7 reasons the iPhone 15 Pro Max is worth its rumored $1,299 price

May 26, 2024

If leaks are correct, and they usually are, Apple will launch the iPhone 15 series on September 13th. The four new iPhones will likely be available for preorder two days later and will hit stores on September 22nd. That gives you more than a month to decide whether to upgrade to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Sign up for the most interesting tech & entertainment news out there.

By signing up, I agree to the Terms of Use and have reviewed the Privacy Notice.

I’ve already told you why the iPhone 15/Plus phones will be amazing upgrades this year compared to their predecessors. And about the exciting features coming to the iPhone 15 Pro. In what follows, I’ll tell you what makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max a great option this year and why it’s worth the rumored starting price of $1,299. Also, for the first time ever, I’m actually considering a Pro Max upgrade myself.

Apple might raise iPhone prices in the US for the first time in years. It already happened in international markets with the iPhone 14 series last year. Rumors say the iPhone 15 Pro might be $100 more expensive, starting at $1,099. The iPhone 15 Pro Max price hike might be even more annoying, with rumors saying the base model will cost $1,299, or $200 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Also, Apple will differentiate the iPhone Pro and the iPhone Pro Max more than ever. That’s why the extra price hike makes sense. The iPhone 15 Pro Max will get at least one camera update over the regular iPhone 15 Pro to warrant the price hike.

If you’ve been following my previous coverage, you know I’m not a fan of larger iPhones. The Pro Max has never been on my radar because of its size and weight. But the iPhone 15 Pro Max might change all that thanks to one key design feature.

Rumors say the iPhone 15 Pro Max will get a titanium frame. This is an excellent upgrade for the phone’s durability and the Pro Max experience. Titanium is lighter than stainless steel and could solve the iPhone’s weight problem. Apple could then increase the iPhone’s battery without worrying about weight, although I’m just speculating here.

Leaks also say the iPhone 15 models will be slightly thicker than their predecessors to accommodate larger batteries.

Aside from the titanium case, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will have a new LIPO OLED display that lets Apple shrink the bezels. Also, the flat sides get rounder edges, making the phone easier to handle.

I’ll also mention the new Action button replacing the classic mute switch. Only the iPhone 15 Pro and the 15 Pro Max will get it, and I think this is a significant design change. You can still mute the handset, but the Action button lets you perform other tasks depending on your settings.

Not to mention that a pressure-sensitive button will probably offer different behaviors depending on how you touch it and how hard you press on it. Also, the Action button might auto-switch depending on the context, assuming Apple goes there with the software.

I already said I’d pay extra for the iPhone 15 Pro for the titanium case. But that titanium case would be my second reason to consider an iPhone 15 Pro Max this year. The real reason to get the iPhone 15 Pro Max over the other three is the updated camera experience.

Paired with the larger display, the iPhone 15 Pro Max would be the best tool for creators looking to get their content on YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, and other social channels.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max will be the first to feature a periscope camera. Android vendors have been offering that upgrade for years on their flagships. As usual, Apple took its time to deploy it. The periscope camera will bring improved optical zoom for images and videos. And it’ll be exclusive to the Pro Max model for at least one year.

Moreover, rumors say the telephoto camera will feature a hybrid lens that will also help with optical zoom.

Apple might also upgrade the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s wide and ultra-wide cameras. Some rumors say that we’re looking at a big upgrade this year, and it’ll be interesting to see whether the Pro and Pro Max share the same hardware.

Looking at the price rumors, I expect further differentiation between the Pro models in the camera department. This wouldn’t be the first year when Apple gives the biggest iPhone the best possible camera. And rumors say the iPhone 15 Pro Max camera bump is getting bigger.

A larger camera that needs more internal space to accommodate the periscope zoom camera might imply the battery will take a hit. But that’s not happening with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. According to rumors, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will get an even bigger battery pack (4,852 mAh) than the 14 Pro Max (4,323 mAh).

Remember that increased thickness? Well, that’s where the extra battery capacity juice is coming from. I’m also secretly hoping that Apple introduces stacked batteries with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, so next year’s iPhones can all feature the same battery tech.

On that note, all iPhone 15 models will have larger batteries, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Plus should be the ones that offer multi-day battery life.

I’m already a big fan of the iPhone 14 Pro’s battery life, making me wonder what the iPhone 15 Pro Max can offer.

Speaking of battery life, boosting the capacity isn’t enough. You also need more efficient components, and that’s where things get interesting for the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Like the base Pro, the larger model will feature the brand-new A17 Bionic chip built on TSMC’s new 3nnm process. The chip should deliver performance improvements, but I’m more interested in the energy efficiency of that new process.

The iPhone 15 Pro models should feature more RAM. Or better said, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the model that probably needs more memory, considering the new camera features. This is another component that can improve energy efficiency.

One thing Apple could do to appease Pro Max buyers who won’t like the price hike is to boost the base storage of the larger iPhone. Rather than 128GB, I’d love it if the iPhone 15 Pro Max would start at 256GB of storage.

Then there’s the new iPhone 15 Pro Max OLED screen that might be more efficient than last year.

Another significant hardware upgrade for the iPhone 15 Pro Max concerns the port switch to USB-C. All iPhones will ditch the Lightning connector this year. But the Pro and Pro Max will get better USB-C features.

That includes faster transfer speeds, a highly requested feature from creators that shoot a lot of content on the Pro models. The transfer speeds should help with local backups as well.

I also secretly hope the USB-C port will open the doors to a charging speed boost, at least an unofficial one. But I’m not holding my breath for that, nor do I need faster charging than that current unofficial ~30W I get with the iPhone 14 Pro.

Despite the annoying price hike, I think the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be a fantastic upgrade, especially if you’re coming from an older Pro Max model.

You should remember that carriers will offer you plenty of great deals to lower that $1,299 price tag, and I’m assuming here that the rumors are correct and Apple is going for the $200 price hike. Also, you’ll probably use the iPhone 15 Pro Max for several years, considering the massive power of this device.

I’ll stick to what I said before; I’m happy with the iPhone 14 Pro for another year. And that iPhone performance has reached a level where the base model would satisfy my needs.

But I can’t believe I say this: the iPhone 15 Pro Max might make me really consider a future upgrade to the Max size. This would be a first for this longtime iPhone user.

Chris Smith has been covering consumer electronics ever since the iPhone revolutionized the industry in 2008. When he’s not writing about the most recent tech news for BGR, he brings his entertainment expertise to Marvel’s Cinematic Universe and other blockbuster franchises.

Outside of work, you’ll catch him streaming almost every new movie and TV show release as soon as it's available.