The iPhone 18 Pro Max goes from 0% to 100% battery in as little as 55 minutes with the right charger, a full 26 minutes quicker than the iPhone 17 Pro Max managed last year. The upgrade arrives right as the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max hit store shelves today.
A YouTube channel called Xiaobai’s Tech Reviews ran the iPhone 18 Pro Max through a complete charging cycle from empty to full.. The video is in Chinese, though the charging numbers are easy enough to follow on screen.
iPhone 18 Pro Max Hits 50% Battery in Just 15 Minutes
The test lines up with what Apple already promised at its September event, matching the 15-minute mark covered in this fast charging guide. The iPhone 18 Pro Max reached 50% battery in 15 minutes, down from 20 minutes on the iPhone 17 Pro Max.
Here is how the two generations compare:
- iPhone 17 Pro Max: 20 minutes to 50%, 81 minutes to 100%, 36W peak
- iPhone 18 Pro Max: 15 minutes to 50%, 55 minutes to 100%, 52W peak
Apple’s phones keep trickling in a small amount of power even after the screen shows 100%, so the true full-charge number always runs a bit past the headline figure. Even with that in mind, a 26 minute drop on a full charge is a real jump from one generation to the next.
Peak Charging Speed Jumps to 52W on the iPhone 18 Pro Max
During the first 12 minutes of the test, the iPhone 18 Pro Max held a peak charging speed of 52W. ChargerLAB measured the iPhone 17 Pro Max topping out at 36W in a separate test last September, putting this year’s peak 16W higher. Charging speed drops off after that initial window on every iPhone, since Apple throttles the rate to protect the battery from heat.
Apple has not published separate charging numbers for the standard iPhone 18 Pro, but the smaller phone shares the same charging hardware as the iPhone 18 Pro Max, so expect similar results at that size too.
You Need This Specific Charger to Hit These Speeds
Apple’s tech specs are clear on what it takes to reach the fastest charging speeds on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max:
- A power adapter rated at 60W or higher
- Support for Adjustable Voltage Supply (AVS)
- A USB-C cable rated for the adapter’s full output
Apple’s own 40W Dynamic Power Adapter with 60W Max meets that requirement and sells for $39 on Apple’s US online store. Anyone still charging with an older 20W or 30W brick will see slower results than the numbers above, since AVS support is what unlocks the higher wattage.
For a full breakdown of what else changed this year, see the iPhone 18 Pro vs iPhone 17 Pro comparison, and for how the bigger battery plays out day to day, check the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery life results.
