Lab testing reveals Apple’s latest flagship charges faster and runs longer than prior models. The updates arrive ahead of the company’s planned foldable phone launch.
Lab tests show Apple’s new iPhone 18 Pro lineup delivers faster charging and longer battery performance, driven by larger cell capacities and internal hardware updates following its September release.
Lab results show faster charging and battery gains
According to testing conducted by CNET, the smaller iPhone 18 Pro has become Apple’s fastest-charging phone to date. Equipped with support for 60-watt wired charging, up from 40 watts on the prior generation, the handset recharged from zero to 53 percent in 15 minutes and reached 82 percent in 30 minutes when paired with a compatible wall plug. The larger iPhone 18 Pro Max added 48 percent in 15 minutes and 77 percent after half an hour. Both handsets also support 25-watt Qi2.2 wireless charging through MagSafe.
In battery endurance benchmarks, the iPhone 18 Pro Max registered the longest overall run times of any phone Apple has produced. During a three-hour Wi-Fi video streaming test at maximum display brightness, the iPhone 18 Pro finished with the highest remaining charge, outperforming the iPhone 17 Pro by eight percentage points, while the 18 Pro Max placed second. In a separate 45-minute multitasking stress test involving video calls, gaming, and social media at half brightness, the 2024 iPhone 16 Plus retained the top score, edging out the 18 Pro Max and 17 Pro Max by a single percentage point. The standard iPhone 17 finished third, while the iPhone 18 Pro finished fourth, though its result still topped rival devices like the Pixel 11 Pro and Galaxy S26.
Internal hardware and pricing structure
A teardown by repair site iFixit confirmed that both the iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max carry physically larger batteries than their iPhone 17 counterparts, CNET reported. The models also feature Apple’s A20 Pro chip and software power adjustments in iOS 27.
Hardware specifications published by TechRadar show the iPhone 18 Pro includes 12 gigabytes of RAM and battery capacities of 4,288 milliampere-hours for the eSIM-only variant and 4,056 milliampere-hours for the physical SIM version. The device measures 150 by 71.9 by 8.8 millimeters, weighs 211 grams, and uses an aluminum frame with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the rear. Its 6.3-inch OLED display operates at up to 120 hertz with a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. The rear camera module houses three 48-megapixel sensors, including a variable aperture main camera, an ultra-wide lens, and a telephoto lens with 4x optical zoom.
Pricing for the iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199, £1,199, or AU$2,099 for 256 gigabytes of storage, rising to $1,399 for 512 gigabytes, $1,799 for 1 terabyte, and $2,399 for 2 terabytes. The iPhone 18 Pro Max begins at $1,299.
Design contrasts with the iPhone Air
The 18 Pro sits alongside the iPhone Air in Apple’s mid-tier pricing band, but the two handsets take contrasting hardware approaches, TechRadar reported. The iPhone Air, released in September 2025, measures 5.6 millimeters thick and weighs 165 grams, making it significantly lighter and thinner than the 18 Pro despite featuring a larger 6.5-inch screen.
However, the Air’s slim design relies on a smaller 3,149 milliampere-hour battery and takes 30 minutes to reach 50 percent charge. It also carries a single 48-megapixel rear camera and an older A19 Pro chip. While the iPhone Air initially launched at $999, Apple raised its price to $1,099 in September due to higher memory costs, following price increases on MacBooks and iPads earlier in the year.
What happens next
Apple is preparing to expand its smartphone lineup further with the release of the iPhone Duo on Oct. 23, CNET reported. The folding device, which Apple revealed alongside the Pro models last month, features a passport-style build that opens into a tablet-sized display.
