iPhone 18 Pro Max to Feature 5,100 - 5,200mAh Battery and 2nm A20 Pro Chip [Rumor]

Battery life is shaping up to be a headline feature for the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Supply chain leaks surfacing this week indicate Apple is testing larger capacity cells for its next flagship, potentially pushing international models toward the 5,200 mAh range.



The details come from Digital Chat Station, a source with a solid track record on Weibo. According to the post, engineering samples for the international version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max are currently testing with capacities between 5,100 mAh and 5,200 mAh. The domestic Chinese version is reportedly slightly smaller, hovering around the 5,000 mAh range. The difference likely comes down to internal space, as Chinese models require physical dual-SIM hardware that reduces room for the battery.


If these figures stick, it would represent a modest increase over the current flagship. The iPhone 17 Pro Max broke the 5,000 mAh barrier with a 5,088 mAh cell. Pushing that number higher gives Apple additional headroom, though the most meaningful gains will likely come from the silicon.

The leak specifically mentions the A20 Pro chip as a major factor for endurance. Apple is expected to move to TSMC's 2-nanometer process for the iPhone 18 lineup, a shift that should bring meaningful efficiency gains over today's 3nm chips. Getting there will not be cheap, however. Reports suggest the manufacturing costs for these 2nm processors could jump by as much as 80 percent compared to current silicon.

A larger battery also aligns with reports that the next Pro Max could be the heaviest iPhone ever, likely due to a combination of denser batteries and new camera components. Apple is reportedly sampling a variable aperture main camera for the device, a more complex mechanical system that would require additional internal space and add weight.

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