Recent disclosures suggest that the forthcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a battery that is approximately 12% larger when juxtaposed with its predecessor, the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
A purported image of the battery from a Chinese variant of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which includes a SIM card tray, indicates a capacity of 5,391 mAh, a notable increase from the 4,823 mAh found in the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
This image was disclosed on the Korean platform Naver today, although it is believed to have originated from the Chinese social media platform Weibo.
The reported capacity of 5,391 mAh also made an appearance in a regulatory database last month, lending credence to its potential accuracy.
As for the U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which omits the SIM card tray, providing additional room for an even larger battery, the Naver article asserts it will boast a capacity of 5,567 mAh.
This is a significant leap from the 5,088 mAh battery of the previous iPhone 17 Pro Max, translating to nearly a 10% year-over-year enhancement.
However, indications suggest that substantial improvements in battery life may not extend to the smaller iPhone 18 Pro.
The U.S. variant is expected to feature a 4,288 mAh battery, showing less than a 1% increase compared to the 4,252 mAh of the iPhone 17 Pro.
Earlier speculation had hinted at the iPhone 18 Pro Max being thicker than its counterpart, the iPhone 18 Pro, which might elucidate this disparity.
Below is a summary of the presumed battery capacities for the iPhone 18 Pro series.
iPhone 18 Pro
| China | China Difference | U.S. | U.S. Difference | |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 3,582 mAh | +308 mAh | 3,582 mAh | +308 mAh |
| iPhone 17 Pro | 3,988 mAh | +406 mAh | 4,252 mAh | +670 mAh |
| iPhone 18 Pro | 4,056 mAh | +68 mAh | 4,288 mAh | +36 mAh |
iPhone 18 Pro Max
| China | China Difference | U.S. | U.S. Difference | |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 4,685 mAh | +244 mAh | 4,685 mAh | +244 mAh |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | 4,823 mAh | +138 mAh | 5,088 mAh | +403 mAh |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | 5,391 mAh | +568 mAh | 5,567 mAh | +479 mAh |
The variations in battery capacity across regions stem from Apple’s decision to retain a SIM tray in devices distributed in certain countries outside the U.S.
In contrast, models sold in the United States have transitioned to an eSIM-only format since the introduction of the iPhone 14, permitting a slightly larger battery in these versions due to the absence of a physical tray.
Beginning with the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, this trend of removing the SIM card tray has also been applied to models released in Canada, Japan, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and several other nations and territories.
Source link: Macrumors.com.
