The iPhone 18 Pro Max offers a big jump in battery life, in part because the battery itself is physically larger. In a new support document released today, Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro Max has such a large battery that it has additional shipping requirements. iPhone 18 Pro Max: New battery feature Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a battery capacity of more than 20 watt-hours (Wh). It turns out that most countries and regions have additional shipping requirements for products “with a single-cell battery greater than 20 Wh.” To meet these requirements, Apple says the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses an “innovative battery and firmware solution.” That firmware will limit the device’s battery capacity to less than 20 Wh until activated by the user: To meet these requirements, the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses an innovative battery firmware solution that limits the battery capacity to less than 20 Wh from the time it is manufactured until it is transported from the factory. When you activate your iPhone, the limit is removed and the battery’s full charging capacity is available. However, the shipping requirements also apply to other scenarios, such as sending the iPhone 18 Pro Max for repair, trade-in, return, sale, or gift to someone else. To do this, Apple has added a new “Prepare to Send” feature in the Settings app. This will drain your device’s battery below 20Wh and set a charge limit to keep it below that threshold. Your iPhone 18 Pro Max may need to be unloaded for shipping preparation to be completed. As your iPhone battery drains, it may become hotter than usual. This is what is expected. Your iPhone will cool down again when it’s ready to ship. You can use your device as usual while your iPhone 18 Pro Max discharges. This may only take a few minutes, but if you start with a full charge, it can take up to a couple of hours. When the Prepare to Send process is complete, the Settings app will display “Ready to Send” with a red badge. If you erase your iPhone, you won’t be able to use it while the battery drains. The new option is in the Settings app. Open Settings, tap General, tap Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Prepare to Send. You can learn more in Apple’s full support document. My favorite iPhone accessories: Follow Chance: Threads, Bluesky, Instagram and Mastodon. FTC: We use automatic affiliate links that generate income. Further.
