According to well-known whistleblower "Ice Universe" recently revealed on Weibo, Apple's upcoming flagship model iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to have a body thickness of 8.75 mm, consistent with the existing iPhone 17 Pro Max. This statement means that the new generation of Pro Max models may not see significant "thicker" or "thinner" changes in appearance size.
The main reason why this year’s iPhone Pro series has limited hardware evolution is that Apple’s internal R&D resources are being heavily diverted to the rumored folding screen model “iPhone Ultra”. The tipster previously said in March this year that the iPhone 18 Pro Max would be slightly thicker than the previous generation, and reports pointed out that the new model is expected to become the heaviest iPhone in history. According to news from the breaking account "Sena Digital", which is also active on Weibo, in November last year, the weight of the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to exceed 240 grams, which will set a new record since the iPhone 14 Pro Max.
Although the latest statement shows that the thickness of the fuselage will remain unchanged, this does not mean that the weight of the entire machine will remain completely unchanged. Industry speculation suggests that adjustments to internal hardware specifications may still bring about a slight increase in weight. The whistleblower "Digital Chat Station" has previously stated that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will be equipped with a larger-capacity battery, and its battery range is expected to be between 5100 and 5200 mAh, while the current eSIM version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a battery capacity of approximately 5088 mAh. If this statement is true, Apple is likely to re-plan the internal layout or further miniaturize some components to insert a larger battery without changing the thickness of the body.
In terms of screen, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is expected to continue to use a 6.9-inch display, with the screen size remaining the same as the current model. In addition, there are reports that the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max may be equipped with a slightly smaller "Smart Island" and use a new generation of C2 baseband chips. The "camera control keys" on the side of the fuselage are expected to adopt a more simplified solution, and the rear main camera is rumored to be upgraded to a new generation module that supports variable aperture to improve imaging performance in different lighting environments.
According to the current pace of the industry chain, the iPhone 18 Pro series is expected to be officially released around mid-September, when the rumored folding screen iPhone is also expected to appear on the same stage. Judging from various reports at this stage, the iPhone 18 Pro Max is more "stable iteration" in terms of appearance and size, while truly radical innovation and resource investment are likely to focus on the foldable "iPhone Ultra".