Apple's upcoming iPhone 18 Pro Max could be noticeably thicker and heavier than its predecessor, suggesting a trade-off behind the device's rumored larger battery.
Chinese leaker Ice Universe today claimed the iPhone 18 Pro Max will measure around 9mm thick and weigh approximately 240 grams. That would make the device around 0.25mm thicker and roughly 7 grams heavier than the current iPhone 17 Pro Max.
The latest claim comes off the back of recent regulatory filings indicating the iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a 5,391mAh battery in China and a 5,567mAh battery in the U.S. – an increase of nearly 500mAh over the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Ice Universe suggested the added thickness and weight are a direct result of the larger battery, but Apple is also said to be adopting a new type of vapor chamber that uses stainless steel, which could also be a contributing factor.
The rumor builds on an earlier claim that Apple's next flagship could become the heaviest iPhone ever. If so, it would have to be heavier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which also weighed 240 grams, so it may turn out that there are only milligram-level differences between the two.
Apple's use of titanium instead of stainless steel made the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models lighter than the iPhone 14 Pro models. Apple then switched away from titanium to less-dense aluminum for the iPhone 17 Pro models, but internal changes and slightly thicker designs bumped up their weight again.
The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are expected to launch alongside Apple's first foldable iPhone this September.
