Apple rates the iPhone 18 Pro at up to 36 hours of video playback and the iPhone 18 Pro Max at up to 45 hours, according to Apple’s tech specs. Three generations ago the iPhone 15 Pro was rated at 23 hours and the 15 Pro Max at 29, so the smaller Pro has gained 13 hours and the larger one 16 hours since 2023.
Apple has used the same video playback rating on every Pro spec page since the iPhone 13 Pro, which makes it the one battery figure you can track across generations. The table below puts every Pro and Pro Max from 2021 to 2026 side by side. For what the new numbers mean day to day, see how long the iPhone 18 Pro battery lasts.
Key facts
| Fact | Figure |
|---|---|
| iPhone 18 Pro video playback | Up to 36 hours |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max video playback | Up to 45 hours |
| iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max (2023) | Up to 23 and 29 hours |
| Gain on the small Pro since 2023 | 13 hours, about 57 percent |
| Gain on the Pro Max since 2023 | 16 hours, about 55 percent |
| Apple’s new typical-use rating | 24 hours (18 Pro), 30 hours (18 Pro Max) |
| Fast charge | 50 percent in around 15 minutes with a 60W USB-C adapter |
Every Pro battery rating since iPhone 13 Pro
Video playback is Apple’s headline figure; streamed video is the lower number Apple lists for playback over a network. Both come from Apple’s tech specs for each model.
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| Model | Year | Video playback | Streamed video | Chip |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iPhone 13 Pro | 2021 | Up to 22 hours | Up to 20 hours | A15 Bionic |
| iPhone 13 Pro Max | 2021 | Up to 28 hours | Up to 25 hours | A15 Bionic |
| iPhone 14 Pro | 2022 | Up to 23 hours | Up to 20 hours | A16 Bionic |
| iPhone 14 Pro Max | 2022 | Up to 29 hours | Up to 25 hours | A16 Bionic |
| iPhone 15 Pro | 2023 | Up to 23 hours | Up to 20 hours | A17 Pro |
| iPhone 15 Pro Max | 2023 | Up to 29 hours | Up to 25 hours | A17 Pro |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 2024 | Up to 27 hours | Up to 22 hours | A18 Pro |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 2024 | Up to 33 hours | Up to 29 hours | A18 Pro |
| iPhone 17 Pro | 2025 | Up to 33 hours | Up to 30 hours | A19 Pro |
| iPhone 17 Pro Max | 2025 | Up to 39 hours | Up to 35 hours | A19 Pro |
| iPhone 18 Pro | 2026 | Up to 36 hours | Up to 33 hours | A20 Pro |
| iPhone 18 Pro Max | 2026 | Up to 45 hours | Up to 40 hours | A20 Pro |
The small Pro: 22 to 36 hours in five generations
The 6.1-inch iPhone 13 Pro was rated at 22 hours, the 14 Pro at 23, and the 15 Pro stayed at 23. The first big step came with the iPhone 16 Pro, which grew to a 6.3-inch display and a 27-hour rating, four hours more than its predecessor.
The iPhone 17 Pro added six hours, to 33, and the iPhone 18 Pro adds three more, to 36. That leaves the new small Pro three hours short of last year’s 17 Pro Max at 39 hours and three hours ahead of the 16 Pro Max at 33. Apple’s press release says the 18 Pro roughly matches last year’s 17 Pro Max on its new typical-use measure.
If you are coming from a 15 Pro or 16 Pro, the difference is 13 or 9 hours on Apple’s rating. Our 15 Pro upgrade guide and 16 Pro upgrade guide cover the rest of the changes.
The Pro Max: 28 to 45 hours
The Pro Max line moved in the same pattern with a head start. The 13 Pro Max was rated at 28 hours and the 14 Pro Max and 15 Pro Max at 29. The 16 Pro Max, with its 6.9-inch display, went to 33 hours, and the 17 Pro Max to 39.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max reaches 45 hours, a six-hour gain that matches last year’s step. Apple’s tech specs attach the 36-hour and 45-hour figures to the eSIM-only models sold in the US and 11 other markets. The 45-hour claim in real use is explained in a separate piece.
Streamed video and the new typical-use rating
Streamed video has risen faster than playback on the small Pro: 20 hours on the 13 Pro, 14 Pro and 15 Pro, then 22 on the 16 Pro, 30 on the 17 Pro and 33 on the 18 Pro. On the Pro Max it went from 25 hours to 29, 35 and now 40.
This year Apple added a typical-use rating to its tech specs: up to 24 hours for the iPhone 18 Pro and up to 30 hours for the 18 Pro Max.
Apple’s press release credits the A20 Pro, its first 2-nanometer chip, and the C2 modem, which it says uses 15 percent less energy than the C1X. Our battery and charging piece goes deeper.
What Apple has not said
- Apple has not published battery capacity in milliamp-hours for any iPhone; it rates in hours.
- Apple has not published typical-use hours for any Pro older than the iPhone 18 Pro, so that metric cannot be tracked across generations.
- The 18 Pro ratings are for the eSIM-only model; Apple has not published separate figures for versions sold with a SIM tray.
- Apple has not described the test conditions behind the video playback and streamed video figures.
The iPhone 18 Pro starts at $1,199 and the 18 Pro Max at $1,299, with pre-orders opening Saturday, September 12 at 5 a.m. PT and availability on Friday, September 18.
