Early specifications for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have emerged from an unexpected source. China's C3 regulatory database published the rated battery capacities, revealing significant increases over the previous generation. The data was spotted by leaker Digital Chat Station on Weibo and aligns with rumors from recent months.
Pro Max sees a big jump while Pro gets a modest bump
According to the filings, the iPhone 18 Pro will feature a 4,056 mAh battery in the Chinese model and 4,288 mAh in the U.S. version. Compared to the iPhone 17 Pro (3,988 mAh in China and 4,252 mAh in the U.S.), the increase is small: just 68 mAh for the Chinese unit and 36 mAh for the American one. The story is very different for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, which jumps from 4,823 mAh (China) and 5,088 mAh (U.S.) to 5,391 mAh and 5,567 mAh respectively, a gain of nearly 500 mAh. This substantial boost promises noticeably longer battery life.
Sponsored Protocol
The discrepancy between Chinese and U.S. capacities stems from Apple's decision to keep the physical SIM tray in models sold outside the United States. Since the iPhone 14 series, U.S. models have been eSIM-only, freeing up internal space for a slightly larger battery. The documents also show rated energy figures up to 21.751 Wh and a charge limit voltage of 4.520 V.
Supply chain hints confirmed: 2nm A20 Pro chip and over 5,000 mAh cell
In a separate post, Digital Chat Station noted that supply chain information from months earlier had already pointed to the China model landing in the 5,000 mAh range. Pairing the 5,391 mAh cell with the new 2nm A20 Pro chip could deliver a noticeable improvement in day-to-day battery performance. The certification figures match exactly the leaks from June.
Sponsored Protocol
Beyond the battery, rumors suggest the iPhone 18 Pro models will feature a smaller Dynamic Island, a variable aperture main camera, the C2 modem outside the U.S., and more. The launch is expected in September, alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone. These regulatory filings provide the most concrete confirmation yet of the technical specs for the upcoming flagships.
Regulatory databases often reveal product details months before official announcements. Similar leaks have occurred with other devices, such as the recent Android Auto 17.2 update issues where certifications played a key role. For more on battery technology, see the Wikipedia article on lithium-ion batteries.
Source: https://www.macrumors.com/2026/07/06/iphone-18-pro-battery-capacities-revealed
