iPhone 15 Pro Max: One Year Review

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.


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.

Popular Stories

Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds Second Release Candidate Versions of iOS 18.2 and More With Genmoji, Image Playground and ChatGPT Integration

Monday December 9, 2024 10:06 am PST by
Apple today seeded the second release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS 15.2 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, a week after releasing the first RCs. The first iOS 18.2 RC had a build number of 22C150, while the second RC's build number is 22C151. Release candidates represent the final version of beta software that's expected to see a ...
Generic iOS 18

When Is iOS 18.2 Coming Out?

Tuesday December 10, 2024 1:43 am PST by
The next iOS 18.2 update featuring more substantial Apple Intelligence features will be released to the public before the holidays, according to Apple, but we have a more definite timeframe from other sources. In a newsroom article dated October 28 highlighting Apple Intelligence capabilities, Apple states that "new ‌Apple Intelligence‌ features will be available in December." Then in...
iPhone SE 4 Single Camera Thumb 3

iPhone SE 4 Said to Feature 48MP Rear Lens, 12MP TrueDepth Camera

Monday December 9, 2024 4:48 am PST by
Apple's forthcoming iPhone SE 4 will feature a single 48-megapixel rear camera and a 12-megapixel TrueDepth camera on the front, according to details revealed in a new Korean supply chain report. ET News reports that Korea-based LG Innotek is the main supplier of the front and rear camera modules for the more budget-friendly ~$400 device, which is expected to launch in the first quarter of...
iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full Release Notes for iOS 18.2

Thursday December 5, 2024 11:48 am PST by
Apple seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.2 today, which means it's going to see a public launch imminently. Release candidates represent the final version of new software that will be provided to the public should no last minute bugs be found, and Apple includes release notes with the RC launch. The iOS 18.2 release notes provide a look at all of the new features that are coming...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

MacBook Pros With OLED Displays Won't Have a Notch, Roadmap Shows

Monday December 9, 2024 7:36 am PST by
Apple plans to remove the notch from the MacBook Pro in a few years from now, according to a roadmap shared by research firm Omdia. The roadmap shows that 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models released in 2026 will have a hole-punch camera at the top of the display, instead of a notch. It is unclear if there would simply be a pinhole in the display, or if Apple would expand the iPhone's...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Friday December 6, 2024 4:42 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls...
vipps nfc tap to pay iphone

World's First Apple Pay Alternative for iPhone Launches in Norway

Monday December 9, 2024 1:28 am PST by
Norwegian payment service Vipps has become the world's first company to launch a competing tap-to-pay solution to Apple Pay on iPhone, following Apple's agreement with European regulators to open up its NFC technology to third parties. Starting December 9, Vipps users in Norway can make contactless payments in stores using their iPhones. The service initially supports customers of SpareBank...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Thursday November 28, 2024 3:30 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature

iPhone 17 'Air' Expected to Be ~2mm Thinner Than iPhone 16 Pro

Friday December 6, 2024 4:07 pm PST by
In 2025, Apple is planning to debut a thinner version of the iPhone that will be sold alongside the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max. This iPhone 17 "Air" will be about two millimeters thinner than the current iPhone 16 Pro, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. The iPhone 16 Pro is 8.25mm thick, so an iPhone 17 that is 2mm thinner would come in at around 6.25mm. At 6.25mm,...

Top Rated Comments

Greybeard2017 Avatar
16 weeks ago
Battery is still at 99% (bought on release day) - no nicks or scratches - no complaints about the camera or overall performance - but I regret buying it - just too big and cumbersome
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MattA Avatar
16 weeks ago
Battery in my iPhone 15 Pro is still at 100% after a year of use. Having the max charge at 80% has helped a lot. It also still looks brand new.

It's been a solid phone. Things that are great: The camera, the speed, the screen. Things that aren't great: overheating when it's warm outside and you're trying to record video, it really didn't feel like a huge upgrade over my 12 Pro.

I'm going to be keeping this one for several years, and see no need to upgrade.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Maclver Avatar
16 weeks ago
Bought mine in June and I will say the "heating" is noticiable compared to the iPhone 14 PM. just not a fan of my screen dimming dimming dimming and phoen becoming very warm when on Safari or watching youtube.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Sportpoz Avatar
16 weeks ago
The battery health is horrible. 91% after 9 months
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Macropanda Avatar
16 weeks ago

Misleading since it's not been a year from the release or public availability of the iPhone 15 series...

So anything less than 365 days is considered a year now?
You think the opinion/thoughts are going to change in the next two weeks and it will be considered less misleading?
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Tagbert Avatar
16 weeks ago

Is it really getting 100% battery life if you're only using 80% of it to begin with?

If battery life is 10 hours, and regular users are still getting over 9 hours but you only get 8, how is that a benefit?

That option has always made me scratch my head...

I always slow-charge to preserve battery life, but I've never understood why I should restrict myself to 80% of my battery with this setting. Is it something you plan on turning off one day? To release a bunch of stored up battery life in an older device?

I still use battery cases on my iphones... thats the ultimate battery saver!
It works for people who are not using 100% of their battery charge every day anyway. That extra 20% is part of the charge range that isn’t being used anyway. There is no downside to not charging that high and potential benefit if it puts less strain on the battery.

For days when you think you will use more than 80% charge you can switch to normal mode and get that extra 20%. or plug in to a charger to top off since I have them nearby most of the time.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)