iPhone 18 Pro Max Rumored to Be Apple’s Heaviest Model in Years

Recent leaks indicate that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a thicker and heavier design compared to its predecessor. According to a Weibo leaker known as “Fixed Focus Digital,” the new model is expected to be about 2mm thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which measures 8.75mm in thickness and reaches 13.18mm at its thickest point near the camera.

Battery capacity details have also emerged, with reports suggesting the iPhone 18 Pro Max will include a 5,425 mAh battery on the eSIM-only version and a 5,235 mAh battery on the physical SIM tray version. However, regulatory filings later indicated slightly higher capacities: 5,567 mAh for the US eSIM-only model and 5,391 mAh for the China version that includes a physical SIM tray.

For comparison, the iPhone 17 Pro Max features a 5,088 mAh battery on eSIM-only models and a 4,823 mAh battery on the China model with a physical SIM tray. This suggests a significant increase in battery size for the iPhone 18 Pro Max regardless of the version.

Additional information shared by Weibo leaker Ice Universe, as reported by MacRumors, highlights the expected weight of the iPhone 18 Pro Max. The leaker noted on Weibo that the device’s 5,500 mAh battery will contribute to a body weight of approximately 240 grams and a chassis thickness of 9mm.

If accurate, this weight would match that of the iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max, both of which weighed 240 grams. In recent years, Apple’s largest iPhone models have been lighter: the iPhone 15 Pro Max weighed 221 grams, the iPhone 16 Pro Max 227 grams, and the iPhone 17 Pro Max 233 grams.

Material changes in the iPhone Pro Max line have influenced these weight variations. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max used stainless steel, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max switched to titanium. Last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max adopted aluminum. Current rumors suggest Apple will continue using aluminum for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, implying that the increased weight likely results from internal components such as the larger battery and thicker design.

Readers are invited to share their thoughts on whether the increased weight of the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be noticeable.