When the iPhone 15 Pro Max was announced last fall, I knew right away that it would eclipse the iPhone 14 Pro Max in the camera department. Since then, I’ve been able to snap a few photos whenever I’ve had the chance to get my hands on it, but I finally got a better idea of how much more improved it is in this iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max camera shootout.
There’s never been a time I can remember when an older iPhone manages to outperform the newer one, so I’m not worried about that at all. However, I’m more interested to see for myself how Apple widens the gap in between generations — which plays a huge role in whether or not people make the upgrade. Knowing that, I expect nothing short of a win for the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But by how much?
Apple certainly made it interesting because of the big camera upgrades to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which comes with a 48MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide, and a 12MP telephoto with 5x optical zoom. In contrast, the iPhone 14 Pro Max is armed with a 48MP main shooter, 12MP ultrawide, and a 12MP telephoto with 3x optical zoom. By just looking at the specs, the most glaring difference pertains to their telephoto cameras — with the newer iPhone 15 Pro Max getting a longer zoom range.
In this iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max camera shootout, I captured over 200 photos and analyzed them on a computer to see what differences they have, if any, to know with absolute certainty how much of an improvement it is with the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: main camera
On an absolutely gorgeous day down by Bryant Park, these photos showcase why the main cameras in iPhones are simply extraordinary. There’s a lot of excellent qualities in these two shots — like their strong dynamic range performance and high contrast — that exposes the scene nicely.
I can tell that the highlights are handled better by the iPhone 15 Pro Max, evident by the brighter spots area around the planter on the right side. Meanwhile, the sign showing Bryant Park near left side has better definition with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is more noticeable when I punch into it more.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: ultrawide angle
It’s nearly a draw with this ultrawide angle shot of Bryant Park overlooking its lawn. Their ultrawide cameras offer the same 120-degree field of view, so it’s more than enough range to capture the lawn from one end to the other.
These shots also showcase how they handle strong sources of light that overpower the scene, but the edge goes to the iPhone 15 Pro Max simply because of the finer details it preserves. While the grass and faraway skyscrapers look identical, a closer inspection of the back end of the New York Public library towards the left side has better contrast and detail. I also like the more vibrant colors produced by the newer iPhone.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: dynamic range
High contrast scenes can often be tough on a camera to evenly balance out the exposure, but this shot of the water fountain at Bryant Park reveals that the iPhone 15 Pro Max is better equipped at handling the shadows. If you look at the base of the fountain that’s partly shaded, the iPhone 15 Pro Max reveals some of the details that are slightly more underexposed with the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Furthermore, the higher contrast look of the iPhone 15 Pro Max draws out details in the highlights with the buildings in the background. In fact, I can make out more detail in the brickwork.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: color reproduction
Strictly judging the colors and nothing else, I’m at a draw with these fruit photos taken inside of Whole Foods. From the yellow lemons, to the orange hues of the oranges, and the darker green limes, it’s a deadlock between them when it comes to color reproduction. In other photos, however, there's a smidge more saturation to the colors with the iPhone 15 Pro Max. But it's not consistent enough to say it's the better one because others may prefer the iPhone 14 Pro Max's color science.
Winner: tie
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: macro
By getting close to a subject, both iPhones automatically kick into their respective macro modes — which is indicated by the icon that pops up on screen. Again, it’s a close tie as they both capture a lot of details with this flower above, but I made sure to keep the focus and exposure locked into the middle of the photo.
I really love how they capture the pollen sticking onto the flower in the photos above, so much so that I can’t tell which has the better detail. Even when I zoom into the shot, both iPhones capture the same amount of detail. However, the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s shot pops a little more because of the vibrant tones of the reds in the flower.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: portrait
In yet another highly contested decision, the iPhone 15 Pro Max narrowly wins at capturing the better looking portrait photo. The shallow depth of field in both shots make the backgrounds evenly out of focus, while keeping the focus on my colleague, Mark Spoonauer.
The difference in between them is how the iPhone 15 Pro Max pulls in the sharper details, especially around the face, along with the slightly more saturated skin color. Some may prefer the subtle tones of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, but it lacks the iPhone 15 Pro Max's sharper look.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: selfie
At the same time, selfies are better on the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Although, it's not by much. Both front-facing cameras deliver crisp details and that capture every detail on my face. But unlike the other cameras, they evenly capture the same detail. The only minor difference pertains to the skin tone, which again adds a hint of saturation with the iPhone 15 Pro Max's shot.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: telephoto zoom
The iPhone 15 Pro Max's superiority on paper is on full display with its 12MP telephoto camera with 5x optical zoom. If zooming is top priority, then you'll want to go with the newer iPhone simply for its sharper details with far away subjects; much like the Empire State Building in these shots above.
I ended up setting the zoom level to 5x with both phones, but you can clearly see that the iPhone 15 Pro Max does a better job at retaining the definition with the brickwork on the Empire State Building when you zoom into the shots. However, I have to admit that the overall photos look very similar to one another. Unless you zoom in, it's hard to notice those better details with the iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: panoramic
One quality I look at when capturing panoramic shots is a phone's ability to keep lines straight across the horizon. Thankfully, both iPhone do an exceptional job of this with these shots of Bryant Park's sprawling lawn. Even with the sun slightly off frame to the left, the exposure throughout the shots above is uniform — while the rich green tones of the lawn and details look similar in both photos. This one's going to be a tie.
Winner: tie
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: low light
Low light performance goes to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, largely due to how the shot of the garage in my backyard appears a little brighter — as well as how it pulls more detail. I see it most in the branch of the tree above the garage, which has more characteristics on it than the smeary details of iPhone 14 Pro Max's shot.
Winner: iPhone 15 Pro Max
iPhone 15 Pro Max vs. iPhone 14 Pro Max: verdict
This camera shootout turned out closer than I expected, which is a shocker because I came into it thinking the opposite. While the iPhone 15 Pro Max cruised into victory, I don't think it was by a huge stretch apart from its telephoto and low light performances. Those are the two biggest areas where the iPhone 15 Pro Max proves it delivers much better results.
As for iPhone 14 Pro Max owners tinkering the idea of upgrading? Well, it's a tougher call after looking through all 200+ photos I captured between the two. It's still a superb camera phone, so much so that it still holds its ground against newer phones. For most shots, I think the year-over-year gains are minor for the iPhone 15 Pro Max — with the exception of those two specific areas I mention.
Ironically, I still carry around the iPhone 14 Pro Max as my other daily driver. Perhaps the iPhone 16 Pro Max would be the more meaningful one to upgrade to next?
More from Tom's Guide
- Android 15: Possible release date, rumored features, supported devices and more
- iPhone 16 just tipped for biggest design change in years
- Circle to Search could be adding another feature — and I couldn't be happier
