Buying a new phone will likely have you thinking about two types of features: On one hand are the details that people around you will notice, such as new design or color. On the other is the stuff that you, the user, will notice.

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Apple’s updates of the first variety have over the last couple of years become increasingly subtle. The biggest visual change to the iPhone Pro line was the introduction of the Dynamic Island on the iPhone 14 Pro, which replaced the notch and made Apple’s flagship phones instantly recognisable from the front. On the back, the Pro hasn’t really changed all that much.

On this year’s iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max, you won’t find anything that screams “new iPhone” from afar. I’m happy to report, however, that the subtle changes to the 15 Pro’s design are something that you will feel and appreciate as you start using it.

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Lighter than ever

Titanium, a strong, durable, but light metal has replaced stainless steel on the iPhone Pro’s chassis. The brushed titanium frame, alongside the textured matte glass on the phone’s back, give it an air of refinement and luxury. It’s much nicer than steel, though it’s not something that people will notice from afar. But here’s what you definitely will notice: These new Pros are light. Very light.

To be precise, the iPhone 15 Pro weighs 6.60 ounces, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max weighs 7.81 ounces. Compare that to the weight of the iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max (7.27 and 8.47 ounces). Or you can even compare it to the weight of the first-ever Pro models, the 11 Pro and the 11 Pro Max, which weighed 6.63 and 7.97 ounces. Yes, the iPhone Pro was never this light - even when it was way smaller.

This difference in weight is very noticeable in everyday usage. My daily driver is an iPhone 14 Pro Max and it can get heavy after longer sessions (not to mention the dreaded falling-on-your-face-in-bed incidents). This is even more pronounced when you use a leather case and Apple Wallet with a few cards inside. But Apple is replacing all of its leather accessories with eco-friendly materials, including the new FineWoven case and Wallet. I don’t have official specs for them, but they are quite light, and the overall result is that a fully decked out iPhone 15 Pro is like a featherweight compared to my old phone.

phone feel almost soft when you hold it.

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Bye-bye, Lightning

Another new feature that won’t wow your Android-touting friends, but will improve your overall user experience, is the USB-C charging port, which replaced the old Lightning port. Thanks partly to the European Union’s not-so-gentle nudging, Apple finally made the iPhones compatible not only with their own MacBooks and iPads (which have had USB-C for a while now), but also basically every other phone accessory out there.

Not only is USB-C more convenient, but it also supports faster data transfer (up to 10 Gb/s, though you do have to use a cable that supports these speeds). A bonus: you can now charge the USB-C AirPods Pro and the Apple Watch by connecting them to your iPhone.

The old mute toggle switch is also gone on the Pro, replaced by the new Action Button. It is in every way a superior solution, as it’s customizable. You can still set it to toggle sound, but it can be used for other things, such as firing up the flashlight, camera, or a Shortcut of your choosing.

In a very interesting departure from Apple’s typical design language, the Settings menu for the Action Button is animated, flashy, and colourful; perhaps it’s a hint at a wider-reaching UI redesign in the future. My only issue with the Action Button is that it mostly functions in one way: Short press to see the status of the attached command, and long press to activate that command. I’d like to be able to set up multiple gestures, such as double clicks, to perform different functions.

Put all of that together, and you get a phone that’s refined in many little ways; it’s lighter, smaller, nicer to hold, more compatible with other devices, and easier to operate. But you do have to hold it in your hand to really appreciate the upgrades.

A phone for gamers

Inside, a lot has changed, but it’s not as noticeable in everyday usage. Apple’s new A17 Pro chip (noticed that the Bionic moniker was replaced by Pro) is the first such chip created with a 3-nanometer process, allowing for more power while consuming less battery. But the actual improvements have been quite timid; Apple says the CPU is 10% faster. I’ve tested it with Geekbench and it spewed out record-breaking numbers: 2,145 for the single-core score, and 5,761 for the multi-core score. In my experience, the iPhone 15 Pro Max was fast, but not noticeably faster than the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Given the new chip, it would've been reasonable to assume the battery life would improve, but it's roughly the same as on last year's phones. The iPhone 15 Pro will last you a day of heavy use, and the Pro Max will endure well into the next day.

Apple iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max review: Close to perfection