Buzz
Additionally, the A17 Bionic chip is said to debut exclusively on the and . This will be the world's first 3nm chip, promising impressive performance improvements and power efficiency compared to the previous-generation A16 Bionic SoC.
However, there's still a gap between the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. There's one feature exclusive to the highest-end iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Promising Lens Tubes: Exclusive to iPhone 15 Pro Max
According to Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, 'the highest-end model in the iPhone 15 lineup set to debut later this year will feature promising lens tubes.' In other words, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will bring impressive optical zoom capabilities to users, surpassing the iPhone 15 Pro.
Kuo also asserts that Largan will serve as the promising supplier of lens tubes for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. He even reveals that the price for this component is a mere 4 USD. Consequently, the iPhone 15 Pro is likely to be stuck at a 3x optical zoom. Meanwhile, the Galaxy S23 Ultra offers dual telephoto lenses with 3x and 10x zoom capabilities. On the other hand, the Google Pixel 7 Pro boasts a more robust 5x optical zoom.
If you doubt how significant good zoom capability can be, take a look at zoomed-in photos compared to those from the Galaxy S22 Ultra. Here's just one example where the iPhone falls behind with its 15x zoom photos compared to its competitor's.
However, Apple will catch up with other competitors this year as the iPhone 15 Pro Max will feature a 5x or 6x telephoto zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro will only have a 3x telephoto camera. Additionally, the iPhone 15 Pro Max will have a significantly larger digital zoom level than the current 15x.
Currently, the Pixel 7 Pro boasts a zoom capability of up to 30x, while the Galaxy S23 Ultra boasts an impressive 100x Space Zoom feature.
The Distinction Between iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro
Apart from the promising lens tube zoom capability, the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro will have several other key distinctions. Firstly, the Pro Max model will once again feature a larger 6.7-inch screen, compared to the 6.1-inch display of the iPhone 15 Pro. Personally, I prefer the larger screen for a more expansive display space, while some users prefer the compact, easy-to-hold design of the iPhone 15 Pro.
The second major difference between these two phones lies in battery capacity. In tests, the Max lasted up to 13 hours and 39 minutes, making it the phone with the best battery life. Meanwhile, the Pro only lasted 10 hours and 13 minutes. Therefore, this difference is likely to also occur in this year's iPhone 15 Pro lineup.
Finally, although both integrated with the A17 Bionic chip, the performance between the iPhone Pro pair will differ. The iPhone 15 Pro Max can completely outperform its 'sibling'.
Conclusion
Many rumors suggest that Apple will increase the price for the iPhone 15 Pro series. Therefore, buyers will need to carefully consider when upgrading from the iPhone 14 Pro series. However, as long as the zoom photography capability from the promising lens is convincing enough, the starting price of 1,200 USD for the iPhone 15 Pro Max is completely justified.
