I just tried the iPhone 15 Pro — and this is the most underrated upgrade
The iPhone 15 Pro looks pretty similar to the iPhone 14 Pro series at first glance. But I was shocked when I picked up the iPhone 15 Pro Max and started playing with all of the new features.
Yes, the new Action button opens up all sorts of possibilities. In fact, our TikTok video that shows off this new feature has already racked up more than 14 million views. As you'll see in my iPhone 15 Pro Max hands-on review, the Action button still serves as a mute switch but lets you map all sorts of shortcuts to it, including launching the camera, flashlight, voice recorder and more with a long press.
My problem with the Action button is that you can only assign a single shortcut to the button at once. I get trying to simplify things for users — and the interface for choosing your Action button action is slick — but I'd like more options.
The other thing that stands out is the move to USB-C charging. It's nice to see Apple finally join the rest of the world, and I appreciate that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max support USB 3.0 for faster transfer speeds to Macs and external storage devices.
Titanium is the real game changer
For my money — and we are talking a lot of money with the $999 iPhone 15 Pro and $1,199 iPhone 15 Pro Max — the move to titanium on the new Pros is the biggest deal. I was shocked when picking up the iPhone 15 Pro Max in particular. How can a 6.7-inch flagship be this light?
It's quite rare to see flagship phones get lighter from one generation to the next, and Apple's use of titanium makes it possible.
The iPhone 15 Pro series uses Grade 5 titanium for the frame, replacing the stainless steel sides on the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max. The result is a design that's not just tougher but remarkably light in the hand and in your pocket.
For example, the iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs 7.8 ounces, compared to 8.5 ounces for the iPhone 14 Pro Max. That might not seem like a lot, but to me, it makes a big difference in everyday usability. The regular iPhone 15 Pro also gets a weight reduction, weighing 6.6 ounces versus 7.3 ounces for the previous Pro.
It's quite rare to see flagship phones get lighter from one generation to the next, and Apple's use of titanium makes it possible.
Trimming more than just the bezels
Apple claims that the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max have the thinnest borders ever on an iPhone, and in person I did appreciate seeing the smaller bezels versus the iPhone 14 Pro Max. You get a more immersive viewing experience on the new model.
But that's not the only benefit. Trimming the bezels on the iPhone 15 Pro also trims the dimensions of the phones. The regular iPhone 15 Pro measures 5.77 x 2.78 x 0.32 inches, compared to 5.81 x 2.81 x 0.31 inches for the iPhone 14 Pro.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max measures 6.29 x 3.02 x 0.32 inches versus 6.33 x 3.05 x 0.31 inches for the 14 Pro Max. So both of the Pro iPhones are more compact despite being a bit thicker. This helps with being able to use the bigger screen iPhone with one hand.
Apple is leading, not following
Apple is definitely way behind on adopting USB-C, but overall the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max seem to be leading the way when it comes to overall design. Unsurprisingly, Samsung is also looking at using titanium for the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra coming next year. And now that small phones seem to be pretty much dead, the push toward more compact and lighter big-screen flagships is welcome in my book.
