Next week's iPhone 17 launch event will trigger a fresh round of "Upgrade or not?" deliberations — particularly for anyone who's got an iPhone that's a couple years old. And our iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max comparison looks to help people with an older model decide if enough is going to change to justify getting a new phone.
Certainly, the iPhone 15 Pro Max released two years ago remains one of the best iPhones, thanks to its big screen, excellent cameras and support for Apple Intelligence features. Throw in a long-lasting battery and ongoing software support, and you can probably squeeze a lot more usage out of your current model.
But iPhone 17 Pro Max rumors might just tempt you to try out a new device. Not only will the new phone feature a chipset that's two generations removed from one that powers the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but you'd also be getting a device with a bigger screen and vastly different camera hardware. Leaked renders of the new phone also suggest a new design is in the works.
We won't know what Apple has planned officially until the new device is fully revealed, but rumors provide enough details for an iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max face-off that illustrates the likely changes you can expect to see.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Specs
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | iPhone 17 Pro Max (rumored) | iPhone 15 Pro Max |
Starting price | $1,199 - $1,249 | $1,199 |
Screen size | 6.9 inches | 6.7 inches |
Chipset | A19 Pro | A17 Pro |
RAM | 12GB | 8GB |
Storage | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
Rear cameras | 48MP main/12MP ultrawide/12MP telephoto w/ 3.5x - 8x zoom | 48MP main/12MP ultrawide/12MP telephoto w/ 5x zoom |
Front camera | 24MP | 12MP |
Colors | black, white, dark blue, orange | Black, white, blue, gray |
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Price and availability
When the iPhone 15 Pro Max debuted in 2023, it came with a price hike, as Apple charged $1,199 for the phone. The iPhone 14 Pro Max released a year earlier started at $1,099.
Depending on who you talk to, history might repeat itself when the iPhone 17 Pro Max makes its expected debut at next Apple product event on Tuesday (September 9). One analyst predicts $50 price hikes for each iPhone model, which would put the new Pro Max at $1,249. In a bit of better news, a different analyst thinks that only the iPhone 17 Pro is due a price hike, which would keep the Pro Max at the $1,199 starting point.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max also marked the first time Apple offered 256GB of storage in the base model — a trend that should continue with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Design
While phone designs really don't change much year over year, things can look pretty different over time. And Apple sounds like it's planning quite a departure from the established iPhone look with the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Leaked renders of the Pro models show a different type of camera array than what iPhone 15 Pro Max users may be accustomed to. While the rear cameras are bunched together in the upper left corner on that phone's back, the iPhone 17 Pro Max looks likely to feature an extended camera bar. The three lenses will still be on the left side of the phone, but the flash and sensors will stretch over to the right.
Things could be different up front, too, as multiple sources tip the Dynamic Island feature on the iPhone 17 Pro Max's display to be smaller from previous versions. By turning to a metalens that integrates the transmitter and receiver used for Face ID, the component should be smaller and thinner, making it easier for Apple to shrink down the camera cutout.
After making a big deal of the lighter, more durable titanium materials used in the iPhone 15 Pro Max's frame, Apple could roll out a change with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The new model may switch to aluminum, possibly as a move to keep costs down.
The iPhone 15 Pro series introduced the Action button, but missed out on the Camera Control button that debuted on the iPhone 16 phones. Both buttons should stick around on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The latest iPhone 17 color rumors have the Max model available in black, white, dark blue or orange. That compares to black, white, blue and gray for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Display
One of the biggest display changes iPhone 15 Pro Max users would experience by upgrading to the iPhone 17 Pro Max actually happened last year. The iPhone 16 Pro Max introduced a 6.9-inch panel to Apple's premium phone, a change that should stick around for this year's model.
There has been talk that Apple would use a new :ow-Dialectric TEE display" on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, delivering better performance, energy efficiency and screen durability than before. But more recent reports claim that improvement didn't make the final cut for the new phone.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Cameras
The iPhone 15 Pro Max was Apple's best camera phone at the time of its release, but the company wasn't content to rest on its laurels. The iPhone 16 Pro Max swapped out the 48MP main lens from the iPhone 15 Pro Max with a new 48MP Fusion Camera that featured reduced shutter lag and faster focus. The ultrawide lens got a boost to 48MP as well, an improvement from the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 12MP sensor.
The changes seem likely to continue with the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which is set to deliver an improved telephoto lens from the 12MP zoom camera on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Instead, Apple is rumored to be turning to a 48MP sensor for more detailed zoom shots.
Whether or not that upgraded zoom lens on the iPhone 17 Pro Max will maintain the 5x optical zoom available on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is unclear. Some reports have Apple scaling back the optical zoom to 3.5x on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, though another rumor claims the new phone will feature an improved 8x zoom.
Apple could also introduce new camera features with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Specifically, a rumor tips the Pro models to support dual video capture, allowing you to use the front and rear cameras simultaneously to shoot footage or participate in FaceTime calls. That's not something the iPhone 15 Pro Max is able to do.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Performance
The A17 Pro chipset that powers the iPhone 15 Pro Max was the best in its class at the time of release, but chip makers don't stand still. While the iPhone 15 Pro Max still turns in dependable performance, it's no longer the fastest phone in town.
That's a crown the iPhone 17 Pro Max figures to make a claim for, with the A19 Pro system-on-chip likely to make its debut in that phone. Like the A17 Pro, the A19 is expected to be built on a 3nm process, but it's an upgraded version that should translate to noticeable performance and power efficiency gains over the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max could get another performance boost in the form of a vapor chamber cooling system, a first for Apple's phones. Diagrams show off the feature, which would help keep the phone from overheating so that performance remains steady even when there's a lot of demand on the processor.
Apple generally doesn't make a big deal of RAM, but multiple analysts expect the iPhone 17 Pro Max to come with 12GB of memory. That compares to 8GB in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, and it should help with powering on-device AI features on board the new phone.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Battery life and charging
The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the longest-lasting iPhone we had tested, topping 14 hours on our battery test. But it's since been bested by the iPhone 16 Pro Max. We don't know if Apple is contemplating an increase to the battery size of the iPhone 17 Pro Max — that's not something the company usually touts — but given the improved chipset in the new phone, we think the iPhone 17 Pro Max is going to challenge for a spot on our best phone battery life list.
Various rumors have tipped the iPhone 17 Pro Max to get faster wireless charging compared to previous models. We've also heard reports that the new iPhone will support reverse charging, matching a feature offered by some Android phones.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Software
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is almost certain to ship with iOS 26, the software update Apple previewed over the summer and currently makes available as a public beta. But iOS 26 works on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, too, so older iPhones will be able to support the same software features as Apple's newer models — assuming Apple doesn't reveal any iPhone 17-exclusive capabilities during its launch event.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is capable of supporting all Apple Intelligence features. That includes Visual Intelligence, which debuted last fall initially as an iPhone 16-exclusive. We would imagine that any AI capability the iPhone 17 Pro Max can do, the iPhone 15 Pro Max can handle as well.
iPhone 17 Pro Max vs. iPhone 15 Pro Max: Outlook
Deciding whether to upgrade or not when your phone is just a couple years old is always a tricky decision. ON the one hand, there's the nature instinct to want to hold on to a device as long as possible, especially one as expensive as the iPhone 15 Pro Max. On the other hand, the newer model is almost certain to be an improvement over what you have now.
In the case of the iPhone 17 Pro Max, you can definitely count on a bigger screen and a more powerful processor than what you get from your current phone. Camera performance figures to be better as well. But the iPhone 15 Por Max should be able to hold its own when it comes to support for Apple Intelligence features, so it may come down to how much you value those other improvements — as well as how much Apple charges for its new device.
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