Apple has found a clever workaround to international shipping rules that restrict batteries with cells larger than 20Wh. The iPhone 18 Pro Max ships with a battery above that threshold, but its charging is temporarily software-limited below 20Wh during transport.
Once the phone is activated, the restriction is removed and users can access the full battery capacity — 5,567mAh (21.75Wh) for the US eSIM-only model and 5,391mAh (21.06Wh) for the European version with a physical SIM slot.
Apple also lets users re-enable the shipping limitation when sending the phone overseas. The approach could pave the way for more smartphones with larger batteries to reach European and US markets without requiring smaller battery versions.
Source: GSMArena
