iPhone 15 Plus vs iPhone 17 Pro Max

Phone 1

Phone 2

Winner

Apple iPhone 15 Plus

Lifespan decides this one: the iPhone 15 Plus is supported until Sep 2030 at $7.85 per month of safe use, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max runs out in Sep 2032 ($15.94/month). On a which-lasts-longer question, that's not a tie — it's the whole answer.

Value Score: iPhone 15 Plus 67 · iPhone 17 Pro Max 69 — methodology

The lifespan decider

When specs are close, support length decides it — this is what each phone costs per month of safe use.

Apple iPhone 15 Plus $403

Safe to buy$7.85/mo

2023◆ Buy-by Sep 20282030

Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max $1199

Safe to buy$15.94/mo

2025◆ Buy-by Sep 20302032

Category by category

Display

iPhone 15 Plus 50iPhone 17 Pro Max 90

The iPhone 17 Pro Max's screen is the better one — 6.9-inch super retina xdr oled, promotion 1–120hz, up to 3000 nits peak.

Performance

iPhone 15 Plus 80iPhone 17 Pro Max 100

The iPhone 17 Pro Max's Apple A19 Pro is simply the faster chip.

Camera

iPhone 15 Plus 62iPhone 17 Pro Max 74

The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the stronger camera system (3 real rear lenses vs 2).

Battery

iPhone 15 Plus 68iPhone 17 Pro Max 82

5,088mAh vs 4,383mAh — the iPhone 17 Pro Max lasts longer between charges.

Software longevity

iPhone 15 Plus 61iPhone 17 Pro Max 90

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is supported until Sep 2032 — 24 months longer than the iPhone 15 Plus.

Value

iPhone 15 Plus 67iPhone 17 Pro Max 69

Pound for pound, these two are equally good deals.

Full spec table

Spec	iPhone 15 Plus	iPhone 17 Pro Max
Price (street)	$403	$1199
Display	6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 60Hz, up to 2000 nits peak	6.9-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, ProMotion 1–120Hz, up to 3000 nits peak
Chipset	Apple A16 Bionic	Apple A19 Pro
RAM	6GB	12GB
Storage	128GB/256GB/512GB	256GB/512GB/1TB/2TB
Battery	4,383 mAh	5,088 mAh
Charging	20W+ wired (50% in ~30 min), MagSafe 15W wireless, Qi 7.5W	Wired fast charge — 50% in ~20 min with a 40W+ adapter; MagSafe wireless up to 25W (Qi2.2)
Rear cameras	48MP main, 12MP ultra-wide	48MP main, 48MP ultra-wide, 48MP telephoto 4x
Dimensions	160.9 × 77.8 × 7.8 mm	163.4 × 78 × 8.75 mm
Weight	201 g	233 g
Water resistance	IP68	IP68
Supported until	Sep 2030	Sep 2032

iPhone 15 Plus full verdict →iPhone 17 Pro Max full verdict →Longevity master board →

Scores and verdicts are computed from our verified database — see exactly how. Specs from manufacturer documentation; prices reflect major US retailers.