The forthcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max might have a significantly larger battery than last year’s Pro model, according to a new leak, potentially giving us a slightly bigger iPhone Pro body, too. Leaker Ice Universe claims the iPhone 18 Pro Max will come in at about 9mm thick and weigh about 240 grams—which would make the new device about 0.25mm thicker and 7 grams heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
It’s the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s beefier battery that would make it a bit larger: new regulatory filings show the phone will have a 5,567mAh battery in the U.S. That’s almost 500mAh over the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The leaker mentions that a new kind of stainless steel vapor chamber (for cooling purposes) could also contribute to the phone’s larger body.
To be fair, these body adjustments aren’t exactly going to be noticeable for the average user, especially if the iPhone 18 Pro Max isn’t being compared directly next to its predecessor. A quarter millimeter of thickness is basically like stacking two pieces of printer paper on top of each other, so it’s not exactly going to break your pockets. Same with the 7 grams of added weight; that’s more or less like having an extra quarter in your pocket.
Whether or not you care about the Pro Max gaining that bit of weight, you’ll likely need to be prepared to shell out some serious cash for the iPhone Pro line this year. Rumors suggest the base iPhone 18 Pro could come in at $1,300—a $200 jump from the iPhone 17 Pro’s retail price. Some analysts say this year’s Pro Max could actually come in at $300 more than the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Outgoing CEO Tim Cook has been vocal about how rising memory prices have led to these expected price hikes. In late June, Apple announced significant price increases across its lineup of devices.
We’ll have to wait a bit longer to find out just how much the ongoing memory shortage affects pricing and availability of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. Both are expected to be announced in early September alongside a new foldable iPhone.
