Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max 1TB

This might not deserve its own sub-head here, but I'll still add one. Truth be told, the USB-C port is a nice addition, but at least from a regular user's perspective, might not be as game-changing as I thought previously. I mean, if one is stranded outside with a low battery, the USB-C port might make it slightly easier to find and borrow a compatible charger from someone, and connecting accessories and other devices is easier too. But from the point of view of a traveller or anyone who juggles multiple devices, the inclusion of a Type-C port on the iPhone just means having to carry one less cable. Not such a big deal then… just a bit more convenient. For pro users and videographers though, the USB 3 speeds and the ability to record straight to SSD should definitely prove to be very useful. More on that in a bit.

The cameras form a big chunk of the story this time, just like previous years, and Apple has ensured that the new iPhone 15 Pro Max justifies its pro tag properly. The 48MP f/1.78 main snapper features sensor-shift OIS and shoots in 24MP by default now. Apart from 24mm, it can also shoot in 28m and 35mm (displayed as 1.2x and 1.5x respectively when you tap the 1x icon on the camera viewfinder), though I can't say I found this particularly useful. Pros might appreciate it though. Then there's the 12MP f/2.2 Ultra Wide shooter with 120-degree field of view. A big talking point this time is the 5x optical zoom (only on the Pro Max), up from 3x in the previous model. Digital zoom can go up to 25x, and there's a new long-range zoom guide to help from shots. These high zoom levels are aided by a new 3D sensor shift stabilisation which Apple calls its most advanced stabilisation yet. All of this means you can take those long-range shots — birds, wildlife, nature, sightseeing, what have you — easily, with good quality and minimal shake. Another big addition is the ability to shoot portraits directly from photo mode, without switching to the dedicated portrait mode. This feature works only when the iPhone detects a person, dog, or cat in the frame, automatically capturing depth info so can turn on the portrait effect later. An f icon on the bottom left of the viewfinder indicates depth info is being captured. And not only does it work really, I do think it's a game changer. The option to add bokeh to a regular shot later is so handy, and one can really go wild paying out with photos when you're browsing through them after returning from a vacation, for instance.

Speaking of consistency, another reliable aspect is the performance delivered by the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Thanks to the new A17 Pro chip (Apple sure loves using the Pro label wherever it can), which, for the very first time, uses 3nm transistor technology. There's a new 6-core CPU, a new Neural engine that is supposed to be 2X faster than before, a new 6-core GPU, dedicated engines for features like ProRes codec, a new AV decoder for streaming, a new controller for USB 3 and more. One of the big talking points here is that the new SoC aims to make the iPhone 15 Pro Max a portable gaming console. Notably, games like Resident Evil Village and Assassin's Creed Mirage will be coming later this year and early next year. As expected, the iPhone 15 Pro Max aces benchmark scores and delivers super smooth usage in day-to-day tasks — whether they're productivity-based, social apps, entertainment and multimedia, or a bit more strenuous, like intensive games. Also worth mentioning are the heating issues, reports of which have been doing the rounds. I did notice some random heating on my review unit, but it never became too uncomfortable to hold. Thankfully, I also didn't encounter any alert saying the iPhone can't be charged till it cools down. Apple did acknowledge the issues and has since issued an update to resolve it, so hopefully those niggles should be past us.

Next up, the battery. In my usage, the iPhone 15 Pro Max delivered a day's worth, and with light to moderate use, most people should be able to return home with some juice in the tank by the end of the day. With heavy use, AoD on, and innumerable apps waking up the screen for notifications, I found myself looking for a charger by late evening sometimes. As far as charging is concerned, Apple says the iPhone 15 Pro Max can be juiced up to 50 percent levels in 35 minutes using a 20W charger, and that's about right. In my testing, the phone charges up pretty quickly till 80 percent, and then takes a while to move up to 100. Expect close to a couple of hours if you want a full tank. Then there's support for MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W speeds, and Qi Wireless charging at 7.5W too. And the iPhone can now even reverse charge other devices via Type-C at 4.5W speeds as well. Also worth mentioning are the new options found under battery settings. Apart from adaptive charging, you also have the option of restricting battery levels to 80 percent, thereby helping reduce battery ageing over the long term.