While we are still many days away from the expected release window of the iPhone 18, an interesting detail about its battery number has surfaced, suggesting that it's capacity would be even bigger than what you have in the iPhone 18 Pro.
The iPhone 18 battery capacity
A prominent tipster, Digital Chat Station, recently made a post claiming that the base iPhone 18 would feature a larger cell, though they did not specify the exact capacity. Now, a new report from a Chinese outlet reveals the exact battery number of the device. The iPhone 18 is reportedly going to pack a 4430 mAh battery.
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Would you consider the iPhone 18 if it gets bigger battery?
It's even bigger than the iPhone 18 Pro
If the current rumor of the base iPhone 18 battery capacity pans out to be true, then it will be bigger than what you have in the Pro model. For reference, the iPhone 18 Pro features a 4,056 mAh cell, which is 1.7% bigger than the 3,998 mAh battery you get in the iPhone 17 Pro.
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Does a larger battery mean the vanilla variant will have more runtime than the Pro variant? Well, it's difficult to reach a conclusion until both devices are tested, but it's worth noting that a smartphone's screen time isn't determined solely by cell capacity. The processor also plays a major role in battery life, and the iPhone 18 is rumored to feature a 2 nm-based A20 chip, whereas the Pro model packs an A20 Pro chipset.
So, it's possible that the iPhone 18 Pro might offset a slightly smaller battery than the rumored iPhone 18 cell capacity using its more powerful Pro SoC. But again, this is just a wild guess for now, and the exact winner between the two will only be decided once the base model becomes publicly available.
A larger battery is always welcomed
As expected, Apple fans are apparently impressed with this rumor. A user commented under a relevant Reddit post that it's "good" that Apple could offer a bigger battery in the base variant. Another user mentioned that if the battery rumor turns out to be true, then the vanilla model would be even "better value than the 17 compared to the Pro."
Comment about the iPhone 18 battery. | Image by Reddit
One user even mentioned that they would consider trading in their iPhone 17 for the upcoming device if it indeed comes with a bigger battery.
Apple wouldn't be doing something very groundbreaking
The base model featuring a bigger battery than one of its Pro siblings does sound like a surprising move, but it's worth noting that it isn't something Apple is doing for the first time. The tech giant has almost every time offered a larger battery in the base variant than their respective Pro models.
For instance, the iPhone 15 features a 3349 mAh battery, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro packs a 3274 mAh cell. Similarly, the iPhone 14 Pro comes equipped with a 3200 mAh cell, which is 79 mAh smaller than the iPhone 14 that has a 3279 mAh cell. The iPhone 16 and the iPhone 17 lineup have been the only exception in the last few years, where the base model has offered a slightly smaller cell than their Pro sibling.
In addition to a battery upgrade, the iPhone 18 is also rumored to feature a 6.3-inch OLED display that supports a 120 Hz refresh rate. At the back, you could see a dual camera setup featuring a 48 MP main and a 48 MP ultrawide lens. The device is expected to cost more.
Aman Kumar is a news writer at PhoneArena covering Google Pixel phones, Android features, AI-powered smartphone tools, and mobile tech news. Before joining PhoneArena, he spent over five years writing about consumer technology for publications like MakeUseOf, How-To Geek, and Guiding Tech. His current daily drivers are the Pixel 10 and Samsung Galaxy S26 Plus, while his red iPhone SE (2nd gen) remains a personal favorite. Aman also appreciates bold smartphone experiments and still considers the Nokia N-Gage one of the industry’s most iconic designs.
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