Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max
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This post, first published on Feb. 21, was updated on Feb. 23 with further details of the upcoming iPhone 18 Pro.
Apple’s next flagship may be aiming for a milestone in endurance, with new leaks suggesting the iPhone 18 Pro series will combine a record-breaking 5,200 mAh battery 2-nanometer A20 Pro silicon and a custom-designed C2 modem. It could make for unprecedented battery life. And, whatever the changes, it looks like the die is now cast: a new report says the phone has entered production testing. More on that below.
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According to a new report, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and possibly the iPhone 18 as well, will be thicker to accommodate a bigger battery. Early leaks from supply chain sources suggest the iPhone 18 Pro Max could jump to a 5,200 mAh capacity, making it the largest battery ever put into an iPhone.
“Having a physically larger battery is the most obvious evidence that iPhone 18 Pro should achieve a new best-ever battery life. Beyond battery size though, Apple silicon is expected to bring an extra helping of battery boosts this year,” 9to5Mac reported.
Apple’s C2 Modem: Independence From Qualcomm
That silicon takes two forms. First, there’s a new, more efficient modem expected for the next iPhone, called the Apple C2 — the current latest modem is Apple’s C1X, found in the iPhone Air and predicted for the upcoming iPhone 17e.
The C1X and its predecessor, the C1, both brought what the report calls “noteworthy power efficiency improvements,” with the new model expected to do the same. Notably, the C2 modem is rumored to support NR-NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks), which could allow for 5G satellite connectivity for data, not just emergency messages. Read more on that here.
It will also be the first time an iPhone Pro model will not feature a Qualcomm modem.
Apple A20 Pro
Secondly, there’s the next processor, expected to be the A20 Pro. It’s being built with a 2-nanometer process which also is thought to promise greater efficiency.
These three aspects, if the reports are correct, could deliver greater battery capabilities.
Of course, even then, this doesn’t guarantee that the phones will last longer: there will doubtless be new features in the next iPhone series, with power demands to go with them. While Apple will want to ensure that battery life doesn’t drop, it may not be aiming for an increase.
iPhone 18 Pro Enters Production Testing
The next iPhone has now reached a milestone: apparently it has now entered testing. “In a Weibo post, the leaker account known as ‘Fixed Focus Digital’ said the Pro models had already entered ‘mass-production testing,’ likely referring to late-stage manufacturing validation for the devices ahead of a September launch,” MacRumors reported.
The post read (in machine translation), “The iPhone 18 series is already in mass production testing. The iPhone 18 Pro production line has also started operation. According to current information, the materials haven’t changed much; the overall design and specifications remain the same.”
That doesn’t meant there won’t be significant changes like the ones detailed above, and of course the efficiency changes which will come from software improvements are not covered by the move to testing.
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