iPhone 15 Pro Max Review after 1 year - SKIP iPhone 16?!

Summary

In this video, the reviewer shares their experience with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, highlighting the benefits of the USB-C port, improved camera quality, and new software features with iOS 18. They discuss the phone's overheating issues during summer and speculate on the upcoming iPhone 16, which may include a larger display, better AI features, and improved ultra-wide camera quality. The reviewer concludes that despite the potential of the iPhone 16, the iPhone 15 Pro Max remains a solid choice for those not needing to upgrade immediately.

Takeaways

• 📱 The user has been upgrading their iPhone annually but is considering not upgrading this year due to the satisfactory performance of their current iPhone 15.
• 🔌 The introduction of USB type-c in the iPhone 15 Pro Max has been a significant improvement, providing a universal charging solution and easier file transfers.
• 📸 The camera quality on the iPhone 15 Pro Max is so impressive that it led the user to sell their Fujifilm X100 Mark 6, opting for the iPhone's versatility and image quality.
• 🌆 The iPhone's camera system, particularly in low-light situations and with features like Cinematic mode, has become good enough for professional shoots.
• 🌑 The user is not fully satisfied with the ultra-wide camera quality, especially in low light, which is an area they hope will improve in the upcoming iPhone 16.
• 🎥 Final Cut camera's release has enhanced the iPhone's camera capabilities, offering manual controls and processing that rival DSLR quality.
• 📲 The developer beta of iOS 18 introduces Apple intelligent features, including improved text and notification summaries, and advanced search for photos and videos.
• 🔍 The new iOS update also allows for creating custom videos from memories using search terms, making it easier to access and share old memories.
• 🌡️ The user has experienced issues with the iPhone 15's screen dimming and overheating during the summer, which has been frustrating for outdoor use and gaming.
• 🆕 Anticipated features of the iPhone 16 include a larger display, a 5x camera on the Pro model, an A18 Pro chip for enhanced AI, and an improved ultra-wide camera with 48 megapixels.

Q & A

Why did the user consider not upgrading their iPhone this year?

The user has been satisfied with their iPhone 15 Pro Max for almost a year, and with the iPhone 16 coming out, they are contemplating whether the improvements are significant enough to warrant an upgrade.

What is the user's opinion on the USB type-c feature on the iPhone 15 Pro Max?

The user finds the USB type-c feature to be amazing, appreciating the convenience of having a single cable for charging and connecting various devices. They are frustrated with Apple for the delay in implementing this feature.

How did the iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera quality compare to the Fujifilm X100 Mark 6 for the user?

The user found the iPhone 15 Pro Max's camera quality to be so impressive that they sold their Fujifilm X100 Mark 6, opting to use their iPhone for photography due to its versatility with multiple lenses and high image quality.

What new software features is the user excited about in iOS 18?

The user is excited about the new Apple intelligent features in iOS 18, particularly the summer text or notifications, improved search for photos and videos, and the ability to make custom videos from memories.

What issue has the user been facing with their iPhone during the summer?

The user has been experiencing issues with the iPhone overheating during the summer, which results in screen dimming and, in some cases, the device becoming unusable due to thermal throttling.

What is the user's view on the titanium body of the iPhone 15 Pro Max?

The user prefers aluminum over titanium for the body of the iPhone due to its better thermal dissipation properties. They are not satisfied with the lack of effective cooling solutions in iPhones compared to some Android devices.

What are the expected features of the iPhone 16 that might tempt the user to upgrade?

The expected features of the iPhone 16 that might tempt the user to upgrade include a larger display, a 5x camera, the A18 Pro chip for improved AI features, a capture button on the side, and a 48-megapixel Ultra-wide camera for better low-light performance.

What advice does the user have for those considering buying an iPhone 15 Pro Max or waiting for the iPhone 16?

The user suggests that if one values camera quality and the current features of the iPhone 15 Pro Max are satisfactory, it could be a good purchase even without waiting for the iPhone 16. However, if improved camera performance and AI features are priorities, waiting for the iPhone 16 might be worth considering.

What is the user's opinion on the iady V3 foldable smartphone AI gimbal from the sponsor hem?

The user appreciates the iady V3 foldable smartphone AI gimbal for its anti-shake stabilization, upgraded AI tracking, and the ability to control it with hand gestures, which they believe can enhance the iPhone's camera capabilities.

What is the user's recommendation for dealing with the overheating issue on the iPhone during summer?

The user suggests considering a case that helps with cooling as a potential solution to the overheating issue during the summer months.

Outlines

00:00

📱 iPhone 15 Experience and Upcoming iPhone 16

The speaker shares their experience with the iPhone 15, contemplating whether to upgrade to the iPhone 16. They've been using the iPhone 15 for nearly a year and appreciate the USB type-c feature, which has made charging and connecting various devices more convenient. They also discuss the camera quality, comparing it to a Fujifilm X100 Mark 6 camera, and find the iPhone's camera system impressive, particularly for portraits and video shooting. However, they express dissatisfaction with the ultra-wide camera's performance in low light. The speaker also mentions the new Final Cut camera app, which offers manual controls and improved image quality. They introduce a sponsored product, the iady V3 foldable smartphone AI gimbal, which enhances iPhone camera capabilities with features like AI tracking and a detachable remote control. Lastly, they touch on the developer beta of iOS 18, highlighting new features like smart text summaries and improved photo and video search.

05:01

🔥 Overheating Issues and Anticipated iPhone 16 Features

The speaker discusses issues with the iPhone 15's overheating, especially during the summer, which leads to screen dimming and even temporary unusability. They compare the iPhone's thermal management to that of the M4 iPads, noting that the latter has improved cooling. The speaker speculates on the features of the upcoming iPhone 16, including larger display sizes, a 5x camera, the A18 Pro chip for enhanced AI features, and a capture button on the side. They express particular interest in the rumored 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, which could address their dissatisfaction with the current model's low-light performance. The speaker concludes by suggesting that the iPhone 15 is still a worthy device to keep for another year, despite the potential allure of the iPhone 16's new features.

10:02

🌐 Final Thoughts on iPhone 15 and Engagement Call to Action

In the concluding paragraph, the speaker invites viewers to share their thoughts on whether they plan to keep their iPhone 15 or consider upgrading to the iPhone 16. They ask viewers to comment on their reasons for choosing to buy the current model or waiting for the new release. The speaker also encourages viewers to subscribe and explore other videos, signing off as Max, indicating the end of the video.

Keywords

💡iPhone 15 Pro Max

The iPhone 15 Pro Max is a specific model of Apple's smartphone line mentioned in the script. It represents the latest iteration of Apple's iPhone at the time of the video. The script discusses several new features and improvements in this model, such as USB type-c compatibility, camera quality enhancements, and software updates, positioning it as a significant upgrade from previous models.

💡USB type-c

USB type-c is a newer, universal charging port standard that Apple has implemented in the iPhone 15 Pro Max, as mentioned in the script. This change allows for a single cable to charge and connect various devices, which is a significant convenience upgrade for users who previously had to use Apple's proprietary Lightning cable. The script highlights the user's positive experience with this new feature, noting its impact on daily use.

💡Camera Quality

Camera Quality refers to the capabilities and performance of the iPhone's camera system. The script discusses how the iPhone 15 Pro Max has seen significant improvements in this area, to the point where the user sold their dedicated Fujifilm camera because the iPhone's camera was sufficiently high quality for their needs. This underscores the video's theme of technological advancement and the iPhone's role as a versatile tool for photography enthusiasts.

💡Cinema Mode

Cinema Mode is a feature of the iPhone's camera software that allows for professional-looking video with depth-of-field effects. The script praises the improvements in this mode over the past year, noting that it has become good enough for the user to use their iPhone for professional shoots. This keyword is integral to the video's discussion of the iPhone's evolving role in content creation.

💡Final Cut camera

Final Cut camera is a software application released by Apple that enhances the camera capabilities of iOS devices. The script mentions that this app, along with the iPhone's built-in features, has allowed the user to achieve DSLR-like image quality. This keyword is relevant to the video's broader narrative about the convergence of smartphone and professional camera technologies.

💡iOS 18

iOS 18 is the latest version of Apple's mobile operating system at the time of the video. The script discusses the new intelligent features it brings, such as improved text summarization and search capabilities for photos and videos. These features are part of the video's exploration of how software updates can enhance the user experience and extend the life of devices like the iPhone.

💡Thermal Dissipation

Thermal Dissipation refers to the ability of a material or device to conduct and release heat. The script touches on the user's frustration with the iPhone's overheating issues, particularly in the summer, and contrasts this with the better thermal management of some Android devices. This keyword is tied to the video's discussion of the trade-offs in device design and the importance of effective cooling for performance.

💡iPhone 16

The iPhone 16 is the anticipated next model of Apple's iPhone line, expected to be released after the iPhone 15 Pro Max discussed in the script. The video speculates on the features it might include, such as a larger display, improved AI capabilities, and a better ultra-wide camera. The keyword 'iPhone 16' is central to the script's consideration of whether users should wait for new models or take advantage of deals on current models.

💡AI Features

AI Features in the context of the script refer to the artificial intelligence capabilities that Apple is integrating into its devices, such as the iPhone and its camera software. The script suggests that the iPhone 16 will have enhanced AI features, which will improve the user experience in areas like photography and software personalization. This keyword is part of the video's broader conversation about the integration of AI into consumer technology.

💡Capture Button

The Capture Button is a rumored feature for the iPhone 16 that would allow for easier recording of video content. The script speculates that this button could encourage users to record in widescreen format, which aligns with Apple's vision for video recording on iPhones. This keyword is relevant to the video's discussion of how hardware changes can influence user behavior and content creation.

💡Ultra Wide Camera

The Ultra Wide Camera is a feature of the iPhone's camera system that allows for wider angle shots. The script mentions that the iPhone 16 is expected to have an improved 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera, which would address the current model's limitations in low-light situations. This keyword is integral to the video's comparison of camera capabilities across different iPhone models.

Highlights

The user has been upgrading their iPhone annually but is considering not upgrading this year due to the iPhone 15's satisfactory performance.

The iPhone 15 Pro Max introduced USB type-c, which has significantly improved the user's experience by allowing a single cable for charging and data transfer.

The camera quality on the iPhone 15 has been so impressive that the user sold their Fujifilm X100 Mark 6, preferring the iPhone's versatility.

The iPhone's portrait mode and cinematic mode have seen significant improvements, leading the user to use their iPhone for professional shoots.

The user is not fully satisfied with the ultra-wide camera's performance in low-light conditions on the iPhone 15.

Final Cut camera app has been a game-changer for the user, offering manual controls and Apple's processing for high-quality shots.

The iady V3 foldable smartphone AI gimbal is recommended for enhancing iPhone camera capabilities with features like AI tracking and a built-in wireless remote control.

iOS 18's developer beta introduces Apple intelligent features, including improved text and notification summaries.

The new iOS version offers better search functionality for photos and videos, making it easier to find and share memories.

The iPhone 15's battery life and screen brightness have been praised, but the user has experienced issues with overheating during summer.

The user prefers aluminum over titanium for better heat dissipation in phone design, criticizing Apple's lack of emphasis on cooling in their devices.

The upcoming iPhone 16 is expected to have a larger display size and a 5x camera, which might tempt the user to upgrade.

The iPhone 16 Pro is rumored to include an A18 Pro chip, which will enhance AI features and could be a reason for the user to consider an upgrade.

A new 48-megapixel ultra-wide camera is expected in the iPhone 16, which could resolve the user's dissatisfaction with the current model's low-light performance.

Despite the upcoming iPhone 16, the user is content with their iPhone 15 and considers it a good choice for another year, suggesting others might also be satisfied without upgrading immediately.

Transcripts

I've been upgrading my iPhone every year

for a long time but this might be the

year that I might not have to it's been

close to a year since this iPhone

launched and with the iPhone 16 coming

out how has my experience been

especially now in the Summer where some

things have changed and if you're

thinking about buying a new phone and

maybe getting this one should you wait

for the 16 or should you pick up a

killer deal on an iPhone 15 well I'll

let you guys know my opinion and what's

coming on the

16 but I want to say that this year has

been so interesting with the iPhone 15

Pro Max now one of the changes one of

the simplest ones is USB type c and let

me tell you it has been amazing I know

the Android fans are going to be

laughing at us and I don't know why

Apple took so long to put USB type-c in

their iPhone where they had it in their

iPads and on the MacBooks but it is so

nice to just have one cable to charge

and connect everything I'm actually kind

of mad at Apple for making us wait this

long I've done everything from charging

to hooking up different docks and

transferring files so quickly to through

that cable to my phone and it has just

been awesome I've even charged up some

devices and somebody else's phone from

mine and that is just really really

really nice now the next thing I want to

talk about is the camera quality now I

know it gets better every year but this

year I actually went out and I bought

the new Fujifilm X100 Mark 6 and after a

bit I actually ended up selling it the

iPhone was just too dang good and even

though that thing is a brand new camera

that was so hyped up and it made nice

images I like the film

simulations having the ability to have

three separate lenses on me at all times

I would have the Fuji with me and then

I'd pull out my iPhone to take an ultra

wide shot or to be able to zoom in and

when comparing some of those images side

by side I just decided it wasn't worth

it which just speaks to the quality of

this of course portraits are so nice now

the software for blur is really good and

the software for the video portrait the

cinema itic mode has gotten so much

better we actually started to use it and

with that over the last year with this

phone we have started to do a lot of

shoots just with our iPhones because it

is finally good enough and that just

speaks so much about this camera system

now the one area where I'm not super

happy with is the quality of the ultra

whes particularly in lower light

situations and that we can talk about

with the iPhone 16 now Apple also

recently released Final Cut camera and

that has taken things to a whole another

level there's been a lot of different

camera apps that you could use but I

used the stock one very often cuz it

worked well um it was quick and easy but

with this we have all those manual

controls with all of Apple's processing

and we've gotten some killer shots now

very similar to DSLR quality especially

on YouTube that the whole experience has

been really nice and we're going to use

these cameras more and more for our

professional shoots now if you care a

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getting more into the software I have

the developer beta of iOS 18 which just

got the new Apple intelligent features

now it is very limited so far because

this is just the first release but so

far there's been some things that I

really like first one is the summer text

or notifications so my wife can send me

a bunch of texts and it gives me a quick

summary so I know what's going on if I

can't go through and read everything at

right away that has been really cool

I've also tested out the writing tools

and those are really nice but I think

for me since I spend so much time on my

Mac it's going to be a lot more useful

there but the cool thing is it's all

built in I've actually paid for some

tools like this before but now it is

free now one really cool thing that I

appreciate is is the better search for

photos and videos now I could actually

look through the video file it's a lot

smarter and this is great when you have

a ton of photos like I have because I've

had an iPhone and iCloud for so many

years now another thing that's cool is

to make custom videos from your memories

just with a search term you can actually

type it in like you're talking to

somebody it'll find the clips they'll

put it together this is going to make it

a lot easier to access and share

different memories

from your photos they just stored on

your phone that you probably rarely look

at now that is all built into here and

the crazy thing is that and a lot more

other Apple intelligence features are

just available on the iPhone 15s with uh

the newer processors and honestly I have

to say that I think Apple could have

made it available on a lot more phones

of course it might not be on device it

might have to do some more stuff on the

cloud but it seems like a tack IC just

to get people to upgrade their phones

now if you bought one of these 15s that

means you're good for many years or if

you're trying to decide a cheaper phone

to buy with better deals well that makes

this phone a really good purchase when

it came out we told you guys that if

you've been waiting the upgrade this is

the time to do it and that seems to be

the case battery life has been fantastic

the super bright screen has been awesome

but it doesn't mean that we haven't had

had any issues especially now that it is

summer and that's where I've gotten

quite frustrated now back in the day the

iPhone screens used to overheat like

crazy I remember I even crashed a drone

because my screen dimmed so much I

couldn't see nothing and that was that

was just horrible and same thing with

gaming it would overheat now this one

still does it and for a lot of the year

it was fine but now that it's summer man

I have just gotten so frustrated because

so many times the screen is dimming and

so fast fast I've even had one time

where it just said sorry it's too hot

you can't use it and that sucks now in

my previous videos I talked about

titanium I talked about I I would

honestly rather have aluminum because

it's a much better thermal dissipator of

heat titanium sucks at this and Apple

has avoided putting in really good

Cooling in their phones like a lot of

Android companies have done and we've

seen with the new M4 iPads well those

got super thin and they have much more

powerful processors with the M4 but they

did a new thermal design uh they

actually are caring about Cooling and

that made a big difference it actually

thermal throttles less even though it's

so thin and it has better performance so

that is what we are expecting with the

iPhone 16 so here's some reasons why you

might want to buy a 16 which is going to

be out here in about a month we know

we're going to have slightly larger

display sizes and honestly I don't

really care for that I think this size

is large enough uh but with that said if

you're on the fence between two

different sizes like I was and I've had

both and you know switched between them

that's going to push me towards a

smaller size is now is going to have a

slightly larger display and a big reason

for that is because the 5x camera that I

absolutely love on the 15 Pro Max is

going to be coming to the 16 Pro so I

might actually go for one of those now

it's also going to get the a18 pro chip

in the Pro ones and then the a18 it's

going to improve the AI features which

are going to be useful and we're going

to get a capture button on the side

which I think is going to make a little

bit more natural it's going to force

people to go back to recording

widescreen which Apple wants them to do

for the Vision Pro but I don't really

think that matters a whole ton to want

to switch and I think the biggest one

for me other than the cooling is going

to be the 48 megapixel Ultra wide camera

I love having that wide view so in

scenarios you just can't take a good

photo without it and that's going to fix

the really old Ultra wide that's been in

here for a while where the quality is

not the best especially in lower

lighting situations I think that's

probably going to be the biggest reason

I will be tempted to upgrade but with

that said out of any of the previous

iPhones this is the one that I would be

glad to spend a whole another year for I

might want to get a case that my coola

down in the summer there's a couple

options for that but all around it has

been awesome you got the USB type-c a

lot of the updates that make it a great

phone to have for a long time so if you

guys bought one of these let me know are

you guys going to be keeping it how long

are you going to keep it and if you're

tempted to buy one why would you buy one

right now instead of waiting for the new

one so thank you guys for watching go

ahead and click that Circle above to

subscribe check out one of those videos

right over there this been Max and I'll

see you in the next one

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