iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Nothing Phone (4a)

iPhone 15 Pro Max

6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with ProMotion 120Hz adaptive refresh and a 2000-nit peak brightness — the best display Apple has shipped. Dynamic Island carries over from the 14 Pro Max with no major changes.

• 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 2796×1290, ProMotion 120Hz adaptive (1-120Hz), 2000-nit peak HDR — best iPhone display ever shipped.
• Display brightness easily readable in direct sunlight — meaningful improvement over the 14 Pro Max's 1600-nit peak.
• Dynamic Island carries over from 14 Pro Max with no major feature changes — still the iPhone's most distinctive UI element.
• ProMotion 120Hz on the Pro is 'significantly smoother' than the standard iPhone 15's locked 60Hz — a real-world differentiator.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A genuine highlight for the price — a big 6.78-inch 120Hz AMOLED that's bright, sharp and HDR-capable, beating similarly priced rivals.

• 6.78-inch AMOLED, 120Hz, 2160Hz PWM, HDR10+, 800 nits typical / 1,600 nits HBM / 4,500 nits peak at 1224x2720 (440ppi).
• The 6.78-inch display is 23% brighter than the 3a, reaching 1,600 nits outdoors with a 4,500-nit HDR peak.
• Brightness goes up to 4,500 nits peak, remaining easily readable outdoors — the display is very strong for this price range and one of the standout features.
• In the real world it hits around 700 nits peak SDR and ~1,550–1,600 nits in HDR, with 460ppi and dynamic 120Hz.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

48MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 12MP 5x Tetraprism periscope telephoto (Pro Max exclusive) + 12MP TrueDepth selfie. The 5x periscope is the headline upgrade — first iPhone past 3x optical, with computational zoom up to 25x.

• Cameras: 48MP main (f/1.78, sensor-shift OIS), 12MP ultrawide (f/2.2, 13mm), 12MP 5x Tetraprism periscope telephoto (120mm, f/2.8), 12MP TrueDepth selfie.
• 5x Tetraprism is Pro Max EXCLUSIVE — the smaller iPhone 15 Pro is capped at 3x telephoto, the first time Apple meaningfully gated a camera feature by size.
• Computational zoom extends usable range to 10x and 25x — beyond that, optical clarity degrades, but the 5x base is a meaningful step up from 3x.
• vs Samsung S23 Ultra's 10x periscope — Samsung still wins at maximum reach; iPhone wins on natural color, video stabilization and ecosystem.
• Pro photo modes: ProRAW capture, ProRes video at 4K60 to external storage via USB-C 3.0 — content-creator-grade workflow finally on iPhone.
• Front-facing camera improvements help selfies and video calls — best for content creators per WIRED.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A standout 3.5x periscope telephoto at this price and a solid main camera, undercut by an under-optimised zoom and a basic ultrawide.

• A triple setup — 50MP main, a 50MP periscope telephoto and an 8MP ultrawide — undoubtedly one of the best experiences at this level.
• The telephoto has been tweaked to a much better 3.5x (80mm) zoom factor.
• A telephoto with optical zoom at this price is great, but this is the worst optimisation I've seen on a 3.5x camera — expect disappointment if you buy for the zoom.
• The 3.5x optical-zoom telephoto is one of the biggest highlights, adding much more flexibility than most competitors in this price range, and the cameras are surprisingly capable.
• Each camera here feels better than what you'd get on Samsung at the price, and the main is solid with nice detail.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

First-ever 3nm A17 Pro chip with hardware ray tracing, 8GB RAM and NVMe storage — the fastest mobile silicon at launch. Launch overheating issues plagued early units but iOS 17.0.3 mitigated. Future-proofs the phone for Apple Intelligence on iOS 18+.

• A17 Pro is Apple's first 3nm chip, with 8GB RAM and NVMe storage — fastest mobile silicon at launch, hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
• Launch overheating: A17 Pro ran hot during gaming and 4K recording in the first weeks — iOS 17.0.3 update mitigated but didn't fully eliminate.
• Console-grade games (Resident Evil 4, Assassin's Creed Mirage, Death Stranding) now run natively on the A17 Pro — first phone to support them.
• Apple Intelligence compatibility — A17 Pro is the minimum chip required for iOS 18.1 Apple Intelligence; future-proofs the phone for 2024+ AI features.
• In 2025, A17 Pro 'is an absolute beast' and 'handles everything you throw at it' — performance has aged extremely well.

Nothing Phone (4a)

A capable mid-range chip that handles everyday use and casual gaming well — not a powerhouse, but appropriate for the price.

• Gaming is absolutely possible on this device, with solid everyday performance for the class.
• There's no shortage of substantial hardware upgrades over the 3a, even if the design doesn't stand out as much as the Pro.
• After 24 hours the home screen is extremely customisable and feels massively more functional than iOS, with no responsiveness complaints.
• Gesture-based navigation is fully supported and the overall experience is good thanks to Nothing's optimisations.

iPhone 15 Pro Max

$1,199 starting (256GB base) — the most-expensive baseline iPhone yet. In 2026 it's the smart-buy Apple pick at $700-900 used with 6+ years of updates left. Versus the S23 Ultra: closer than ever on cameras + zoom, still loses on raw zoom range.

• Launched at $1,199 with 256GB base storage (vs $1,099/128GB on the 14 Pro Max) — meaningful real-cost increase even with the storage doubling.
• Best smartphone deal in 2025: at $700-900 used the iPhone 15 Pro Max delivers titanium + USB-C 3.0 + 5x periscope + A17 Pro + 6 more years of updates.
• Phone Arena: 'the best phone I've ever owned to date' — long-term verdict after months of use.
• vs Galaxy S23 Ultra ($1,199): Apple wins on natural color/video/USB-C 3.0/longevity; Samsung wins on 10x periscope and S Pen.
• Best for: existing Apple users on iPhone 12/13 wanting USB-C + titanium + 5x zoom; long-time Pro Max users get meaningful gains too.

Nothing Phone (4a)

Aggressively priced below the Pixel 10a with a more distinctive design and a real telephoto — the standout budget pick for buyers who want personality.

• It's a good chunk of change cheaper than the $500 Pixel 10a.
• It fits the perfect budget for buyers who can't afford the ~$1,000 needed for an entry-level iPhone 17, with good hardware and excellent battery.
• A very strong mid-range smartphone that stands out with unique design, great display, solid performance and surprisingly capable cameras — definitely worth a closer look.
• Nothing stands out among the crowd with a brand identity strong enough to turn consumers into fans.