Leaked images show iPhone 18 Pro Max battery upgrade

Leaked images suggest Apple is preparing a significant battery upgrade for its upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max, with the standard model reportedly featuring a 5,391 mAh capacity. This represents a substantial increase over the current generation and could translate to notably improved battery life for users.

The leaked photos, which surfaced on the Korean platform Naver and are said to have originated from Chinese social media, show a battery unit with a SIM card tray, indicating it is intended for the Chinese market. The 5,391 mAh capacity listed on the unit aligns with a figure that appeared in a regulatory database last month, lending credibility to the leak. For comparison, the battery in the current iPhone 17 Pro Max for the Chinese market is 4,823 mAh, making the new capacity roughly 12% larger.

Regional differences in battery size are expected due to Apple's continued use of physical SIM card trays in some markets. The U.S. version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which is eSIM-only and lacks a physical tray, is rumored to house an even larger 5,567 mAh battery. This would be a nearly 10% increase over the 5,088 mAh battery in the current U.S. iPhone 17 Pro Max. The extra internal...