Intro
Two years ago, if you wanted a big-screen iPhone, your only choice was to get a Pro Max. Then last year, Apple decided to resurrect the Plus moniker and slap it on a 6.7-incher to offer people more choice and fill the gaping hole left after the company scrapped the iPhone mini.
Fast forward to 2023, and we have the next iteration of the Plus ready to challenge the Pro Max for the heavyweight belt. Today we're going to pit against each other the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Plus.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 15 Plus:
- Pro Max has a 6.7-inch ProMotion screen, and Plus has a 6.7-inch 60Hz one
- Pro Max gets the A17 Pro chip, while Plus will have to rely on the A16
- Pro Max comes with 8GB of RAM, Plus will ship with 6GB
- Similar-sized batteries on both
- 15 Pro Max has a 5X zoom lens, while 15 Plus only gets wide and ultrawide
- Both get pill-shaped selfie camera cutouts with Dynamic Island
- 15 Pro Max gets the new Action Button, while the Plus stays with the Mute Switch
- Both get USB-C port
Table of Contents:
Read more:
iPhone 15 Pro Max: all you need to know
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 14 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 11 Pro Max
Design and Display Quality
Same size, different speed
Both of these sport big 6.7-inch OLED panels, but here's where the similarities end. The iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with ProMotion technology, allowing the screen to switch between 1 and 120Hz and everything in between, while the iPhone 15 Plus sports the old-school 60Hz refresh rate.
Another big difference that stems from the above is that the iPhone 15 Pro Max has an Always On mode, while the Plus doesn't. The typical brightness of the Pro Max model is a tad higher at 1,000 nits (versus 800 nits on the Plus), but the peak HDR brightness, and peak outdoor brightness are the same, 1,600 and 2,000 nits respectively.
Another new feature that the 15 Pro Max brings onboard is the new Action Button. This new, multifunctional button replaces the Mute Switch, but the feature is reserved exclusively for the Pro models, so the iPhone 15 Plus stays with the more conventional mute switch.
Both phones sport USB-C connectivity, as the EU mandated the change in order for Apple to be able to continue selling iPhones in Europe. However, the vanilla and Plus models are limited to USB 2.0 transfer speeds, while the faster USB 3.0 is reserved for the Pro versions.
The color options for the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Plus are also different; you can check the available color options below.
iPhone 15 Plus colors:
- Pink
- Yellow
- Green
- Blue
- Black
iPhone 15 Pro Max colors:
- Black Titanium
- White Titanium
- Blue Titanium
- Natural Titanium
Performance and Software
Different silicon, but plenty of performance on both phones
The iPhone 15 Pro Max comes equipped with the latest and greatest in mobile silicon technology, the Apple A17 Pro chipset. This chip is built on a 3nm technology node and has the potential to bring huge gains over its predecessor, both in performance and efficiency. Apple claims that this six-core chipset is 20% faster than the A16 but we'll have to run some tests to verify that.
The RAM situation is similar, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max sporting 8GB of RAM while the Plus comes with "only" 6GB. In practice, you probably won't feel any difference in day-to-day performance between these two phones.
Despite the differences in hardware, both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Plus run on the very same iOS 17 software. Apple's next big mobile software upgrade comes with a variety of new features. The Phone, Messages, and FaceTime apps receive significant updates; there's a cool new NameDrop functionality, and the autocorrect feature has been improved as well.
Camera
5x zoom wins the race
The segregation between the Pro and non-Pro models when it comes to the camera system has carried over this year. The iPhone 15 Pro Max comes equipped with three cameras on the back, while the iPhone 15 Plus has only two.
Both phones feature a 48-megapixel main camera, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes with a different aperture (f/1.6 vs f/1.78 on the Plus) and two optical-quality zoom ranges - 1.2x and 1.5x.
We'll have to wait and snap some samples to be able to assess the image quality differences, but regarding the main and ultrawide cameras, they probably won't be night and day. Yes, the Pro Max is expected to come with a larger sensor, but the 48-megapixel main camera from last year is no slouch either.
The big difference will come from the tetraprism lens on the Pro Max, which will allow for better and longer zoom ranges. The iPhone 15 Plus relies on 2x crop images from the main 48MP sensor to achieve what Apple calls Optical-quality telephoto.
Audio Quality and Haptics
Don't fix what's not broken
Both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Plus come with a stereo speaker configuration: one bottom-firing main speaker and a secondary speaker located in the earpiece.
The audio quality has been pretty good ever since the iPhone 13 series, and the sheer size of both phones allows for more resonance and bass, so these two have similar audio performance. There's no 3.5mm audio jack on either of these, but we're now used to the omission.
In terms of haptics, the Taptic Engine is on duty, and given the great results Apple has been getting with the system over the years, both the iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro Max feature industry-leading haptics.
Battery Life and Charging
USB-C on both, but different?
The exact battery sizes for both the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Plus are not listed, and that's something typical for Apple the past few years. However, we have a pretty good idea what these might be. Looking at the specs on the site, the iPhone 15 Plus likely retains the same 4,325mAh battery as its predecessor, and the same is true for the Pro Max model.
Even though we now have USB-C onboard, the charging speeds remain the same, Apple cites 50% charge in 30 minutes with a 20W charger for both the iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The same MagSafe wireless charging technology is also present on both phones, allowing for wireless charging speeds up to 15W, and also the ability to slap a bunch of cool accessories on the back of both phones.
Specs Comparison
Here is an overview of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the 15 Plus specs:
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | iPhone 15 Plus | |
|---|---|---|
| Size | 159.9 x 76.7 x 8.25mm, 221 grams | 160.8 x 77.8 x 7.8 mm, 201 grams |
| Screen | 6.7" OLED 120Hz ProMotion | 6.7" OLED 60Hz |
| Processor | A17 Bionic 3nm | A16 Bionic 4nm |
| RAM, Storage | 8/256GB 8/512GB 8/1TB LPDDR5 | 6/128GB 6/256GB 6/512GB LPDDR5 |
| Cameras | 48MP main 12MP ultra 12MP 5X-6X zoom 12MP front | 48MP main 12MP ultra 12MP front |
| Battery | 4323 mAh | 4325 mAh |
| Charging | USB-C 20W wired MagSafe | USB-C 20W wired MagSafe |
Don't forget that we have an in-depth iPhone 15 Pro Max vs iPhone 15 Plus specs comparison here with a lot more details.
Summary and Final Verdict
Even though the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Plus look very similar from a distance, these are different animals. The top Apple model is a technology stew that comes with all the new ingredients: the latest A17 silicon, a brand-new tetraprism zoom camera, a titanium frame, and a new Action Button. It also features a ProMotion screen and potentially faster transfer and charging speeds through its new USB-C port.
On the other hand, we have the second iteration of the resurrected Plus model. It's roughly the same size, the main camera is similar (albeit taken from last year's Pro models), and the battery size is also pretty much the same.
Which one should you get, then? The answer is pretty simple. If you want the best Apple has to offer, price not an issue ($1199) you should go for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. If you just need a larger-screen iPhone with decent performance and great battery life for under $899, the iPhone 15 Plus is the right one for you.
