Apple’s long-rumored foldable iPhone is taking a different shape than many enthusiasts anticipated, at least when it comes to battery specifications. Earlier reports pointed toward a smartphone with an unusually large power pack, but fresh supply-chain intelligence suggests the final design will be more conservative. The device, previously referred to in leaks as the iPhone Ultra or iPhone 18 Pro Max, is now linked to two distinct cell capacities housed within a foldable chassis.
Revised battery specifications emerge from the supply chain
According to a new post from well-known leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, Apple’s manufacturing partners are preparing a battery rated at 1,921 mAh and a second cell at 2,962 mAh. Placed in opposing halves of a folding body, a layout common among competitors, these two modules would yield a combined typical capacity of 4,883 mAh. That figure is notably lower than the 5,235 mAh to 5,425 mAh previously rumored for Apple’s larger 2026 iPhones—which were reported to differ between European and U.S. models due to the latter’s lack of a SIM tray—and it falls well short of the 5,800 mAh once floated for a foldable Apple flagship.
How the numbers compare to rival foldables
While a 4,883 mAh battery may sound modest on paper, it still compares favorably to Samsung’s most recent large-format foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold7, which houses a 4,400 mAh pack in a physically bigger body. At the same time, a number of Chinese manufacturers have pushed past the 5,000 mAh mark. The Honor Magic V5, for instance, ships with a 6,100 mAh battery, setting a high bar for endurance in the category.
Efficiency could close the gap
A smaller nominal capacity does not necessarily predict disappointing real-world longevity. The iPhone 17 Pro Max demonstrated this recently when it delivered more than 28 hours of continuous web browsing in a detailed review, despite carrying a 4,823 mAh battery. If Apple applies similar hardware-software optimization to its first foldable, the gap in overall runtime between a 4,883 mAh pack and larger competitor batteries could prove far less significant than the watt-hour figures alone imply.
Sources: m.weibo.cn, www.youtube.com