TOUGH STUFF Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max

With a new titanium casing, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is smaller and lighter than before but still offers more

Have Apple done it again? Yes. Well we think they have. While there will be little surprise that the iPhone 15 Pro Max improves on its previous version, we believe this model offers a significant step forward.

So where do we start? Unlike in previous years, there is a distinct difference between the 15 Pro and Pro Max models that's more than just the screen size and battery life. For instance, the Pro Max gains a longer zoom, thanks to the 5x telephoto camera, compared to the 3x telephoto on the 15 Pro.

But titanium is this year's headline feature. The enclosure of the Pro and Pro Max models is made from aerospace-grade titanium rather than stainless steel. It's both incredibly strong and very lightweight, making it ideal for spacecraft (it was used on the Mars Rover) and makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max lighter than ever.

But what does this mean for the design of the Pro Max? The bezels have been reduced around the screen of the iPhone 15 Pro Max and rather than make the display larger, the phone has been made smaller. The differences are small - 0.8mm in height and 0.9mm in width - but you can see it when placed next to the 14. It is slightly deeper though (by 0.4mm) due to the new camera array.

The weight difference is more noticeable in the hand. A saving of 19 grams doesn't sound like much but if you're holding the phone up for long periods, you'll appreciate it. The first time we held the device it felt very different that combination of lighter weight and the feel of the titanium means you won't mistake this for any other model.

The action button on the side of the phone is a nice touch, although we didn't use it much. We did set the action button to start the camera in selfie mode but often forgot to use it. Maybe in time using it will become more natural.