The iPhone 15 Pro Max was the first iPhone with a titanium design and a 5x telephoto camera, and the first iPhone to support USB 3 speeds. Apple no longer lists it on its main iPhone page, but it remains common on the used and refurbished market, so this page collects Apple’s documented specifications and iFixit’s repair information, and explains what they mean for the cable and charger you need. Every figure is traced to a source listed at the bottom of the page.
Key specs
| Release date | 2023-09-22 |
|---|---|
| Status | Older model |
| Charging port | USB-C |
| USB spec | USB 3 (up to 10Gb/s) |
| Wireless charging | Qi, Qi2, MagSafe |
| Charger in box | No |
| Display type | OLED |
| Display size (in) | 6.7 |
| Refresh rate (Hz) | 120 |
| Chip | A17 Pro |
| Storage options | 256GB, 512GB, 1TB |
| Launch price (USD, MSRP) | $1199 |
| iFixit repairability score | 7/10 |
The wired charging row is blank on purpose: Apple gives a fast-charge claim tied to a 20W adapter, not a maximum wattage, and we do not guess one.
Where does the iPhone 15 Pro Max fit?
Apple debuted the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max together, with pre-orders beginning Friday, September 15, 2023 and availability from Friday, September 22. Apple said the iPhone 15 Pro Max starts at $1,199 in the US with 256GB, 512GB and 1TB of storage, and lists four finishes: black titanium, white titanium, blue titanium and natural titanium. Apple’s launch post says the aerospace-grade titanium makes these Apple’s lightest Pro models ever.
We found no sales ranking that names the iPhone 15 Pro Max, so it ranks thirty-eighth in our library on the strength of Apple’s own compare page, which lists it among older iPhones. Apple’s main lineup page now lists the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone Air, iPhone 17, iPhone 17e and iPhone 16, so we mark the phone as discontinued; carriers and retailers may still stock it. See the Apple hub for current models, including the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
What cable does the iPhone 15 Pro Max use?
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has one USB-C connector. Apple’s specifications list charging, DisplayPort and USB 3 data transfer at up to 10Gb/s, with a footnote that a USB 3 cable with 10Gb/s speed is required. The box includes a 1 m USB-C charge cable that Apple says supports fast charging and works with USB-C power adapters and computer ports.
Apple’s launch post says a new USB controller enables USB 3 speeds on iPhone for the first time, with up to 20x faster transfer speeds when you use an optional USB 3 cable. The USB-IF says USB products run at the lowest common speed, so a slow cable limits a fast port; see the USB speed guide. Our USB-C explainer covers the connector. If you have Lightning accessories from an older phone, our Lightning page summarizes what Apple says about its USB-C to Lightning adapter, and cable buying safety covers choosing a new cable.
What charger does the iPhone 15 Pro Max need?
Wired. Apple lists the iPhone 15 Pro Max as fast-charge capable: up to 50% charge in around 30 minutes with a 20W adapter or higher (available separately). The phone does not include a power adapter, and Apple encourages you to use any compatible USB-C power adapter. See the wattage guide and USB Power Delivery.
MagSafe. Apple lists MagSafe wireless charging up to 15W. Apple’s MagSafe page groups this generation with models that reach up to 15W with a 20W or greater USB-C power adapter and a MagSafe Charger with part number A2140, and says charging is limited to 7.5W while USB-C or Lightning accessories are connected. Plug the charger into power before placing the phone on it, so MagSafe can verify it is safe to deliver maximum power.
Qi2 and Qi. Apple lists Qi2 wireless charging up to 15W and Qi wireless charging up to 7.5W; see Qi2 explained, Qi explained and the wireless charger guide. For a checklist, read which charger is safe for my phone.
The screen, explained
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 6.7-inch all-screen OLED display, branded Super Retina XDR, at 2796-by-1290 pixels and 460 ppi, with Dynamic Island and an Always-On display. Apple lists ProMotion technology with adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz, 1000 nits typical maximum brightness, 1600 nits peak for HDR and 2000 nits peak outdoors. OLED means each pixel makes its own light; see OLED explained. Adaptive refresh is what LTPO OLED panels enable, although Apple does not use the term LTPO on the pages we checked. The refresh rate guide explains what the 120Hz figure means.
Performance, cameras and battery
The A17 Pro chip has a 6-core CPU with 2 performance and 4 efficiency cores, a 6-core GPU and a 16-core Neural Engine, according to Apple’s specifications. Apple’s launch post calls it the industry’s first 3-nanometer chip and says it brings hardware-accelerated ray tracing and a dedicated AV1 decoder.
The Pro camera system has a 48MP Main camera (24 mm, f/1.78, second-generation sensor-shift optical image stabilization), a 12MP Ultra Wide (13 mm, f/2.2, 120-degree field of view), a 12MP 2x Telephoto enabled by the Main camera’s quad-pixel sensor and a 12MP 5x Telephoto (120 mm, f/2.8, tetraprism design with 3D sensor-shift optical image stabilization and autofocus). Apple lists 5x optical zoom in, 2x optical zoom out, a 10x optical zoom range and digital zoom up to 25x, plus a 12MP TrueDepth front camera at f/1.9. Apple’s launch post says the 5x Telephoto has a 25 percent larger sensor and 100 percent Focus Pixels, and calls its f/2.8 aperture the largest of any smartphone at that optical range.
For battery life Apple lists up to 29 hours of video playback, up to 25 hours of streamed video and up to 95 hours of audio playback. These are manufacturer figures.
Build, durability and connectivity
The phone has a titanium design with a Ceramic Shield front and a textured matte glass back. It is rated IP68, with a maximum depth of 6 meters for up to 30 minutes under IEC standard 60529. It measures 6.29 inches tall, 3.02 inches wide and 0.32 inch deep and weighs 7.81 ounces (221 grams). Apple lists an Action button, Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3, Thread, a second-generation Ultra Wideband chip, 5G on sub-6 GHz and mmWave bands with 4x4 MIMO, Emergency SOS via satellite and Crash Detection. It uses dual eSIM and is not compatible with physical SIM cards.
How it compares with the iPhone 16 Pro Max
Apple’s pages show the iPhone 16 Pro Max as the next step. It has a 6.9-inch display against 6.7 inches, the A18 Pro chip against the A17 Pro, MagSafe at up to 25W against 15W, and up to 33 hours of video playback against 29. Both list USB 3 at up to 10Gb/s, ProMotion up to 120Hz, a 5x telephoto camera and a $1,199 launch price.
What is in the box
Apple’s specifications list the iPhone, a 1 m USB-C charge cable and documentation, and say the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max do not include a power adapter or EarPods. Apple encourages you to use any compatible USB-C power adapter.
Repair overview
iFixit’s device page for the iPhone 15 Pro Max shows a repairability score of 7 out of 10 and lists guides for parts including the back glass, screen, battery and speakers. Three guides we verified are iPhone 15 Pro Max Back Glass Removal, iPhone 15 Pro Max Screen Removal and iPhone 15 Pro Max Battery Disconnection. We link to the pages and never copy iFixit’s text.
Read our repair overview for the iPhone 15 Pro Max, battery replacement basics, screen replacement basics and how to read repairability scores. Apple says a professional provider using genuine parts is the safest route for most battery repairs.
Video reviews
We have not verified individual review videos for this phone, so we do not list any. You can browse more video reviews of the iPhone 15 Pro Max on YouTube.
Compatible accessories
Categories to look at: MagSafe cases, 20W chargers and screen protectors. Apple’s launch post introduced FineWoven cases with MagSafe, so check any case you buy is made for this model. We do not have affiliate links yet; when we do they will be marked as paid links.
See the accessories hub, chargers and power banks, which have airline rules.
Who should buy it, and who might skip it
Facts that help you decide:
- You want a titanium phone with a 5x telephoto camera. Apple lists both for this model.
- You want USB 3 speeds. Apple lists up to 10Gb/s with a suitable cable.
- You want repair information. iFixit scores it 7 out of 10 and lists guides.
- You want faster wireless charging. Apple lists up to 15W here, against 25W on the iPhone 16 Pro Max.
- You want a charger included. None is in the box.
- You want a phone Apple still lists. It is not on Apple’s main lineup page.