iPhone 15 Pro Max release date: here's when you can get Apple's best smartphone
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iPhone 15 Pro Max release date: here's when you can get Apple's best smartphone
You can get your hands on the iPhone 15 Pro Max on September 22
Update: Our in-depth iPhone 15 Pro Max review is ready for you to read now that Apple has officially launched its new iPhone.
It’s official: the iPhone 15 Pro Max release date is September 22, 2023, just like we thought. Apple made the announcement during its iPhone 15 launch event, which took place on September 12, where it also revealed the new Apple Watch Series 9.
Apple also provided a deep-dive of the iPhone 15 Pro Max specs, and they’re impressive, to say the least. With its new titanium frame, powerful A17 Pro 3-nanometer chip, and significantly upgraded camera, there are more than a few reasons why you might want to upgrade to an iPhone 15 Pro Max this year.
After our in-depth Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 review and Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 review pairing, we’re confident that the iPhone 15 Pro Max could be the most popular model this year. Recent trends have shown consumers are leaning more toward Apple’s high-end model due to its better battery life and larger display.
The actual size of the iPhone Pro Max screen hasn’t changed, remaining at 6.7 inches. However, it now sports significantly thinner bezels at just 1.5mm which will make the dimensions feel a bit different. It also has contoured edges and the titanium frame means it’s the lightest Pro model Apple has ever made.
On the back, the new iPhone 15 Pro Max includes a more advanced 48MP main camera system and a 5x Telephoto camera that’s exclusive to the Pro Max model. We’ve seen Samsung and Huawei impress us with incredible zoom technology on thin smartphones, so it’s great to see Apple has caught up in this regard.
➡️ The Shortcut Skinny: iPhone 15 Pro Max
🚀 iPhone 15 Pro Max release date is Friday, September 22, 2023
🌈 iPhone 15 Pro Max Colors: Black, White, Blue & Natural Titanium
📷 Camera includes a 5x Telephoto lens, enabling much farther optical zooms
🤫 Beloved mute switch is now a customizable ‘Action Button’
💰 Rumored price increase didn’t happen, thankfully
⤴️ Thinner bezels for the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max and A17 Pro chipset
⚡️ iPhone USB-C port brings high-speed data transfer and 35W charging
Say goodbye to the Lightning port with the introduction of the iPhone 15 Pro Max as Apple has now moved on to USB-C. The beloved mute switch has also been swapped out in favor of an “Action Button” that’s fully customizable and brings one of Android’s best features to Apple users.
iPhone 15 Pro Max colors
The new iPhone 15 Pro Max colors are rather muted due to matching the titanium frame. However, they certainly look suitably stylish and match Apple’s premium positioning of its Pro lineup. The four iPhone 15 Pro Max colors include Black Titanium, White Titanium, Blue Titanium, and Natural Titanium.
iPhone 15 Pro Max release date
The iPhone 15 Pro Max release date is Friday, September 22, 2023. The new iPhones arrive in Apple stores a week and a half after each Apple event announcement, and that’s proven true this time around.
This fits the pattern of several new iPhone releases, with very few exceptions (a notable example being the iPhone 14 Plus, which saw a delayed October release compared to other models, just as the iPhone X did in 2017). There were rumors that the iPhone 15 Pro Max could be delayed into October, but thankfully that isn’t the case.
iPhone 15 Pro Max pre-order date and time
The iPhone 15 pre-order date will be Friday, September 15 at 8am ET. Apple typically opens up pre-orders early in the morning on the Friday after the announcement and delivers new phones by the following Friday.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max may be very popular and pre-orders may sell out quickly on September 15. Every time Apple redesigns the iPhone in a significant way, pre-orders tend to be scooped up quickly, especially for the Pro Max models.
But here’s some expert buying advice on pre-order day: hours before the online Apple Store goes down, the company allows you to configure and save your pre-order for an easy checkout once the online store comes back. You can do everything in advance except for checkout. While the iPhone 15 Pro Max won’t sell out completely like some limited edition products, the delivery date will slip, so if you truly want this new iPhone on day one, you’ll have to act fast.
iPhone 15 Pro Max design: curved edges, thinner bezels
The iPhone 15 Pro Max sports several key changes for 2023, with the iPhone 15 Pro Max gaining a USB-C port for the first time, a 5x Telephoto camera (more on that later), thinner bezels, and contoured sides.
It’s made from a strong and lightweight titanium alloy, a first for iPhone. It has one of the highest strength-to-weight ratios of any metal, and it means the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the lightest model in the series yet.
The mute switch has also been replaced with a customizable Action button. You can access the camera, flashlight, activate voice memos, or even translate using the press-and-hold gesture. Haptic feedback and visual cues via the Dynamic Island will ensure the new button is completing the intended action.
iPhone 15 Pro Max camera: Telephoto lens
The iPhone 15 Pro Max includes a 48MP main camera, and a new 24MP super-high resolution default, giving great image quality but a practical file size. You can switch between three popular focal lengths of 24 mm, 28mm and 25mm, but the iPhone 15 Pro Max provides the longest optical zoom ever on an iPhone: 5x at 120mm.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s telephoto camera should add the kind of impressive zooming abilities you can see on display in our Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra camera review. Kuo believes the camera will eventually make its way to the iPhone 16 Pro in 2024.
iPhone 15 Pro Max specs
Powered by the new A17 Pro, the iPhone 15 Pro Max includes the industry’s first 3-nanometer chip and is the biggest GPU redesign in Apple’s history. According to Apple, the new CPU is up to 10% faster, while the pro-class GPU is up to 20% faster and enables new experiences such as hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
We’ve seen several PS5 games with ray tracing, and the increase in GPU powers means Apple can bring console titles to its smartphone for the first time. Expect to see some of the best PS5 games running on iPhone 15 Pro Max such as Resident Evil Village, Death Stranding and the upcoming Assassin’s Creed Mirage.
Apple’s A17 Pro also benefits video experiences for streaming services, and a new USB controller enables USB 3 speeds on an iPhone for the first time and video output up to 4K at 60fps with HDR enabled.
iPhone 15 Pro Max USB-C
One of the most unsurprising changes is that the iPhone 15 Pro Max and every other iPhone now use USB-C. This was widely reported before Apple’s official announcement, and the company acknowledged it would be ditching the Lightning port due to an EU ruling.
Users can also charge their AirPods or Apple Watch directly from iPhone with the USB‑C connector. The iPhone 15 Pro Max also supports USB 3 for data transfer speeds up to 10 gigabits per second, up to 20x faster than before.
iPhone 15 Pro Max price
The iPhone 15 Pro Max price starts at $1,199 for the 256GB model or $49.95 a month. You can get up to $200 to $650 in credit when you trade in an iPhone 11 or later if you’re planning to upgrade to the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 15 Ultra wasn’t announced
In September 2022, coinciding with the release of the Apple Watch Ultra, Mark Gurman of Bloomberg said Apple plans to replace the iPhone 15 Pro Max with new branding in the form of the iPhone 15 Ultra, mirroring the naming convention it’s used for its higher-end computers, smartwatch and best laptops.
We now know that hasn’t come to fruition, as Apple has retained the iPhone Pro Max naming scheme and didn’t release another model in addition to its two Pro devices.
Last updated: September 12, 2023