, meaning there’s no longer a 3x optical zoom option on the Pro Max, which some users might miss (the iPhone 15 Pro retains the 3x zoom with an f2.8 aperture, providing a 77mm focal length). However, a 5x optical zoom can offer more practicality compared to 10x, effectively addressing a gap in the iPhone camera’s functionalities. When you factor in other camera features, such as macro capabilities on the ultrawide lens for both models, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has the potential to emerge as the leading camera phone in the market.
Beyond the zoom capabilities, what truly stands out in both the iPhone 15 Pro camera and the 15 Pro Max is the potential for an impressive level of detail and lifelike color rendition achievable in Night Mode. Moreover, there are notable enhancements in dynamic range, as well as refined focus and depth control for portrait shots (refer to the images above). Additionally, a nanoscale coating has been introduced to reduce lens flare, addressing an issue that has been a concern for some users.
A noteworthy and belated change is the adoption of USB-C, a feature whose absence had deterred me from considering an iPhone in the past. With all of these improvements combined, I find myself not only enticed away from the Galaxy Ultra but also contemplating the Pro Max, a phone that previously seemed of little interest to me.
iPhone 15 Pro specs
Regarding the design, both the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max now feature a fresh grade 5 titanium casing, adorned with a brushed texture finish, available in four distinct colors: black, white, blue, and natural. Among the new additions are a customizable action button, offering the convenience of quickly launching various functions, and a novel full-screen standby mode activated when the phone is placed in a horizontal orientation. Powering these devices is the A17 Pro chip, built on a cutting-edge 3-nanometer architecture, boasting a new 6-core CPU and a 6-core pro-class GPU that Apple claims can deliver up to a 20 percent increase in performance.
