iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: the key differences

Apple has now debuted the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max, with all four phones ranking among the best iPhones ever made.

But how do Apple's latest handsets compare with one another? The vanilla iPhone 15 is essentially an iPhone 14 Pro dressed up in shiny new clothes, and we’ve already examined the iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 14 Pro in a separate article. 

In this piece, then, we pit the iPhone 15 Pro against the iPhone 15 Pro Max, comparing both phones’ prices, specs, and features, along with what we found in our iPhone 15 Pro review and our iPhone 15 Pro Max review.

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: specs comparison

Before we get to a detailed comparison of these two phones, here's a brief overview of their key specs, so you can see how they compare at a glance.

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: price and availability

The iPhone 15 line was officially unveiled on September 12, 2023, before going on sale over a week later on September 22, so the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are both out now and widely available.

In terms of price, the iPhone 15 Pro starts at $999 / £999 / AU$1,849 for 128GB of storage, rising to $1,099 / £1,099 / AU$2,049 for 256GB, $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,399 for 512GB, and $1,499 / £1,499 / AU$2,749 for 1TB.

As for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, that starts at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,199 for 256GB of storage, rising to $1,399.99 / £1,399 / AU$2,549 for 512GB, and $1,599.99 / £1,599 / AU$2,899 for 1TB.

So in other words the iPhone 15 Pro Max's starting price is $200 / £200 / AU$350 more than the iPhone 15 Pro's, but you're also getting twice as much storage with the iPhone 15 Pro Max in their starting capacities.

The 256GB iPhone 15 Pro is only $100 / £100 / AU$150 less than the 256GB iPhone 15 Pro Max, and that difference remains the same for the 512GB and 1TB models too.

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: design and display

When it comes to the phones’ respective designs, the pair differ in size and weight only, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max being larger and heavier than the iPhone 15 Pro.

Specifically the iPhone 15 Pro is 146.6 x 70.6 x 8.3mm, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max is 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.3mm, and the latter phone is 221g while the iPhone 15 Pro is 187g.

Otherwise, both devices share in the design improvements over the iPhone 14 Pro, with titanium sides rather than the stainless steel of their predecessors.

Both devices also have slightly rounded edges, an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance, a USB-C port, and a new customizable Action button.

We're fans of this design, noting in our iPhone 15 Pro Max review that "the combination of a titanium body and new smoother curves is an aesthetic and ergonomic win."

On the display front, the size is again the only differentiator between the two phones. The iPhone 15 Pro sticks with the iPhone 14 Pro’s excellent 6.1-inch Super Retina XDR OLED screen, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max follows suit with its Pro Max predecessor’s 6.7-inch equivalent.

Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max boast adaptive 1-120Hz refresh rate technology (dubbed ProMotion) that automatically adjusts the smoothness of their displays to suit whatever’s happening on-screen, and also allows for an always-on display. Oh, and both phones of course stick with Apple’s Dynamic Island.

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: cameras

Given that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max differ in size only when it comes to their respective displays and designs, you might be wondering why anyone without a particular interest in big phones would bother to upgrade to the latter device. Well, that’s where the two phones’ cameras come in.

In essence, the iPhone 15 Pro Max represents Apple’s attempt at producing the best camera phone money can buy, with the new device boasting a more advanced telephoto lens than the iPhone 15 Pro.

But let’s start with the iPhone 15 Pro, which has a 48MP f/1.8 main sensor, a 12MP f/2.2 ultra-wide camera, and a 12MP f/2.8 telephoto snapper, capable of 3x optical zoom, as well as a 12MP f/1.9 camera on the front.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max, on the other hand, has the same cameras other than its telephoto one, which is a 12MP f/2.8 periscope camera offering 5x optical zoom. So if long-distance zoom is something that's important to you, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the phone to choose.

In our review, Lance Ulanoff concluded of the iPhone 15 Pro Max's setup that "this is the best collection of cameras I have ever used on an iPhone." But the iPhone 15 Pro is only a little behind, with our review saying that "sure, there's no 5x optical zoom, but that doesn't stop the cameras that are present from being powerful and excellent."

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: performance

When it comes to performance, both the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max use the latest version of Apple’s silicon – the A17 Pro.

This chipset offers 10% better CPU performance than its predecessor and 20% better GPU performance, so it's a significant albeit not monumental upgrade.

Both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max also have 8GB of RAM, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max have 6GB RAM. 

So in other words, there's nothing to choose between the latest two Pro iPhones when it comes to power and performance.

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: battery

Typically bigger phones also have larger batteries, and that's the case here, with the iPhone 15 Pro having a 3,274mAh battery, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a larger 4,441mAh one.

That also results in longer life for the Pro Max, with Apple claiming that this phone can last for up to 29 hours when watching videos, while the iPhone 15 Pro can only last for up to 23 hours.

In practice, our reviews found that the iPhone 15 Pro should comfortably last a day, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max will likely last beyond a day, but is unlikely to stretch to two days.

Both phones charge via USB-C though, which is a change from the Lightning port Apple had included on previous models. Both phones also offer the same charging power (officially 20W), and include wireless charging.

iPhone 15 Pro vs iPhone 15 Pro Max: verdict

The question of whether you should upgrade to the iPhone 15 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max really comes down to what screen size you want, how important a 5x optical zoom camera is to you, and how much you value the best possible battery life.

Ultimately, these two phones are similar, but with its longer distance zoom the iPhone 15 Pro Max is arguably better for photography (though it's worse for 3x zoom). It also has better battery life (though the iPhone 15 Pro's is still respectable), and a bigger screen (which might be a good or a bad point, depending on your preferences).

Otherwise, these phones are basically identical, and for the iPhone 15 Pro Max you'll have to pay more, albeit not drastically so for an equivalent amount of storage.

There's no doubt ultimately that the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the best overall iPhone, but with its lower price and similar specs, the iPhone 15 Pro is arguably the best for most people.