Speculation suggests the iPhone 18 Pro Max could rise to around 240 grams, potentially becoming Apple’s heaviest recent iPhone model.

On July 9 local time, IT outlet 9to5Mac reported that expectations of a larger battery and claims of increased thickness have raised the possibility that the next-generation top-end model’s weight could again reach about 240 grams.

The central point of the speculation is a higher-capacity battery. The Weibo account “Ice Universe” recently reiterated an earlier claim that the iPhone 18 Pro Max could be about 2 mm thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone 17 Pro Max is 8.75 mm thick, and the most protruding part of the camera is 13.18 mm.

Expectations for battery capacity have also increased. Earlier, the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery was cited at 5,425 milliampere-hours (mAh) for the eSIM model and 5,235 mAh for the model with a physical SIM tray. Regulatory documents later listed 5,567 mAh for a U.S. eSIM-only model and 5,391 mAh for a China physical-SIM model.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max battery, used as a point of comparison, is known at 5,088 mAh for an eSIM-only model and 4,823 mAh for a China physical-SIM model. If the currently cited figures are correct, the iPhone 18 Pro Max would see a noticeable increase in battery capacity.

Apple has kept the Pro Max model’s weight below 240 grams. The iPhone 15 Pro Max is 221 grams, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 227 grams and the iPhone 17 Pro Max is around 233 grams. If the next-generation model rises to 240 grams, it would break a lightweight trend that has continued in recent years.

Material changes are also cited as a factor behind recent weight shifts. The iPhone 13 Pro Max and iPhone 14 Pro Max used stainless steel, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max and iPhone 16 Pro Max switched to titanium. Last year’s iPhone 17 Pro Max moved to aluminium.

Speculation so far puts weight on the possibility that Apple will keep aluminium for the iPhone 18 Pro Max as well. If the weight increases to 240 grams under those conditions, the cause is more likely to be internal design changes than exterior materials.

That has focused market attention on whether Apple will accept a weight increase to extend battery life. With figures on thickness, battery and weight still at the leaked-information stage, where the final product strikes its balance remains a key point to watch for the iPhone 18 Pro Max.