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iPhone 15 Pro Max: One Year Review
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A smartphone that has all these features and apps, plus a super powerful chip and camera and it's somehow that statement is a bad thing? I can get 8-10 hours off my iPhone 15 pro max without having to recharge.
I often take my phone off the charge at like 6:55AM or 7:00AM EST. I can make it through work for 8 hours and still have enough battery to go out in evenings for social activities and still not have the battery die. I think that's impressive.
I have found the USB C connection to be flaky when trying to stream via the Apple HDMI adapter. If I can get the phone and cable at an optimum angle to relieve any mechanical strain I do not drop the video. Otherwise the signal may be interrupted and then I would have to reconnect, taking the cable in and out of the phone. I have also tested if this is caused by the HDMI adapter or signal strength. This does not happen with the Apple TV. I purchased the 15 because my previous HDMI Lightning adapter cable was fraying from use. Not wanting to buy another Lightning adapter I purchased the 15 and USB C adapter even though the iPhone was still serving my purpose. Other than that, very satisfied with the phone, battery, and display. But the USB C gives me pause.
My battery health is 96% although 80% charge isn’t enough to get through the day. My only complaint is that the screen scratches easier than my previous phones. I will skip the 16 most likely and just pay to get a new screen. I’m wondering if the Apple Watch Ultra 3 will be worth an update from the first one?
Same. I have a first gen Apple Watch Ultra and will consider upgrading to the Apple Watch Ultra 3 if it's worth it. But rumors say it won't be much different from the what we have.
I have the Pro Max as well and yeah, it’s just too big. I wish I had stuck with the 14 Pro and updated this year instead. Oh well.
Launch day 15PM 100% capacity.. 15PM replaced my iPhone X which I had for just shy of 6 years. This phone has been wonderful to use and has never given my a problem. As far as getting hot, only happened once on a 117 degree day in Phoenix when the phone was on a windshield mount, using Apple Maps, streaming music and charging. This triggered "this iPhone will continue charging when the temperature goes down" notification. I don't find that odd at all as my iPhone X has done the same thing under these exact circumstances. Furthermore, my girlfriends S24 Ultra did the exact same thing under the identical conditions. I don't think it's very hard to overheat any flagship device from any manufacturer under extreme conditions. When you have a powerful SoC in a confined space, put heavy loads on it and then add a high temperature environment the result is a hot device. It is wise for Apple to put more thermal control in their newer devices. I also don't believe the thermal limitations will be cured by implementing a better thermal design, it will help but doubtful it will disappear... I mitigated the issue by not using a windshield mount in the summer here in Phoenix so it was hardly a problem in my instance.
I have a launch day 15PM, and this has been the worst iPhone I have had to date. When not using a case my iPhone runs hot. I’ve had the dreaded message iPhone users receive when your iPhone overheats and needs to cool down a few times. I primarily use it at work to listen to music while working my delivery route. Once off, I switch to using Emmy mini 6. I have to charge before going to bed as my iPhone is around 30% by the time I get home between 6-8pm. I use a Mophie 45 watt charging brick with optimization charging enabled and rarely use my ESR 25w 3-in-1 charger stand with CryoBoost (cooling fan), and I charge with either a cable for Apple CarPlay, or I charge wireless when using the wireless Apple CarPlay adapter. I also have a Anker power bank that I rarely use. I’m holding onto my 15PM for another year and will have the battery replaced once it reaches 79%.
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iPhone 15 pro (not max) model Bought on Nov. 10th; battery is at 100% capacity with 164 cycles with 80% limit charging.
My battery stats were similar. First used in September and about 250 cycles, yet my max capacity is 94%. I am also running the developer beta of 18.1 and have run 18 since it was first made available to the public. Not sure what Dan does with his phone all day--I use wireless CarPlay too, and have had no issues.
I do not regret getting the pro max, but am hoping to upgrade to slim mini pro iPhone 🤞
It seems from this thread that the 80 percent charging limit really keeps the battery in great condition.
Considering that most humans with iPhones probably have a repeating cycle of daily activity including some time asleep which would be long enough to charge a phone to 80 or 100 percent, it's likely that Apple purposefully keeps the balance of battery life vs phone size vs phone weight to what will please most users most of the time over what Apple hopes is the lifetime of the product*. This would lead to a phone having "a full day without needing a charge" as the optimized result after one year of average use.
*I'm pretty sure they hope users replace their phones every two years LOL.
I did the same. What it works out for me is using the gadget only during work hours. It's a just a tool not my goddamn Tamagotchi.
My iphone 15, bought in December, still has 100% battery at 110 cycles. For my usage lasts a full day. I use a screen protector and finewoven case. The case has taken beating with multiple drops on cement but the screen protector has held up. Not surprised Dan has seen battery degradation as he used it heavily. Wired carplay imo, takes more of a toll than wireless carplay.
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
I use the default action button to silence, but had it setup to open the trunk on my Tesla for a little while.
Other than that, the iphone 15PM was a big step-up from my Xs Max.
If I had a working car play in my car I would have kept the 15 pro max. It was a great phone. Unfortunately it's cheaper to change phones than to change cars and getting the s24 ultra still brought me into the AI game even though I barely use it.