iPhone 18 Pro Max review

I haven't used the iPhone 18 Pro Max. This review works from Apple's specs page and one battery test by Tom's Guide. That's thin, so there's no score. I'll add one when more full tests are out and I've read them.

One more caveat. I've seen Tom's Guide's headline figures, not its method or its test date.

The price now is $1,299Not verifiedNot verified, checked November 1, 2026. That's for the 256GB base model. I'm not printing the gap to the smaller iPhone 18 Pro, because I haven't checked that price.

The battery gain is small

Apple claims up to 30 hours of typical use. It doesn't print a battery capacity anywhere on the specs page, and that bugs me on the model you'd buy mostly for its battery.

Tom's Guide measured 18 hours 27 minutes. The iPhone 17 Pro Max got 17 hours 54 minutes. That's 33 minutes. A long lunch.

If you're coming from a 17 Pro Max, that's what this phone buys you on battery, on the one test I have. I'd keep the old phone. Coming from something older? No test I've read measures that gap.

Charging is quick on paper. Apple says 50% in around 15 minutes, but only with a 60W-capable adapter or higher. MagSafe tops out at 25W.

It's heavy

249 g, per Apple. The iPhone 18 Pro weighs 211 g with a 6.3-inch screen, so the Pro Max adds 38 g for 0.6 inches more display. You'll feel that in a jacket pocket. Size and battery against weight is the real choice here. I'd make it after one more battery test.

Camera: Apple's numbers only

The main camera is 48MP with a variable aperture that runs from ƒ/1.48 to ƒ/4.0. The zoom is listed as 8x "optical-quality" in, 2x optical out, for a 16x range. Read Apple's wording carefully. "Optical-quality" isn't the same phrase as optical zoom, and I haven't read a camera test that shows how the 8x looks. I'd wait for one before paying for it.

Storage, chip, water

Storage comes in 256GB, 512GB, 1TB and 2TB. The 2TB tier makes sense if you shoot a lot of video on the phone.

The chip is the A20 Pro. Apple doesn't list RAM. The IP68 rating covers 6 m for up to 30 minutes under IEC 60529, which is plenty for a pool.

What I'd do

Own a 17 Pro Max? Keep it. Thirty-three minutes isn't worth a new phone.

Own something older and want the biggest iPhone screen? I'd still wait a few weeks. Right now there's one battery result and no camera test I've been able to read, and that's not enough to spend this much on.