iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra: Everything you need to know about Apple’s 2023 flagship

We’re weeks away from the launch of the iPhone 15, and if the rumors are to be believed, the Pro Max will be the phone to rule them all, with even more exclusive features than ever before. With the iPhone 14, Apple separated the iPhone Pro models from the non-Pro ones with better cameras, a faster processor, and enhanced display features, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly widen the gap even further, with high-end features that aren’t even found on the iPhone 15 Pro.

The Pro Max may even gain a new name, with rumors indicating that it could be known as the iPhone 15 Ultra. Here’s what we’re expecting from Apple’s flagship iPhone for 2023:

Update 9/5/23: The iPhone 15 Pro Max might have a small battery increase and a new “vegan leather” case.

iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra: Release date

The one thing we’re absolutely sure of? The iPhone 15 Pro Max will arrive at the Wonderlust event on Tuesday, September 12 alongside the rest of the iPhone 15 handsets.

There may be a longer delay before it goes on sale though. Some time ago there were rumors that chip maker TSMC was having issues with chip production, and more recently we have heard that due to delays relating to “image sensor readiness” the iPhone 15 Pro Max will arrive 3-4 weeks later than the rest of the lineup.

Then again, it might not be delayed. On August 29 analyst Ming-Chi Kuo wrote on Medium that the iPhone 15 Pro Max and “legacy models” will “start mass shipments this week.” He expects all four iPhone 15 models to ship at the same time following the event on September 12 or September 13. However, it’s likely that supplies will be constrained even if Apple doesn’t delay the launch.

Assuming it’s not delayed, we expect preorders to begin on Friday, September 15 with the phone arriving in stores and on doorsteps on Friday, September 22.

iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra: Name

Back in late 2022, rumors about the iPhone 15 suggested that Apple would follow the Apple Watch and rebrand its high-end iPhone as the iPhone 15 Ultra. Then that rumor died away for a while, with reports suggesting that Apple would call the 2023 flagship the iPhone 15 Pro Max, with the iPhone 16 possibly gaining the Ultra moniker.

However, by August the rumor was back with Apple Insider’s Andrew O’Hara on X (formerly Twitter) indicating that Apple will indeed use the iPhone 15 Ultra moniker. But then that rumor was dismissed by Mark Gurman, who reiterated that the Ultra model won’t arrive until next year when Apple might position it as a new higher-end model above the Pro Max.

Here’s a late Friday tidbit I’ve heard for #iPhone15. Multiple sources have told me Apple will indeed use the “iPhone 15 Ultra” monicker for the plus-sized pro phone. This was an early rumor that got backpedaled. Most have since referred to it as iPhone 15 Pro Max.

— Andrew O'Hara (@Andrew_OSU) August 19, 2023

The Max name was introduced with the iPhone XS Max back in 2018 and the iPhone 11 Pro Max launched a year later. Apple also uses the Max name for its Mac processors (M2 Max and M1 Max) and the AirPods Max.

If Apple chooses to introduce the iPhone 15 Ultra instead of the iPhone 15 Pro Max it may indicate that rather than being a larger version of the iPhone 15 Pro, it is a superior phone. The rumors do seem to point to the top-of-the-range iPhone offering more than a larger screen. However, if Apple does make this change it would be confusing if in subsequent generations the larger iPhone wasn’t better equipped than its smaller sibling.

iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra: Price

While the Pro Max iPhone has cost the same $1,099 for the past four years, rumors say the 2023 version will bring a price hike. Several reports have claimed that the iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra) will cost at least $100 more than the iPhone 14 Pro Max and possibly as high as $1,299, with storage options bringing it as high as $2,000.

In July 2023 Barclays analyst Tim Long suggested that the price hike for the Pro Max version of the iPhone could be $200. Ming-CHi Kuo and others have also said to expect a price increase, so we’d be very surprised if the starting price for the iPhone 15 Pro Max didn’t jump to at least $1,199.

iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra: Design

According to leaked renders, the iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra) isn’t expected to deviate all that much from the rest of the iPhone 15 lineup. According to renders, the design of all four models will be somewhat refined, with slightly curved edges and thinner bezels around the display. But there will still be a few design elements that set the iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra apart from the rest of the lineup.

First and foremost, it will reportedly have a titanium frame instead of stainless steel. Apple has been rumored for years to be working on an iPhone that uses a different material than stainless steel or aluminum, and after the Apple Watch Ultra, it makes sense for Apple to shift to lightweight titanium. A rumor from 9to5Mac claims the Pro models will come in space black and silver as expected, but with the gold and purple options replaced by raw titanium grey and deep blue colors.

The ultimate iPhone will also reportedly have extremely skinny bezels, possibly even thinner than the iPhone 15 Pro. Some reports say that it will have the thinnest bezels ever on a smartphone.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra) is also expected to be thicker than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, making it one of the bulkiest iPhones ever. According to rumors, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will be 8.25mm compared to 7.85mm on the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which will also let Apple trim down the camera bump. However, the overall dimensions of the phone are expected to be slightly smaller than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, giving the phone a svelter, smaller feel.

While thicker, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is also expected to be Apple’s lightest 6.7-inch phone ever. At the end of August leaker Revegnus claimed on X (aka Twitter) the iPhone 15 Pro Max would drop 19 grams for a total weight of 221 grams. The lighter weight could be a result of the rumored titanium frame.

The buttons are reportedly changing as well. According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo back in October 2022, Apple plans to switch to solid-state buttons and a volume rocker for the iPhone 15 Pro and Max/Ultra models. Reports of the switch to solid-state buttons with dedicated haptic engines appear to have been delayed to the iPhone 16 though. More recent rumors say Apple will stick with individual buttons but the mute switch will become an Action button that will be customizable like the Apple Watch Ultra.

New color options are also expected, with 9to5Mac claiming the gold and purple options will be replaced by raw titanium and deep blue colors. The raw titanium color may be referred to as Titan Gray, with the iPhone 15 Pro rumored to come in ‘Titan Gray’ and blue, replacing gold and purple.

iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra: Display

The iPhone 14 Pro Max has had a 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR display since the iPhone 12, and that’s not expected to change with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. It will also still have the Dynamic Island (which could also come to the iPhone 15), ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, an always-on feature, True Tone, and 2000 nits of peak brightness when outdoors.

iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra: Camera

While the iPhone 14 Pro Max brought an impressive main camera upgrade from 12MP to 48MP, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will reportedly take things even further. Literally—the iPhone 15 Pro Max (or Ultra) is expected to get a new periscope zoom lens, which will reportedly raise the optical zoom from 3X all the way to 6x or 10x, with digital zoom that will likely reach 30x or 50x with incredible clarity.

This camera enhancement could result in a larger camera bump. Rumors claim “the camera bump will be bigger, and “the individual lens protrusion has more than doubled.”

The wide and ultra-wide cameras will likely be the same 48MP and 12MP, respectively, but Apple will surely refine the processing and add some new camera tricks. Also rumored to be using a more efficient LiDAR Scanner supplied by Sony.

iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra: Processor and specs

Like the iPhone 14 Pro models, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to get Apple’s newest A17 processor, which will be built using a 3nm process for the first time. The 3nm process should allow more transistors in the same area. Apple has used a 5nm process since the A14 was introduced in 2020. The A17 will be built using the same architecture as the upcoming M3 chip for the Mac, which is also expected to deliver a significant speed and power efficiency boost.

Read more about How the A17 Bionic chip will take the iPhone 15 Pro to the next level.

Some information about this new chip has leaked. Leaker Unknownz21 says the A17 will have very similar specs to the A16 despite the new 3nm process. He claims that the new chip will have an extra graphics core – 6 rather than 5 – and a clock speed of 3.7GHz rather than 3.46GHz.

The other big change for the iPhone 15 Pro Max is the anticipated move to USB-C. Not only will USB-C let users use the same cable to charge their iPhone, iPad, and Mac, but it should also bring a boost to data transfer speeds. Lightning is currently capped at 480 Mbps, but and the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s USB-C port will reportedly support Thunderbolt, with transfer rates up to 40Gbps. It’s been suggested that the USB-C iPhone 15 might finally deliver fast charging at 35W, a nice bump over the 27W on the iPhone 14 Pro Max There will also be a new cable, which could be color-matched to the iPhone you choose.

Additionally, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will almost certainly get Wi-Fi 6E, which was already introduced on the iPad Pro, Mac mini, and MacBook Pro. There are reports that Apple is developing its own cellular modem, but it doesn’t look like this will be ready in time, so expect Qualcomm to be the one providing 5G modems for the new iPhones.

We also expect a storage boost to 256GB at the low end and 2TB at the high end. RAM is likely to remain at 6GB—leaker Unknownz on X indicates that 8GB of RAM is “maybe not impossible,” but the leaker has “only seen 6GB so far; 8GB seems unlikely.”

A Weibo report in July 2023 stated that every model of the iPhone 15 will have a bigger battery when they launch in September. However, the source of the rumor backtracked a bit after the rumor gained traction. The report claimed the iPhone 15 Pro Max will get a 4,852mAh battery, a big jump from 4,323mAh.

A further report in July indicated that Apple is using a stacked battery design for the iPhone 15 to increase capacity, rated at up 5,000mAh. However, a more recent rumor from Majin Bu on X (formerly Twitter) claims that the capacity increase for the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s battery will be smaller.

1/3
Stacked battery is on track, but limited

Most likely only for 24U & 24+
or just 24U

meanwhile,
apple used it on entire iP15 lineup

24U & 24+ have "rated" 5000 MaH

But 24U stacked structure is different
to make it cooler, they applied cooling gel. for 65W & stability https://t.co/8khM2oAToc

— RGcloudS (@RGcloudS) July 12, 2023

iPhone 15 Pro Max/Ultra: Cases

With slimmer bezels, a new camera, and a thicker frame, it’s extremely unlikely that the cases for the iPhone 14 Pro Max will fit the iPhone 15 Pro Max. There will likely be new case colors from Apple, but more importantly, Apple is expected to drop the leather case options for the first time in favor of a more environmentally friendly material.

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