Apple iPhone 15 Pro (Max) - Specifications, Pictures and Prices

In addition to the new and in several places updated standard models of the iPhone, yesterday during the Apple September Keynote 2023 also the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max presents. In addition to a new titanium housing, the two models with the powerful A17 Pro chip also offer USB-C instead of Lightning as a cable connection. In addition, the telephoto lens of the Max model is upgraded to 5x optical zoom using prism technology; everything from macro photography to a 120 mm focal length should now be possible. Furthermore, 3D video, so-called spatial video, can be recorded. An “iPhone 15 Ultra” was not introduced.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro (Max) specifications

The two new models, iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, differ mainly in the size of the housing, the size of the display and details of the camera system. However, many of the other technical specifications are the same for both. That's why I'm summarizing the specs of the two models here and pointing out if it's individual data for the 6,1-inch or 6,7-inch smartphone.

• Manufacturer: Apple
• Model: iPhone 15 Pro / iPhone 15 Pro Max
• Device type: Smartphone with iOS
• iPhone 15 Pro Size (H x W x D): 146,6 x 70,6 x 8,25 mm
• Weight of iPhone 15 Pro: 187g
• iPhone 15 Pro Max Size (H x W x D): 159,9 x 76,7 x 8,25 mm
• Weight of iPhone 15 Pro Max: 221g
• Display size and resolution of the iPhone 15 Pro: 6,1 inches (15,5 cm) diagonal, 2.556 x 1.179 pixels with 460 ppi
• Display size and resolution of the iPhone 15 Pro Max: 6,7 inches (17 cm) diagonal, 2.796 x 1.290 pixels with 460 ppi
• Display specifications: Dynamic Island, Always-On Display, True Tone, HDR display with P3 color space and 2.000.000:1 contrast, up to 2.000 nits for outdoor use, 1.600 nits for HDR content and 1.000 nits typical brightness , 1.600 nits maximum for HDR, 2.000 nits peak brightness, etc.
• Protection class: IEC 60529 / IP68 dustproof and waterproof (up to 30 minutes at a depth of 6 meters)
• Chip: “A17 Pro” chip with 6-core CPU (2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores), 6-core GPU and 16-core neural engine
• Operating system: iOS 17
• Main camera: Three-camera system with 48 MP main camera (24 mm, ƒ/1.78 aperture), 12 MP ultra wide angle (13 mm, ƒ/2.2 aperture and 120° field of view) and 12 MP telephoto lens (ƒ/2.8 aperture)
• iPhone 12 Pro 15MP telephoto lens: 77mm, ƒ/2.8 aperture with 3x zoom
• iPhone 12 Pro 15MP telephoto lens: 120mm, ƒ/2.8 aperture with 5x zoom
• Software telephoto lens on both models: 2x telephoto, 48 mm, ƒ/1.78 aperture with 12 MP using the quad pixel sensor
• Zoom: 3x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out (total 6x optical zoom range), up to 15x digital zoom
• Zoom range of the iPhone 15 Pro: 3x zoom in, 2x zoom out, i.e. 10x optical zoom, plus up to 25x digital zoom
• Zoom range of the iPhone 15 Pro Max: 5x zoom in, 2x zoom out, i.e. 6x optical zoom, plus up to 15x digital zoom
• Video resolution: 4K with 24 fps, 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps / 1080p Full HD with 25 fps, 30 fps or 60 fps / 720p HD with 30 fps
• Video recording modes: Cinema mode up to 4K HDR at 30 fps / Action mode up to 2,8K at 60 fps / HDR video recording with Dolby Vision up to 4K at 60 fps / ProRes video recording up to 4K at up to 60 fps (external storage via USB-C) / Slow motion in Full HD at 120 fps or 240 fps / Time lapse with image stabilization / Night mode time lapse
• Image stabilization: Optical stabilization with 2nd generation sensor shift for photos and videos with the main camera / dual optical image stabilization for video for the main and telephoto cameras
• Additional camera, photo and video specs: Adaptive True Tone Flash, Smart HDR 5, Deep Fusion and Photonic Engine, new portrait modes including automatic portrait recognition, subsequent depth and focus control, night mode, large color space, night mode Portraits through lidar scanner, red-eye correction, panoramic image with up to 63 MP, JPEG, DNG and HEIF as photo formats, HEVC, ProRes and H.264 for video recordings, and much more
• Selfie camera: TrueDepth camera with 12 MP and ƒ/1.9 aperture and autofocus
• Features for the TrueDepth camera: Autofocus with Focus Pixels, Smart HDR 5, Deep Fusion and Photonic Engine, Retina Flash, new portrait modes including automatic portrait recognition, subsequent depth and focus control, Memoji and Animoji, night mode, 4K and Full HD videos at up to 60 fps each, ProRes video recording up to 4K at up to 60 fps (external storage via USB-C), slow motion in Full HD at 120 fps, cinematic video stabilization, and more
• Action button: Yes, replaces the silent switch above the volume buttons on the left side of the device
• Identification without entering an unlock code: Face ID
• Sensors: Face ID, lidar scanner, barometer, gyroscope, high-g accelerometer (for crash detection), proximity sensor, 2 x ambient light sensor
• SIM card: Dual SIM via physical Nano SIM and eSIM / Dual SIM with two eSIMs
• Cellular: 5G, 4G LTE, 3G UMTS / HSPA+ / DC-HSDPA and 2G UMTS / EDGE
• WiFi: WiFi 6 802.11ax
• Other radio technology: Bluetooth 5.3, U2 chip for "spatial awareness", NFC
• Location detection: dual-frequency GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, QZSS, BeiDou, digital compass, WiFi, cellular and iBeacon micro-location
• Satellite communication: Help implemented for precise alignment with the satellite, emergency calls possible via text message with selectable content, Where is? via satellite for sharing the location without cell phone and WiFi
• Physical interface: USB-C for charging and data transfer (USB 3 standard for up to 10 Gbit/s)
• iPhone 15 Pro battery life: Up to 23 hours of local video playback or up to 20 hours of video streaming / up to 75 hours of audio playback
• iPhone 15 Pro Max battery life: Up to 29 hours of local video playback or up to 25 hours of video streaming / up to 95 hours of audio playback
• Quick charge function: Up to 50% battery capacity in 30 minutes with chargers from 20 watts of power
• Wireless charging: MagSafe– and Qi chargers with up to 15 watts of power
• Box contents: iPhone 15 Pro (Max) with iOS 17, 1 m USB-C charging cable, documentation

New possibilities with the iPhone 15 Pro camera

Apple continues to work on what can be done with the iPhone camera. The new Pro models are no exception, so that in addition to the different telephoto lens versions (see list), quad pixel technology enables a software camera, so to speak. Furthermore, for the new HDR 5, a 24MP version of a photo optimized for light and colors is combined with the details of the 48MP version to enable high-resolution HDR.

The 48 MP main camera and the 12 MP ultra-wide-angle camera are the same on the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Horizontally aligned, these cameras can be used on both models to record “spatial video”, i.e. 3D video recordings that can be viewed as a spatially displayed moving image with the Apple Vision Pro headset. 

The iPhone 12 Pro's 15MP telephoto camera offers a 3x optical zoom, 77mm focal length and ƒ/2.8 aperture. It ensures that this iPhone model creates a 2x optical zoom range including the 6x optical zoom. In addition to photos, videos are also important. And the iPhone 15 Pro now offers real-time output via USB-C. Video material in 4K with 60 fps, HDR and Academy Color Encoding System can be saved directly on the external hard drive.

New possibilities with the iPhone 15 Pro Max camera

The new features shown above also apply to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, such as virtual lenses thanks to quad pixel technology, combined HDR 5 and so on. In addition, the two cameras located one above the other or next to each other in landscape format can also be used to record 3D videos. The big difference to the Pro model without “Max” is the telephoto camera, which has a 120 mm focal length and 5x optical zoom.

By combining the three camera lenses and sensors, combining pixels for some photo functions and the individual zoom levels that result, seven standard options are offered: macro photography, 13 mm, 24 mm, 28 mm, 35 mm, 48 mm and 120 mm focal length. The following comparison shows how this affects the photo subject:

New case: titanium with aluminum substructure

A big focus when introducing the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max was the new housing. Not only does it now have rounded edges, but it is also made of Titan manufactured. This is intended to provide more durability with less weight. It was not directly highlighted, but only graphically indicated, that the case is pressed from titanium powder. Inside it offers an aluminum substructure, which is connected to the outer titanium layer on a molecular basis.

No more silent switch: action button for various tasks

A rumor that was confirmed yesterday is that the silent switch will be abolished and replaced with an action button. This action button can still be used to mute the device, but can also trigger accessibility features, shortcuts, and so on.

You can also record a photo by pressing the action button Voice memos started, the focus mode activated, the camera started, the flashlight turned on, the translator app called up or the magnifying glass brought to the display. There is good potential for individual use, especially through the operating aids and shortcuts. Changing the action button function should be easy.

The new A17 Pro chip with additional components

Anyone who has ever kept an eye on the iPhone hardware will have immediately noticed the change in the name of the SoC: Instead of a “Bionic” chip, a “Pro” chip with 3 nm architecture is now used. But this is not just a simple change in nomenclature; it also involves the revision of the previous individual elements and the addition of new areas on the chip.

The A17 Pro chip has 19 billion transistors. The CPU still comes with a total of 6 cores, but offers up to 10% more speed and broader computing options with the two high-performance cores. The four high-efficiency cores now offer three times as much performance per watt compared to the competition.

The Neural Engine with 16 cores is now said to work up to twice faster than the Neural Engine on the A16 Bionic chip (found in iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Pro Max as well as in the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus). 

With regard to media processing, the corresponding engines have been improved and expanded so that the new photo and video functions run smoothly. In addition, a new USB controller is used for the use of USB-C, which supports the USB 3 standard with up to 10 Gbit/s data transfer.

New focus on video games on iPhone 15 Pro (Max)

The iPhone has already been touted as a mobile console through offers in the App Store and Apple Arcade. But now there are even more options, including through the revision of the graphics unit (GPU) of the A17 Pro. Instead of the 5 cores of the A16 Bionic, there are now 6 cores - the speed should increase accordingly by up to 20%. A new shader architecture, mesh shading, MetalFX and the like are also used.

This means, among other things, that games with complex graphics and gameplay will soon be able to be played on the iPhone - such as Resident Evil Village and Assassin's Creed Mirage. The latter will be launched in October and will come to the iPhone at the same time as the console and PC release. Apple seems to want to compete with handheld game consoles like the Steam Deck and the like.

But that's not enough. Apple also demonstrated hardware-accelerated ray tracing for more realistic lighting effects in video games and 3D environments on the iPhone. The comparison of software-supported ray tracing on previous models (only 8 fps was achieved) with hardware-supported ray tracing on the iPhone 15 Pro (30 fps was achieved) was shown. The focus on gaming on the iPhone 15 Pro (Max) goes hand in hand with the Gaming efforts on macOS 14 Sonoma on the Apple Mac.

USB-C on the iPhone: transfer data, charge accessories, use EarPods

As with the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus, the Pro models now use USB-C as the physical interface instead of the Lightning connector. This also applies to the new charging case for the AirPods Pro 2. While the standard models of the iPhone 15 only use USB 2 with a maximum of 480 Mbit/s, the Pro models use USB 3 with up to 10 Gbit/s. 

The USB-C port on the iPhone 15 (Plus) and iPhone 15 Pro (Max) can not only be used to charge the device battery and for data transfer, but also to use the iPhone as a power bank. So you can e.g. B. the AirPods or the Apple Watch can be charged with the iPhone. There are also new ones EarPods as a wired headphone alternative to the AirPods. These have a USB-C port. Apple offers an adapter for old Lightning accessories.

Information about Action Mode, Accident Detection, Satellite SOS and Fitness+

Last year, Apple introduced a few exciting innovations for iOS smartphones with the iPhone 14 Pro (Max). I won't go into these again separately here. If you want to find out more about the camera's Action Mode as well as accident detection, satellite SOS and Fitness+ without Apple Watch, then click here: Apple iPhone 14 Pro (Max) - Specifications, Pictures and Prices.

When to buy the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max?

Both models can be pre-ordered starting this Friday, September 15, 2023. This should be possible in Apple's official online shop from 14 p.m. The iPhone 00 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max will be available for free sale from next Friday, September 15nd, 22. In addition to Apple, you can also get it from Amazon, MediaMarkt, Saturn, Expert, Cyberport, in mobile phone stores and from mobile phone providers buy in a bundle with a contract and the like.

The price: How much does the iPhone 15 Pro (Max) cost?

As always, the price of the new Apple smartphone depends on its exact model and the built-in storage space. Storage options from 15GB to 15TB are available for the iPhone 128 Pro and iPhone 1 Pro Max. I have summarized how this affects the respective price in the following table.

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max in the video

Apple provides a 4-minute video about the new iPhone 15 Pro (Max) via YouTube, which summarizes the most important innovations:

And here is the pre-recorded and streamed presentation from September 12, 2023 as a video:

Johannes Domke

[On vacation] After graduating from high school, Johannes completed training as a business assistant specializing in foreign languages. But then he decided to research and write, which led to his independence. He has been working for Sir Apfelot, among others, for several years now. His articles include product introductions, news, instructions, video games, consoles and much more. He follows Apple keynotes live via stream.