iPhone 18 Pro Max’s battery is so big Apple had to add this new feature to iOS 27

Key Points:

• The iPhone 18 Pro Max features a significantly larger battery, exceeding 20 watt-hours (Wh), which improves battery life but triggers additional shipping regulations in many regions.
• To comply with these regulations, Apple has implemented a battery firmware that limits the battery capacity below 20 Wh during manufacturing and shipping, with full capacity unlocked only upon user activation.
• Apple introduced a new "Prepare to Ship" feature in the Settings app that discharges the battery below 20 Wh and sets a charge limit to meet shipping requirements when the device is sent for repair, trade-in, return, sale, or gifting.
• The "Prepare to Ship" process may cause the device to warm up temporarily and can take from a few minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the initial charge level; users can still operate the phone during discharge unless the device is erased.
• This feature is accessible via Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Prepare to Ship, ensuring compliance with international shipping standards for large-capacity batteries.