iPhone 18 Pro regional battery size differences detailed in new leak

The upcoming iPhone 18 Pro is expected to follow the same battery strategy as the iPhone 17 Pro, providing different battery capacities depending on the region.

According to tipster Digital Chat Station, the Chinese version of the iPhone 18 Pro will have a 4,056mAh battery, whereas the US version is expected to include a slightly bigger 4,288mAh cell.

A similar approach was adopted with the iPhone 17 Pro lineup. The difference is that Chinese models include a physical SIM card slot, whereas iPhone 17 Pro units sold in the US are eSIM-only.

The extra internal space freed by removing the SIM tray allowed Apple to fit a larger battery in the US variants. In China, the iPhone 17 Pro came with a 3,988mAh battery compared to the 4,252mAh unit found in US models.

Experts predict Apple will slowly introduce more eSIM-only models in Europe and Asia, potentially making larger batteries a global standard.

Furthermore, increased battery capacities across both regional variants will be essential for supporting the next generation of hardware upgrades. With the anticipated integration of advanced on-device AI capabilities, maintaining all-day battery performance remains a critical engineering priority for Apple.

The iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max are expected to be released in September, featuring the A20 Pro chipset, a main rear camera with variable aperture, a smaller Dynamic Island, and new color choices.