iPhone 15 Pro vs. 15 Pro Max Buyer's Guide: 10 Differences Compared

Apple recently unveiled the iPhone 15 Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max as the successors to the iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max, featuring a new titanium design, an Action button, a USB-C port, the A17 Pro chip, and more. As Apple's premium flagship offerings, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max are the most fully-featured iPhones available.

iPhone 15 Pro vs 15 Pro Max Buyers Guide Alt
The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro starts at $999 and the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max starts at $1,199. For the Pro Max model, this is a $100 price increase over last year's model, but there is also no longer a 128GB storage configuration available for this device, meaning that it is effectively only a price hike if you normally buy this model.

Both phones have the same OLED Super Retina XDR always-on display with ProMotion and the Dynamic Island, the A17 Pro chip, 5G connectivity, a "Pro" rear camera setup, and are available in the same color options. Although the two phones share the vast majority of features, there are ten important differences between the devices. Our guide highlights the crucial differences between the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, and helps to answer the question of how to decide which of these two iPhone models is best for you.

‌iPhone 15‌ Pro ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max
6.1-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2532-by-1170-pixel resolution 6.7-inch OLED Super Retina XDR display with 2778-by-1284-pixel resolution
12-megapixel Telephoto camera with ƒ/2.8 aperture 12-megapixel Telephoto camera with ƒ/2.8 aperture and larger sensor
Telephoto camera with second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization Telephoto camera with folded tetraprism design and autofocus 3D sensor-shift module
0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x optical zoom 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 5x optical zoom
23-hour battery life (during video playback) 29-hour battery life (during video playback)
5.77-inch (146.6mm) height 6.29-inch (159.9mm) height
2.78-inch (70.6mm) width 3.02-inch (76.7mm) width
6.60-ounce (187 grams) weight 7.81-ounce (221 grams) weight
128GB, 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB storage
$999 (128GB), $1,099 (256GB), $1,299 (512GB), or $1,499 (1TB) $1,199 (256GB), $1,399 (512GB), or $1,599 (1TB)

Just like some previous ‌iPhone‌ models offered in two sizes, such as the ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro and iPhone 12 Pro Max, there is a major additional camera feature to be gained with the larger model. This year, that's 5x telephoto optical zoom, which is ideal for sports or wildlife photography since it can get even closer to a subject.

iPhone 15 Pro Max provides the longest optical zoom ever on iPhone: 5x at 120mm. Great for close-ups, wildlife photos, and catching the action from further distances, the new Telephoto camera on iPhone 15 Pro Max has an innovative tetraprism design with a combined optical image stabilization and autofocus 3D sensor-shift module, Apple's most advanced stabilization system yet.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro has a maximum optical zoom of 3x and lacks the hardware enhancements of the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max's telephoto camera. The Main and Ultra Wide cameras, are, however, identical between the two devices.

The ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max represents the most you can get out of an ‌iPhone‌ with the best possible battery life, but that does not necessarily translate into a worthwhile purchase for all users. Some users may prefer a 3x optical zoom over a 5x optical zoom, in which case the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro is a better choice. Ultimately, the alternative photography capabilities of the devices come down to this single difference. If you are more likely to use your new ‌iPhone‌ to take portrait photos, the 3x telephoto of the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro is a better choice, while the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max is unrivalled for sports and wildlife photography where you are looking to shoot subjects that are much farther away.

Combined with longer battery life and a larger display, the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max differs from the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro relatively significantly. The added $200 in price for the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max seems fair for its additional display area, battery life, storage, and camera technology but it is important to weigh up these factors in your personal use case. This shrinks to a $100 price difference if you normally buy a 256GB model.

iphone 15 pro gray
If you normally purchase a 128GB ‌iPhone‌ "Pro Max" model, it may be time to look at the smaller model this year, since getting the larger model will necessitate spending $100 more than usual and getting 256GB of storage, which you may not use up. On the other hand, if you always purchase an ‌iPhone‌ with 256GB of storage, you may be more inclined to buy the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max.

Likewise, a larger, heavier 6.7-inch ‌iPhone‌ is not for everyone. Some may find the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max's size excessive or uncomfortably large to hold, while others will love the larger display for consuming media. Screen size is ultimately a matter of personal preference, and since the ‌‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max share most of their other features, it comes down to individual taste.

The most important decision point when choosing between the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max is undoubtedly screen size, but comfort, pocketability, weight, battery life, and camera technology are also important considerations that will depend based on your personal needs and preferences. If you are hesitant about the size and weight of the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max, it may be better to stick with the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro, but it otherwise unlikely to disappoint, especially if price is not an issue.

Popular Stories

2024 iPhone Boxes Feature

Apple Changes Trade-In Values for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and More

Thursday January 16, 2025 6:45 am PST by
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website. Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50. We have outlined some examples below: Device New Value Old Value iPhone 15 Pro Max Up to $630 U ...
Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Leak Reveals All-New Design

Friday January 17, 2025 2:42 pm PST by
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app. Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
Generic iOS 18

Everything New in iOS 18.3 Beta 3

Thursday January 16, 2025 12:39 pm PST by
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features. Notification Summary Changes Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines. For...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Wednesday January 15, 2025 7:16 am PST by
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device. Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
2024 App Store Awards

Apple Explains Why It Removed TikTok From the App Store in the U.S.

Sunday January 19, 2025 6:58 am PST by
Apple on late Saturday removed TikTok from the App Store in the U.S., and it has now explained why it was required to take this action. Last year, the U.S. passed a law that required Chinese company ByteDance to divest its ownership of TikTok due to potential national security risks, or else the platform would be banned. That law went into effect today, and companies like Apple and Google...
iPhone 17 Pro Dual Tone Horizontal Single Feature

iPhone 17 Rumored to Feature Major Thermal Design Upgrade

Friday January 17, 2025 4:33 am PST by
The iPhone 17 lineup will feature a vapor chamber heatsink to improve thermal performance, according to a new report. The news comes from Chinese tech news site MyDrivers, which claims that the entire iPhone 17 lineup, consisting of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, will adopt the improved thermal heat spreader. Vapor chamber technology is already used...
iPad Pro vs iPhone 17 Air Feature

Here's How Thin the iPhone 17 Air Might Be

Friday January 17, 2025 3:38 pm PST by
For the last several months, we've been hearing rumors about a redesigned version of the iPhone 17 that Apple might call the iPhone 17 "Air," or something along those lines. It's going to replace the iPhone 17 Plus as Apple's fourth iPhone option, and it will be offered alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. We know the iPhone 17 Air is going to be super slim, but...
HomePod mini and Apple TV

Apple Expected to Launch 20+ Products This Year: Here's the Full List

Friday January 17, 2025 5:30 am PST by
2025 promises to be quite a big year for Apple, with the company rumored to be planning more than 20 product announcements this year. Apple's rumored smart home hub will be its second all-new product to launch in as many years, following the Apple Vision Pro headset last year. And of course, we will get several new iPhone and Apple Watch models, like every year. Beyond that, Apple could...

Top Rated Comments

BradWI Avatar
18 months ago
Being able to access the entire screen one-handed on the Pro outweighs any of the Max advantages for me.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Zeddi92 Avatar
18 months ago

We all know that the zoom range up to 2x uses the main camera lens, shot at 48 MP then "binned" to 24 MP to create the image.

What happens in higher focal lengths between 2x and 5x? Is it shooting with telephoto lens at 48 MP then "binned" to lower megapixel to create the image? Or is the telephoto lens capable of optically zooming to those focal length? Or is it a combination digital interpolation with the main lens and telephoto lens?
Since the iPhones have no moving part you can guess the answer. But you dont have to guess, there are already reviews online. The iPhone 15 Pro Max shoots everything between 1x an 5x fl with the main camera and digital zoom. That makes images with eg 3x fl way better with a Pro than with a Pro Max. On the other hand the Pro Max starts to shine onwards the 5x fl, as even the digital zoom is way crisper for a 10x fl. In the end it matters what you personally prefer.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jonnysods Avatar
18 months ago
The value of the 256gb Pro is challenging when compared to the base Max specs. I’m coming from a 13 mini and don’t want a phone that big, but I didn’t really think through the value proposition. Now I’m a little indecisive!
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mac-ajs Avatar
18 months ago
10 "important differences" that amount to size and camera
I'm sorry MacRumors but this article has clickbait written all over it. It's preposterous to count screen size AND then height, width and weight as separate factors. Battery life is a function of size. Price is a function of size. Three different camera specs == camera difference. 10 == two (you forgot to mention that you are counting in binary)
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Mitsjke Avatar
18 months ago
Don’t forget that you have to choose between 3x or 5x optical zoom.

There is no 3x optical zoom on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

So if you find yourself needing 3x more often than 5x you better take the normal 15 Pro.

Because then you get native optical zoom. With the Pro Max you get the same digital zoom as the digital 15x in the current pro’s.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Love-hate ? relationship Avatar
18 months ago

Being able to access the entire screen one-handed on the Pro outweighs any of the Max advantages for me.
Honestly even with the pro it's quite hard. 5.9" would be neat ;)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)