iPhone 15 Pro Max: The three new features I’m most excited about

I buy a new iPhone every year, so the fact that I’m planning to buy an iPhone 15 this year should come as no surprise. Nor did I have to talk myself into making that decision. This year, however, there are three upgrades coming with the iPhone 15 Pro Max that I think will serve as the biggest changes to the iPhone experience since the iPhone X.

For those wondering: I’ve been an iPhone Upgrade Program member for years. This makes it very, very easy to get a new iPhone every generation – and I pay a little more every month (I think?) for that privilege. This year, barring any surprises, I’m planning to buy the iPhone 15 Pro Max. I’ve been a member of the so-called “Max Club” since the iPhone XS Max, and of the “Plus Club” before it.

With that housekeeping out of the way, here are the three iPhone 15 Pro Max features that I’m most excited to see.

USB-C

This should come as no surprise to anyone, but the iPhone 15’s switch to USB-C is easily at the top of my list this year. While I do use wireless charging to recharge my iPhone the majority of the time, the USB-C switch will do wonders for what I need to keep in my laptop bag and what I need to bring when I travel.

When I travel with the iPhone 14, I always bring multiple Lightning cables with me. I want to make sure I always have one within reach, and have backup in case one fails. After all, some of these Lightning cables have been hanging around for years at this point. But I also have to pack multiple USB-C cables for my MacBook Air and my iPad mini.

Once I have the iPhone 15 Pro Max with USB-C, I can cut those Lightning cables out of my setup. I can use the USB-C cables I’m also already carrying to now charge my phone as well.

It’s also looking like there will be some practical benefits to USB-C on the iPhone 15 Pro, in addition to the quality-of-life upgrades. Rumors seem to suggest transfer speeds and charging speeds will see a boost this year. The faster charging speed is something I’m very excited about, especially for travel.

There’s one big asterisk to how the iPhone 15 Pro Max will rid my life of Lightning cables: AirPods Max. I’m a big fan of AirPods Max, even though they’ve grown rather long in the tooth – including the fact that they still use Lightning for charging.

The good news is that AirPods Max have relatively solid battery life. If I’m going away on a weekend trip, I don’t need to charge them at all. For longer trips, and for day-to-day life at home, I guess I’ll have to keep one Lightning cable lying around. Or maybe I’ll just switch to the Beats Studio Pro.

For this reason, I’m also planning to buy a new version of the AirPods Pro charging case with USB-C, assuming the rumors are correct that this is also coming next week.

Periscope camera

Another change coming to the iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular is the addition of a periscope camera. This switchover will drastically improve the optical zoom range of the iPhone’s camera, an area in which Apple has lagged behind for years.

One of my favorite things about TikTok is seeing concert videos. I can’t help but notice that videos shot with Samsung’s flagship phones oftentimes look a lot better than videos shot on iPhone. The vast majority of the time, the reason for this is that Samsung phones, such as the Galaxy S23 Ultra, already offer a periscope lens with up to 10x optical zoom.

In contrast, the iPhone 14 Pro’s telephoto lens has an optical zoom range of just 3x. This means the iPhone 14 Pro will switch to digital zoom – which is far lower quality – much sooner than the Galaxy S23 Ultra.

The current rumors seem to suggest the iPhone 15 Pro will offer around 6x optical zoom. That’s a big step in the right direction, even if it doesn’t match what Samsung’s flagship phones have.

A new titanium chassis

Last but not least, the iPhone 15 Pro chassis is widely rumored to switch from a stainless steel to titanium. The iPhone has used stainless steel since the iPhone X, so this is a big change that’s been a long time coming.

There are two reasons I’m optimistic about this change:

• Titanium is significantly lighter than stainless steel. The iPhone 14 Pro Max is a heavy phone. I think the weight is the biggest reason some people choose the iPhone 14 Pro, or even the standard iPhone 14, instead. Zac did some back-of-the-envelope math in an attempt to estimate how much lighter the titanium chassis might be, and I’m excited.
• The stainless steel design is a fingerprint magnet. The iPhone 15 Pro’s titanium chassis will have a matte finish, likely similar to the aluminum finish on the non-Pro models. This should improve the durability and make the phones a lot less fingerprint-y.

This change appears to mean that the iPhone 15 Pro will be available in a very boring lineup of colors. If leads to a lighter design, or allows Apple to pack a bigger battery inside without making the phone heavier, that’s a tradeoff I’m willing to make.

iPhone 15 Pro wrap up

These are just three of the rumored changes for the iPhone 15 Pro. Other new features will reportedly include slimmer bezels around the display, a new 3nm A17 Bionic chip, and a new Action button in place of the mute switch.

Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 15 lineup on September 12, with pre-orders to follow on September 15 and a release on September 22.

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