2023-10-06 20:21:15
It’s been two weeks since the new iPhones were available, and a week since we were able to get our hands on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. We might as well get straight to the point: it’s one of the flagship smartphones of the end of the year.
Tuesday September 12. During a keynote that the whole world and especially tech fans were waiting for, Apple lifted the veil on the much-desired iPhone 15. A conference which will mark the end of twelve months of speculation and rumors about Apple’s new smartphones, which even made us think that an iPhone 15 Ultra would be released.
This will ultimately not happen, Apple sticking to the line-up started last year, namely an iPhone 15, an iPhone 15 Plus, an iPhone 15 Pro and an iPhone 15 Pro Max, the subject of this test. An Apple enthusiast for years, your faithful servant rushed to order the iPhone 15 Pro Max on the opening day of pre-orders. A small unforeseen event delaying the placing of the order will ultimately force us to wait a week longer than the first buyers. We will therefore receive our iPhone 15 Pro Max on September 29.
Going from an iPhone 13 Pro Max to the fifteenth generation is quite disturbing. In the meantime, Apple introduced a Dynamic Island to replace the ugly notch, completely revolutionizing interaction with iOS and the different apps. Titanium is also a major asset, since it is much lighter and stronger than stainless steel, an important detail on a smartphone with a screen measuring 6.7″.
Visually, this new iPhone 15 Pro Max is very pretty, with a high-quality screen, even in broad daylight. © FE
The first handling is excellent. After a very rapid unboxing, Apple having moved to minimalist packaging, this new vintage 2023 iPhone leaves us with a very good first impression. It is indeed lighter than its predecessors. We go from 240g to 221g. This may be a small detail for you, but the contrast is striking once you hold the iPhone. Titanium, for its part, looks great, even if it is quite sensitive to fingerprints. However, is this really important when we know that an overwhelming majority of users have a case?
From USB-C which will divide
The other surprising point is therefore this USB-C port, unknown to the majority of long-time iPhone users. Apple has made the choice, or rather was forced by the European Union, to switch to a single charger with its new iPhones. Charging, but also wired data transfer, passes through this new port. The days when we struggled to find a cable to charge our iPhone are over, and that’s a good thing. However, for those who have always only bought iPhones, this forced switch to USB-C will have a significant cost. Either he will have to buy all new USB-C accessories and cables, or he will have to purchase Lightning to USB-C adapters sold by Apple… for €35. Just one can still do, but if we need several, the bill will be steep.
In the box, Apple already “offers” a USB-C cable. Capable of reaching transfer speeds of 10GB/s, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is sold with a low-end USB 2.0 cable, which is limited to 480MB/s. What’s even more bizarre is that Apple doesn’t even sell a 10GB/s USB 3.2 Gen 2 cable. Fast charging is still not there either, the iPhone 15 Pro Max requiring more than 1h30 to reach 100%.
Titanium is very pleasant in the hand, and provides a lot of lightness. © FE
Once turned on, the immense 6.7″ screen of the iPhone Pro Max dazzles our eyes. If there are no differences compared to the iPhone 14 Pro Max, those compared to the 13 Pro Max are numerous. The resolution goes from 2,778 x 1,284 pixels for 458 ppi to a resolution of 2,796 x 1,290 pixels at 460 ppi. It’s not huge, it’s a noticeable difference made possible by the narrowing of the screen edges. Peak brightness in HDR increases from 1,200 nits to 1,600 nits, and outdoors to 2,000 nits. Last but not least, the Dynamic Island is an absolute success in comparison to the old notch. The OLED screen is just magnificent.
8GB of RAM and a chip worthy of a PC
Among the notable new features of this version of the iPhone, we will therefore note the A17 Pro chip, also equipping the iPhone 15 Pro. The GPU finally goes to 6 cores, compared to 5 previously, and we end up with a smartphone with 8GB of RAM. This is clearly a plus on a phone sold for almost €1,500, which is finally measured against the most efficient PCs. It’s quite simple, the A17 Pro chip would even be more efficient than the M1 chip in certain Macs.
And in practice, the result is stunning. All of the applications offered by Apple on the App Store run without any problem or slowdown of any kind on the iPhone. And what about games? Apple placed a particular focus on gaming during its conference, and we feel that the company wants to make its smartphone a portable gaming console. Resident Evil, Assassin’s Creed and others are due to arrive on iPhone shortly, and it is rumored that the 15 Pro Max will run them smoothly, with high quality graphics. In the meantime, titles like NBA 2K24 run flawlessly, without stutters or bugs.
The heaviest games run smoothly on the iPhone 15 Pro Max thanks to the A17 Pro chip. © FE
iOS 17 is also enhanced by the performance of this new chip. Apple’s flagship operating system runs flawlessly on the iPhone 15 Pro. Apps can be opened and closed as we wish, without fear of the slightest heat, or almost.
Indeed, it is difficult to have missed this scandal which broke out shortly after the launch of the new iPhone 15. Titanium, which will considerably lighten the iPhone, is also a material which conducts heat very easily. Some users have had the unfortunate surprise of seeing their iPhone heat up several additional degrees, sometimes no longer knowing how to hold it in their hand. A problem which cannot be blamed on the chip or the battery but, according to Apple, on a software error. If the first days of use generally cause the device to heat up, it is on the OS side that Apple seems to have found a solution.
A photo module that works wonders
From year to year, Apple improves the camera of its iPhones. The particularity of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is that it is the only one to have a lens capable of achieving an optical zoom of x5. The iPhone 15 Pro can only reach 3x. A feat which is not really a feat, since you have to look at the side of the periscope lens. Samsung has been using it for years, Apple has finally taken the plunge and thus allows the iPhone’s photo block to be seriously upgraded.
24mm main lens, photo taken in 9MP. © FE 120mm periscopic lens, photo taken in 9MP. © FE
The arrival of this periscopic camera is so important on the iPhone 15 Pro, since it is the real novelty of this year. Alongside the 48MP main sensor (f/1.78 = 24mm) and the 13MP ultra-wide-angle sensor (f/2.2 = 13mm), Apple brings a 12MP tetraprism (or periscopic) module (f2.8 = 120mm).
120mm periscopic lens, photo taken at night in 12MP. © FE 120mm periscopic lens, photo taken in low light in 9MP. © FE 120mm periscopic lens, photo taken at night in 8MP. © FE
The periscope lens works real wonders. Its aperture allows you to take quality photos in low light, while in normal brightness, the periscopic lens of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is, undoubtedly, one of the most efficient on the market. The x5 optical zoom is therefore of high quality, allowing you to obtain ultra usable photos without too much grain. You can obviously go up to a x25 zoom, which will be digital and much less qualitative.
On the battery side, Apple announces that it has made few improvements, promising the same 29 hours of video playback as on the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Yes, but there is a but, the engraving finesse of the SoC, going from 4nm to 3nm, allows the iPhone to be more energy efficient. And over a day, it feels quite good. When the iPhone is 100% charged, it is largely capable of exceeding 24 hours of battery life, or even reaching thirty hours. That’s huge for a smartphone, putting the iPhone 15 Pro Max among the most durable smartphones in the world. It seems a long way from the time when Apple struggled to offer autonomy worthy of the name on its iPhones.
What is the price?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has been available for sale since September 22. Stocks are scarce at the start of marketing, but it is sold from €1,479. The price is therefore unchanged compared to last year, which is a very good effort made by Apple, which even offers an increase in the internal storage of the device at no additional cost, going from simple to double (from 128GB at 256GB). The 512GB version goes up to €1,729, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB remains below the fateful €2,000 mark, since it sold for €1,979. Finally, there are four different colors, namely natural titanium, blue titanium, white titanium and black titanium.
The +:
The periscope lens works wonders The switch to the USB-C port A quality screen A basic storage of 256GB A long battery life far exceeding the day of use Titanium, which provides a lot of lightness A chip which clearly has it in the belly Only model compatible with WiFi 6E
THE – :
A very expensive Lightning adapter The switch to the USB-C port Fast charging which always points to absent subscribers A USB-C cable supplied at only 480MB/s A titanium which tends to heat up
So, are we cracking?
Clearly, the iPhone 15 range is one of the most successful ever created by Apple. The four models stand out as a must-have at the end of the year, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max is, undoubtedly, one of the best high-end smartphones of the moment. The new periscope lens technology finally offers the ability to have a high quality market at the moment. The notable arrival of USB-C is also an important point, although we should not neglect the fact that an iPhone user for years will have to adapt with the new cables, which has a cost certain. Aside from that, the arrival of 256GB of basic storage without having to add an extra cent is also appreciable, especially when we know that photos, videos and games are increasingly heavy. In short, we really liked the iPhone 15 Pro Max, especially by abandoning an iPhone 13 Pro Max for this new model.
Data sheet: Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Screen
6.7″
2796×1290 pixels
120Hz
OLED
Processor
A17 Pro
6-core CPU
8 Go RAM
Battery
4.422 mAh
Connectivity
5G
WiFi 6E
Bluetooth 5.3
NFC
Front camera
12MP f1.9
4K 60FPS stabilized video
Camera
Main sensor 48MP f1.78
12MP f2.8 telephoto sensor
Capteur ultra grand-angle 12MP f2.2
4K 60FPS stabilized video
Storage
256 Go
Charge
USB-C
25W wired charging
Charge MagSafe 15W
Charge sans-fil 7,5W
Operating system
iOS 17
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