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

The iPhone 18 Pro Max boasts an exceptionally large battery, leading Apple to introduce a novel feature in iOS 27. The support document released today reveals that the iPhone 18 Pro Max features a battery capacity exceeding 20 watt-hours (Wh), triggering additional shipping requirements. Most jurisdictions and regions mandate specific shipping regulations for devices with a single-cell battery surpassing 20 Wh, necessitating a unique solution from Apple.

To meet these regulations, the iPhone 18 Pro Max employs an innovative battery-firmware mechanism that reduces battery capacity to under 20 Wh during manufacturing and transport. Once the device is activated by the user, the battery capacity limit is lifted, granting full access to the battery's charging capacity. However, the shipping prerequisites also apply to other scenarios such as repairs, trade-ins, returns, sales, or gifting the device to another individual.

To address this, Apple has introduced a new "Prepare to Ship" feature in the Settings app. This feature discharges the iPhone's battery below 20 Wh and sets a charge limit to maintain compliance. During the discharge process, the iPhone may become warmer than usual, which is normal and expected. The device will eventually cool down once it's prepared for shipping.

While the battery discharges, users can continue using their iPhone as they normally would, although it may take a few minutes to a couple of hours, depending on the initial charge level. Upon completing the Prepare to Ship process, the Settings app will display "Ready to Ship" with a red badge. If the iPhone is erased during this process, it will not be usable until the battery has finished discharging.

The new option can be found in the Settings app by navigating to General, then Transfer or Reset iPhone, and finally tapping Prepare to Ship. For further details, readers can refer to the complete Apple support document.