Apple’s next-generation flagship batteries have surfaced in a Chinese regulatory database, offering an early look at the power specifications for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup roughly two months ahead of the expected September launch. The details, shared by the leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo, originate from China’s 3C certification authority and cover four distinct battery models split across regional hardware variants.
Incremental gains on the Pro model
The data indicates that the Chinese-market iPhone 18 Pro, which retains a physical SIM card tray, will carry a 4,056 mAh battery. This marks a minor step up from the 3,988 mAh cell found in the iPhone 17 Pro, translating to an increase of just 1.71 percent. In the eSIM-only configuration sold in the United States, the battery rises from 4,252 mAh to 4,288 mAh, a margin of merely 0.85 percent. Such modest shifts suggest battery endurance improvements on the smaller Pro model may rely more heavily on chip and display efficiency than on raw capacity gains.
A more substantial boost for the Pro Max
The larger 6.9-inch iPhone 18 Pro Max sees a considerably bigger leap. The Chinese variant, likely identical to units shipping in Europe and other international regions, packs a 5,391 mAh battery. Compared to the 4,823 mAh cell inside the iPhone 17 Pro Max, that represents a solid 11.78 percent expansion. The U.S. version without a SIM slot follows a similar trajectory, growing from 5,088 mAh to 5,567 mAh, an increase of 9.41 percent. These numbers strengthen expectations of meaningfully longer runtimes on the top-tier device.
Official figures still wait for a teardown
Apple historically avoids publishing raw milliampere-hour ratings on its specification sheets, preferring to communicate expected video playback and talk time hours. The precise capacities of the new batteries will only receive independent confirmation through physical teardowns shortly after launch. The latest filing provides the most concrete pre-release glimpse yet, and it aligns with wider industry analysis suggesting that Apple continues to calibrate battery architecture separately for regional SIM and eSIM designs.