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Switching from a small iPhone to iPhone 15 Pro Max: The best or worst mistake one can make?

By Martin Filipov

Updated: Aug 13, 2023, 5:59 AM

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Apple Editorials

This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.

Switching from a small iPhone to iPhone 15 Pro Max: The best or worst mistake one can make?

Well, since no one asked, here's a quick (recent) history of the phones I’ve used in the past 4-5 years. This is actually part of a future story I’ll be putting out soon, where the somewhat illogical list will make more sense (I promise), but for the purposes of this one, you should pay attention to the screen sizes of the phones below…

Huawei P20 (5.8-inch display)
Huawei P30 Pro (6.5-inch display)
iPhone 8 (4.7-inch display)
Pixel 6 Pro (6.7-inch display)
iPhone 13 mini (5.4-inch display)

I know, I know… Looking at the display sizes alone, my smartphone history makes absolutely no sense but that’s the thing - there’s a lot more to a phone than its screen size, which is sort of the moral of today’s story, as you’ll find out if you keep reading.

Interestingly enough, some of you might’ve noticed a pattern in this messy lineup of upgrades - we have a small display, then a large one, then a small one, then a large one (again), and another very small one with my current daily phone, the iPhone 13 mini. So, by that consistently inconsistent logic, it actually comes as no surprise that I’m now considering an upgrade to the huge (compared to the iPhone 13 mini) iPhone 15 Pro Max - as long as my boss is paying. Wink, Wink.

Switching from a small iPhone to the large iPhone 15 Pro Max will be easier this year (but still not for everyone)

The Pro Max iPhone is actually getting a bit smaller this year. But is 'a bit smaller'&nbsp;small enough? - Switching from a small iPhone to iPhone 15 Pro Max: The best or worst mistake one can make?

The Pro Max iPhone is actually getting a bit smaller this year. But is 'a bit smaller' small enough?

It should come as no surprise that the first thing making the 2023 iPhone 15 Pro Max more appealing to those who usually gravitate towards smaller phones is that this one’s actually supposed to get smaller, lighter, and easier to hold compared to the likes of the iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro Max, and iPhone 12 Pro Max.

In case you haven’t heard, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is expected to feature subtle curves on the front and back, which should make a bigger difference to holding Apple’s largest iPhone than you’d expect. Trust me. I’ve held a few phones in my time.

Another upgrade expected to make the large iPhone 15 Pro Max feel like a lesser brick is the one to the weight of the device. While we still don’t know how much the 15 Pro Max will weigh, the rumored switch from a stainless steel to a titanium frame will likely end up making the 15 Pro Max some 10-20g lighter than the 14 Pro Max . Unless the larger battery expected in the 15 Pro Max doesn’t balance things out.

Speaking of actual dimensions, According to leaked schematics, the iPhone 15 Pro Max is getting almost a full millimetre shorter and narrower than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which (again), should be a noticeable difference considering the scale we’re at as well as the subtle curves coming to the 15 series. In other words, the 15 Pro Max should feel like a smaller phone despite having the exact same display as the 14 Pro Max.

iPhone 15 Pro Max: 159.86 × 76.73 × 8.25 mm
iPhone 14 Pro Max: 160.7 x 77.6 x 7.85 mm
Galaxy S23 Plus: 157.8 x 76.2 x 7.6 mm

Speaking of display size, the size reduction doesn’t come because Apple decided to make the screen of the iPhone 15 Pro Max smaller. We’re still taking a 6.7-inch panel but thanks to the much slimmer bezels surrounding that display, the new Pro Max should look and feel more compact. According to reliable tipster Ice Universe, the 1.5mm display borders of the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max should set a new record - at least before the rumored release of the Xiaomi 14 Pro.

I happen to be a fan of the Galaxy S23+ form-factor, and I’m glad to report that (if all the rumors are true), the iPhone 15 Pro Max’s reduced size and added curves should make it feel a bit more like a Galaxy S23+ rather than an iPhone 14 Pro Max, and that should be a win. Samsung’s middle child flagship isn’t too big or too small, and the curves make it feel like a smaller phone than it actually is.

Trying to convince yourself to switch from a small iPhone to the massive iPhone 15 Pro Max? Here are the upgrades that make the sacrifice worth it

This year, there are some surprising benefits to buying the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max instead of the smaller Pro model.

Of course the slight size and weight reduction isn’t the only reason I might upgrade to the iPhone 15 Pro Max from my 13 mini. In fact, this year, Apple will be quite generous with the upgrades. While some of them are innovative, and others overdue, some will be considered upgrades only by those coming from a smaller phone.

Here are some iPhone 15 Pro Max features I’d be excited to gain back if I was to switch from my 13 mini…

Lately I’ve been doing a lot of two-handed typing on my phone (Notes), which (surprise, surprise) isn’t ideal on the tiny screen of the iPhone 13 mini; the 6.7-inch display of the iPhone 15 Pro Max should make this exercice much easier and much more efficient; and if you’re wondering - no, I don’t care about the 120Hz all that much

As someone who likes the convenience of playing music on their phone, I don’t have a dedicated Bluetooth speaker that I carry with me in the bathroom or when traveling, and that’s why I’d appreciate the set of more powerful speakers coming with a phone like the iPhone 15 Pro Max; Apple’s larger iPhones have some of the best (if not the best) speakers amongst mainstream flagships, so this upgrade isn’t one to look past if you consume media on your phone

I wouldn’t mind the longer lasting battery of the iPhone 15 Pro Max either - although I’ve gotten used to using the MagSafe battery pack when I travel, the iPhone 14 Pro Max has dramatically better endurance compared to my tiny iPhone 13 mini (it can last 2-3x longer); this means the more efficient chip and rumored battery increase coming to iPhone 15 Pro Max could allow me to charge my phone once every 2-3 days

A larger phone also means more room for better cameras, and although I use my camera rarely nowadays (unless I’m traveling and exploring new places), the new periscope zoom lens expected to (finally) bless the iPhone 15 Pro Max would certainly be helpful for street photography and certain events; not to mention the 2x lossless zoom for portraits that comes with Apple’s 48MP camera, which I loved while testing the iPhone 14 Pro; the better news is that those are just a fraction of the camera upgrades likely to come with a switch from iPhone 13 mini to the 15 Pro Max - I hope Apple has more camera surprises ready

The Action Button, bro! Yes, in case you didn’t know, Apple is adding a new button to the iPhone 15 Pro, allegedly called the “Action Button”, which is replacing the Mute Switch to give you some extra functionality - you can read all about it in our dedicated iPhone 15 Pro Action Button story; if you ask me, the reason I’d love to have this button is so I can finally launch the iPhone camera with one click, and hopefully use it as a shutter key - if Apple allows that

iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max are also expected to start at 256GB of base storage, which would be a fist-ever for Apple, and a very welcome, and very overdue upgrade; the 128GB of my 13 mini aren’t quite enough for my random videos that I can’t get around to delete, so that’s another reason to go Pro (Max); for those of you who literally never delete anything from their phone, rumor has it Apple will be offering a 2TB version of the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max, so get your $5,000 ready

USB-C - I don’t think I need to justify this one

Choosing iPhone 15 Pro Max instead of the smaller iPhone 15 Pro might be the best decision this year but proceed at your own risk

I'd give the iPhone 15 Pro Max a try but I can't promise I won't run back to my iPhone 13 mini.

But hold on… Why not switch to the iPhone 15 Pro instead of much larger iPhone 15 Pro Max if I have an iPhone 13 mini, or in general? Well, there are a couple of reasons…

2023 is a year when Apple has (reportedly) decided to give the larger iPhone 15 Pro Max more features compared to the smaller iPhone 15 Pro; the Max is now the only iPhone in the lineup rumored to get the new periscope zoom camera - apparently because Apple couldn’t fit the camra sensor into the smaller Pro model

If I’ll be sacrificing the great convenience of having a tiny phone for a larger one, why not switch to a device that really gives me a lot more instead of a little bit more? More screen, a larger battery, better cameras, louder speakers, etc.

All that being said, I’m 100% sure there will be some things I’ll miss dearly if I were to switch from my iPhone 13 mini to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, which is why I still haven’t made up my mind. Am I ready to give it a try? Yes, totally. Testing phones is part of my job - duh!

But who knows - maybe I’m not ready to give up the unrivalled pocketability, one-handed usability, and the unpopular perk that comes with a phone as small as the iPhone 13 mini, which is that it makes me use my phone less and go to my laptop/TV instead, or just don’t use it because it’s literally running out of battery. Cons can be pros sometimes.

Finally, I guess it’s important to note that while the switch from the tiny iPhone 13 mini to the iPhone 15 Pro Max would be a massive change for me, the same transition should be much easier for someone with an iPhone X, XS, 11, 12, 13, or 14. So… what about you? Are you going Max this year?

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Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.