Early leaks of Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max suggest the brand may finally push past the 5,000mAh battery mark. However, it seems like the increase in capacity is more incremental than impressive.
iPhone 18 Pro Max Battery Capacity Leak Details
According to well-known leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple is testing a slightly larger battery for its next-generation Pro Max model. As per the leak, the China version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max is tipped to feature a battery capacity of approximately 5,000mAh, while the global variants could ship with a slightly larger cell ranging between 5,100mAh and 5,200mAh.
If accurate, this would make it the largest battery ever used in Apple iPhones, narrowly surpassing the 4,823mAh capacity of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The latest leak also notes that the battery life improvements may not rely solely on capacity gains. The iPhone 18 Pro Max is widely rumoured to be powered by Apple's A20 Pro which is built on a TSMC 2nm process.
Now, the combination of a marginally larger battery and a more power-efficient chip could translate into noticeable real-world endurance improvements, even if the raw mAh figures remain relatively restrained.
However, the leaked iPhone 18 Pro Max capacity may still feel underwhelming when compared to Android flagships like the OnePlus 15 (7,300mAh battery) and the iQOO 15 (7,000mAh battery).
But Apple's strategy, as seen in previous generations, appears to prioritise efficiency, thermal control and tight hardware-software integration over chasing headline-grabbing battery numbers. So, in reality, the iPhone 18 Pro Max could take the fight to these top-tier Android flagships as well in terms of battery endurance.
As with all early leaks, the final specifications could change before Apple officially launches the iPhone 18 series. For now, we can only expect to see an incremental change and not a dramatic leap in the battery capacity.
