Where they actually differ
The most decisive specs, ranked by how much they matter — before the full spec table.
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Refresh rate | 120 Hz | 60 Hz |
| Weight | 221 g | 170 g |
| Wired charging | 27 W | 20 W |
| Battery capacity | 4422 mAh | 3561 mAh |
| Screen size | 6.7 " | 6.1 " |
| AnTuTu | 1530000 | 1620000 |
Between the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16, the iPhone 15 Pro Max comes out ahead in refresh rate / wired charging, while the iPhone 16 wins on weight / antutu. Overall, the iPhone 15 Pro Max scores 63 and the iPhone 16 scores 60.1 on our Mars Score.
Which should you buy?
These two are nearly even on the Mars Score (63 vs 60.1). The decision is not about overall quality — both clear the bar — it is about which specific trade-offs fit your use.
Pick the iPhone 15 Pro Max if your top frustration with your current device is running out of charge before the day ends — endurance is the lead spec here. The biggest gaps in its favor are refresh rate, wired charging, battery capacity, among others. The single most decisive one: Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
Pick the iPhone 16 if you push the hardware — gaming, on-device AI, heavy multitasking — and the extra compute headroom is worth the trade-offs. Its strongest claims are weight, antutu. The single most decisive one: Weight — 51.00 g less. 170 vs 221.
Both ship with comparable ram, main camera, 5g support, so those specs do not separate the two — focus on the differences below.
Bottom line: there is no wrong answer here — match the spec advantages to how you actually use the product. The Mars Score parity says both are well-rounded; the differences are about trade-offs, not quality.
Which should you buy: Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max or Apple - iPhone 16?
Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max leads the current Mars Score by 2.9 points.The more useful decision is the trade-off behind that result: compare screen size, battery capacity against the way you will actually use the product.
Choose Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max if…
Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max has the measurable edge on refresh rate hz, wired charging w, battery capacity mah.
Choose Apple - iPhone 16 if…
Apple - iPhone 16 has the measurable edge on weight g, antutu score.
This is a structured comparison of the published catalog values. It is not a claim of identical real-world performance across every workload; use the linked spec drill-downs and methodology page to inspect the inputs.
Why Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max wins
- ▲Refresh rate — 100.00% more. 120 Hz vs 60 Hz.
- ▲Wired charging — 35.00% more. 27 W vs 20 W.
- ▲Battery capacity — 24.18% more. 4422 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
- ▲Screen size — 9.84% more. 6.7 " vs 6.1 ".
Why Apple - iPhone 16 wins
- ▲Weight — 51.00 g less. 170 vs 221.
- ▲AnTuTu — 5.88% more. 1620000 vs 1530000.
Spec comparison
Design
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 221 g | 170 glead |
| Thickness | 8.25 mm | 7.8 mmlead |
| Water resistanceⓘ | IP68 | IP68 |
| Form factor | bar | bar |
Display
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 6.7 "lead | 6.1 " |
| Pixel densityⓘ | 460 ppi | 460 ppi |
| Refresh rateⓘ | 120 Hzlead | 60 Hz |
| Peak brightnessⓘ | 2000 nits | 2000 nits |
Performance
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| RAMⓘ | 8 GB | 8 GB |
| Storageⓘ | 256 GBlead | 128 GB |
| AnTuTuⓘ | 1530000 | 1620000lead |
| CPU total clockⓘ | 16.5 GHz | 17.0 GHzlead |
Cameras
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Main cameraⓘ | 48 MP | 48 MP |
| Front camera | 12 MP | 12 MP |
| Optical image stabilizationⓘ | true | true |
Battery
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| Battery capacityⓘ | 4422 mAhlead | 3561 mAh |
| Wired chargingⓘ | 27 Wlead | 20 W |
| Wireless chargingⓘ | 15 W | 15 W |
Connectivity
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| 5G supportⓘ | true | true |
| Headphone jack | false | false |
| microSD slot | false | false |
Operating System
| Spec | Apple - iPhone 15 Pro Max | Apple - iPhone 16 |
|---|---|---|
| OS | iOS | iOS |
| Promised OS updates | 5 years | 5 years |
Frequently asked
Which has better battery, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16?+
iPhone 15 Pro Max has 24.2% more battery — 4422 mAh vs 3561 mAh.
Which is lighter, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16?+
iPhone 16 is 51g lighter — 221g vs 170g.
Is iPhone 15 Pro Max waterproof?+
iPhone 15 Pro Max has an IP68 rating.
Does iPhone 16 support 5G?+
Yes, iPhone 16 supports 5G.
Which has a better camera, iPhone 15 Pro Max or iPhone 16?+
iPhone 16 has a 48 MP main camera vs 48 MP.