iPhone 18 Pro Max Battery Hits 5,567mAh in US, 5,391mAh in China

China’s telecom regulator has stamped certification numbers on what appear to be Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max batteries, and the filings point to the largest jump for the Pro Max in years. Leaker Digital Chat Station spotted the entries on China’s C3 database, where the US version of the iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated at 5,567mAh and the Chinese version at 5,391mAh.

The Pro Max trails a more modest step for the regular Pro, which lands at 4,288mAh in the US and 4,056mAh in China. Apple has not commented on the filings, and the certification entries do not name the iPhone 18 by model. The battery model numbers in the docs line up with what Digital Chat Station had posted on Weibo in June, and the US capacity for the Pro Max matches the size jump the leaker had flagged for that phone as far back as February.

What the China Filing Lists for the iPhone 18 Pro Family

The two filings cover four packs in total. The iPhone 18 Pro gets cells listed as S2232 and S2233, while the iPhone 18 Pro Max is paired with 2235L, 2235, 2236L, and 2236. All four are valid through May or June 2031, the multi-year horizon component vendors file well ahead of any release. The C3 certification entries themselves list every cell.

Set against the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, the increases are uneven. The Pro Max makes the biggest absolute jump. The regular Pro sees only a modest step up, which lines up with the caution leakers have carried about that model all year. The full three-year picture, as filed in China and the US, runs like this.

Why US Buyers Still Get the Bigger Cell

China and US capacities have differed since 2022 because Apple has kept a physical SIM tray on every iPhone sold outside the US, while US iPhones have been eSIM only since the iPhone 14 lineup. Dropping the tray frees internal volume that Apple puts straight into the battery. The pattern is now baked across three generations. Apple made the call at its “Far Out” event in September 2022, per coverage of the eSIM-only iPhone 14 launch.

That detail is why a US iPhone 17 Pro Max shipped with a 5,088mAh cell while the Chinese version carried a 4,823mAh one, and why a US iPhone 18 Pro Max will carry 5,567mAh against the Chinese 5,391mAh. The gap is a hardware decision Apple made in 2022, not a feature for any one launch.

The Pro Max Moves Far More Than the Pro

In percentage terms, the iPhone 18 Pro Max makes a sizable jump. AppleInsider pegs the US increase from the iPhone 17 Pro Max at around 9.5%. The iPhone 18 Pro, by contrast, gains only a thin margin over the iPhone 17 Pro, with the US model moving from 4,252mAh to 4,288mAh.

That tracks the supply chain’s caution about the smaller phone. The same filings cover both devices, but the leaker treats the Pro Max figures with more confidence and the Pro figures with explicit skepticism. The numbers to watch this fall are the ones on the Pro Max.

• 5,567mAh: US iPhone 18 Pro Max, the largest cell the filings list for the lineup.
• 5,391mAh: China iPhone 18 Pro Max, a clear step up from 4,823mAh.
• 4,288mAh: US iPhone 18 Pro, a small step from 4,252mAh.
• 4,056mAh: China iPhone 18 Pro, up from 3,988mAh.

Beyond Capacity: A 2nm Chip and a 4.520V Cap

Beyond capacity, the entries log specs that get less attention. Rated energy runs up to 21.751Wh across the four cells, with a 4.520V charge limit. Both figures suggest Apple has not pushed charging wattage higher this cycle. The company is instead banking on raw cell size paired with chip-level efficiency from the A20 Pro, its first chip built on a 2nm process.

Per Gizmochina’s 3C certification analysis, other features in the iPhone 18 Pro family have leaked alongside the battery. The phones are expected to carry a smaller Dynamic Island as some Face ID components move under the display, a variable aperture main camera with three 48MP sensors and a periscope telephoto lens, and Apple’s in-house C2 modem outside the US. Screen sizes are said to stay at 6.3 inches for the Pro and 6.9 inches for the Pro Max. None of those is confirmed by the certifications, and Gizmochina notes that all pre-launch details are still subject to change before the phones are announced. The certification’s horizon through 2031 also shows how far ahead of the actual phone component vendors file these documents, which is why the leak lands roughly two months before launch.

Apple’s First Split Launch Goes Ahead

The September event will not show a complete iPhone 18 family. Per AppleInsider and MacRumors reporting, Apple plans to use the fall window for the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and its first foldable iPhone. The standard iPhone 18 and a successor to the iPhone 16e are expected to follow in spring 2027, an arrangement no previous iPhone generation has followed.

AppleInsider reported in January that the split is driven by supply chain pressures, citing an unnamed iPhone supplier executive, in a piece on why Apple is splitting the iPhone 18 launch. The same outlet reported in February that Apple’s first foldable iPhone will carry the company’s biggest battery capacity yet, though no specific figure was given. Apple’s CEO Tim Cook has pointed at rising memory costs on recent earnings calls without addressing the split. Per Gizmochina, China-based vendors like Xiaomi, Oppo, and OnePlus have long packed 7,000mAh-plus batteries; Apple’s strategy is to grow capacity while leaning on chip efficiency from the A20 Pro.

For buyers, the practical timeline still runs through September. Per MacRumors, the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to launch alongside Apple’s first foldable in September 2026. Per AppleInsider, the base iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are now expected in spring 2027.

1. September 2026: iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, foldable iPhone.
2. Spring 2027: standard iPhone 18, iPhone 18e.

What Apple Hasn’t Confirmed

Until Apple announces the phones, the figures stay uncertified in any official sense. The certification lists model numbers, not product names, so the match to the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max is an inference based on prior leaks. AppleInsider put the caveat directly: Digital Chat Station, the leaker at the center of both filings, “only has a sporadic track record.”

Apple’s own energy ratings, the real-world battery life the A20 Pro and iOS 27 deliver, and preorder dates all remain unannounced. A bigger cell is not a guarantee of a longer run time, but the US Pro Max at 5,567mAh is the largest the filings list for any iPhone yet. Apple has been tipped to launch the iPhone 18 Pro on September 8, with the base iPhone now set for spring 2027. Apple’s entry also lands in a crowded foldable year for 20% to 30% shipment growth.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery capacity?

Chinese regulatory filings spotted by leaker Digital Chat Station rate the iPhone 18 Pro Max at 5,567mAh for the US model and 5,391mAh for the Chinese model. Apple has not confirmed either figure.

Why do US iPhones carry a bigger battery?

US iPhones have dropped the physical SIM tray since the iPhone 14 generation in 2022 and run on eSIM only, freeing internal space Apple uses to fit a slightly larger battery. iPhones sold outside the US still include a SIM tray.

How much bigger is the iPhone 18 Pro Max than the iPhone 17 Pro Max?

The US iPhone 18 Pro Max at 5,567mAh is 479mAh bigger than the US iPhone 17 Pro Max at 5,088mAh, a jump of around 9.5%.

When will Apple launch the iPhone 18 Pro Max?

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to launch in September 2026 alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple’s first foldable iPhone. The standard iPhone 18 and iPhone 18e are expected to follow in spring 2027.

Has Apple confirmed any of the leak?

No. Apple has not commented on the filings, and the certification entries do not name the iPhone 18 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro Max directly. The match is based on prior reporting from Digital Chat Station on Weibo.