Apple's iPhone 15 event is reportedly just three weeks away, and we're hotly anticipating a massive overhaul to Apple's iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Or should that be... Ultra?
In late 2022 we heard multiple rumors Apple could ditch the Pro Max moniker in favor of the iPhone 15 Ultra, and now, they're back!
While we'd given up hope on the Ultra iPhone for 2023, a recent new report suggests Apple might actually call the iPhone 15 Pro Max the iPhone 15 Ultra, denoting that it is the biggest, and the best iPhone, on offer.
Name aside, rumored upgrades include an A17 Bionic chip, USB-C, a 10X telescopic lens, and a total redesign. Here's everything we think we know about the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: The headlines
- What is it? Apple's next biggest and best iPhone.
- When can we expect it? September 2023
- Price? Likely a slightly higher price than iPhone 14 Pro Max, perhaps at $1,159
Stephen Warwick is iMore's News Editor and has six years of industry experience covering Apple, as well as a lifetime tracking developments in mobile technology. He is also a former Apple employee and one of the web's foremost authorities on iPhone rumors and news.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Release date
iPhone 15 Pro Max is likely to arrive in September, as has been the case for iPhone launches almost every year since 2011 – with the exception being during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Expect a full unveiling around September 12 if the latest rumors are to be believed - with preorders opening up later in the month. There is the potential for a slip to October if Apple staggers the rollout of its models, but last year it was the similarly sized but more affordable iPhone 14 Plus that was nudged to a little later.
There's recently been a regulatory database leak of iPhone 15 with the model number A3094, which labels devices ready for release very soon. So we could see the Pro Max and its model number leak very soon too.
However, it's looking like there may be some significant issues with supply, so the iPhone 15 Pro Max might find itself, and the other iPhone 15 models pushed back a little in terms of the actual shipping date. With any luck, this is no more than a rumor, but it said that the date might be pushed back to October instead of September.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Price
We were expecting Apple to remain steadfast with an opening price of $1099 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, likely with 128GB of storage (more on that later).
But recent rumors in July 2023 have suggested that iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max could get a slight price increase. This could range from $50 to as much as $100 - but it all depends on how many components can be to build these phones, alongside keeping inflation in mind with different countries around the world.
The iPhone 14 and 14 Pro increased by up to £150 with certain models, with the 14 Pro and Pro Max increasing by £100. So we could see something similar once the iPhone 15 lineup is confirmed.
Expect to pay considerably more for the highest tier of storage, which we've expected will remain at 1TB. But, as we'll explore a little later in this guide, there are suggestions a 2TB version of the iPhone Pro Max might be on the cards.
The price increase could be coming from any number of different things within the latest iPhone, but it could be because of the new titanium finish, or the much beefier camera on the back.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Size
It feels like Apple has hit a sweet spot with its iPhone sizes, so we’d be very surprised to see the iPhone 15 Pro Max come with anything other than the 6.7-inch display we’ve seen for years.
In January 2023, Haitong International Securities analyst Jeff Pu’s research note suggested that iPhone 15 will come in 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch variants (the standard and plus), and the same on the Pro and Pro Max side.
That’s not all, though, with Pu suggesting a Titanium frame for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, with a USB-C port across the lineup.
In terms of overall dimensions, Apple has weakened its stance on pushing for thinner and thinner devices. We’re unlikely to get a brick of a phone, naturally, but depending on the reshuffled internals there’s every chance it could be a smidge larger than its predecessors.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design
A 9to5Mac report in February 2023 shared design files (CAD files) for the iPhone 15 Pro which suggests it may have a more curved edge on the front glass and back panel as Apple edges away from the more iPhone 5-like industrial design and a little closer to the iPhone 6 design that followed.
Expect the iPhone 15 Pro Max to follow its smaller sibling’s lead, with both also gaining a titanium frame that may further increase durability without adding any significant weight. That’s according to longtime Apple expert Mark Gurman of Bloomberg.
One major design change coming this year appears to be an end to the mute switch in favor of an action button, which can be programmed just like its namesake on the Apple Watch Ultra.
Some of the latest news indicates that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max models will have much slimmer bezels than the standard iPhone 15 models, as pictures of their front glass found their way onto the internet. In fact, they'll be so much slimmer that it's thought they'll be the thinnest display bezels on any cell phone in the world — something the iPhone has never been able to boast.
The tech behind those slimmer bezels was first seen on the Apple Watch Series 7, something Apple calls LIPO, or Low-Injection Pressure Over-molding. The bezels are likely to be around .7mm slimmer than those on the last iPhone models as well, according again to Mark Gurman.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Colors
A recent new leak claims that the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will debut a "stunning" new dark red color option. Apple has always put out one "Pro" iPhone with a splash of colors such as green or blue, but red could definitely be the most adventurous yet. 9to5Mac reports that Apple will over a "very dark red" with a color hex of #410D0D.
There are other colors that might be on the way as well — including a 'pink' option. Whether this pink is coming to the iPhone 15 and the Pro models remains to be seen as does what the pink is actually going to be.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Specs
iPhone 15 Pro Max Adds periscope lens tech for enhanced zoom capabilities.
Screen: 6.7-inch
RAM: 8GB
CPU: A17 Bionic, 3nm
Rear Camera: 48MP w/ Periscope lens
Networking: Wi-Fi 6e
Connectivity: USB-C
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Processor
While the A16 Bionic chip in last year’s phone made the jump to 4nm technology, it’ll be all change again with an A17 processor with 3nm technology according to new reports.
As we noted when looking at the iPhone 15 Pro, 3nm offers 15% more speed at the same power levels but can function with 30% less power, too.
That could be a significant speed increase on an already rapid chip, while potentially extending the already impressive battery life even further thanks to its power efficiency.
Apple may design its chips, but TSMC is the company that handles the manufacturing – and a DigiTimes report suggests that the 3nm chip is already “exceeding expectations” even months out from manufacturing, with TSMC’s 3nm node performance “better than expected”. The M3 Macs, expected in 2024, are also expected to move to 3nm technology.
Jeff Pu is back with another note, too, suggesting that while the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max will get the A17 chip, the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus will instead get the A16 Bionic.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: USB-C
The subject of much speculation, the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to mark the debut of USB-C charging and data transfer on the iPhone range following an EU ruling that means Apple is finally forced to ditch the Lightning connector.
The benefits of a USB-C iPhone 15 lineup are the ability to use more universal chargers (including those of MacBooks and iPad Pros) but also increased data transfer speed over the current Lightning setup. The iPhone 15 is also expected to get USB-C, too.
Jeff Pu’s aforementioned research note suggests that iPhone 15, 15 Plus, 15 Pro, and 15 Pro Max will all have USB-C charging.
But that's not all, There could be ThunderBolt for iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, which could mean even faster data speeds when you plug in these phones to your Mac to transfer those large photos and videos instead of using a Wi-Fi connection.
According to recent reports, Apple's USB-C port on the iPhone 15 Pro Max could support charging speeds of up to 35W, that's 50% faster than the current iPhones and would finally put the juice in Apple's 35W charging brick for iPhone to good use.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display
Last year’s “Dynamic Island” was uniquely Apple, merging software and hardware to create a seamless software experience that was just as much fun as it was functional.
Apple is still continuing to roll out improvements to the system, with developers working within the platform holder’s framework to continue adding Live Activity functionality to apps. With that in mind, expect the system to return on the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
We’re also expecting the Always-On display to return, especially since Apple has continued to fine-tune it since launch.
That’s not to say there won’t be changes, however, with analysts anticipating thinner bezels around the edges of the display. In 2024, presumably with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, we can potentially expect the Face ID sensor to be hidden under the display, potentially shrinking (or even removing) the Dynamic Island if Apple chooses to.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Camera
The iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max gained considerable upgrades, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to gain its own unique feature – a periscope camera design.
Expect vastly improved zoom with the new setup without increasing the lens size – although the 9to5Mac report does suggest a larger camera bump is expected.
Whether the 48MP camera is being increased remains to be seen, with Apple’s Photonic Engine imagine pipeline being a big boon for the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max range.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: RAM and storage
This report from industry analyst Unknownz21 states that the next line of iPhones are due to get 6GB of RAM and we’re expecting the usual quartet of 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, and 1TB storage options. The base iPhone 15 and the rumored iPhone 15 Plus are expected to go up to 512GB.
However, there are some rumors that we can expect more than 1TB from the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max models. They may come with the option for a massive 2TB of storage capacity – that’s double the 1TB of the largest iPhone 14 Pro models.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Connectivity
In January 2023, a research note from Barclays analysts Blayne Curtis and Tom O’Malley predicted that iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will offer Wi-Fi 6E hardware for increased speeds and stronger connection across 6GHz bands.
It’s not the most exciting upgrade you may have thought of, but it’ll go some way to futureproofing the iPhone 15 Pro Max and increase compatibility with the latest routers in the same way the hardware has already found its way to M2 MacBook Pros, Mac Mini, and iPad Pro.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery
According to a major leak in July, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a 4852mAH battery, up from 4,323 in the current iPhone 14 Pro Max. That's a significant jump of more than 10% and should make for even better figures from Apple's already-impressive Pro Max performance.
Apple is tipped to be using battery stacking technology, the kind leveraged in electric vehicles, in order to make its batteries denser, so it can fit more capacity in the same amount of space as before. This will also reportedly make it charge faster, so we could see an increase in charging speed to 40W.
iPhone 15 Pro Max: Q&A
How much will the iPhone 15 Pro Max cost?
Though the iPhone 14 Pro Max cost around $1099 on launch, there's a chance supply chain issues and upgraded specs could result in an increase of around $50 to $100 for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
When can I preorder the iPhone 15 Pro Max?
You can't preorder the iPhone 15 Pro Max until it is finally announced. This means preorders should go live around the middle of September.
How big will the iPhone 15 Pro Max be?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is anticipated to be almost identical in size to last year's iPhone 14 Pro Max, with some small changes to the size of bezels.
Is the iPhone 15 Pro Max waterproof?
Like last year, it is likely the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be water resistant, but not waterproof. This means some water won't damage it but you shouldn't regularly submerge it in water.
What colors will the iPhone 15 Pro Max come in?
Though we don't have official confirmation of anything just yet, we expect the iPhone 15 Pro Max to come in Deep Purple, Space Black, Gold, and Silver like last year.
