Comparing a phone to its predecessor is one way to quickly decide whether it is worth purchasing. To truly demonstrate if Apple made enough noteworthy changes to the greatest iPhone, or possibly to persuade customers to stay out and wait for the iPhone 16, an iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max comparison is required.
With the iPhone 15 Pro Max, many new features are available, including as a new Action button for custom commands, camera enhancements, a USB-C connector, a titanium alloy body, and the new A17 Pro CPU. These improvements all seem impressive on paper, but do they represent a significant improvement over the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s forerunner?
After all, outdoing the iPhone 14 Pro Max is a difficult task. The phone from last year has the finest performance we’ve seen from a smartphone (at least at the time), can take excellent photos, and lasts a long time on a charge. We have a much better sense of how our iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max comparison will pan out now that we have thoroughly tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: SPECS
Certainly, here’s the detailed specification comparison between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 14 Pro Max presented in a table format:
| Specification | iPhone 15 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $1,199 | $1,099 |
| Display | 6.7-inch OLED | 6.7-inch OLED |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz adaptive | 120Hz adaptive |
| CPU | A17 Pro | A16 Bionic |
| Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Rear Cameras | 48MP main/12MP ultrawide/12MP telephoto w/ 5x zoom | 48MP main/12MP ultrawide/12MP telephoto w/ 3x zoom |
| Front Camera | 12MP | 12MP |
| Battery | 4,852 mAh [rumored] | 4,323 mAh |
| Charging Port | USB-C | Lightning |
| Size | 6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches | 6.33 x 3.05 x 0.31 inches |
| Weight | 7.8 ounces | 8.5 ounces |
| Colors | Black, white, blue, gray | Purple, gold, silver, black |
This table provides a clear visual comparison of the key specifications of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 14 Pro Max, making it easier to understand the differences and improvements between the two models.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: PRICE AND AVAILABILITY
This time around, the price of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is higher since Apple increased the cost of its most expensive model. The iPhone 15 Pro Max costs $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max did at launch, with a starting price of $1,199. The iPhone 15 Pro Max does have double the capacity in its base model, which is a plus. In any case, the iPhone 14 Pro Max would have cost $1,199 if you wanted 256GB of storage.
Following Apple’s standard practice, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has been phased out of the official iPhone lineup. You might still find stock at third party retailers and carrier stores, though you should try to find a price below its original $1,099 asking price.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is available in four colors to highlight its new titanium alloy frame: natural titanium, blue titanium, white titanium, and black titanium. Meanwhile, the iPhone 14 Pro Max came in deep purple, gold, silver, and space black.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: DESIGN
Apple’s iPhone lineup offers cutting-edge technology and innovation with each new release. In this detailed comparison, we delve into the differences between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and its predecessor, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, to help you determine whether the upgrade is worth it. The iPhone 15 Pro Max introduces several notable enhancements, including a customizable Action button, camera improvements, USB-C connectivity, a titanium alloy frame, and the powerful A17 Pro processor. Let’s explore these changes and how they impact the overall user experience.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a redesigned, lightweight titanium alloy frame, replacing the stainless steel frame in the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This change results in a more comfortable and ergonomic feel when holding the phone. Another significant alteration is the replacement of the traditional mute switch with an Action button. This programmable button provides users with additional functionality and can be customized for various tasks, enhancing the phone’s utility. Furthermore, the switch from the Lightning port to USB-C enhances data transfer speeds, offering up to 10 Gbps, a substantial improvement over its predecessor.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: DISPLAY
Given that they both have 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR displays with refresh rates up to 120Hz, it’s practically impossible to tell the two screens apart from one another. They appear fantastic, with vibrant colors, superb black levels, and excellent viewing angles. All of these characteristics are typical of OLED-based screens, but our investigation reveals something unique.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max has a display that is a little bit thicker to start. The iPhone 15 Pro Max isn’t too far behind at 1,550 nits, but it does achieve a peak brightness level of 1,565 nits. Although we usually prefer the newer model’s superior results, both of them come close to Apple’s claimed 1,600 nits. We couldn’t find a single display in real-world situations.
| Row 0 – Cell 0 | iPhone 15 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Ma |
| Max brightness (HDR) | 1,550 nits | 1,565 nits |
| sRGB | 119% | 118% |
| DCI-P3 | 84.5% | 83.2% |
| Delta-E (lower is better) | 0.14 | 0.26 |
The only other quality that sticks out between them is slightly thinner bezels around the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s screen. It’s thinner than the iPhone 14 Pro Max upon closer inspection, but we wouldn’t go far to say it adds any meaningful improvement to the display. The Dynamic Island is present on both iPhones, so notifications and mini players are better disguised than with iPhones that don’t have it.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: CAMERAS
The new triple camera system on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the most notable upgrade among all those made by Apple. The iPhone 15 Pro Max now has a 5x telephoto zoom camera, up from the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 3x magnification, making it this year’s entry a minor advance in the telephoto zoom duel.
With the use of what Apple refers to as a tetraprism design, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can simulate the 120mm focal length that pro photographers use for distant scenes. Additionally, Apple’s telephoto lens arrangement has a combination optical image stabilization and autofocus 3D sensor-shift module.
In the end, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s telephoto lens offers a 5x optical zoom that can be increased all the way to a stunning 25x digital zoom, which is an improvement over the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s 15x magnification. With more digital zooms, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is able to go closer to subjects while still providing higher definition and clarity.
The new 5x telephoto zoom camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max may be getting all the attention, but the other two cameras on the new phone’s rear shouldn’t be overlooked. The same 48MP main camera and 12MP ultrawide camera as in the iPhone 14 Pro Max are once more included.
Certainly, here’s the information you provided about the camera upgrades on the iPhone 15 Pro Max compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max in a table format:
Camera Upgrades on iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max:
| Camera Feature | iPhone 15 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Telephoto Zoom | 5x optical, up to 25x digital zoom | 3x optical, up to 15x digital zoom |
| Focal Length Simulation | Tetraprism design | N/A |
| Optical Image Stabilization | Yes | Yes |
| Autofocus 3D Sensor-Shift Module | Yes | Yes |
| Main Camera | 48MP | 48MP |
| Ultrawide Camera | 12MP | 12MP |
| Camera Improvements in iPhone 15 Pro Max | Details |
|---|---|
| Telephoto Zoom | Upgraded from 3x optical zoom in the iPhone 14 Pro Max to 5x optical zoom in the iPhone 15 Pro Max. |
| Tetraprism Design | Utilizes a tetraprism design to simulate a 120mm focal length for capturing long-range subjects. |
| Image Stabilization and Autofocus | Combines optical image stabilization with a 3D sensor-shift module for precise focus and stability. |
| Digital Zoom Capability | Achieves a remarkable 25x digital zoom, enhancing the ability to capture distant subjects. |
| Other Cameras | Retains the 48MP main camera and 12MP ultrawide camera from the iPhone 14 Pro Max. |
| Video Enhancements | Offers digital zoom up to 3x with Cinematic mode and supports exporting ProRes footage via USB-C. |
| Log Encoding Support | Provides support for Log encoding, granting video editors greater control over color grading. |
These camera improvements enhance the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s capabilities for both photography and videography, delivering superior zoom, video features, and creative control for content creators.
These camera upgrades emphasize the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s enhanced zoom capabilities and the incorporation of advanced features to improve image stabilization and autofocus. The phone retains the same main and ultrawide cameras as its predecessor, providing a well-rounded photography experience.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: PERFORMANCE
Here’s the benchmark comparison of the A16 Bionic chip in the iPhone 14 Pro Max and the new A17 Pro chip in the iPhone 15 Pro Max:
| Benchmark | iPhone 14 Pro Max | iPhone 15 Pro Max |
|---|---|---|
| Geekbench (Single-Core/Multi-Core) | 1,882 / 5,333 | 2,783 / 6,945 |
| 3DMark Wild Life Unlimited | 74 fps / 1,2366 | 92 fps / 15,399 |
| Adobe Premiere Rush (Video Editing) | 30 seconds | 24.5 seconds |
The benchmark scores clearly show that the iPhone 15 Pro Max, powered by the A17 Pro chip, outperforms the iPhone 14 Pro Max with the A16 Bionic chip in both CPU and graphics performance. This means faster processing, smoother graphics, and quicker video rendering on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, although for everyday tasks, users may not notice a significant difference. Still, these scores give the iPhone 15 Pro Max the edge in performance.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: BATTERY LIFE AND CHARGING
Here’s a comparison of the battery life between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max:
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: Lasted 14 hours and 2 minutes in Tom’s Guide’s battery benchmark test.
- iPhone 14 Pro Max: Lasted 13 hours and 39 minutes in the same test.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max demonstrates improved battery life compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, lasting nearly 23 minutes longer. This boost in endurance can be attributed to the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s larger 3,274 mAh battery, whereas the iPhone 14 Pro Max is equipped with a 3,200 mAh battery. While it might not be a substantial increase, it still showcases the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s better power efficiency and longer-lasting battery. Apple didn’t officially claim improved battery life for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but the results are in favor of the newer model.
One of the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s underwhelming qualities is that its new USB-C port doesn’t change the fact that it’s still just as slow to charge as the iPhone 14 Pro Max before it. In our testing, the new phone reached charge levels of 20% and 41% respectively after 15 and 30 minutes of charging. Last year’s iPhone 14 Pro Max got up to 21% and 42% respectively with the same amount of time.
IPHONE 15 PRO MAX VS IPHONE 14 PRO MAX: VERDICT
The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s $100 price increase over the iPhone 14 Pro Max is accompanied by several compelling upgrades, making it a worthwhile investment. Here are the key improvements that justify the higher cost:
- Increased Base Storage: The iPhone 15 Pro Max starts with a generous 256GB of storage, double that of the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This acknowledges the growing need for more storage as users capture an increasing amount of content. With more storage, users can worry less about running out of space on their phone.
- USB-C Port: The switch from Lightning to USB-C is a significant improvement, offering faster data transfer speeds of up to 10 Gbps, a 20x improvement over the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s Lightning port. This change enhances the device’s versatility and usability.
- Action Button: The addition of the programmable Action button provides an extra layer of utility. Users can customize this button to perform various functions, such as launching the camera or flashlight, improving the device’s usability and convenience.
- Titanium Alloy Frame: The iPhone 15 Pro Max features a titanium alloy frame that is not only durable but also noticeably lighter than the stainless steel band used in the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This lighter build enhances the phone’s comfort and ergonomics.
- Improved Telephoto Camera: The iPhone 15 Pro Max boasts a 5x telephoto zoom camera, offering better magnification compared to the 3x zoom in the iPhone 14 Pro Max. This enhancement provides users with greater flexibility in capturing distant subjects with higher clarity and definition.
Overall, these improvements collectively establish the iPhone 15 Pro Max as the superior device in this comparison. While the higher price may not be welcomed by all, the device’s enhanced features and capabilities justify the additional cost, offering users a better overall smartphone experience.