iPhone 18 Pro: Battery leak reveals small increase Apfelpatient

Allegedly leaked battery specifications for the iPhone 18 Pro are circulating – and they suggest a surprisingly small increase compared to the iPhone 17 Pro. As in the previous year, the capacity is said to depend on whether the model still has a SIM card slot.

When it comes to batteries, every milliampere-hour counts, and that's precisely why fresh figures from the supply chain are generating so much discussion. A well-known leaker claims to have learned the battery capacity of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro – with a result that, after the significant increase of the previous generation, is rather sobering. The information fits into the overall picture already known about the iPhone 18 Pro, which suggests noticeable improvements in the chip, display, and camera – but the battery capacity seems to be only marginally better.

Two battery sizes depending on the model variant

According to Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station, Apple is reportedly testing the iPhone 18 Pro with two different battery capacities – similar to what was allegedly done with the iPhone 17 Pro. The determining factor isn't the country of sale, but rather whether the device has a SIM card slot. The version with a physical SIM card – the one sold in Germany, Europe, and China, among other countries – is expected to have a battery capacity of approximately 4,056 mAh. The eSIM-only version, which Apple primarily offers in the US and a handful of other markets, is said to have the larger battery, at around 4,288 mAh.

Model variant	iPhone 17 Pro	iPhone 18 Pro (Leak)	Difference
With physical SIM (including Germany, Europe, China)	3,988 mAh	4,056 mAh	+68 mAh (+1.7 %)
eSIM-only (USA etc.)	4,252 mAh	4,288 mAh	+36 mAh (+0.8 %)

Why the eSIM version has the larger battery

The fact that the eSIM-only version, despite having the same physical dimensions, is supposed to have the larger battery has a solid reason: Eliminating the SIM card slot allows the freed-up space in the casing to be used for a slightly larger battery cell. Apple initially removed the slot only in the US starting with the iPhone 14, but with the iPhone 17 series, the eSIM requirement has now expanded to around a dozen markets – besides the US, these include Canada, Japan, Mexico, and several Gulf states. In Germany and the rest of Europe, however, the hybrid model with a nano-SIM slot plus eSIM remains. So, in these countries, you get the version with the smaller battery. The iPhone Air continues to play a special role, relying exclusively on eSIM worldwide – including in China.

Only a tiny improvement over the iPhone 17 Pro

If the figures are accurate, the increase from generation to generation would be remarkably small. The version with a physical SIM would only offer 68 mAh more than the iPhone 17 Pro, while the eSIM-only version would gain a mere 36 mAh. Compared to last year, this represents a significant shift: The iPhone 17 Pro saw a battery increase of around 19 percent compared to the iPhone 16 Pro. According to rumors, a comparable boost is not expected this time around.

The situation is different for the larger sister model: For the iPhone 18 Pro Max, the same leaker already mentioned values in February of around 5,000 mAh for the Chinese version and around 5,100 to 5,200 mAh for international models – which could give the iPhone 18 Pro Max the largest battery capacity ever in an iPhone.

What battery numbers alone don't reveal

However, battery capacity alone only tells half the story. This year's Pro models are expected to use the A20 Pro, which is manufactured using TSMC's state-of-the-art 2nm process and should therefore be noticeably more efficient. Even a barely larger battery, combined with a more energy-efficient chip, could ultimately deliver longer battery life – but this can only be definitively confirmed after actual battery tests.

It is also important to understand the source of the data: whether it comes from a regulatory database or is based on information about testing equipment from the supply chain is unclear. Until an official announcement, this information should therefore be treated with caution. (Image: Shutterstock / Jess Rodriguez)