The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max battery capacity has leaked ahead of its expected September launch. According to tipster Digital Chat Station on Weibo, the flagship will pack a 5,000mAh cell in China, with international variants getting slightly more capacity.
iPhone 18 Pro Max Battery Specs Revealed
The leak suggests the China-specific iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a 5,000mAh battery or potentially larger. Meanwhile, international models are tipped to carry batteries in the 5,100–5,200mAh range. This 100-200mAh difference stems from hardware design choices rather than regional preferences.
Why the Battery Size Difference Exists
The capacity gap between Chinese and international models comes down to the SIM slot. Chinese iPhones require a physical SIM tray, which takes up internal space that could otherwise house a larger battery. International versions increasingly rely on eSIM technology, freeing up room for bigger cells.
For comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max with a physical SIM slot carries a 4,832mAh battery, while the eSIM variant packs a 5,088mAh cell. The iPhone 18 Pro Max appears to follow this pattern with modest capacity increases across both variants.
Efficiency Gains from A20 Pro Chipset
Despite the relatively modest battery sizes, the tipster claims improved battery life is coming. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to use a new 2nm A20 Pro chipset, which should deliver better power efficiency than current processors. This could offset the need for dramatically larger batteries.
Launch Timeline and Strategy Shift
iPhone 18 Pro rumors suggest Apple will unveil the lineup this September. Notably, the company may skip standard iPhone 18 models entirely, focusing solely on Pro variants. This marks a significant change from Apple's typical annual release strategy.
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