iPhone 18 Pro vs Pro Max: What Will Actually Be Different This Time?

Apple usually keeps the Pro and Pro Max fairly similar, but the iPhone 18 series may change that with a bigger battery gap and possibly more differences than past years.

Screen size is not the only thing separating the two this year.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

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Key points generated by AI, verified by newsroom

• iPhone 18 battery capacities leaked from Chinese database.
• iPhone 18 Pro shows only minor battery capacity increases.
• iPhone 18 Pro Max battery increases 10%, a significant jump.
• This potentially widens the Pro Max's battery advantage.

iPhone 18 Leaks: Apple's Pro lineup has always kept things fairly balanced between the Pro and Pro Max models, with screen size being the main difference. But Apple occasionally gives the larger model a unique edge, and the latest leak suggests that could happen again with the iPhone 18 series. 

A screenshot from a Chinese regulatory database has surfaced, pointing to a notable battery difference between the two Pro models, and the numbers have even caught the leaker off guard.

What Do The Leaked Battery Numbers Say?

Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station shared a screenshot pulled from a Chinese regulatory database, revealing battery capacity figures for both iPhone 18 Pro models. 

These kinds of government regulatory databases have historically been reliable sources for battery information ahead of official announcements. Last year, a similar Chinese regulatory site revealed iPhone 17 Pro battery capacities before launch.

According to the leaked data, the iPhone 18 Pro is listed at 4,288mAh for eSIM and 4,056mAh for physical SIM variants, compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's 4,252mAh and 3,988mAh, respectively. The differences here are small.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max, however, tells a different story. It is listed at 5,567mAh (eSIM) and 5,391mAh (physical SIM), up from the iPhone 17 Pro Max's 5,088mAh and 4,823mAh. That works out to roughly a 10% increase, which is a significant jump by any standard.

The leaker himself noted the figures need "further verification", given how large the gains appear to be.

How Does This Compare To Previous Pro Max Models?

The Pro Max has always offered better battery life than its smaller sibling, but the gap has never been this wide. 

If these numbers hold up, Apple appears to be deliberately pushing the Pro Max's battery advantage further than it has in previous generations, giving buyers a much stronger reason to go for the larger model this time around.