Yes same with my 15 Pro. It was the only phone i would even consider to replace my 13 Mini as daily driver.
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: One Year Review
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
You say, “so there's a lot to gain coming from an iPhone 14 or earlier.”
I have a iPhone 14 and totally disagree there is nothing worth upgrading to even the new iPhone 16 is just not worth it.
Maybe the iPhone 17 or even more so the iPhone 18 will be prob the better upgrade for iPhone 14 users to upgrade to.
Saying a action button is worth a upgrade is just laughable
I have a iPhone 14 and totally disagree there is nothing worth upgrading to even the new iPhone 16 is just not worth it.
Maybe the iPhone 17 or even more so the iPhone 18 will be prob the better upgrade for iPhone 14 users to upgrade to.
Saying a action button is worth a upgrade is just laughable
119 - I use it frequently and put it on charge overnight - but tend to use the iPad Pro (or MacBook) more often
Damn. How is battery life so bad after just a year? I’m using a 13 Mini which has awful battery life but the phone is tiny in comparison. I was actually thinking about switching to a bigger phone when the new batch is released because battery life has become top priority for me. How is it not getting through a day? What are you doing with it?
This quote from the article is depressing: ‘the battery can still last for a full day without needing a charge.’ This is made to sound like a good thing! In 2024 we should be expecting a lot more surely?
I’ve got a 12 pro max. Until they do something significant about the battery life I won’t be upgrading.
I’ve got a 12 pro max. Until they do something significant about the battery life I won’t be upgrading.
I really like my 15 Pro.
Only have it 1 1/2 months but I’m enjoying it.
The screen is beautiful with decent brightness.
Performance is superb.
Camera is really good even if it’s not the best. Video quality is awesome, and perhaps the best of all phones out there.
The battery is ok. I can’t use the 80% limit because it won’t get through the day.
Many people forget that if you use the 80% limits you only have 60%, because if you are that serious, you shouldn’t go under 20.
So therefore you only have 60%.
I don’t care about this. I’m using it and charge it to 100 and I’m enjoying it😊
Only have it 1 1/2 months but I’m enjoying it.
The screen is beautiful with decent brightness.
Performance is superb.
Camera is really good even if it’s not the best. Video quality is awesome, and perhaps the best of all phones out there.
The battery is ok. I can’t use the 80% limit because it won’t get through the day.
Many people forget that if you use the 80% limits you only have 60%, because if you are that serious, you shouldn’t go under 20.
So therefore you only have 60%.
I don’t care about this. I’m using it and charge it to 100 and I’m enjoying it😊
If you work at a desk job and likes the smaller form factor, you don’t get a larger phone. You get a second charger.
Thanks for this. Can you give some examples of the things android can do now? I, too, feel somewhat constrained by iOS.
It's annoying isn't it, but iOS is great, but it always feels like it's held back. A few of my favourite things on Android are really simple ones, like a number row and adjustable size keyboard, multitasking, or pinning apps into 'bubbles', think Chatheads for Facebook messenger.
Notifications are also better, and there is a history if you've accidentally removed them. I like how apps stay open in the background, dropbox can keep uploading, Google photos syncs forever basically without me having to leave it on the screen and worry when my phone locks it'll stop doing anything. And that's in my control, if I wanted to change it, I could! Unlike iOS. There is so much freedom in moving icons and changing labels and stuff, I'm boring with mine but it's cool to do. There is a clipboard, that actually remembers things, not just one thing but multiple things for more than 5 minutes 🤣
There are things iOS does better though, including tap to top, single tap to wake and the wallpapers feature where I select pets and it always changes to my random old pet pictures. I appreciate on Android I could download 100 of my own pictures, but thats a lot of effort and not as much of a surprise
Upgraded from iPhone 12 Pro to 15 Pro on launch.
Loved the refined form factor with the slightly rounded edges, smaller bezels and going to 120 Hz was a big improvement for me. I used my phone without a case and there is almost no visible damage to the phone chassis, which is something I consider a great improvement as I don’t like using cases but the iPhone 12s glossy steel frame was not nearly as scratch resistant so it forced me to have a case on. Also the action button was more useful than i initially thought. So far so unsurprising.
Here is my maybe somewhat controversial take: The camera overall wasn’t the improvement I was looking for. I loved the look of my iPhone 12‘s 2 x optical zoom (52 mm) telephoto lens. Without going into too much detail, for me, that focal length produced pictures with a very unique look, almost as if they weren’t taken on a smartphone. This lens is just gone, it was replaced by a 3x telelens. While I love the 3x lens too, I miss the optical 2x zoom that’s supposed to be replaced by the digital zoom from the 1 x lens that does double the resolution (48 MP). The reality for me is, that this simply isn’t the case. The 1x digital zoom cannot replace the 2x optical zoom, you notice that it’s basically a cropped 1 x image at lower resolution. Also colors and exposure are inferior in the „digital 2x“-mode. The 1x camera also doesn’t take 48 MP pictures as soon as conditions aren’t perfect or as you zoom in. In sum the iPhone 15 pro camera to me feels like taking two steps forward and one step back.
Loved the refined form factor with the slightly rounded edges, smaller bezels and going to 120 Hz was a big improvement for me. I used my phone without a case and there is almost no visible damage to the phone chassis, which is something I consider a great improvement as I don’t like using cases but the iPhone 12s glossy steel frame was not nearly as scratch resistant so it forced me to have a case on. Also the action button was more useful than i initially thought. So far so unsurprising.
Here is my maybe somewhat controversial take: The camera overall wasn’t the improvement I was looking for. I loved the look of my iPhone 12‘s 2 x optical zoom (52 mm) telephoto lens. Without going into too much detail, for me, that focal length produced pictures with a very unique look, almost as if they weren’t taken on a smartphone. This lens is just gone, it was replaced by a 3x telelens. While I love the 3x lens too, I miss the optical 2x zoom that’s supposed to be replaced by the digital zoom from the 1 x lens that does double the resolution (48 MP). The reality for me is, that this simply isn’t the case. The 1x digital zoom cannot replace the 2x optical zoom, you notice that it’s basically a cropped 1 x image at lower resolution. Also colors and exposure are inferior in the „digital 2x“-mode. The 1x camera also doesn’t take 48 MP pictures as soon as conditions aren’t perfect or as you zoom in. In sum the iPhone 15 pro camera to me feels like taking two steps forward and one step back.
It's been almost a year since the iPhone 15 models were released, so MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera decided to do a one-year check-in review on the iPhone 15 Pro Max to see how it's performed over the last 12 months.
Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos.
Unsurprisingly, Dan has seen some iPhone battery degradation, and it's dropped to 89 percent. That's with regular CarPlay usage, running betas, and standard day-to-day use. Even at 89 percent, the battery can still last for a full day without needing a charge.
As for the titanium chassis, it's held up well. There are a few nicks due to minor drops, but the display has seen a lot more damage with several scratches, some of which are deep.
The transition to USB-C has been a little tough just because there are still people with Lightning iPhones. If someone wants to borrow your charger, you may not have the right cable if you've switched to USB-C and they're still on Lightning.
Dan uses the Action Button for opening up the Camera app, but there's so much more that the Action Button can do in iOS 18, and it's going to get a lot more useful in the future. You can set Control Center controls to the Action Button, and developers can make new controls for apps that you can use.
There's not too much to say about the triple-lens camera setup, which is great. The 5x zoom lens is excellent for taking portrait pictures of people, and it's been a solid improvement. Otherwise, the cameras are fantastic with a lot of focal length versatility thanks to the new zoom option.
Overall, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has held up well, and if you have one (or a Pro), there's no real need to upgrade to the iPhone 16 models. The A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro is incredibly fast and there's no way most people are even reaching the limits of its capabilities at this time, and Apple isn't adding too much more than an extra Capture Button and a slightly larger display in 2024. You can already use Apple Intelligence if you have an iPhone 15 Pro model, so there's not a lot to get out of a year-over-year upgrade.
If you have an older iPhone, it's worth looking at the iPhone 16 models, or even an iPhone 15 Pro when prices drop and they're discontinued. All of the iPhone 16 models will have a chip compatible with Apple Intelligence, a Capture Button, and an Action Button, so there's a lot to gain coming from an iPhone 14 or earlier.
How has your iPhone 15 held up if you have one? Let us know in the comments below.
Article Link: iPhone 15 Pro Max: One Year Review
It’s not a problem using the 80% limit since topping up once a day still doesn’t degrade it as much if one charged it to a full 100% . Not unless one doesn’t have access to a charger. Then I can understand.
Bought a few weeks after the launching date, battery at 99% after 170 cycles (always used the 80% limit option).
Still in pristine condition I’m overall very satisfied.
The only negative point is that, coming from the 11 Pro Max I was expecting a tremendous improvement in performances, which wasn’t the case for me.
Still in pristine condition I’m overall very satisfied.
The only negative point is that, coming from the 11 Pro Max I was expecting a tremendous improvement in performances, which wasn’t the case for me.
I learnt the hard way that you have to use screen protectors on the iPhones or you will get mysterious hair line scratches on the screens.
What worries me more is the number of people who have heat and dimming experiences… that’s poor. Have none of that with the 13 Pro series. Hopefully resolved with the 16Pro but will be hard to tell from initial gushing reviews I guess.
What worries me more is the number of people who have heat and dimming experiences… that’s poor. Have none of that with the 13 Pro series. Hopefully resolved with the 16Pro but will be hard to tell from initial gushing reviews I guess.
It's extremely hard on a Lithium Ion battery to charge it to 100% and it will hurt total capacity over time. You'll see that EVs have the same option and are actually recommended to only charge to 80% (sometimes 90%) unless going for an extended drive. I decided to experiment with it this time since Apple gives the option. Even at 80% charge, I don't use the full battery by the end of the day, so why not?
Really like my 15 Pro Max. Bought it at launch and still have 100% with 167 cycles. Have it always on max 80% charge (exception to 100% when I anticipate a day without an outlet nearby), set an automation to go into low power mode when reaching 50% and almost every battery sucking setting is off. Side button is set to launching video. Running the public beta at the moment.
Mine was also bought on release day and it is still 100%, I charge it using the USB-C port of my work computer, never use Wireless Charging and never use it while charging.
