More Android phones in US, EU could finally get huge batteries, thanks to Apple

Smartphone batteries have grown exponentially in the last few years, with 6,000mAh, 7,000mAh, and even 10,000mAh batteries on the market. Unfortunately, transport regulations in many markets place a cap on the size of an individual battery cell. This forces smartphone makers to adopt dual-cell battery designs or use smaller batteries, but Apple has revealed a nifty solution with the iPhone 18 Pro Max.

Europe, the US, and international transport networks have a 20Wh cap on a small single-cell battery. That’s roughly equivalent to a maximum capacity of 5,300mAh. However, the iPhone 18 Pro Max has a 5,391mAh battery in global models. So how did Apple get around this restriction?

Apple’s solution for large batteries in every market

Apple has revealed on its support website (h/t: MacRumors) that it uses firmware to limit the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s battery capacity to below 20Wh. This cap is in effect from manufacturing and transport.

“When you activate your iPhone, the limit is removed and the battery’s full charging capacity is available,” the iPhone maker explains.

What if you need to ship your device for repairs, trade-in, or gifting? Apple says you can visit Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone and turn on the Prepare to Ship feature, which discharges your battery below the 20Wh mark and adds an 80% charge limit.

This is a great way to bring larger smartphone batteries to the likes of Europe and the US. Many Android manufacturers have circumvented these transport restrictions by adopting dual-cell battery designs in their phones. After all, the 20Wh battery cap applies to an individual cell. However, dual-cell designs are typically more complex and likely more expensive to implement than a single-cell battery. So a software-based approach would allow Android OEMs to retain simple, single-cell battery designs in their phones without compromising the actual capacity. We therefore really hope Android manufacturers copy Apple’s solution, as it could open the door for a flood of phones with huge batteries in Europe, the US, and other markets.