iPhone 18 Pro Max: battery capacity increases — will Samsung respond?

Apple is reportedly gearing up for a small revolution for its upcoming flagship: according to data from the Chinese 3C database, iPhone 18 Pro Max could receive the most significant battery upgrade in its history, pushing the cell capacity to levels never before reached by Apple.

If so far Apple has guaranteed an excellent battery life by focusing mainly on hardware-software integration and the efficiency of its chips, with the next generation it seems determined to challenge Android flagship devices even in terms of capacity.

iPhone 18 Pro Max: the generational leap in battery life is coming, but don’t expect miracles

For the US model of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, there is talk of a battery of a solid 5.567 mAh, a significant increase compared to the 5.088 mAh of the current iPhone 17 Pro Max. The version destined for the Chinese market will also see growth, reaching 5.391 mAh.

This technical divergence is due to Apple’s decision to remove the physical SIM slot in the US models in favor of the only eSIM technology, a move that has freed precious space inside the chassis to host larger-capacity cells, while in China the physical slot persists.

The upgrade will not concern only the flagship model, as the iPhone 18 Pro will also see a battery increase, albeit minor. The specifications indicate a 4.288 mAh unit for the US version and 4.056 mAh for the Chinese version, compared to 4.252 mAh of the iPhone 17 Pro. Nothing earth-shattering and certainly not on par with the new addition for the Pro Max.

However this does not mean that Apple is actually moving to close the gap with the main Chinese rivals, such as Xiaomi, OnePlus and OPPO. They now run on very different tracks, thanks to the use of silicon-carbon batteries.

From a competitiveness standpoint, with the increase for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple positions itself on par with Samsung, now the only Android manufacturer still tied to the 5,000 mAh range. Speaking of the Korean giant, details have recently emerged about a possible increase in the battery of the next Galaxy S27 Ultra — which could perhaps exceed 5,500 mAh.