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iPhone 18 Pro Max could be a heavy upgrade in quite the literal sense

Apple’s rumored shift toward thicker, heavier designs could signal a long-term move to enhance battery life and thermal efficiency, even if it means sacrificing portability.

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Apple iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

What’s happened? A new leak claims that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could be Apple’s heaviest iPhone to date. The handset is also said to be thicker than its predecessor.

  • According to a Weibo post by the account Instant Digital, the iPhone 18 Pro Max might weigh over 240 grams.
  • The account mentions that the 2026 Pro Max variant could be about 10 grams heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which weighs 233 grams.
  • With the increase in weight, the upcoming iPhone could also gain a few millimeters of thickness.
Apple iPhone 17 Pro in Cosmic Orange next to the iPhone 17 Pro Max in Deep Blue
Nirave Gondhia / Digital Trends

Why is this important? In another Weibo post, the tipster mentions that Apple is reflecting on the lower-than-expected sales of the iPhone Air. A thinner iPhone won’t sell if it makes too many compromises on features like multiple cameras and battery life.

  • It seems Apple is exiting the race to make phones thinner and lighter year over year (shoutout to the iPhone Air).
  • Instead, the company might be focusing on key improvements such as longer battery life and a new vapor chamber cooling mechanism, both of which could explain the added weight and thickness.
  • It’s worth noting that Apple’s latest Pro iPhones are already thicker and heavier than their predecessors.
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Why should I care? While prioritizing must-have features could enhance the overall user experience, it might disappoint buyers who compare Apple’s flagships with competing models, particularly those who prefer lighter phones.

  • A 10-gram increase over the iPhone 17 Pro Max could make the iPhone 18 Pro Max weigh around 243 grams.
  • That would make it heavier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max (240 grams), the heaviest iPhone Apple has ever released.
  • The iPhone 18 Pro Max could also become the heaviest flagship in its segment, surpassing the Galaxy S25 Ultra (218 grams), the Pixel 10 Pro XL (232 grams), and the newly launched OnePlus 15 (up to 215 grams).
  • For context, interim models such as the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro were lighter thanks to their titanium frames. The iPhone 17 Pro series, however, reportedly switched back to aluminum, a significantly heavier material.
Rear shell of iPhone 17 Pro.
Nadeem Sarwar / Digital Trends

OK, what’s next? If the rumor has any merit, we should see other sources corroborating it in the coming days.

  • For now, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, expected to debut in September 2026, could turn out to be the bulkiest handset Apple has ever made.
  • While there may be functional reasons behind the design, Apple could still face criticism for not keeping up with lighter competitors.
  • Meanwhile, a subtle design change is reportedly in the works for the iPhone 18 Pro lineup, potentially reducing the contrast between the glass and aluminum materials on the back panel.
Shikhar Mehrotra
Shikhar Mehrotra
News Writer
For more than five years, Shikhar has consistently simplified developments in the field of consumer tech and presented them…
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