The iPhone 18 Pro Max is reportedly getting a huge battery upgrade — while the standard Pro model might get almost no bump at all.
That could make this the year the Pro Max truly earns its name with a battery gap wider than anything we’ve seen before.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max battery advantage
Chinese regulatory filings have been, for years, one of the most reliable early indicators of the iPhone’s battery specs. Last year, a similar type of database correctly called iPhone 17 Pro battery capacity, for example.
And now, the latest filing data hints at a 5,567mAh battery for the iPhone 18 Pro Max eSIM variant, according to Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station. That’s a nearly 10% jump from the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 5,088mAh battery.
These numbers line up with the leaker’s own report from June, which hinted at identical figures. This means the current regulatory database leak is corroborating his earlier prediction.
The smaller iPhone 18 Pro is a completely different story. The filing puts its capacity at 4,288mAh — up from 4,252mAh, a gain of less than 1%.
The leaker even flagged the iPhone 18 Pro Max numbers as surprisingly large and called for further verification. A separate, earlier leak put the Pro Max battery at 5,235mAh and 5,425mAh depending on model variant. Different numbers, same direction: a big leap for the Pro Max, and not so much for the Pro.
One possible explanation is that the iPhone 18 Pro Max is said to be physically thicker than the iPhone 18 Pro. That would give Apple the extra space to fit in a bigger cell.
Everything else the two models have in common
Apart from battery capacity, the iPhone 18 Pro and the iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to offer the same features. Both models are rumored to get variable aperture on the 48MP Fusion camera. While the main differentiators will be the weight and size, the battery gap is considerably wider than usual.
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 18 Pro lineup this September, alongside the much-rumored foldable iPhone Ultra. The standard iPhone 18 is not expected to be part of that event.
Anurag Chawake is a tech-focused writer specializing in smartphones, apps and consumer technology. His interest in computers began during the Windows 98 era, eventually leading him to explore everything from operating systems to mobile devices and PC hardware. Anurag previously contributed to The Indian Express, covering Apple, Android, gaming and the broader technology landscape.
