iPhone 18 Pro Max Could Get Apple's Biggest Battery Yet [Rumor]

A newly shared image claims to reveal the battery capacities of Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max, showing a 190 mAh advantage for models equipped with eSIM over those retaining a physical SIM card slot. If accurate, the larger pack would be the biggest battery ever used in an iPhone.



Shared by the technology account Duoge Internet Technology on Weibo, the graphic places outlines of two battery components side by side. The version labeled as the eSIM model lists a total capacity of 5425 mAh. A second outline, designated for regions requiring a physical SIM tray, is labeled 5235 mAh and features a cutout along its lower edge, apparently to accommodate the SIM card reader.


The apparent tradeoff aligns with earlier supply chain leaks. We previously reported a similar distinction for the smaller iPhone 18 Pro, where the U.S. eSIM model is also expected to feature a slightly larger battery than its international physical SIM counterpart. The capacities shown in this latest graphic also exceed earlier estimates that placed the Pro Max battery in the 5,100 to 5,200 mAh range.

Apple has shipped eSIM-only iPhones in the United States since the iPhone 14. If the leaked comparison is accurate, eliminating the physical SIM tray allows additional internal space for a larger battery, while models destined for markets that still require a physical SIM card slot sacrifice some battery capacity to accommodate the extra hardware.