The iPhone 15 is still a few months away, and if rumors are to be believed, the Pro Max will be the phone that will rule them all, with even more exclusive features than ever before. With iPhone 14, Apple separated iPhone Pro models from non-Pro models with better cameras, a faster processor, and more advanced display features, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly further widen the gap with high-end features that aren’t even on the iPhone 15 Pro. Here’s what we expect from the new phone:
iPhone 15 Pro Max release date
The only thing we’re absolutely sure of? The iPhone 15 Pro Max will arrive this fall, likely in mid-September along with the rest of the iPhone 15 phones. There may be a longer delay before going on sale as we heard rumors that chip maker TSMC is having issues with chip production. But as we’ve seen in the past, it won’t be delayed more than a couple of weeks. For example, the iPhone 14 Plus and iPhone 12 Pro Max arrived three weeks later than the other models.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: price
While the iPhone 14 Pro Max has cost the same $1,099 for the past four years, there are rumors that the 2023 version will lead to higher prices. Several reports have claimed that the iPhone 15 Pro Max will cost at least $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max and possibly as high as $1299, with storage options bringing it up to $2000.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: name
Early iPhone 15 rumors suggested that Apple would follow the Apple Watch and rebrand its high-end iPhone as the iPhone 15 Ultra. However, recent rumors say that Apple has pushed this to the iPhone 16 and the iPhone 15 will keep its Pro Max name.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Design
According to the leaked renders, the iPhone 15 Pro Max shouldn’t look much different from the rest of the iPhone 15 lineup. Judging by the renders, all four models will be redesigned somewhat, with slightly curved edges and thinner bezels around the display. But there will still be a few design elements that set the iPhone 15 Pro Max apart from the rest of the lineup.
First of all, it will reportedly have a titanium frame instead of stainless steel. There have been rumors for years that Apple is working on an iPhone that uses a material other than stainless steel or aluminum, and after the Apple Watch Ultra, it makes sense for Apple to move to lightweight titanium. Like the Apple Watch Ultra, it’s possible that Apple will offer the iPhone 15 Pro Max in a “raw” color to show off the new finish.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is also expected to be thicker than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, making it one of the bulkiest iPhones ever. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is rumored to be 8.25mm thick compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 7.85mm, which will also allow Apple to reduce the camera bump. However, the overall dimensions of the phone are expected to be slightly smaller than those of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, giving the phone a sleeker and more compact look.
The buttons are reportedly changing as well. The most recent rumors say that Apple will return to a volume rocker rather than separate buttons, and the mute switch will become an action button, although reports of a switch to solid-state buttons with special tactile mechanisms have apparently been delayed until iPhone 16.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly be thicker but also slimmer than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: display
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has had a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display since the days of the iPhone 12 and this is not expected to change with the release of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It will also continue to feature Dynamic Island, ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, Always On, True Tone, and 2,000 nits peak outdoor brightness.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: processor and specifications
Like the iPhone 14 Pro models, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to feature the latest Apple A17 processor, which will be built using the 3nm process for the first time. Apple has been using the 5nm process since the A14 was introduced in 2020. The A17 will be built using the same architecture as the upcoming M3 chip for Mac, which is expected to provide significant speed and power efficiency gains.
The A17 chip will be the first in the world to be built using the 3nm process, which should offer significant speed and power efficiency improvements.
Foundry
The other big change for the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the expected move to USB-C. USB-C will not only allow users to use the same cable to charge their iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but should also improve data transfer speeds. Lightning is currently capped at 480Mbps, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s USB-C port will reportedly support Thunderbolt at transfer rates up to 40Gbps.
In addition, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will almost certainly get Wi-Fi 6E, which has already been introduced on the iPad Pro, Mac mini and MacBook Pro, as well as possibly an increase in storage to 256 GB on the lower tier and 2 TB on the upper tier.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max will most likely have a periscope zoom lens.
Foundry
iPhone 15 Pro Max Camera
While the iPhone 14 Pro Max brought an impressive upgrade from its 12MP main camera to 48MP, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly go even further. Literally – the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to get a new periscope zoom lens that will reportedly boost optical zoom from 3x to 6x or 10x, while digital zoom will likely reach 30x or 50x. multiples with incredible clarity.
The wide and ultra-wide cameras will likely be the same 48MP and 12MP respectively, but Apple will no doubt improve processing and add a few new camera tricks. There are also rumors that a more efficient LiDAR scanner supplied by Sony is being used.