[Mania] Lighter and Smarter... iPhone 15 Pro Max

Weight Reduced by 19g Compared to Previous Model with Titanium Material
Equipped with 'A17 Pro' Application Processor Chip

Apple's new iPhone 15 series is receiving better reviews in the market compared to its predecessor. As soon as pre-orders began on the 6th, the unlocked phones quickly sold out on online shopping malls, showing immense popularity. On the official release day, customers lined up even before Apple stores opened, eager to get their devices as soon as possible. Although there have been reports of sluggish sales in China, the series boasts high completeness, with no complaints yet about performance or design.

On the 18th, I tried out the top-tier model of the iPhone 15 series, the Pro Max. The color I chose was 'Natural Titanium,' which was the most popular among the four basic colors during the pre-order phase. The first impression upon holding the Pro Max was that it felt lighter than expected for its size. The iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs 221g, which is 19g lighter than the previous iPhone 14 Pro Max, which weighed 240g.

This is largely attributed to the use of titanium material. Titanium is known for having the best specific strength among metals. Specific strength is the value obtained by dividing the strength of a material by its density; materials that are light yet strong have high specific strength. The use of materials like matte glass gave the surface texture a rougher feel compared to previous models. The rounded edges also contributed to a comfortable grip.

The most noticeable difference in appearance compared to previous models is undoubtedly the charging port. The entire iPhone 15 series has switched from the proprietary 'Lightning' 8-pin port to a USB-C type. For loyal Apple users, this may cause inconvenience as they need to replace existing cables and accessories, but considering compatibility with other devices like Android smartphones and laptops, this change offers significant long-term benefits.

The side ringer/silent switch has been removed and replaced with an Action button. Users can assign functions such as camera, flashlight, voice memos, or shortcuts according to their preferences in the settings. However, it was a bit disappointing that only one function can be assigned to the Action button.

The Pro Max maintains the same screen size as its predecessor, with a resolution of 2796×1400 pixels. The display can achieve a peak brightness of 2000 nits, ensuring optimal visibility even under direct sunlight.

The performance is worthy of being called the best ever. It is equipped with the 'A17 Pro' chip, which serves as the smartphone's brain. Apple explains that this chip improves the efficiency of the central processing unit (CPU) and graphics processing unit (GPU) by 10% and 20%, respectively.

In fact, the Pro Max scored 2899 points in single-core and 7254 points in multi-core tests on the performance measurement site Geekbench. The previous model scored 1875 points in single-core and 5414 points in multi-core. The 'Metal Score,' which indicates graphics performance, was 27,336 points, about 22% higher than the previous model's 22,364 points.

The camera specs include a 48-megapixel main camera, and 12-megapixel ultra-wide rear and front cameras. The 5x zoom feature, exclusive to the Pro Max, adds another layer of fun for outdoor photography. However, hand shake was quite noticeable when shooting at 5x zoom.

The portrait mode was also interesting. It automatically activates when the camera detects a photo suitable for portrait shooting, and once a person appears in the frame, it clearly captures them no matter how many people there are.

The overheating issue, which was controversial at the initial release of this series, was not particularly noticeable after the operating system update (iOS 17.0.3). The device did get slightly warm during charging or extended gaming sessions, but this is a level that can be felt on other devices as well.

If there is one downside, it is the price. The Pro Max's retail price is 1.9 million KRW for the 256GB model. This is 300,000 KRW more expensive than the competing Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra, which is priced at 1,599,400 KRW. In this era of high inflation, consumers may find this price burdensome.