My year with the iPhone 15 Pro Max is almost up, and as I prepare to send it away as a trade-in for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I thought I’d gather up my favorite photos taken with the top iPhone, show them off here, and generally sing its praises.
But as I went through my gallery, I was surprised to find that, unlike other years, I hadn’t taken all that many photos with the iPhone. I began to question why and whether that would change with my incoming iPhone 16.
Not many photos?
Before going any further, I should clarify that I’ve still taken hundreds of photos with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but this is fewer than in other years. Part of the reason is that, due to personal circumstances, I’ve not been in the position to take all that many photos during 2024, so many of the ones I have taken were for work purposes — such as comparisons between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 15 Plus.
However, unlike my experience with the iPhone 14 Pro, my relative lack of photos is not because I don’t like the 15 Pro Max’s camera. When I have used it, I’ve been pleased with the results, especially when using the 5x optical zoom. And I have not noticed as many problems with contrast or exposure as I have with the last few iPhone cameras. The iPhone’s editing suite is also one of the best available outside of Google Photos, despite the layout being a little messy.
It’s a good thing the iPhone’s editing suite is powerful, as it’s needed to get the very best from the 15 Pro Max’s photos, but I don’t mean this in a negative way. I edited photos taken with the iPhone 14 Pro to fix the issues I didn’t like about the images, but with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, I edited them to bring them closer to my personal preferences. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s photos don’t have a particularly neutral look, but they’re not quite as punchy or warm as I like. For reference, I mostly use the Rich Contrast Photographic Style.
Some of my favorite photos
I may not have always used the iPhone 15 Pro Max to take photos, but going through my gallery, I found many that I really liked because, with a little bit of editing, they took on exactly the tone I like. The bridge and its reflection is a great example. Shot using the 5x telephoto and edited a little, it perfectly captures the fall colors and temperature and then balances them with the menace of the dark clouds for an evocative image.
It’s the same with the photograph of the Porsche Boxster, set against golden leaves and a darkening sky, the iPhone still captured the reflections in the paintwork, just as it did with the water in the photo of the bridge. The edits were minor on both, and I love how they came out. The photos of the rainbow and the stag were taken hurriedly so as not to miss the moment, and the 5x zoom was used for the stag. I didn’t take multiple images in either circumstance and don’t remember checking to see how the photos looked, but the reliable iPhone returned precisely the images I wanted.
I enjoy playing around with black-and-white filters, especially for portraits, and the amount of detail captured and the accuracy of the Portrait mode effect are stunning. I also like the black-and-white photograph of the clouds taken from a plane for its excellent sharpness. I love the colors in the other two portrait orientation photos, and both were again taken with the 5x optical zoom. If the iPhone 15 Pro Max took photos that I really like, why didn’t I use it as much as I should have?
Why haven’t I used it as much?
While I haven’t had as many opportunities to take photos in 2024 as I have in previous years, in those times when I have, I’ve reached for other phones rather than the iPhone. I always have my iPhone with me, so it’s not like it hasn’t been available, and as I’ve said, it can take beautiful photos, but even compared to 2023, there have been so many other camera phones released that excite me creatively more than the iPhone.
Top of the list is the Xiaomi 14 Ultra, which has the best camera I’ve used on a smartphone in a long time. Combine it with the Photography Kit — which adds a battery pack, physical buttons, and an adapter for lens filters — and it gets even better. It’s a one-stop shop for brilliant photos and so much fun to use. It’s not a fair comparison between it and the iPhone, though, as it was built specifically for photography with the help of industry veteran Leica. The Galaxy S24 Ultra is another versatile camera phone I’ve enjoyed using, but like the iPhone, it has not been my go-to this year.
Earlier in the year, the Pixel 8 Pro took precedence, and more recently, both the Pixel 9 Pro and the Pixel 9 Pro Fold have taken its place. Google’s cameras are always widely praised, but this year, it seems to have gotten the style right, at least to my eyes. I loved the photos the Pixel 9 Pro Fold took during a recent trip to Berlin, and it showed me the camera doesn’t always have to be the “best” in order for me to warm to it. When I’ve wanted to take memorable photos, invariably it has been one of these phones I’ve chosen to use.
Will I remember the iPhone 16?
If I’ve been using these cameras instead of the iPhone 15 Pro Max, but still like the photos it took when I used it, what has been the problem? I think the past few years of rather uninspiring iPhone cameras have put it further back in my mind. It’s a problem that’s compounded by the competition being so stellar, and I’ve gotten out of the habit of reaching for the iPhone to take a photo.
If I’m not being drawn to the iPhone 15 Pro Max despite its ability, it means the camera is not especially memorable or enticing, so what does it mean for the iPhone 16 Pro Max that will arrive in its place? I’ve actually got high hopes for it, as Apple’s decision to add the physical Camera Control may be precisely the thing it needs to up its character and appeal. After all, the physical controls are a large part of the Xiaomi 14 Ultra’s appeal, and it may be the spice the iPhone needs to capture my attention again. I also want to play with the new Photographic Styles and wide-angle camera. There’s plenty to look forward to with the latest phone.
While I wasn’t that bothered about seeing the iPhone 14 Pro go, I am a little sad I didn’t use the iPhone 15 Pro Max just a bit more than I did. But it goes to show the brilliance of the competition, whether it’s the Galaxy S24 Ultra or the Pixel 9 Pro, and where Apple needs to increase the appeal of its camera in the future. I won’t know if it has done enough with the iPhone 16 Pro Max for a while, but I’m excited to see if it’s a return to the days when the iPhone was the only camera I ever needed.