Video Review: 72 Hours Using the iPhone 15 Pro Max

MacRumors videographer Dan Barbera picked up a new iPhone 15 Pro Max on launch day, and he spent the last four days using it non-stop to give MacRumors readers an idea of how the new iPhone experience is going and his first thoughts on the features Apple added this year.


There have been complaints about the new ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models getting too hot, but other than a heat issue when using an uncertified USB-C cable to connect to CarPlay, Dan hasn't run into trouble and he hasn't seen overheating problems. The same is true for the rest of us at MacRumors - our iPhones appear to be functioning as intended and running cool following the initial setup and syncing period.

With the switch to titanium, Apple lowered the weight of the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models, plus added contoured edges that are much more comfortable to hold. Dan says that this is one of the most notable changes for him, and it makes picking up an ‌iPhone‌ 14 or ‌iPhone‌ 13 downright uncomfortable.

Battery life has been solid, but the Action Button is a work in progress and it can take some time to figure out what's most useful. We'll have a dedicated Action Button video coming sometime in the near future.

As for the camera, it's unsurprisingly pretty great. 24-megapixel photos make a difference, and the 5x Telephoto lens is an improvement over the prior 3x version. We're also planning an in-depth camera comparison, so stay tuned for that.

Make sure to watch Dan's full video, and if you have one of the new ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro models, let us know what you think in the comments below.

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 10 New Features

Sunday March 23, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. iPhone 17 Pro's alleged design via Front Page Tech Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of March 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone...
iCloud General Feature Redux

iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage Receive a New Perk

Thursday March 20, 2025 12:01 am PDT by
If you pay for iCloud storage on your iPhone, Apple has a new perk for you, at no additional cost. The new perk is the ability to create invitations in the Apple Invites app for the iPhone, which launched in the App Store last month. In the Apple Invites app, iCloud+ subscribers can create invitations for any occasion, such as birthday parties, graduations, baby showers, and more. Anyone ...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 Release Candidate With Priority Notifications, Ambient Music and More

Monday March 24, 2025 10:07 am PDT by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 updates to developers for testing purposes, with the software coming a week after Apple released the fourth betas. iOS 18.4 and iPadOS 18.4 can be downloaded from the Settings app on a compatible device by going to General > Software Update. With iOS 18.4, Apple is adding the Priority Notifications...
airpods max 2024 colors

Don't Buy Into Apple's Hype About AirPods Max Gaining Lossless Audio

Monday March 24, 2025 4:24 pm PDT by
Apple today announced that AirPods Max with a USB-C port will be gaining support for lossless audio and ultra-low latency audio with a firmware update next month, alongside the release of iOS 18.4, iPadOS 18.4, and macOS 15.4. For context, audio files are typically compressed to keep file sizes smaller. There are lossy compression standards like MP3 and AAC (Advanced Audio Codec), which...
Generic iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Soon With These New Features for Your iPhone

Tuesday March 25, 2025 6:45 am PDT by
Apple is expected to release iOS 18.4 to the general public as soon as next week, following more than a month of beta testing. Apple's website says some iOS 18.4 features will be released in "early April," so the update should be out as early as Tuesday, April 1. Apple this week seeded the iOS 18.4 Release Candidate, which is typically the final beta version, barring the discovery of any...
iOS 18

Top 5 New Features Coming in iOS 18.4

Friday March 21, 2025 3:26 pm PDT by
We're not getting new Siri Apple Intelligence features in iOS 18.4 as expected, but the upcoming update does have quite a few new additions that will be worth upgrading for. We've rounded up the five best features to look forward to, and if you're not running the beta, you can expect to get access to these in early April. Priority Notifications If you have an iPhone or iPad that supports...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature Iridescent Search

Foldable iPhone Expected to Launch Next Year, Costing Around $2,000

Monday March 24, 2025 3:43 am PDT by
Apple will launch its long-rumored foldable iPhone next year with a ~$2,000 premium price tag attached, expects well-connected Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman. Gurman's comments on Apple's launch plans for its first foldable device appeared in the Q&A section of his latest Power On newsletter. Earlier this month, the reporter said Apple's foldable iPhone could be arriving "as early as 2026,"...
ios 19 messages app

Here's What Apple's iOS 19 Messages App Might Look Like

Tuesday March 25, 2025 11:52 am PDT by
Leaker Jon Prosser today shared a mockup of what he says the Messages app will look like in iOS 19, demoing an interface with rounded, translucent bubble-shaped navigation buttons at the top and softer, rounder corners for the keyboard and word suggestions. Jon Prosser's Messages app mockup The return button, a button for going back to the Messages list, and the FaceTime button have a deeper...

Top Rated Comments

arkitect Avatar
20 months ago
Well that made my old heart skip a beat or two!



But alas!
Carry on as before…

Attachment Image
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jbachandouris Avatar
20 months ago
I’ve had zero issues on my launch day Pro Max. Not sure why others do.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
roland.g Avatar
20 months ago
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.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
20 months ago
Based on the great wall of sentiment of "USB-C is a lint magnet" and "will quickly become wobbly and/or broken in use" BEFORE the launch, I thought the whole review would be about digging lint out, lint removal tips & tricks, and regularly repairing the USB-C port at "insanely expensive repair prices." What happened?

And wow! How lucky have I (and now Dan) been, using USB-C in the rest of Apple's product lineup for years now with nary a single lint incident, nor a wobble, nor broken port. I feel sorry for all you other Apple product owners who have scant time to enjoy the tech for having to deal with all of that "forced upon us" misery.

Maybe the heat is a feature??? Incinerating the lint as it accumulates? Only Apple can innovate lint incineration!

;)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cocky jeremy Avatar
20 months ago

This seems a little too much like a press release from Apple's marketing department...
Or more likely, most people aren't having any issues with their phones. I know mine has been perfect so far.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DesignTime Avatar
20 months ago
This seems a little too much like a press release from Apple's marketing department...
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)