iPhone 18 Pro Max Tops 2026 Battery Test With 11% Left

Q: While the iPhone 18 Pro Max wins in endurance, does its minimal gain over last year's model justify the hefty price tag?

For most people, no—the battery win alone does not fully justify the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s $1,299 starting price, especially for anyone already using an iPhone 17 Pro Max. The iPhone 18 Pro Max clearly leads on endurance in mixed real-world testing. PhoneBuff’s comparison found it outlasted the Galaxy S26 Ultra and Pixel 11 Pro XL, finishing with 11% battery left after the others had died. Apple’s bigger 5,567 mAh battery, 2nm A20 Pro chip and adaptive refresh rate appear to be the main reasons. Apple also rates it for up to 45 hours of video playback, up from 39 hours on the 17 Pro Max. But the year-over-year gain looks modest in at least some everyday use. One web-browsing test cited 18 hours 27 minutes for the 18 Pro Max versus 17 hours 54 minutes for the 17 Pro Max, a relatively small improvement. Reviews also note that in normal day-to-day use, many owners may simply notice that both phones comfortably last a full day. That makes the battery upgrade meaningful, but not transformational. The value case improves if you are upgrading from an older iPhone or if battery life is your top priority and you also want Apple’s other upgrades, such as the A20 Pro’s sustained performance, faster charging, improved thermals and camera changes. But for recent Pro Max owners, the higher price, added weight and minimal exterior change make this a hard battery-only upgrade to recommend. In short, it is the endurance leader, but not a must-buy on battery gains alone.

3 articles · Updated · Geeky Gadgets · Oct 9

Apple’s iPhone 18 Pro Max finished a flagship battery test with 11% remaining after the Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra and Google Pixel 11 Pro XL had both run flat.
A 5,567 mAh battery and Apple’s 2nm A20 Pro chip drove the result, giving the phone stronger overall efficiency across calls, social media, intensive apps and longer mixed-use sessions.
In the final drain cycle, the Pixel lasted 2 hours 2 minutes, the Galaxy ran 20 minutes longer, and the iPhone stretched to 3 hours 46 minutes.
Samsung still led in standby efficiency and GPS navigation, while the Pixel showed solid gaming efficiency, but neither matched the iPhone’s all-round endurance in real-world testing.