Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max review: specs, battery & used prices
Hands-on-style overview of the Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max with Apple A17 Pro: screen, cameras, battery, performance and what it costs used.
Summary
The iPhone 15 Pro Max is the everything iPhone of 2023: A17 Pro, 6.7-inch 120 Hz OLED at 2,000 nits, 4,441 mAh battery, titanium at 221 g, and the exclusive 5x tetraprism telephoto. Everyday 92/100, gaming 48/100, camera 39/100, battery 29/100 — no axis tells a weak story. New 8/256 units list at $1,199; used 8/256 units cluster around $560.
Display and design
The 6.7-inch ProMotion OLED reaches 2,000 nits peak with the best contrast and color in the class (screen 77/100). Titanium keeps 221 g tolerable for the size, IP68 sealing is standard, and the Action button replaces the mute switch. It is a large phone that earns its footprint rather than apologizing for it — compactness 68/100 is the only tax.
Performance
The A17 Pro delivers 48/100 gaming with genuine thermal headroom thanks to the larger chassis, and 92/100 everyday is the ceiling of its generation. Four major OS versions remain; the hardware will be current long after the battery chemistry retires.
Camera
The flagship system: 48 MP stabilized main, 12 MP ultrawide, and the 5x 120 mm tetraprism telephoto exclusive to the Max — the reason photographers pay the premium. 4K60 video, ProRes, the best stabilized footage of any phone of its year. Camera 39/100 sits at the top of the 2023 class alongside the iPhone 15 Pro.
Battery and charging
4,441 mAh is the largest iPhone battery of the generation: two days of moderate use, a full day of heavy (battery 29/100). 23 W wired charging is the compromise — capable, never thrilling, about an hour to full.
Verdict
The 15 Pro Max at around $560 used is the complete package: the only 2023 phone in the catalog with no meaningful weakness. Against the 15 Plus the premium buys 120 Hz, the 5x telephoto and a bigger battery — a premium that used pricing has compressed to a few hundred dollars.
Data sheet
Overall score
high tier (0–100 composite of performance, battery, value and longevity)
| Screen | 6.7" OLED |
|---|---|
| Chipset | Apple A17 Pro |
| Memory (RAM / storage) | 8 GB / 256 GB · 8 GB / 512 GB · 8 GB / 1024 GB |
| Battery | 4,441 mAh |
| Main camera | 48 MP |
| Released | 2023 · iOS |
Memory & used prices
| RAM / storage | New | Used (eBay median) | Listings |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 / 256 GB | $1,199 | $560 | 13 listings |
| 8 / 512 GB | — | $549 | 5 listings |
| 8 / 1024 GB | — | $785 | 2 listings |
Resale trend
Estimate from two anchors: launch MSRP $1,199 (2023) and used-market median $560 (2026). −22% / year · next year ≈ $434
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