Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max is shaping up to be a significant departure from recent trends in the Pro Max lineup, with rumors pointing to a substantially larger battery and a noticeably heavier chassis — the heaviest Apple flagship in several years.
According to recent leaks, the iPhone 18 Pro Max could feature a battery capacity around 5,500 mAh, a sizable jump from the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s roughly 5,088 mAh (eSIM model). This larger power cell is expected to come paired with a thicker body—potentially around 9mm—resulting in an overall weight of approximately 240 grams.
For context, that would match the weight of the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max, both of which tipped the scales at 240g. More recent models have been lighter: the iPhone 15 Pro Max at 221g, iPhone 16 Pro Max at 227g, and iPhone 17 Pro Max at 233g. The shift back toward greater heft is largely attributed to the expanded battery and design choices, including a return to or continued use of an aluminum frame rather than titanium.
9to5Mac‘s Marcus Mendes covered the story in detail, highlighting how these changes could make the iPhone 18 Pro Max Apple’s heaviest iPhone in years while delivering improved battery life for power users.
The thicker profile would also align with earlier reports suggesting the device could be roughly 2mm thicker than the current iPhone 17 Pro Max. While the added weight and bulk may raise eyebrows among users who prefer slimmer devices, the trade-off appears aimed at delivering longer endurance and potentially better thermal performance or camera capabilities.
As with all pre-launch rumors, these details remain unconfirmed by Apple and could still evolve before the expected fall 2026 unveiling. Nevertheless, the consistent reports from multiple sources suggest a deliberate move toward prioritizing battery capacity in Apple’s flagship model.
MacDailyNews Take: As we wrote way back in December 2015:
What’d be wrong with slightly thicker iPhone with more battery life and a flush camera assembly?
Yes, we know Apple thinks thinness sets iPhone apart from all other so-called smartphones (actually, it’s the operating system, the software and the ecosystem)…
The law of diminishing returns can also be applied to industrial design. Apple’s eternal quest for thinness eventually runs into issues such as bulging camera assemblies, battery capacity, strength (breakability), etc. – is Apple’s quest for thinness now bordering on the quixotic?
So, is it “you can never be too thin” or is it “thin enough is thin enough?”
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