We tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max and compared it to the camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra

Sales of the new iPhone 15 have started in many parts of the world and many people are rushing to buy their own iPhone. Presales in Brazil will start next Wednesday (27) with prices starting from R$ 7,300.

I already have an iPhone 15 Pro Max in my hand, which is the most powerful version of this year and has new features such as a titanium body, a camera with 5x optical zoom and, for example, the ability to record videos to be viewed on Apple Vision Pro. .

While passing through New York, USA, after checking out a Microsoft event featuring many new features from the Windows and Surface series, I had the opportunity to walk around and take a few photos. Also for a quick photo comparison with the Galaxy S23 Ultra, which has up to 10x optical zoom (and the famous 100x digital zoom).

Unboxing sprint

Just like in recent years, the iPhone unboxing process has become increasingly faster. After removing the two seals and opening the box you will find:

• The mobile phone itself;
• A braided USB-C cable (on both ends), just like on MacBooks;
• A label;
• Quick instructions and eSIM guide (for models sold in the US).

The model I chose was the titanium blue iPhone 15 Pro Max, which even turns black depending on the light. Apple also sells the handset in natural titanium, white and black, all with a matte finish.

Same but different design

The appearance of the new iPhone is not much different from the iPhone 14 Pro Max. The camera area is slightly larger, especially in the telephoto sensor. The edges of the screen are also smaller, but this is something that is very difficult to notice.

But yes, there are more notable changes. It is about 18~19 grams lighter and you can feel it because it is a large mobile phone. Its structure is now made of titanium, unlike the previous generation of stainless steel. Apple says the material is lighter as well as more durable.

Compared to the flat shape of the iPhone 14, both the front and back corners are more rounded. This provides a slimmer view when you swipe the corner of the screen, such as when you want to navigate from one area to another within an app..

The change also helps ergonomics. The new titanium-compatible iPhone 15 Pro now seems to slip less out of your hand. It really is a tighter grip. However, as people noticed on the day of the presentation, there are a lot of fingerprints on the edges.

Another big change on this year’s Pro models is the replacement of the classic switch used to turn silent mode on and off with a physical Action Button. Apple gives you nine options so far:

• Silence mode;
• Focus mode;
• Camera;
• Flashlight;
• Voice recording;
• Magnifying glass;
• Shortcut (from Shortcuts application);
• Accessibility;
• Or disable the button.

The annoying part is that you can’t customize it the way you want with different commands like pressing once, twice, three times, and so on. But you do have access to the Shortcuts app, which can unlock many options.

USB-C finally comes to iPhone

But what everyone was talking about was the first time the USB-C connector was used on an Apple mobile phone. It’s been kind of forced to change because of European laws, but it’s great for the consumer.

I even charged it a little with a Samsung charger, but nothing special happened. It just charges and that’s it. This is a very good point because you no longer need to carry around the Lightning connector that only Apple uses (or used to use).

The iPhone 15 Pro has a USB-C 3 port. Allows data transfer up to 10 Gb/s. This is a lot and allows you to record videos, for example, and save them directly to an external SSD.

But if you want to use all this power, you will need to buy a cable separately, because what comes in the mobile phone box is USB 2 with speeds of up to 480 Mb/s.. This is actually the standard used in the USB-C port of the iPhone 15 and 15 Plus. Knowing Apple as much as we do, I have to admit I could expect this.

Screen

Apple took no chances and kept the same screen sizes as the latest models. Therefore, the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro are 6.1 inches in size, and the iPhone 15 Plus and 15 Pro Max models are 6.7 inches in size. It is worth noting that the Pro versions are the only models with features such as always-on display and 120 Hz refresh rate.

And these screens are pretty bright. Peak outdoor brightness is 2,000 nitsThis makes taking photos on the street much easier. It’s worth noting that this time around, all iPhone 15 models have OLED displays with Dynamic Island, the smarter “notch” that arrived last year.

Cameras: iPhone 15 Pro Max and Galaxy S23 Ultra

As I said, I took the new iPhone for a spin and took some really great photos. It has a 48MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide-angle camera, and another 12MP telephoto lens with 2x and 5x optical zoom, which is the big news here.

We tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max and compared it to the camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra

We tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max and compared it to the camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra

We tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max and compared it to the camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra

We tested the iPhone 15 Pro Max and compared it to the camera of the Galaxy S23 Ultra

This new 5x zoom camera is only available on the iPhone 15 Pro Max and can be used for both photos and video. It’s too early to tell if it’s incredible, but at least what I could see on the first day of using it was truly great quality.

I managed to create images that are very close to reality and have very vibrant colors and skin tones. HDR enhances images well but doesn’t leave anything weird or weird. I also found that switching between cameras was quick and all the sensors felt nimble against moving objects.

Another thing that worked very quickly was the automatic adjustment of the sensor when recognizing scenes. When the iPhone recognizes a plate or a flower, for example, it automatically adjusts the focal length to make the photo more pleasing.

iPhone 15 Pro Max wide-angle camera.

Galaxy S23 Ultra wide-angle camera.

The main camera of the iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Galaxy S23 Ultra main camera.

iPhone 15 Pro Max 2x zoom.

Galaxy S23 Ultra 2x zoom.

iPhone 15 Pro Max 5x zoom.

Galaxy S23 Ultra 5x zoom.

10x zoom of iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Galaxy S23 Ultra’s 10x zoom.

One of the details Apple added was the use of the 48 MP sensor to record photos in 24 MP, a solution designed for different focal lengths, among others. You can tap the “1x” button to switch between 24mm, 28mm and 35mm modes, and in the settings you can make them the camera’s default format.

There’s still a lot to test on the new iPhone 15 Pro Max. Mainly in terms of performance, camera and battery, because it has the new A17 Pro chip. This was my first day using it, so let me know if you have any questions about the device. Just reach us on social media or YouTube.