For an iPhone 17 Pro Max owner who puts battery life first, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a strong case: in NeoTeo’s same-test comparison, the eSIM model recorded an estimated 10 hours 31 minutes, versus 7 hours 46 minutes for its predecessor. The trade-off is a 249 g phone that The Guardian’s reviewer found difficult to use one-handed. The result is promising, but it describes a test—not a guaranteed daily runtime.
What the iPhone 17 Pro Max comparison shows
NeoTeo’s October 1 comparison reports higher iPhone 18 Pro Max results in its battery test and Geekbench 7 benchmarks, alongside a 16 g increase in weight. For battery measurements, the comparison uses the eSIM versions of both phones. The figures give upgraders a useful like-for-like reference without predicting how long either phone will last in every routine.
| Measure | iPhone 17 Pro Max | iPhone 18 Pro Max |
| Weight | 233 g | 249 g |
| Battery capacity (eSIM) | 5,088 mAh | 5,567 mAh |
| Estimated practical-test runtime (eSIM) | 7 h 46 min | 10 h 31 min |
| Geekbench 7 single-core score | 3,097 | 4,047 |
| Geekbench 7 multi-core score | 8,874 | 11,648 |
NeoTeo’s earlier English-language iPhone 18 Pro Max review is related coverage; its comparison with the iPhone 17 Pro Max reports the figures in the table. Geekbench scores describe those benchmark runs, not a matching percentage boost in every app or task.
Battery life varies with the routine
The Guardian’s October 12 review reports almost three days of light use, including seven hours of active screen time, and about 50% battery remaining after a heavy-use day. Those are observations from that review’s routine. They answer a different question from NeoTeo’s estimated 10-hour-31-minute practical-test result.
NeoTeo also reports separate iPhone 18 Pro Max eSIM results of 29 hours 38 minutes for web browsing, 12 hours 4 minutes for video playback, and 14 hours 34 minutes for gaming. Each figure comes from a different test category; they are not separate chunks of one continuous-use session. The battery capacity also varies by SIM configuration: NeoTeo lists 5,567 mAh for the eSIM version and 5,391 mAh for the physical-SIM version.
The 249 g handling trade-off
At 249 g, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is 16 g heavier than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Its 6.9-inch display gives you a large screen, but that size and weight have a practical cost: The Guardian’s reviewer reported difficulty using the phone one-handed and hand pain during a 10-day review. That experience is specific to that review, but it makes the Max’s dimensions worth weighing against its battery results.
If a lighter phone matters more than the largest screen, NeoTeo lists the iPhone 18 Pro at 211 g with a 6.3-inch display. The same comparison says it shares the Pro Max’s processor, software and camera system.
Where to adjust the variable aperture
The iPhone 18 Pro Max’s main camera has a variable aperture. NeoTeo reports that the Camera app provides controls for aperture, shutter speed, white balance and focus, while Camera Control does not adjust aperture or shutter speed. In practice, you’ll use the app for those two manual adjustments; automatic aperture selection remains an option. The Guardian describes the variable aperture as an added creative control, with an overall image-quality impact it considers fairly minor.
What one month of use adds
In a review after a month with the phone, Daniel of ZONEofTECH reported outdoor display dimming in heat, difficulty with close focus, and iOS 27 and camera glitches on his device. These are his review observations, not a measure of how common those issues are.
US price and who should consider it
T-Mobile’s US page lists the 256 GB iPhone 18 Pro Max from $1,299.99. For someone moving from an iPhone 17 Pro Max, NeoTeo’s same-test battery result and Geekbench scores favor the newer model on those measurements, while its weight rises from 233 g to 249 g. If a 6.9-inch display and the reported battery results matter more to you than one-handed comfort, the Max fits that choice; if not, the 211 g iPhone 18 Pro is the smaller alternative.
