Skip to content

Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

By Apple · Smartphones · Phones & Computers · More from Apple

  • 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED display
  • 2796x1290 resolution at 460 ppi
  • A17 Pro chip (6-core CPU, 6-core GPU)
  • 48MP main + 12MP ultra-wide + 12MP 5x telephoto cameras
  • Titanium design with Ceramic Shield front

Price not listed

Stores are listed in a fixed order, never by price or commission. Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

A 2023 flagship with a titanium frame (221 g), A17 Pro chip, 48MP main camera plus an exclusive 5x telephoto, USB-C with USB 3, and Apple-claimed 29-hour video playback. Battery life and durability test well, but launch-time overheating and battery-health degradation are recurring owner concerns, so weigh those before buying a used unit.

Strengths

  • Class-leading battery life confirmed by multiple independent testers.
  • 5x tetraprism telephoto exclusive to the Pro Max, judged more useful than the Pro’s 3x.
  • Titanium body at 221 g, lighter and more comfortable than the 14 Pro Max.
  • Excellent durability in Consumer Reports testing (100 drops, 110 lbs bending).
  • Long software support: at least five years of guaranteed iOS updates.

Weaknesses

  • Launch-time overheating complaints, partly attributed to an iOS 17 bug.
  • Battery-health degradation reports: 89% after one year and after three years.
  • Charging speed did not improve over the prior generation; full charge about 2 hours wired.
  • No charger or USB 3 cable in the box; USB 3 requires a separate cable.
  • eSIM-only in the US, which matters for carrier switching and travel.
  • Action button triggers only one action at a time.

Verified specifications

ModeliPhone 15 Pro Max (US models A2848/A2849).
Display6.7-inch (6.69-inch rectangular) Super Retina XDR OLED, 2796x1290 at 460 ppi, ProMotion adaptive refresh up to 120Hz, Always-On, Dynamic Island.
Brightness1000 nits max typical; 1600 nits peak HDR; 2000 nits peak outdoor.
ChipA17 Pro (3 nm), 6-core CPU (2 performance + 4 efficiency), 6-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine.
RAM/storage8GB RAM; 256GB/512GB/1TB NVMe.
Rear cameras48MP main 24mm f/1.78 with sensor-shift OIS; 12MP ultra-wide 13mm f/2.2, 120-degree field of view; 12MP 2x telephoto 48mm (quad-pixel); 12MP 5x telephoto 120mm f/2.8 tetraprism with 3D sensor-shift OIS; 10x optical zoom range; digital zoom up to 25x.
Front camera12MP TrueDepth, f/1.9, Face ID.
Video4K at 24/25/30/60 fps, Dolby Vision up to 4K60, ProRes up to 4K60 with external recording, Log, Cinematic mode, spatial video 1080p30.
Battery (Apple claims)up to 29h video playback, 25h streamed video, 95h audio playback. Capacity 4,422 mAh per regulatory listings cited by Tom’s Guide and PhoneArena; GSMArena lists 4,441 mAh.
ChargingUSB-C with USB 3 up to 10Gb/s (USB 3 cable sold separately); up to 50% in around 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher (adapter not included); Macworld measured 50% in 35 minutes for the Pro Max with a 20W adapter; MagSafe/Qi2 up to 15W, Qi up to 7.5W.
Wireless5G sub-6 + mmWave, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, second-gen UWB, Thread, NFC.
DurabilityIP68 — 6 meters up to 30 minutes under IEC 60529.
In the boxiPhone, 1m USB-C cable, documentation. No power adapter or EarPods.
Softwarelaunched with iOS 17; support up to iOS 27 listed; Apple Intelligence available as an iOS 18 update.
Dimensions159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25 mm; 221 g (7.81 oz). Grade-5 titanium frame, Ceramic Shield front, textured matte glass back.
FinishesBlack Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium. Capacities: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB (no 128GB). US models are eSIM-only: no physical SIM tray; dual eSIM with eight or more eSIMs stored.
Battery longevityApple revised its claim to 80% capacity at 1,000 complete charge cycles (from 500 at launch). Back-glass repair costs $199 for the Pro Max.
Full research notes and sources

Battery and durability

Tom’s Guide measured 14h02m of continuous web browsing at 150 nits, up from 13h39m on the 14 Pro Max, and called it the longest-endurance major flagship tested. PhoneArena measured 19h20m web browsing, 9h45m video, full charge 2h01m wired / 2h36m wireless, 53% in 30 min wired / 29% wireless. PCMag measured 20h15m as tested. Consumer Reports measured 52 hours, among the longest it tested. Consumer Reports rated overall durability excellent: scratch resistance excellent, tumble test excellent after 50 and 100 drops, rain and water-intrusion tests passed; the titanium frame survived 110 lbs of bending pressure. This contrasted with viral 2023 videos claiming the phone cracked easily.

Heat and battery health

At launch (September 2023) widespread owner complaints described the phone as too hot to hold during charging, gaming or video calls; Apple attributed it in part to an iOS 17 bug. WSJ measured up to 112 degrees F when charging during processor-intensive tasks; thermal imaging after benchmarks showed 44.2 C surface / 46.2 C back. Later coverage says the issue was largely stamped out, but Apple Community threads from 2025 still report overheating and battery drain on iOS 18/18.3.2/18.4, with one user at 90% battery health after 309 cycles. A 2026 owner thread lists heating as the only gripe. Battery-health degradation reports include 89% after one year and 89% after three years with 3–4 hours of screen-on time. These are anecdotal signals, not defect rates. No dedicated RTINGS or Wirecutter review of this model was found.

Is it worth it?

Launch MSRP was $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), $1,599 (1TB). PCMag lists verified refurbished units from $857. Retailer snippets (point-in-time, not live prices) include Walmart carrier-unlocked at $605.29, Verizon at $1,199.99, Visible 512GB at $1,399, GameStop at $659.99 and HSN pre-owned at $899.99. Battery replacement at Apple is reported by an owner at $99; back-glass repair is $199. At $650 or less it is strong value for a premium 2023 flagship with class-leading battery, 5x zoom and multi-year software support, accepting the heat and battery-health caveats. $651–$850 is good value on the used/refurbished market; $851–$1,000 is fair; $1,001–$1,199 is weak for a new-in-box unit at or near original MSRP; above $1,199 is poor value for this model specifically. The value case rests on battery endurance, camera versatility and software longevity, not on charging speed, which did not improve over the prior generation.

Which model this is

This page covers the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, the 6.7-inch 2023 Pro Max model (US models A2848/A2849), introduced September 2023. It is distinguished from the iPhone 15 Pro (6.1-inch, 3x telephoto) by its larger display and exclusive 5x (120 mm) tetraprism telephoto camera. Do not confuse it with the iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Plus, or later Pro Max revisions (16/17/18 Pro Max). Finishes: Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, Natural Titanium. The Amazon listing used as the identity seed is ASIN B0CMZD7VCV.

Sources

Manufacturer:

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Buying guides for this category

Compare with

Related products