Apple deployed 14 iPhone 18 Pro Max devices among 30 total cameras to capture Friday's Apple TV Plus broadcast of the Dodgers versus Giants game at Dodger Stadium, marking the first live sports broadcast using the new iPhones without dedicated sports lenses. The phones were mounted on tripods, tucked into padded cushions near home plate and the backstop, and placed in dugouts, bullpens, and on a gimbal above the outfield wall.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-22
Testing by Bilibili channel Homolab found that the 1TB iPhone 18 Pro Max, which uses QLC NAND, suffers major performance drops compared to the 512GB TLC-based iPhone 18 Pro. Once its SLC and secondary TLC caches are exhausted, sustained writes fall to about 79.4 MB/s and can dip as low as 25.6 MB/s, worsening to just 1.1 MB/s once the drive is 60% full.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple's iPhone 18 Pro Max ships with a battery-firmware lock that caps capacity below the 20Wh threshold that triggers international shipping restrictions on single-cell batteries. Once a customer activates the phone for the first time, the lock lifts automatically, restoring the battery to its full rated capacity of roughly 21-22Wh depending on the model. A 'Prepare to Ship' setting can reimpose the cap, limiting charging to 80 percent over 14 days, for anyone sending the device in for repair or resale.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-21
Apple has built a 'Prepare to Ship' firmware feature into the iPhone 18 Pro Max that temporarily caps its battery below the 20Wh transport limit enforced in the US, EU and other regions. Once the device is activated by a customer, the cap lifts and the phone's full 5,391mAh capacity becomes available. The same toggle can be re-enabled manually when shipping a device for repair, trade-in or resale.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-09-21
iFixit's teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max exposes the new variable aperture lens, which uses six overlapping blades thinner than a human hair to control light via a magnetic mechanism. The site praises the engineering that fits this system into the same camera footprint as last year's model, but warns the mechanism is essentially impossible to repair if it fails.
theverge.com
· 2026-09-21
A TechInsights teardown of the iPhone 18 Pro Max confirms that the US model uses Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem instead of Apple's own C2 chip, which powers the device everywhere else and in the smaller iPhone 18 Pro globally. The X80 is the same modem found in last year's iPhone 17 Pro line, meaning Apple hasn't fully extended its in-house modem rollout to this specific US model.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-19
Apple confirmed the iPhone 18 Pro Max packs a single-cell battery exceeding 20 watt-hours, triggering extra international shipping regulations for large batteries. To comply, Apple built firmware that caps the battery below 20 Wh during manufacturing and transit, only unlocking full capacity once a user activates the phone. A new 'Prepare to Ship' toggle in Settings lets owners discharge the battery back below that threshold before repairs, trade-ins, resale, or gifting.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-19
Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max launched this week with starting prices of $1,199 and $1,299, higher than last year's $1,099 and $1,199 for the iPhone 17 Pro lineup. For consumers unwilling to pay the premium for faster chips, improved cameras, and a foldable design, there are simpler ways to make an existing iPhone feel new again.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-09-19
Apple increased the out-of-warranty battery replacement cost for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max by $10, from $119 to $129, likely reflecting the larger battery capacities in the new models. Older iPhones, including the iPhone 6 and original SE, still qualify for the cheapest replacement at $69. Apple has not commented on the price change.
cnet.com
· 2026-09-18
Apple's updated service and repair page shows out-of-warranty battery replacement for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max now costs $129, a $10 increase over the $119 charged for the previous three Pro generations. Other repair costs, like screen and back glass damage, also vary between the two new models, with the larger Pro Max costing more across nearly every category.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-17
Apple has begun updating early iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max pre-orders to a 'Shipped' status in the Apple Store app and on its website, with devices set to reach customers this Friday, September 18. Buyers who opted into text alerts may also get a shipping notification directly from Apple.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-09-17
Reviewers testing Apple's new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max are highlighting notably longer battery life and a more flexible camera system as the standout upgrades this generation. Specific technical details beyond these highlights were not disclosed in the available source material.
techspot.com
· 2026-09-16
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