Get ready for bigger pockets – the iPhone 18 Pro Max is tipped to be "heaviest" yet

And there was us thinking we were going back to slimmer, lighter phones

iPhone 17 Pro Max in a Beats case on a table
(Image credit: Beats)
Britta O'Boyle's avatar
By
published
in News
Quick Summary

The iPhone 18 Pro Max could be thicker and heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro Max when it arrives next year.

A report claims we'll see a 10g increase for Apple's flagship iPhone.

With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, Apple iPhone Air and the Motorola Edge 70 this year, you'd be forgiven for thinking we were moving back to slim and lightweight smartphones. Unfortunately, the latest rumour surrounding Apple’s next flagship iPhone suggests that won’t be the case.

We've already heard a couple of rumours about next year’s iPhones, with one suggesting the iPhone 18 Pro models could come in purple, pink, and brown colour options and another suggesting the iPhone Air 2 will add a secondary ultra wide lens.

But the most recent focuses on the weight of the iPhone 18 Pro Max. And it signals that slimmer is not necessarily better.

Is the iPhone 18 Pro Max really going to be heavier?

In a post on Chinese microblogging site Weibo (via MacRumors), Instant Digital claims the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be slightly thicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max and heavier too.

The leaker also claimed that there would be a difference of around 10 grams between this year’s Max and next year’s model, suggesting it will weigh around 243g. That would make it about 3 grams heavier than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which currently takes the top spot for the heaviest iPhone ever.

Given we are only in November however, we are quite a way off from the iPhone 18 Pro Max launch. It’s not due out until September next year, so there’s plenty of time for things to change.

No reason was offered for why the iPhone 18 Pro Max could be heavier either, though the iPhone 17 Pro models were both weightier than their predecessors, so it’s not an entirely surprising suggestion.

If the iPhone 18 Pro models are thicker than this year’s models, and heavier, it’s possible that it would be to increase battery capacity, which most users probably wouldn’t complain about.

That said, I sit in the thin and light camp, so this leak is bad news for me.

But as I said, there's still plenty of time before the iPhone 18 Pro is due, so I'm taking this with a little pinch of salt for now.

TOPICS
Britta O'Boyle
Britta O'Boyle

Britta is a freelance technology journalist who has been writing about tech for over a decade. She's covered all consumer tech from phones, tablets and wearables to smart home and beauty tech, with everything in between. She has a fashion journalism degree from London College of Fashion and previously did a long stint as deputy editor of Pocket-lint, but you’ll now find her byline on several titles including GQ, the Express, the Mirror, TechRadar, Stuff and iMore. You'll never find her without her Apple Watch on, aiming to complete her rings so she can justify the extra bar of chocolate and she loves a good iPhone trick.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.