Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max vs Apple iPhone SE (4th generation)

Apple's flagship 15 Pro Max commands a $700 premium over the iPhone SE 4, justified by superior specs in several key areas. Display excellence stands out: the Pro Max's 6.7-inch Super Retina XDR OLED with 120Hz LTPO refresh rate and 2000 nits peak brightness dramatically outperforms the SE's 60Hz, 1200-nit panel. Camera performance favors the Pro Max significantly—its 5x telephoto lens, Dolby Vision 4K recording, and advanced computational photography create professional-grade capabilities absent in the SE. Battery capacity (4422 mAh vs 3279 mAh) and charging speeds (27W wired, 15W MagSafe vs 20W wired, 7.5W wireless) give the Pro Max meaningful longevity advantages. The A17 Pro chip edges out the A18 in GPU performance (6-core vs 5-core). However, the SE4 impresses with competitive base specs—same 8GB RAM, 48MP main camera, IP68 rating, and Wi-Fi 7 support—making it genuinely capable for everyday users. Choose the 15 Pro Max for photography, gaming, and premium display quality; select the SE 4 if budget constraints matter and you prioritize value-per-dollar.