iPhone 18 Pro leak shows larger battery and new A20 Pro chip

Apple’s upcoming iPhone 18 Pro line may ship with a 5,567 mAh battery in the US and a redesigned A20 Pro chip that moves DRAM to a side‑package for improved thermals and a larger Neural Engine, a shift that could tighten the gap with Android flagships on both endurance and on‑device AI [2][1].

New hardware focus: cooling and capacity

The motherboard leak from leaker Reptalicant shows Apple’s A20 Pro using Wafer‑Level Multi‑Chip Module (WMCM) packaging, separating LPDDR5X 96‑bit memory from the main die. This layout is intended to dissipate heat more efficiently, allowing sustained performance under heavy AI workloads while keeping the die size similar to the previous A19 Pro [1]. The same leak notes a beefier Neural Engine, suggesting Apple is prioritising on‑device AI as apps become more compute‑intensive.

Battery filings in China’s 3C regulator reveal a jump from the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 5,088 mAh US battery to a 5,567 mAh cell for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, while the Chinese variant gets 5,391 mAh. The standard iPhone 18 Pro sees a modest increase to 4,456 mAh (physical SIM) and 4,288 mAh (eSIM) [2][4]. Apple’s shift to eSIM‑only designs in the US frees internal volume previously occupied by a SIM tray, enabling the larger cells.

Competitive context

Android flagships have been edging past 5,000 mAh for several generations; Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S27 Ultra is rumored to test 5,600‑5,800 mAh lithium‑ion batteries, potentially overtaking Apple’s US iPhone 18 Pro Max on paper [3]. However, real‑world endurance depends on software and chipset efficiency. Apple’s historically tighter integration and the new A20 Pro’s cooling improvements could translate the larger capacity into a noticeable battery‑life edge despite the modest capacity gains over the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 5,088 mAh US battery [2].

What to watch

• Apple’s official launch event, expected later this year, for confirmation of the A20 Pro packaging and battery sizes.
• Benchmarks of on‑device AI tasks once the iPhone 18 Pro is in hands, to gauge Neural Engine gains.
• Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra announcements, which will reveal whether its larger battery translates into superior endurance versus Apple’s new models.

The leaks suggest Apple is tackling two long‑standing gaps—thermal throttling under AI loads and battery capacity—through packaging innovation rather than simply enlarging silicon. Whether these changes deliver measurable performance and endurance improvements will become clear only after the devices are officially unveiled and tested.