My iPhone 13 felt plenty fast. Biggest performance upgrade to me is the extra ram. I always have tons of apps open and when I switch on the new 15PM everything is just there, no reloading.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
iPhone 15 Pro Max Early Adopters - Surprises or Issues
- Thread starter jcp007
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Have you tried re-enabling background refresh to see if the issue persists? It's been a week so maybe whatever processes were causing your device to get warm are done?
I’ve been doing a lot of individual experimenting.
The more apps I turn off BAR, the better the situation seems to be, but overall the 15 Pro does seem to be warmer on average than my 14 Pro. I’m going to attribute that to the titanium frame (mostly use my phone caseless) and probably those rumored internal changes.
That being said, I don’t describe it as “overheating”, or even an abnormal problem. It is overall a bit warmer, but still within my expectations.
So far, the only scenarios I’ve found where my phone gets hotter than expected (when compared to my 14 Pro):
- despite better battery life, certain games like Pokémon Go are getting warmer than expected
- Certain websites
- YouTube video playback in the YouTube app
The only scenario where my phone genuinely got too hot to touch was when attempting to record ProRes. It got much hotter much faster than my 14 Pro.
Have you tried going to the Apple Store and getting them to check it out? Depending on what they find, you might get a new one. What made you choose the Pro vs Pro Max?
One surprise stood out to me during the transfer from my old phone to my new one, and it really isn't "early adopter" related or anything like that. It was just the mere fact that going from one phone to the other is SO MUCH EASIER every year and this year felt like another leap in that regard. After I hit the option to connect my new phone to my number, I was actually able to watch in real time as cell service shut off on my old one and activated on the new one.
I didn't even believe what I was seeing so I made a phone call and it was actually activated. This is the first time in YEARS that I haven't had to call Verizon to activate because of some SIM card issue or network congestion or whatever else. I think it's because I went from eSim to eSim, but I really loved the simplicity and speed.
I didn't even believe what I was seeing so I made a phone call and it was actually activated. This is the first time in YEARS that I haven't had to call Verizon to activate because of some SIM card issue or network congestion or whatever else. I think it's because I went from eSim to eSim, but I really loved the simplicity and speed.
This year switching from one eSIM to another from Verizon was surprisingly easy as well for me. Like you I watched as the service from my 14PM cut off until my 15PM was activated. Last year it took almost 4 hours before I had service on my 14PM.
I would say I'm surprised at how much of an absolute chonker the 15PM is. I upgraded to the larger 15PM from the smaller 12, so the increase in size and weight feels almost "Zack Morris phone" proportions to me. Especially with a case. Still, I'm happy to have the large battery and big screen. And definitely happy that it's lighter than the stainless steel Pro Max versions.
You'll be surprised how quickly you adapt. Soon all smaller phones will seem tiny to you.
I eventually will. It’s not a big enough problem for me to have any concerns. It’s very rarely gotten what I’d genuinely call “hot” and so did my 14 Pro. The Apple Store is an hour and a half away and I don’t feel like arguing to convince AppleCare to mail me a replacement I might have to wait on anyways. I’ll be down that way in November/December which might also equal newer units that could have a better chance. Unless I start getting an actual overheating warning or it does feel too hot to touch, I can live with it. It’s the best iPhone I’ve owned otherwise.
As for the Pro Max, I just don’t like phones that big. Personally, the X-11 Pro 5.8” was the perfect sweet spot for me. I already get more than enough battery life for my requirements in the Pro, and while I would love the 5x telephoto, I do most of my shooting in 1x or 2x anyways, so I can survive another year.
I'm the opposite. I love the screen real estate. If I have trouble reaching something, I can pull down the screen. Having a large battery especially while traveling is a comfort. Don't have to carry an iPad. The Pro Max will always get the best features. Next year, the 16 Ultra could get TB4 connector and an even better telephoto camera and battery.