Since I made the switch from Android to iPhone at the end of 2021I had a feeling there would come a day when I would switch and trade Apple’s iterative phone for something more interesting from our list of the best Android phones.
That day almost came… but then it didn’t.
Before I tell you why, let me give you some context. I’ve never been dogmatically in the iOS camp or the Android army. My first smartphone was the iPhone 4S, which I loved, but that gave way to the Samsung Galaxy S6 with its superior specs and then to the subsequent Android phones that came across my desk for testing as I progressed in my career as a consumer technology journalist.
For about seven years my SIM card was in various Android phones; I had iPads to get a taste of Apple’s mobile operating system. And I found that Apple’s slow adoption of 120Hz is hurting.
Android exodus
That changed with the iPhone 13 Pro, which not only had a 120Hz LTPO screen, but also included a second-generation version of Apple’s return to flat phone edges, and some great cameras. So when the opportunity arose to try one, I jumped at it.
I expected to switch again within a few months, but that never happened. I loved the size of the 13 Pro, the cameras produced great photos, and while Apple’s software can be a bit tedious compared to the intricacies and features of Android, it worked… well… it worked’ Ordinary’.
So while I still carried several Android phones, especially some of the best foldables, an iPhone was my primary device.
But more than two years later, I started to get tired of my iPhone 13 Pro, and I felt like the battery wasn’t holding up as well as I wanted. Still, my colleagues had Ny Breaking’s allotment of iPhone 15 models, so I prepared to move up to the likes of the Samsung Galaxy 24 Utra or Google Pixel 8 Pro.
Then an iPhone 15 Pro Max found my way and gave me reason to pause.
Well, I guess size does matter
I’ve never been convinced by previous Max iPhones. The notch design forced me to choose the Pro over the iPhone 13 Pro Max, which in my opinion looked a bit stupid, as if the phone had been stretched rather than smoothly scaled.
The iPhone 14 Pro Max solved the notch problem by going for Dynamic Island. But the stainless steel chassis felt a bit too heavy and unwieldy – conversely, I think the weight of the regular iPhone 14 Pro is perfect.
So I didn’t think I would like the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But I was wrong.
The titanium bezels, which I thought were more marketing and Apple gibberish than an actual design change, make the Max iPhone feel a lot smaller despite its larger screen size. It’s still awkward to use one-handed (my hands aren’t small either), but it feels less likely to fall out of my hand if my thumb reaches for an upper display corner.
It feels great too, with the matte back of the iPhone 15 Pro Max feeling softer than the back of my iPhone 13 Pro. And in ‘Natural Titanium’ I think it looks good too, with the sides and camera model blending in better with the phone’s chassis.
Design is of course one thing; it’s going to take more than that to keep my attention off Android.
Core upgrades
And this is where the new 5x telephoto camera comes into the picture. While nothing new in the phone world, this tetraprism periscope camera offers a zoom that feels more useful than 3x for my phone photography. Still, it’s not as impractical as a lower-resolution 10x optical zoom camera.
That new camera, combined with the already excellent camera performance of the main and ultra-wide angle lenses and my enjoyment of Apple’s image processing and color balance, makes the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s camera package almost unbeatable in my opinion; Phone photography is of course very subjective. Add to that how easy it is to get excellent video footage from iPhone Pro models with ease, and the camera package is simply great for point-and-shoot enthusiasts.
I hate myself for saying this, but Apple has finally ditched the proprietary Lightning port for USB-C and it has been somewhat transformative to my iPhone experience. It sucks, but it’s a small joy not having to carry an extra cable or go fishing in my backpack looking for a Lightning cable. I’m certainly not applauding Apple for adopting USB-C, but I can’t deny that it’s a clear upgrade to the latest iPhone lineup.
Oh, and the action button is pretty neat. I use it to turn on the flashlight function without swiping on the screen, which is actually low-key awesome.
All of the above combined means there’s still a little more way for my iPhone journey to continue.
I’m not angry about that, but I’m not enthusiastic either; Rather, I’m starting to accept that iOS’s usability, robust ecosystem, and the fact that I rarely get frustrated with iPhones, even if I do get a little bored with them, is a testament to Apple’s approach of taking its time with adopting new technology. and iterating from generation to generation to create a device that’s hard not to like. I didn’t think I’d be saying that in 2024.