Video Review: 72 Hours Using the iPhone 15 Pro Max

[bigjnyc]

Seems like a lackluster endorsement at best.

"It doesn't really get hot."
"The camera really is better."
"It's lighter and more comfortable to hold."

Ok.

I feel like this has been the case for every iPhone release since the X tbh. I'm going to use all my willpower to hold on to the 15PM until they release an all-screen iphone. Not sure how long that will be... knowing apple they will shrink the DI by 10% every year for the next 10 years.

 

[hghunter]

I think the reason for the heat complaints is they are using titanium rather than steel. Titanium has a thermal conductivity 50% higher than steel. This means the heat will move significantly quicker from the hot interior of the iphone 15 to the exterior than if it were steel. There is a reason they use titanium for applications where heat needs to be moved quickly (heat exchangers, car and truck exhausts).

 

[centauratlas]

Or more likely, most people aren't having any issues with their phones. I know mine has been perfect so far.

That's my experience too. The only time it was warm was the first day transferring everything from the old to new phone over hours. (15PM). As someone above guessed, perhaps there are some with battery issues or something else. I do wonder the %s.

Edit: and directly above me, @hghunter , good point!

 

[machopeful]

I have a Tesla Model 3 MY2021 and the Qi charger has always been very good charging my XR with bulky covers (Mous, QuadLock). Anyone else sharing Dan's terrible feedback on Tesla Qi chargers + newer models (with bulky cameras)? I use it a lot and it would be annoying to find out my new 15 Pro is bad at charging like that...

I have this issue. I have a 2021 M3P and my 15 Pro Max just doesn’t get any wireless charge when set on the pad. I’ve moved it around a lot and tried to adjust the height, but no success. This was never an issue with my 14 Pro.

 

[klasma]

That’s a misleading thumbnail if there ever was one.

 

[klasma]

knowing apple they will shrink the DI by 10% every year for the next 10 years.

…by which it will still be 35% of its original size, I just calculated.

 

[klasma]

I think the reason for the heat complaints is they are using titanium rather than steel. Titanium has a thermal conductivity 50% higher than steel. This means the heat will move significantly quicker from the hot interior of the iphone 15 to the exterior than if it were steel. There is a reason they use titanium for applications where heat needs to be moved quickly (heat exchangers, car and truck exhausts).

This wouldn’t explain why the back is heating up more, and why for some people iOS itself reports that the iPhone is running hot.

 

[Sami13496]

He wanted us to know that he has Tesla Model 3.

 

[Ludowing]

I have this issue. I have a 2021 M3P and my 15 Pro Max just doesn’t get any wireless charge when set on the pad. I’ve moved it around a lot and tried to adjust the height, but no success. This was never an issue with my 14 Pro.

Do you have the one with all USB-C ports (except for the TeslaDrive one in the glove box)? I know they redesigned that on mine because it was installed a couple of months after I received the car, so we might have different versions (mine is a Dec21 model). It's strange otherwise, looks more like a Tesla issue than the phone itself though.

 

[citysnaps]

..it makes picking up an iPhone 14 or iPhone 13 "downright uncomfortable".

downright uncomfortable? those are some strong words..and almost touting that older models are inferior which of course are not. Yea - seems like a marketing push to the newer 15 models..

I have no reason to believe that's true and that Dan B is simply offering an honest assessment after actually using the phone. Do you really believe otherwise?

I've been on the fence about updating my 14PM. I'm now closer to going for it.

 

[mecloud]

Moving from a 1TB 14 Pro Max to a 1TB 15 Pro Max, I find the 15 to be more of an improvement than I was really expecting.

1) my 15 is running significantly cooler than my 14 was, in all situations. Really noticeable during a lengthy phone call with the phone up to my ear.

2) Apple CarPlay now starts up near-immediately, where with the 14 there were sometimes delays in making the connection. It‘s possible that is more of an “ios17” change.

3) the camera is more of an improvement than I was expecting. I don’t know if this is a “lenses” thing or a “software processing” thing, but for the first time I’ve been able to make Portrait Mode shots of things like leaves and flowers with non-cartoonish results. I really like the new “leveling” function and the increased optical zoom capability.

4) battery seems to be running down less quickly on the 15. I’ve used AllTrails once with the new phone so far and it’s not hitting the battery as hard as I always saw with the 14.

There is one thing Apple is doing that may disappoint/annoy/enrage some users who were looking forward to the faster transfer speeds on the 15 Pro models: the Apple-branded 1 meter USB-C “charge cables” that the Apple Stores are selling for $20 are only rated for USB 2 speeds. The USB 2 speed *is* disclosed in teeny tiny print on a sticker on the side of the box. Also, some third-party high-speed USB-C cables have flanges that are too wide to fit through the hole in the “finewoven” cases, therefore making intermittent or no connectivity. I had to test a bunch of different cables at my local computer store to find some high-speed USB-C cables that do not require removing the case from the phone to make a good connection.

 

[mecloud]

He wanted us to know that he has Tesla Model 3.

I doubt it. In the Bay Area, at least, they are almost as common as Toyotas now.

 

[HarryWild]

IPhone 15 Pros get 🔥

 

[HarryWild]

I doubt it. In the Bay Area, at least, they are almost as common as Toyotas now.

Most Bay Area buyers own Chevy Bolts EVs! They dislike Musk and refuse to buy anything he touches or is associated with. Tesla started in Fremont, CA too. Fremont is around 40 miles from SF. X is located in downtown SF and Mayor Breed has been hounding X with weekly visit from SF building Inspections Department, SF Health Department, SF Police white collar crime inspectors. That is the way the country is now! Culture wars.

 

[currentinterest]

The reason I am getting one is for the spatial video recording so I can make videos for my day one purchase of the Apple Vision Pro.

 

[mecloud]

Most Bay Area buyers own Chevy Bolts EVs! They dislike Musk and refuse to buy anything he touches or is associated with. Tesla started in Fremont, CA too. Fremont is around 40 miles from SF. X is located in downtown SF and Mayor Breed has been hounding X with weekly visit from SF building Inspections Department, SF Health Department, SF Police white collar crime inspectors. That is the way the country is now! Culture wars.

I actually live in San Francisco, and there are WAYY more Teslas around here than Chevy Bolts. Very few normal people around here seem to care about Musk one way or the other, although people in apartments near the Twitter building were (rightfully) pissed off when a super bright flashing “X” sign was put on top of the building a couple months ago. Yes the local inspectors did their jobs after a lot of complaints and the sign was shut off. No “politics” just annoyance.

 

[lazyrighteye]

I have not yet seen any of the reported heat issues with my 15 Pro. Battery has been great. Performance also stellar under iOS 17. Action button is interesting. I definitely feel they will be evolving this to multi-click either via iOS update or iPhone 16 Pro.

I echo Dan's comment when he said "the new design is uh-mazing." I have been saying the same to friends/family. Prior to its release, there was no end to the claims that no one will notice the weight difference. That it wouldn't matter. That the move to Titanium was Apple marketing BS. Having used my 15 Pro for a few days now, and I can say that the lighter weight and softer edges are very noticeable - especially when compared to my 14 Pro. It's my fav aspect of the new device. It's such a refined kit.

 

[FattiesGoneWild]

I’ve had zero issues on my launch day Pro Max. Not sure why others do.

You don’t have to be Einstein to figure out why people do have issues. It’s a mass produced item and some are going to receive faulty units. Duh! 🙄

 

[jbachandouris]

You don’t have to be Einstein to figure out why people do have issues. It’s a mass produced item and some are going to receive faulty units. Duh! 🙄

Exactly. Just tired of the whiners calling everything a ‘date.’ They need to grow up. Sometimes stuff just happens.

 

[SamRyouji]

Well that made my old heart skip a beat or two!

View attachment 2283619

But alas!
Carry on as before…

Same! I thought that was a miracle made in Heaven we sorely need. But alas... 🥲
Kudos for macrumors team for making a truly attention grabbing thumbnail! 😍🤌💯

 

[CarAnalogy]

Seems like a lackluster endorsement at best.

"It doesn't really get hot."
"The camera really is better."
"It's lighter and more comfortable to hold."

Ok.

"5x is better than 3x."

Thanks for the insight. Now do the post again where you compare that same Galaxy S23 Ultra with the iPhone 15 Pro Max 5x camera please. Take a picture of that same building.

Not trying to be contrary but Apple chose to make zoom a big deal but it's just ridiculous compared to the Samsung phone. There are a lot of things about the iPhone that are better but zoom is not one of them. An odd thing to make such a focal point.

 

[citysnaps]

Moving from a 1TB 14 Pro Max to a 1TB 15 Pro Max, I find the 15 to be more of an improvement than I was really expecting.

1) my 15 is running significantly cooler than my 14 was, in all situations. Really noticeable during a lengthy phone call with the phone up to my ear.

2) Apple CarPlay now starts up near-immediately, where with the 14 there were sometimes delays in making the connection. It‘s possible that is more of an “ios17” change.

3) the camera is more of an improvement than I was expecting. I don’t know if this is a “lenses” thing or a “software processing” thing, but for the first time I’ve been able to make Portrait Mode shots of things like leaves and flowers with non-cartoonish results. I really like the new “leveling” function and the increased optical zoom capability.

4) battery seems to be running down less quickly on the 15. I’ve used AllTrails once with the new phone so far and it’s not hitting the battery as hard as I always saw with the 14.

There is one thing Apple is doing that may disappoint/annoy/enrage some users who were looking forward to the faster transfer speeds on the 15 Pro models: the Apple-branded 1 meter USB-C “charge cables” that the Apple Stores are selling for $20 are only rated for USB 2 speeds. The USB 2 speed *is* disclosed in teeny tiny print on a sticker on the side of the box. Also, some third-party high-speed USB-C cables have flanges that are too wide to fit through the hole in the “finewoven” cases, therefore making intermittent or no connectivity. I had to test a bunch of different cables at my local computer store to find some high-speed USB-C cables that do not require removing the case from the phone to make a good connection.

Thanks for your hands-on assessment up above - appreciate it.

Owning a 14PM I've been on the fence about upgrading to a 15PM. One thing that bugs me about my 14 is the weight. It's not a deal-killer, but it is annoying. Especially when making photographs, which I do all the time.

Dan Barbera and others say the reduction in weight, although small in number, is very noticeable and probably has something to do with how weight is distributed over the phone chassis. What's your opinion on that? Simply noticeable, or noticeable in a good or remarkable way - such as when making photographs or other phone activities?

Any other opinions, especially regarding the cameras and their improvements over the 14PM, would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[corinthos]

how did bro get a hold of a mini?

 

[richardpage]

USB-c cables that are Apple Original have a chip in them. The phone randomly checks this chip and if a non Apple cable is being used suddenly the phone no longer charges!

As to switching from my iPhone 13 Pro Max 1Tb to the equivalent iPhone 15 I'm hesitating (despite the fact that I get the VAT back as well as being able to claim Capital Allowance reduction by purchasing it as my company phone). A 24mp camera will chew up more storage space both on my phone and on my backup storage. The 12mp so far has been great. However, I do love the centred repositioning of the big red button when making phone calls!

 

[mtngoatjoe]

I love my iPhone 15 Pro Max. But I'm really impressed with how well my old iPhone XS Max compares (except for the camera; the new camera is WAY, WAY, WAY better).

The 15 is certainly faster, but the XS Max still hums along pretty good.

Anyway, I don't regret upgrading, but now I'm thinking I can get six years out of this iPhone.