It’s been almost a year since the iPhone 15 models were released, so MacRumors Videographer Dan Barbera decided to conduct a one-year check-in test of the iPhone 15 Pro Max to see how it has performed over the past 12 months.
Unsurprisingly, Dan has noticed some degradation in the iPhone battery, which has dropped to 89 percent. This is with regular CarPlay use, beta version, and normal everyday use. Even at 89 percent, the battery still lasts a full day without needing to be charged.
The titanium case has held up well. There are a few scuffs from minor drops, but the display has taken significantly more damage with several scratches, some of which are deep.
The transition to USB-C was a little tricky because there are still people with Lightning iPhones, and if someone wants to borrow your charger, you might not have the right cable if you’ve switched to USB-C and they still have Lightning.
Dan uses the Action button to open the Camera app, but the Action button can do a lot more in iOS 18 and will become much more useful in the future. You can put Control Center controls on the Action button and developers can create new controls for apps that you can use.
There’s not much to say about the triple camera, it’s great. The 5x zoom lens is great for taking portraits of people and is a solid improvement. Otherwise the cameras are fantastic and offer a great range of focal lengths thanks to the new zoom option.
Overall, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has held up well, and if you have one (or a Pro), there’s no real reason to upgrade to the iPhone 16 models. The A17 Pro in the iPhone 15 Pro is incredibly fast and most people probably aren’t even pushing the limits of its capabilities right now, and Apple isn’t adding much more in 2024 than an extra record button and a slightly larger display. You can already take advantage of Apple Intelligence if you have an iPhone 15 Pro model, so upgrading year to year doesn’t do much good.
If you own an older iPhone, it’s worth taking a look at the iPhone 16 models or even an iPhone 15 Pro when prices drop and they’re no longer manufactured. All iPhone 16 models have an Apple Intelligence compatible chip, a record button, and an action button, so you have a lot to gain over an iPhone 14 or earlier.
How did your iPhone 15 perform, if you have one? Let us know in the comments below.
