iPhone 18 Pro’s alleged battery capacities just surfaced online. While the Chinese variant will reportedly pack a 4,056mAh battery, the US model could feature a larger 4,288mAh cell.
If accurate, these capacities are largely similar to the batteries used in the iPhone 17 Pro.
Apple may stick with similar battery sizes on the iPhone 18 Pro
Apple uses larger batteries on the iPhone 17 Pro lineup, giving the phones’ runtime a significant boost. Thanks to more internal space, the eSIM variant packs a bigger 4,252mAh battery. The nanoSIM models use a smaller 3,988mAh cell.
For comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro houses a 3,582mAh battery.
In a post on Weibo, Chinese leaker Digital Chat Station says the iPhone 18 Pro prototypes pack batteries similar in size to those in the iPhone 17 Pro. The Chinese variant seemingly houses a 4,056mAh cell, while the US variant gets a 4,288mAh battery.
While there is no mention of the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery capacity, it will likely pack a similarly sized cell as its predecessor.
That does not mean Apple’s upcoming iPhones may not deliver longer battery life. Apple will fabricate the A20 SoC on TSMC’s leading 2nm node, which should lead to significant power savings.
Coupled with other optimizations, the iPhone 18 Pro lineup should deliver the same or longer battery life despite more powerful hardware.
No silicon-carbon battery for another year?
Unfortunately, if the leaked battery capacity is accurate, it means that Apple will again skip using higher-density silicon-carbon batteries inside its 2026 flagship iPhones.
Barring Samsung and Google, all other Android manufacturers have already switched to this new battery technology. It allows for higher-capacity batteries without a corresponding increase in size.
The leaker also says that the upcoming Pro iPhone will sport a 48MP variable aperture main camera. Add in the increasing component prices, and Apple may be forced to increase the iPhone 18 Pro’s price. That is, unless it decides to compromise on its profit margins to secure a larger market share.
Rajesh has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade, with a strong focus on iPhones, Macs and Apple’s ecosystem. He enjoys digging into Apple software updates, hardware changes, and discovering new Mac apps that make work faster and more enjoyable.
