iPhone 15 Pro Max Shopping Cheatsheet

Apple.com is already sold out into November

You know that Apple is releasing 4 new iPhones Friday, 9/29 and the star attraction, the top of the line iPhone 15 Pro Max, is already sold out online.

For good reason: this is the camera (ahem, phone) with the most advanced features for photographers, and it’s the only one I would consider. Namely, the bigger Zoom, a 5X, which can bring you way closer to the action, compared to the 3X on the Pro edition.

Maybe you want the bragging rights of having the latest and greatest before others. Or you’re like two friends of mine, who are both going (separately) to South Africa in late October, and need the new phone (camera) before they board the plane. For them, the Max is the only option.

The entry level iPhone 15 and 15 Plus have only two lenses, ultra-wide and wide.

The Pro Max starts at $1,199 with 256 of storage and caps out at $1,599 with 1 terabyte of storage. I recommend getting the extra storage, if you plan on shooting lots of photos and videos.

So what to do if you’ve got to have it?

First, Apple.com, as of Wednesday morning:

15 Pro Max with 256 gigabytes of storage, 512 or 1 TB: won’t ship until November 9-16.

However, Dan Ives, an analyst for Wedbush Securities, who I really respect, insists that at the Apple retail stores beginning Friday morning, the company will have some Pro Max phones available for customers.

My advice: if you want it, and need it, be there when the store opens (usually at 10 a.m.) and get on the line to buy one before they’re gone. You can always return it if you don’t like it. (Buy the unlocked version, which works with AT&T, Verizon or T-Mobile.)

“There will be a scarcity of Pro Maxs,” Ives says. “They’ll be gone very soon.”

But the best deals appear to be from the carriers, who look to hook you into higher-cost monthly plans over the long term. They will sell you the phone at either a discount or less painfully over time and may have phones available when Apple Stores don’t.

In order to get the deal, you need to agree to trade in your phone. The carriers are so eager for your business that they don’t even care how old the phone is. As Verizon says in its ad: “Any model. Any condition.” (I’m for holding the old phone as a backup, and second camera, but your situation could be different from mine.)

Apple also accepts trade-ins.

I subscribe to T-Mobile, and can vouch for its service, and lower rates than I used to pay with Verizon. (My bill went down by half when I switched) For roughly $100 monthly, T-Mobile quoted me a service plan (after my trade-in) that included free Netflix and Apple TV+, plus a 15 Pro. For $100 extra one-time charge, I could get the Pro Max. Note that T-Mobile locks you into a two-year deal, vs. 3 years for the others. Cost of phone: just under $600 and delivery by 9/22.

AT&T: After a $1,000 trade-in for the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the company will ship me a 15 Pro Max between Oct. 12 and 26th, and the retail price will be $1,600 over a 3 year period.

Verizon: Over 3 years, Verizon will sell you the loaded phone for $1,499, with delivery by 9/29.

Note that carriers offer many different wireless plans, and your final rate may be different than what I came up with. If interested, I’d call before the phone goes on sale and see what your best offer would be.

Meanwhile, I’ll have a first impressions review of the new photo features for travel photography for Saturday’s edition here, and will do a live stream Saturday morning at 10 a.m. PT to take any questions you may have about the new phones.

Thanks for reading everyone!

Jeff