These numbers come from two independent sources: China's 3C certification database, spotted by reliable Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station, and an alleged photo of a battery pack for the Chinese Pro Max model, reported by MacRumors . The identical capacities appearing in both sources significantly increase confidence, though Apple has not confirmed any figures .

Battery Capacities by Model and Region

Apple continues its practice of offering slightly different battery sizes depending on whether the device includes a physical SIM tray. The eSIM-only U.S. models reclaim space normally occupied by the tray, allowing for a larger cell .

• iPhone 18 Pro Max (U.S. eSIM): 5,567 mAh
• iPhone 18 Pro Max (China/global SIM): 5,391 mAh
• iPhone 18 Pro (U.S. eSIM): 4,288 mAh
• iPhone 18 Pro (China/global SIM): 4,056 mAh

Note: AppleInsider's initial July 6 report transposed the U.S. and China Pro Max labels; the consensus across all other major outlets places the higher capacity on the U.S. eSIM variant .

Year-over-Year Comparison: iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 18

The Pro Max gets a meaningful upgrade; the Pro barely moves.

The Pro Max gains approximately 9–12% year-over-year, while the smaller Pro sees only a ~1% increase .

Hardware Changes Accompanying the Larger Battery

The capacity increase does not come for free. Multiple leakers tie the larger battery directly to a thicker and heavier chassis, along with several new internal components .

• Thicker chassis (~9 mm): Leaker Ice Universe claims the iPhone 18 Pro Max will measure approximately 9 mm thick, up roughly 0.25 mm from the iPhone 17 Pro Max . Some reports suggest a more modest 8.8 mm increase .
• Weight increase to ~240 g: The device is expected to weigh around 240 grams, tying the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max as the heaviest iPhones ever, and about 7 g heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro Max . One outlet suggests it could exceed 240 g .
• A20 Pro chip on 2nm: The processor is rumored to be Apple's first built on TSMC's cutting-edge 2nm manufacturing process, bringing potential efficiency gains alongside the larger battery .
• Variable aperture camera: The Pro models are likely to feature a variable aperture main camera for the first time, adding physical bulk .
• Stainless steel vapor chamber: Improved thermal management is reportedly achieved with a stainless steel vapor chamber, which also contributes to the added weight .
• Up to 16 GB RAM: A rumored increase from 12 GB on the iPhone 17 Pro Max .

Leakers attribute the added thickness and weight directly to the larger battery and the new camera and thermal components .

eSIM-Only Markets Expand with iPhone 17

Starting with the iPhone 17 lineup in September 2025, Apple expanded eSIM-only models to 12 countries for the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max :

United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Puerto Rico, Guam

Europe and most other regions still retain physical SIM slots on standard iPhone 17 models . The iPhone 17 Air was Apple's first truly worldwide eSIM-only iPhone, with no SIM tray in any market, including China .

This shift explains the capacity gap between U.S. eSIM and global physical-SIM variants in the iPhone 18 Pro lineup: removing the tray frees internal space for a larger battery cell .

Caveats on Leak Reliability

• Pre-production parts: The leaked photos show prototype or regulatory-stage batteries, not final production units. Capacities can change before mass production begins .
• Conflicting early numbers: An earlier June leak suggested 5,235 mAh (nano SIM) and 5,425 mAh (eSIM) — notably different from the 5,391/5,567 mAh now widely reported — indicating multiple prototype battery variants existed .
• AppleInsider transposition error: One major outlet initially reported U.S. and China capacities swapped for the Pro Max, creating temporary confusion .
• No official confirmation: All figures come from leakers (Digital Chat Station, Ice Universe) and Chinese regulatory database entries, not from Apple. Regulatory filings are considered more reliable than anonymous supply-chain photos but are still not final .
• Physical SIM vs. eSIM gap variation: The exact capacity for markets with physical SIM trays remains slightly fluid across sources; the China model is consistently lower, but a smaller gap (5,391 vs. 5,567 mAh) and a larger gap have both been cited in different reports .

Bottom line: The leaked capacities for the iPhone 18 Pro Max (5,567/5,391 mAh) come from both 3C regulatory filings and an independent battery pack photo, making them the best-sourced iPhone battery leak in recent years. However, they are not finalized until Apple announces the devices, expected in September 2026.

These numbers come from two independent sources: China's 3C certification database, spotted by reliable Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station, and an alleged photo of a battery pack for the Chinese Pro Max model, reported by MacRumors . The identical capacities appearing in both sources significantly increase confidence, though Apple has not confirmed any figures .

Battery Capacities by Model and Region

Apple continues its practice of offering slightly different battery sizes depending on whether the device includes a physical SIM tray. The eSIM-only U.S. models reclaim space normally occupied by the tray, allowing for a larger cell .

• iPhone 18 Pro Max (U.S. eSIM): 5,567 mAh
• iPhone 18 Pro Max (China/global SIM): 5,391 mAh
• iPhone 18 Pro (U.S. eSIM): 4,288 mAh
• iPhone 18 Pro (China/global SIM): 4,056 mAh

Note: AppleInsider's initial July 6 report transposed the U.S. and China Pro Max labels; the consensus across all other major outlets places the higher capacity on the U.S. eSIM variant .

Year-over-Year Comparison: iPhone 17 vs. iPhone 18

The Pro Max gets a meaningful upgrade; the Pro barely moves.

The Pro Max gains approximately 9–12% year-over-year, while the smaller Pro sees only a ~1% increase .

Hardware Changes Accompanying the Larger Battery

The capacity increase does not come for free. Multiple leakers tie the larger battery directly to a thicker and heavier chassis, along with several new internal components .

• Thicker chassis (~9 mm): Leaker Ice Universe claims the iPhone 18 Pro Max will measure approximately 9 mm thick, up roughly 0.25 mm from the iPhone 17 Pro Max . Some reports suggest a more modest 8.8 mm increase .
• Weight increase to ~240 g: The device is expected to weigh around 240 grams, tying the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max as the heaviest iPhones ever, and about 7 g heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro Max . One outlet suggests it could exceed 240 g .
• A20 Pro chip on 2nm: The processor is rumored to be Apple's first built on TSMC's cutting-edge 2nm manufacturing process, bringing potential efficiency gains alongside the larger battery .
• Variable aperture camera: The Pro models are likely to feature a variable aperture main camera for the first time, adding physical bulk .
• Stainless steel vapor chamber: Improved thermal management is reportedly achieved with a stainless steel vapor chamber, which also contributes to the added weight .
• Up to 16 GB RAM: A rumored increase from 12 GB on the iPhone 17 Pro Max .

Leakers attribute the added thickness and weight directly to the larger battery and the new camera and thermal components .

eSIM-Only Markets Expand with iPhone 17

Starting with the iPhone 17 lineup in September 2025, Apple expanded eSIM-only models to 12 countries for the iPhone 17, 17 Pro, and 17 Pro Max :

United States, Canada, Japan, Mexico, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Puerto Rico, Guam

Europe and most other regions still retain physical SIM slots on standard iPhone 17 models . The iPhone 17 Air was Apple's first truly worldwide eSIM-only iPhone, with no SIM tray in any market, including China .

This shift explains the capacity gap between U.S. eSIM and global physical-SIM variants in the iPhone 18 Pro lineup: removing the tray frees internal space for a larger battery cell .

Caveats on Leak Reliability

• Pre-production parts: The leaked photos show prototype or regulatory-stage batteries, not final production units. Capacities can change before mass production begins .
• Conflicting early numbers: An earlier June leak suggested 5,235 mAh (nano SIM) and 5,425 mAh (eSIM) — notably different from the 5,391/5,567 mAh now widely reported — indicating multiple prototype battery variants existed .
• AppleInsider transposition error: One major outlet initially reported U.S. and China capacities swapped for the Pro Max, creating temporary confusion .
• No official confirmation: All figures come from leakers (Digital Chat Station, Ice Universe) and Chinese regulatory database entries, not from Apple. Regulatory filings are considered more reliable than anonymous supply-chain photos but are still not final .
• Physical SIM vs. eSIM gap variation: The exact capacity for markets with physical SIM trays remains slightly fluid across sources; the China model is consistently lower, but a smaller gap (5,391 vs. 5,567 mAh) and a larger gap have both been cited in different reports .

Bottom line: The leaked capacities for the iPhone 18 Pro Max (5,567/5,391 mAh) come from both 3C regulatory filings and an independent battery pack photo, making them the best-sourced iPhone battery leak in recent years. However, they are not finalized until Apple announces the devices, expected in September 2026.