iPhone 18 Pro battery test: what the results show

CNET’s October 12, 2026, report ranks the iPhone 18 Pro Max first among the iPhones in its combined battery ranking. In a separate web-browsing test, Tom’s Guide reported 16 hours 17 minutes for iPhone 18 Pro and 18 hours 27 minutes for iPhone 18 Pro Max. Those times came from continuous browsing over 5G with the screen set to 150 nits—not a promise of everyday battery life. CNET’s battery and charging results

What the endurance tests actually measured

The clock-time results differ because the reviewers used different workloads and conditions. CNET also reported rankings from two tests rather than a time-to-empty result.

Tom’s Guide’s video, published September 16, 2026, gives the 150-nit, 5G protocol behind its paired results. The iPhone 18 Pro Max ran 2 hours 10 minutes longer than the iPhone 18 Pro in that test.

Why the results vary by test

CNET combines its video-streaming and mixed-task results for its overall battery ranking, which puts iPhone 18 Pro Max first among the iPhones it tested. That overall placement does not mean the Pro Max led each individual test: the smaller iPhone 18 Pro retained the most charge in CNET’s video stream, while it ranked last in the 45-minute stress test.

The Tech Chap’s September 18, 2026, video reports a different kind of comparison: new global physical-SIM phones running iOS 27, with 100% battery health, in a demanding mixed-task routine. Its first run put iPhone 18 Pro Max just past the 11-hour mark. A second run included Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra. Readers comparing the phones beyond battery results can also see NeoTeo’s iPhone 18 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra comparison.

Joanna Stern’s video, published September 16, 2026, reports 18 hours 57 minutes for iPhone 18 Pro Max and 18 hours 23 minutes for iPhone 17 Pro Max in her automated click test. Stern also described her own use: after a day of about 16 hours, she had roughly 20% remaining on the Pro Max and about 10% on the smaller Pro. That is one person’s use, separate from the automated test.

How quickly the two Pro models charge

In CNET’s wired test, both phones started at 0% and used the included cable. iPhone 18 Pro reached a higher charge at both reported checkpoints; CNET says a suitably rated wall adapter is needed for the supported fast-charging speed.

CNET reports 60W wired-charging support for iPhone 18 Pro. It does not state a separate maximum wattage for iPhone 18 Pro Max in the test report. For wireless charging, CNET reports 25W Qi2.2 via MagSafe for both models. In its 30-minute wireless test, iPhone 17 Pro beat iPhone 18 Pro by one percentage point, and iPhone 18 Pro Max ranked just after iPhone Air. CNET’s combined charging ranking placed the smaller Pro first among the iPhones it tested.

Battery capacity is not runtime

A September 24, 2026, report from Linus Tech Tips Labs lists battery capacities of 4,288 mAh for the eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro and 5,567 mAh for the eSIM-only iPhone 18 Pro Max. Capacity describes the amount of charge stored; the test results above measure how long a phone lasted under particular workloads. The capacity figures apply to those eSIM-only variants. Linus Tech Tips Labs’ iPhone 18 Pro test results