Bigger batteries don’t always win. Apple’s rumored iPhone 18 Pro Max upgrade could expose a key weakness in Samsung’s next Ultra flagship strategy.
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends
Even though we’re months away from its anticipated launch, a new leak about Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max raises serious concerns about Samsung’s purported Galaxy S26 Ultra.
According to renowned tipster Digital Chat Station, the iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a larger battery compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max. While the Chinese version of the handset could feature a 5,000 mAh battery, international variants could offer an even bigger upgrade.
Early iPhone 18 Pro Max put battery life back in the spotlight
The iPhone 18 Pro Max version sold outside China could have a battery capacity between 5,100 and 5,200 mAh. The exact battery size could depend on whether the version has a physical SIM or supports eSIM only. Why do I say that?
The iPhone 17 Pro Max features a 4,823 mAh battery on variants with a physical SIM slot, and a slightly larger 5,088 mAh battery on units without one. So, there’s a chance that the iPhone 18 Pro Max with and without a SIM slot could come with different batteries in the range.
These numbers might not impress you on paper, especially when compared to the 6,000 or 7,000 mAh battery cells on modern Android flagships (like the OnePlus 15), but when it comes to real-world use, the iPhone 17 Pro Max is among the longest-lasting phones on a single charge.
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra suddenly looks vulnerable
Given that Samsung’s purported Galaxy S26 Ultra is rumored to ship with a 5,000 mAh battery (the same as the Galaxy S20 Ultra, which debuted six years ago) and the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chipset based on 3nm fabrication technology, the iPhone 18 Pro Max should easily outlast it.
With a battery that can hold more charge, a chipset that consumes less power (likely the 2nm A20 Pro chip), and the highly-optimized iOS operating system, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might offer more screen-on time between charges than the Galaxy S26 Ultra.
If the leak holds true, the iPhone 18 Pro Max could hold well not just against the Galaxy S26 Ultra, but the Android flagships of 2026 that feature gargantuan batteries, proving that efficiency, not just raw capacity, is what truly matters.
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