Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max vs iPhone 15 Pro Max

Here we compared two flagship smartphones: the 6.9-inch Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max (with Apple A19 Pro) that was released on September 9, 2025, against the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is powered by Apple A17 Pro and came out 2 years before. On this page, you will find tests, full specs, strengths, and weaknesses of each of the devices.

Price per GB – Comparison

Model	Storage Tier	Approx Price (MSRP / Retail)	Price per GB
iPhone 17 Pro Max	256 GB	US$ 1,199	≈ US$ 4.68 / GB
	512 GB	US$ 1,399	≈ US$ 2.73 / GB
	1 TB	US$ 1,599	≈ US$ 1.56 / GB
	2 TB	US$ 1,999	≈ US$ 1.00 / GB
iPhone 15 Pro Max	256 GB	≈ US$ 1,199 at launch MSRP	≈ US$ 4.68 / GB

Key Differences

Category	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
RAM	Has 50% more RAM (12GB vs 8GB) – better for multitasking and heavy apps.	–
Bluetooth	Newer Bluetooth version (v6.0) – improved connectivity and efficiency.	–
Performance (AnTuTu)	33% better performance (2112K vs 1583K) – smoother overall speed.	–
Wi-Fi	Compatible with Wi-Fi 7 – faster and more stable wireless networking.	–
Charging	Supports higher wattage charging (40W vs 23W) – quicker recharging.	–
GeekBench 6 (Single-Core)	33% faster (3895 vs 2935 points) – snappier single-core performance.	–
Camera Zoom	–	Rear camera has 5x optical zoom – better long-distance photography.

Display Comparison

Feature	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Type	OLED – vibrant colors, deep blacks	OLED – vibrant colors, deep blacks
Size	6.9 inches – slightly larger viewing area	6.7 inches – more compact display
Resolution	1320 × 2868 pixels	1290 × 2796 pixels
Aspect Ratio	19.5:9	19.5:9
Pixel Density	460 ppi	460 ppi
Refresh Rate	120 Hz (adaptive 1–120 Hz) – smoother scrolling	120 Hz (adaptive 1–120 Hz)
Max Brightness (Standard)	3000 nits – much brighter outdoors	2000 nits
Max Brightness (HDR)	1600 nits	1600 nits
HDR Support	Yes, Dolby Vision	Yes, Dolby Vision
Screen-to-Body Ratio	91.6% (+2%) – slimmer bezels	89.8%
Display Features	DCI-P3, Always-On Display	DCI-P3, Always-On Display
Display Tests	–	RGB: 99.8%, PWM: 240 Hz, Response time: 1 ms, Contrast: ∞
Peak Brightness (Auto)	n/a	1776 nits (tested by NotebookCheck)

Performance Comparison

Feature	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
Chipset (SoC)	Apple A19 Pro – newer, more powerful	Apple A17 Pro – previous-gen flagship
Max Clock Speed	4260 MHz – higher performance ceiling	3780 MHz
CPU Cores	6 cores (2 high-performance + 4 efficiency)	6 cores (2 high-performance + 4 efficiency)
Architecture	2 cores @ 4.26 GHz, 4 cores @ 2.51 GHz	2 cores @ 3.78 GHz (Everest), 4 cores @ 2.11 GHz (Sawtooth)
Manufacturing	TSMC 3nm process	TSMC 3nm process
Neural Processor (NPU)	Apple Neural Engine	Apple Neural Engine
Graphics	Not disclosed	Apple A17 GPU
GPU Shading Units	–	768
GPU Clock	–	1398 MHz
GPU Performance (FLOPS)	–	~2147.2 GFLOPS

Memory & Software Comparison

A breakdown of RAM, storage, and operating system differences.

Feature	Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max	Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max
RAM Size	12 GB – more capacity for multitasking	8 GB
Memory Type	LPDDR5X – faster and more efficient	LPDDR5
Memory Clock	–	3200 MHz
Channels	4 – wide memory bandwidth	4
Storage Size	256 GB (base model)	256 GB (base model)
Storage Type	NVMe – very fast read/write speeds	NVMe
Memory Card Slot	No	No
Operating System	iOS 26 (latest generation)	iOS 17 (upgradeable to iOS 18.6)
OS Size	–	17.6 GB

Battery

Feature	iPhone 17 Pro Max	iPhone 15 Pro Max
Capacity	5088 mAh	4441 mAh
Wired Charging	40W (50% in 20 min)	23W (46% in 30 min)
Wireless Charging	25W	7.5W
Reverse Charging	Yes	Yes
Battery Life (general)	–	31:37 hr (DxOMark #8)
Video Playback	–	22:07 hr
Web Browsing	–	12:36 hr
Gaming	–	06:58 hr

Main Camera Setup

Feature	iPhone 17 Pro Max	iPhone 15 Pro Max
Standard	48 MP, f/1.6, 24 mm	48 MP (Sony IMX803), f/1.8, 24 mm
Telephoto	48 MP, 100 mm	12 MP (Sony IMX913), 120 mm
Ultrawide	48 MP	12 MP (Sony IMX633)
Depth	Yes	Yes
Optical Zoom	4×	5×
4K Video	Up to 120 FPS	Up to 60 FPS
1080p Video	Up to 120 FPS	Up to 60 FPS
Slow Motion	240 FPS (1080p)	240 FPS (1080p)

Selfie Camera

Feature	iPhone 17 Pro Max	iPhone 15 Pro Max
Resolution	18 MP	12 MP (Sony IMX714)
Aperture	f/1.9	f/1.9
Autofocus	Phase AF	Phase AF
Stabilization	Optical	Optical
Video	4K @ 60 FPS	4K @ 60 FPS
TOF 3D Depth	Yes	Yes

Connectivity

Feature	iPhone 17 Pro Max	iPhone 15 Pro Max
Wi-Fi	Wi-Fi 7	Wi-Fi 6E
Bluetooth	6.0	5.3
USB	Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort	Type-C 3.2, DisplayPort
GPS	Multi-system (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou, QZSS, NAVIC)	Same
NFC	Yes	Yes

Audio

Feature	iPhone 17 Pro Max	iPhone 15 Pro Max
Speakers	Stereo with Dolby Atmos	Stereo with Dolby Atmos
Loudness Test	–	92.3 dB
3.5mm Jack	No	No

Other Specs

Feature	iPhone 17 Pro Max	iPhone 15 Pro Max
Category	Flagship	Flagship
Launch Price (MSRP)	$1199	$1199
Announced	Sept 2025	Sept 2023
SAR (Head/Body)	–	0.98 W/kg
Sensors	Face ID, Proximity, Gyro, Accelerometer, Compass, Ambient, Barometer	Same
Charger Included	No	No

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. Which iPhone has the better performance, the iPhone 17 Pro Max or the iPhone 15 Pro Max?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max offers a big leap in performance thanks to the Apple A19 Pro chip with higher clock speeds, 12 GB RAM, and better benchmark scores (up to 33% faster in GeekBench & AnTuTu).

2. Which iPhone has a better display?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the edge with a larger 6.9-inch OLED screen, 3000 nits brightness (vs 2000 nits), and slimmer bezels (91.6% screen-to-body ratio vs 89.8%).

3. How does the camera compare between iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max packs three 48 MP lenses (standard, telephoto, ultrawide), but the iPhone 15 Pro Max offers 5x optical zoom on its telephoto lens, which is better for long-distance shots.

4. Which iPhone has better battery life and charging?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max comes with a larger 5088 mAh battery and faster 40W charging (50% in 20 minutes), plus 25W wireless charging. The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 4441 mAh battery with slower 23W wired and 7.5W wireless charging.

5. What are the main reasons to upgrade from the iPhone 15 Pro Max to the iPhone 17 Pro Max?
You should consider upgrading if you want:

• More RAM (12 GB vs 8 GB)
• Higher performance (Apple A19 Pro)
• Faster charging (40W vs 23W)
• Brighter display (3000 nits vs 2000 nits)
• Wi-Fi 7 & Bluetooth 6.0 support