Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max Review: Talk of the new Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max centers mainly on the screen and battery. Apple isn’t just tinkering; it has made substantial changes across the board, including the size of the screen cutout, battery size, and even charging capabilities.
In addition to having a 6.9 inches LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED screen that dynamically changes the refresh rate from 1Hz to 120Hz, as well as supporting HDR10 and Dolby Vision, the larger battery coupled with quick wired charging is quite an enticing package for power users. The following are the details regarding the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s screen, battery, charging, and speakers.
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max Review Overview
Let’s first examine the main specs of the phone. This will make it much easier for you to comprehend the whole review.
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED |
| Resolution | 1,320 x 2,826 pixels |
| Pixel Density | 460ppi |
| Refresh Rate | 1Hz-120Hz ProMotion |
| HDR | HDR10, Dolby Vision |
| Protection | Ceramic Shield 2 |
| Battery | 5,391mAh / 5,567mAh |
| Active Use Rating | 19 hours 20 minutes |
| Wired Charging | Up to 54W |
| Wireless Charging | Up to 25W MagSafe |
| Stereo Speakers | Yes |
Put simply, this time around the iPhone 18 Pro Max emphasizes display and battery experience.
Major Upgrade: The 6.9-Inch Display
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 6.9-inch LTPO Super Retina XDR OLED display that is set at a resolution of 1,320 x 2,826 pixels and has a pixel density of 460ppi. This big display creates enough room for activities such as watching movies, looking at pictures, and gaming.
The most striking characteristic of this display is the new design with a smaller pill-like cutout. Apple has moved its IR camera under the display, making this possible by decreasing the number of sub-pixels placed above the camera.
Strangely enough, this design change does not become evident in day-to-day operations; one needs a microscope to realize the decreased number of pixels. To put it differently, it does not affect the sharpness of the display in any way.
120Hz ProMotion and HDR Experience
The device is equipped with ProMotion technology from Apple. It is not only capable of providing a 120Hz refresh rate but also allows setting this parameter to a lower value, even to 1Hz. The refresh rate gets reduced while showing static pictures or the Always-On Display. However, while scrolling pages, playing games, or doing anything else related to motion, the refresh rate changes according to the frame rate of the current application.
The phone can show both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. This means that one will be able to enjoy high contrast and a dynamic picture while watching supported HDR videos. The maximum values of brightness provided by Apple are 1,000 nits (typical), 1,600 nits (automatic), and 3,000 nits (peak).
The testing showed the values of 969 nits for the automatic brightness and 2,722 nits for the peak brightness. Though it can be considered good performance, it is still a little bit lower than in the previous model of the device. The minimum brightness turned out to be 1 nit, and it is quite helpful for watching the screen in the dark.
An increase of approximately 500mAh in battery capacity
About a 500mAh increase in battery capacity. There is a considerable improvement in the battery capacity of the iPhone 18 Pro Max. Thus, the iPhone 18 Pro Max with nano-SIM provides a 5,391mAh battery, whereas the eSIM version includes a 5,567mAh capacity. It is almost a 500mAh increase in capacity as compared to the corresponding iPhone 17 Pro Max batteries.
This can be seen in the battery test as well. The Active Use Rating of the iPhone 18 Pro Max is 19 hours and 20 minutes, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max reaches 17 hours and 58 minutes, and the iPhone 16 Pro Max is only 17 hours and 18 minutes. Battery improvements were quite visible during the calling and social media/web use cases.
From a technical point of view, there is a separate issue related to battery transportation. With battery energy exceeding 20Wh, there are additional requirements for its air transportation. Therefore, Apple uses firmware limitations to limit the capacity usage to under 20Wh when the device is transported; this limitation is removed at the first phone startup.
54W Charging and 25W Wireless Charging
Charging speed is one of the significant improvements on this smartphone. The charging power capacity stated on the retail box is 54W, compared to the previous iPhone 17 Pro Max, which had a charging capacity of 42W. In our testing process, we found that the device consistently had a power draw of 53W in the first 10 minutes of charging. Here are our results:
- 50% charged in 15 minutes.
- 81% charged in 30 minutes.
- Fully charged after 55 minutes.
- It took 73 minutes to stop charging completely.
Apple’s recommended adapter has a dynamic power capacity of 40W with a max capacity of 60W. We tested using a compatible PD/AVS charger.
For wireless charging, we discovered that the device is capable of supporting 25W charging through MagSafe technology. Using Apple’s 25W wireless charger, the phone was able to get to 50% charge in 30 minutes.
Speaker and Taptic Engine Experience
The iPhone 18 Pro Max incorporates a hybrid stereo speaker configuration, where the bottom speaker serves as the main speaker, and the earpiece acts as the secondary one. The smartphone has been rated as “Very Good” for its speaker volume test. The sound might be a bit sharper compared to the predecessor’s, but there won’t be any major change.
It might not even be noticed by all users when playing different tracks or watching videos. Apple’s attention to haptics continues as well. The feedback from the Taptic Engine is quite accurate. Based on the available teardown information, the vibration motor in this smartphone is the same as that of the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
FAQs – Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max Review
Q1. What is the iPhone 18 Pro Max display size?
It has a 6.9-inch LTPO OLED display.
Q2. Does iPhone 18 Pro Max support 120Hz?
Yes, it supports a 1Hz to 120Hz ProMotion refresh rate.
Q3. What is the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery size?
It has a 5,391mAh or 5,567mAh battery.
Q4. How fast does it charge?
It can reach 50% charge in about 15 minutes in testing.
Q5. Does it support wireless charging?
Yes, it supports up to 25W MagSafe charging.
Disclaimer: The test results and specifications in this article are based on available review data. Actual battery life, charging speed, and display performance may vary depending on usage, software version, charger, and conditions. Please check Apple’s official specifications before making a purchase.
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