Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max will be a chunky boy, report claims

Chinese regulatory filings, unearthed earlier this week, revealed that Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a significantly larger battery than its predecessor, suggesting a longer battery life as well.

This, however, may come at the expense of added thickness and weight.

Reliable Chinese leaker Ice Universe revealed the details in a post on Weibo.

"The iPhone 18 Pro Max's 5500mAh battery comes at the cost of a 240-gram weight and a 9mm thick body," he wrote.

Apple's iPhone 17 Pro Max is 8.75mm thick and weighs 233 grams. If Ice Universe's numbers are accurate, the iPhone 18 Pro Max would be 0.25mm thicker and 7 grams heavier; a small difference, but still noticeable, especially on a device that's already pretty large and heavy.

MacRumors pointed out that, for the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max, Apple has reportedly adopted a new type of vapor chamber that uses stainless steel, which could also make the phone heavier.

Notably, Apple's largest phone has shed some weight over the years, with the iPhone 14 Pro Max still holding the title of being the heaviest iPhone ever. Its weight is exactly 240 grams, so the iPhone 18 Pro Max might come in at a tie.

There's no word on the dimensions and weight of the iPhone 18 Pro. Its battery will reportedly only be a little larger than before, so perhaps there won't be a significant change in thickness and weight, either.

It's also worth noting that Apple is rumored to be launching the iPhone Ultra, alongside the Pro models, in September. That one is almost certainly going to be the heaviest new iPhone, thanks to its foldable design.