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Tdevilsg

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jan 23, 2021
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Hi, I picked up the 15 Pro two weeks ago from Verizon. I really do like it a lot, but am wondering if the 15 Pro Max would have been the better choice for me.

Has anybody exchanged in either direction? What were your thoughts?
 
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I feel like it’s pretty simple, you have a one handed phone and a two handed phone. If you use your phone one handed most of the time I would stay with pro unless you have very large hands. If you use the phone 2 handed most of the time then no reason not to have the larger screen and better battery life. I’m a one handed user so never owned a plus or a max size phone more than a week.
 
I often change my mind so I get both and switch depending on what I’m doing / the season.
 
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I feel like it’s pretty simple, you have a one handed phone and a two handed phone. If you use your phone one handed most of the time I would stay with pro unless you have very large hands. If you use the phone 2 handed most of the time then no reason not to have the larger screen and better battery life. I’m a one handed user so never owned a plus or a max size phone more than a week.
you need more than a week, a pro with a case can become a 2 handed phone anyway
 
The regular iPhone 15 Pro I could have picked up all week without doing any pre-order. People who are doing a pre-order are getting it later basically.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max however, that one is impossible to pick it up without pre-ordering. I was only able to pick it up once, but it was in the wrong colour and storage. So I decided not to do it.

So take this information how you will. To me it sounds that people in general prefer the iPhone 15 Pro Max over the regular iPhone 15 Pro.
 
I feel like it’s pretty simple, you have a one handed phone and a two handed phone. If you use your phone one handed most of the time I would stay with pro unless you have very large hands. If you use the phone 2 handed most of the time then no reason not to have the larger screen and better battery life. I’m a one handed user so never owned a plus or a max size phone more than a week.
I guess though when is it considered one handed vs two? I may scroll and look at content with one hand, but all of my typing is with two.
 
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If you need more battery / bigger screen/ 5x zoom-PM

If you need better portability / easier to use in hand - Pro

For me, I don’t care too much about the battery as I’m able to make it through the day with ease with my 15Pro with my use factor. Even if I didn’t, I’m never far from a charger and these things charge up fast. If I’m going to an all day festival or something and I’m worried about the battery I have a MagSafe charger that I can slap on the back that adds minimal bulk.

I prefer the portability/pocketability and ease of use with the Pro. I can augment the battery of the Pro if needed but can’t make the PM less bulky/cumbersome (for me) and I don’t care about the 3x vs 5x zoom differences.

Others prefer bigger screen/battery.

I’d be happy with something in the middle which is rumored to be coming in the iPhone 16.
 
Ohhhh I feel you, especially this year with the reduced weight.

I have a Pro and constantly find myself asking my friend who’s got the PM if I can hold it to check it out. The moment you look at pictures on this gorgeous screen I want the pro max. But then when I hold my phone I love how easy to reach everything is. The battery is fine on the pro, I’m pleasantly surprised.

For me the PM is actually also good to handle with one hand, AS LONG AS YOU DONT PUT A CASE ON IT. When you put it in a case it becomes huge.

I think I’ll stick with the pro and swap it next year for when they make it 0.2” bigger, I feel that will be the perfect compromise for folks like us and Apple knows it.
 
You can't base your decision of what phone to buy based on what other people have...

What type of phone do you need, a phone with a big screen or a phone with a small screen?
 
Hi, I picked up the 15 Pro two weeks ago from Verizon. I really do like it a lot, but am wondering if the 15 Pro Max would have been the better choice for me.

Has anybody exchanged in either direction? What were your thoughts?
Because you have provided absolutely no context as to what your requirements are, the best pick is the Pro (non-max). It’s usable by everyone.
 
You can't base your decision of what phone to buy based on what other people have...

What type of phone do you need, a phone with a big screen or a phone with a small screen?
I've usually just done the Pro for the portability. I liked the lighter weight. I thought the 13 Pro was like a brick despite it being a great phone.

I know the Pro Max in the past have been too heavy. But this titanium version sounds like its somewhat fixed that issue.
 
I've usually just done the Pro for the portability. I liked the lighter weight. I thought the 13 Pro was like a brick despite it being a great phone.

I know the Pro Max in the past have been too heavy. But this titanium version sounds like its somewhat fixed that issue.
It’s lighter than past Max models but definitely not light. I tried the 15 PM for about 10 days before deciding it did not offer enough to make me want to deal with its size. I just returned it yesterday and got a 15 Pro.

If you enjoy the lighter weight and portability of the Pro, why are you thinking you made a mistake not going with the Max?
 
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Last year I began with a 14 Pro Max and months later sold it and went with the Pro.

Reason being was the 14 Pro Max was heavy. I use my pinky to hold the bottom, and it would be uncomfortable to use. The 14 Pro was much more manageable, but I did feel the difference in battery life.

I went back and forth on which version of the 15 Pro models. The lighter titanium, smaller footprint, and rounded edges swayed me to try the Max again. I’ve found the Max much more comfortable to use than the 14 Pro Max, happy to have the battery life and larger screen back. Those little changes made enough of a difference.
 
Because you have provided absolutely no context as to what your requirements are, the best pick is the Pro (non-max). It’s usable by everyone.
Sorry, my use case is pretty standard. Media consumption for four or so hours daily. Mostly YouTube and safari stuff. Texting throughout the day. Lots of photographs of up close with family. That's the gist of it. I have an iPad mini that I use mostly for a baby monitor and reading.
 
Last year I began with a 14 Pro Max and months later sold it and went with the Pro.

Reason being was the 14 Pro Max was heavy. I use my pinky to hold the bottom, and it would be uncomfortable to use. The 14 Pro was much more manageable, but I did feel the difference in battery life.

I went back and forth on which version of the 15 Pro models. The lighter titanium, smaller footprint, and rounded edges swayed me to try the Max again. I’ve found the Max much more comfortable to use than the 14 Pro Max, happy to have the battery life and larger screen back. Those little changes made enough of a difference.
How does the 14 pro compare to the 15 pro max?
 
Sorry, my use case is pretty standard. Media consumption for four or so hours daily. Mostly YouTube and safari stuff. Texting throughout the day. Lots of photographs of up close with family. That's the gist of it. I have an iPad mini that I use mostly for a baby monitor and reading.
OK, with such heavy usage the Pro Max could have real benefits to you. So the question then becomes how tall/big you are and how big the phone feels in your hands and in your pocket. It’s worth experimenting with.
 
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OK, with such heavy usage the Pro Max could have real benefits to you. So the question then becomes how tall/big you are and how big the phone feels in your hands and in your pocket. It’s worth experimenting with.
I tried out the pro max at the apple store and because of the weight distribution it was lighter than I expected. Kind of felt like a smaller version of the iPad mini which is thin. I'm average size.
 
I tried out the pro max at the apple store and because of the weight distribution it was lighter than I expected. Kind of felt like a smaller version of the iPad mini which is thin. I'm average size.
I would say take advantage of the generous return policies and try the Max then. The differences between the two are designed to be just large enough to be noticeable and not big enough to make either decision completely wrong for most people. This is why deciding between the two can be difficult.
 
It's entirely based on your needs. If you need a bigger screen, get the PM. Otherwise there is not much difference between the two except battery life and the 5x zoom.
 
This question has always had the same answer. If you like a bigger phone, get the Pro Max. Both iPhones are almost identical apart from the battery and a 5x zoom option on the pro max and that isn’t essential.
 
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