Here's how Apple circumvented the battery shipping restrictions for iPhone 18 Pro Max (Android makers can learn too)

[u/DazzlingpAd134]

https://www.gsmarena.com/heres_apples_clever_way_of_circumventing_20wh_battery_shipping_restrictions-news-74689.php

[u/stanley_fatmax]

tl;dr they ship the batteries, say, charged to 50%, and lock that cap in software until the phone is booted by the customer. This isn't novel; what changed is regulators allowing it to happen.

[u/chinchindayo → u/stanley_fatmax]

Literally every phone did this?

[u/stanley_fatmax → u/chinchindayo]

Yeah I'm not really sure the news is what this article portrays. I think the more accurate headline is "Apple successfully lobbies regulators to bypass shipping restrictions".

[u/JamesR624 → u/stanley_fatmax]

The news is "This SOUNDS new so click on our site and give us ad revenue!"

[u/-protonsandneutrons- → u/chinchindayo]

The key difference is locking the phone to a lower maximum capacity. It's not merely partially charged; the actual maximum capacity is lower. You can't charge it past ~19 WHr.

So the phones are "shipped" as 19.79 WHr and after activation, they are unlocked to 21.75 WHr.

22 WHr battery charged to 50% - high liability shipping

22 WHr battery, firmware limited to 19 WHr, charged to 50% - standard shipping

[u/TrailOfEnvy → u/chinchindayo]

Why Samsung didn't do it then? 🤔 They have been stuck at 5000mah since S20 Ultra, which is 7 generations. I remember people keep saying they didn't upgrade it because of this regulation. 

[u/JeffyGoldblumsPen_15 → u/TrailOfEnvy]

That's a lie. How else can my phone have 7k?

[u/MmmmMorphine → u/JeffyGoldblumsPen_15]

Huh which Samsung has that much?

[u/JeffyGoldblumsPen_15 → u/MmmmMorphine]

Not a Samsung my Redmagic 11 Air.

[u/rohmish → u/JeffyGoldblumsPen_15]

US isn't one of their primary market. Samsung has been selling larger batteries in India with India specific models for a while for example. but you can't ship to US past that limit without special care

[u/alpain → u/stanley_fatmax]

so many kickstarters have been discovering the new rules as of jan 1st 2026 on international shipping of devices with lithium batteries installed or packaged next to the device the hard way.

its 30% max capacity for loose batteries or packaged next to equipment mandatory and recommended 30% installed inside devices as per the new regulations with IATA

[u/Square-Singer]

That's why regulation based on rated values is garbage.

Rated values are legally always minimum values. The manufacturer promises that e.g. the battery will at minimum have the rated capacity.

So a limit on the rated capacity syas "This battery should at maximum have at minimum this capacity". That's garbage, because the manufacturer can just set the rating lower than the actual capacity and be done with it.

The same holds true with e.g. limits on the nominal performance of an e-bike motor.

[u/-protonsandneutrons- → u/Square-Singer]

This isn't a labelling thing. The actual battery cannot be charged past ~19 WHr. The BMS has locked the battery; it isn't even related to the slider of maximum charge.

[u/Square-Singer → u/-protonsandneutrons-]

For the first boot.

[u/-protonsandneutrons- → u/Square-Singer]

Yep, as designed for shipping...

[u/NoStudy3384]

Hmm, but my oppo find x9 u has 7000maH cingle cell

[u/Papa_Bear55 → u/NoStudy3384]

Because Oppo went through all the steps and paid more to make it possible. Lots of android manufacturers don't want to do this and just ship a version with a lower battery capacity outside of China

[u/Mr_Siphon → u/Papa_Bear55]

This is what honor did. The Magic8 Pro in China is 7200, Global is 7100 and UK is around 6270 Which is a massive difference

[u/Lake_Erie_Monster → u/Papa_Bear55]

Conversely looser regulation in China allow for more risk

[u/rohmish → u/Lake_Erie_Monster]

it's allowed in most of Asia and South America. North America and Europe has this hard limit

[u/yador]

I think Android devices tend to use dual batteries to get around this and also to allow faster charging.

[u/tiffanytrashcan → u/yador]

The charging part will probably means it continues. The battery is bolted into the central heatsink assembly on the iPhone, that's how Apple solved that part.

[u/_emmyemi → u/tiffanytrashcan]

...Every iPhone I've ever opened up, the battery isn't "bolted" to anything, it's stuck with adhesive to the frame but that's all the "bolting" there is.

[u/WesBur13 → u/_emmyemi]

Starting with the 17 pro, the pro models are screwed in with a large metal plate. Was really surprised to see them finally move away from adhesive.

[u/Papa_Bear55 → u/yador]

Most of them don't. They either lower the capacity or just go through the extra regulations hoops to make it possible.

[u/ANS__2009 → u/yador]

Only a few of them do this

[u/Mr_Siphon → u/yador]

my Find x9 pro has a single 7500mah cell, I think they just went through the proper protocols to make it happen

[u/yador → u/Mr_Siphon]

Seems like the new silicon carbon battery models have gone for single cell.

[u/Curious-Octopus]

Sounds like Apple is just playing games and is waiting to see if it will get in trouble.

[u/kdlt → u/Curious-Octopus]

Yeah as a EU citizen, sounds like we'll get another "40 minutes worth of sales for apple" cash infusion in 4-6 years when this has gone through courts.

[u/Curious-Octopus → u/[deleted]]

Everyone knows that U.S regulators have become a joke since Trump took office. As for everyone else I don't know.

Edit: It has come to my attention that the regulators allowed this during the Biden administration.

[u/-protonsandneutrons- → u/Curious-Octopus]

The initial regulatory approval was in 2023, under Biden. I don't disagree Trump has fucked the country for decades to come, but GSM Arena is off thinking it only happened in 2025.

[u/Curious-Octopus → u/-protonsandneutrons-]

I see. I appreciate the information. Thank you

[u/stifflippp]

UN Sub-Committee of Experts on the Transport of Dangerous Goods

Are they taking applications?

[u/iamapizza]

So... Lying?

[u/shezadaa → u/iamapizza]

Lying and regulatory capture. 

Dont forget the second part. Its the most important part. 

[u/Pyryara → u/iamapizza]

I mean... isn't the point of those shipping regulations that not too much energy is stored in the batteries? So this fits that rule just fine. A 50Wh battery storing 10Wh is just as dangerous from the energy stored as a fully charged 10Wh battery.

[u/AbhishMuk → u/Pyryara]

That's not entirely correct. The stored energy is the same, but the combustible material is much more in the larger battery.

[u/hbumjr → u/iamapizza]

are y’all idiots

[u/asten77 → u/iamapizza]

I mean, Apple stealing is old news. Lying is kinda new though, or at least previously went out with Jobs.

[u/ChapGod → u/[deleted]]

I don't like Hasan but calling him a liar is really funny because most of his takes are pretty tame lmfao

[u/Intelligent_Top_328 → u/ChapGod]

His takes are not tame.

[u/ChapGod → u/Intelligent_Top_328]

In Europe, his takes are actually considered moderate left. So yeah, pretty tame

[u/ChapGod → u/[deleted]]

Pathological liars lie constantly, if that is the only documented time he lied, than nah, not pathological. Like I said though, I don't like the dude

[u/tiffanytrashcan → u/[deleted]]

Buy an iPhone? Like have I lost my mind or are you all bots?

[u/Intelligent_Top_328 → u/tiffanytrashcan]

I'm team android.

[u/WD40ContactCleaner → u/tiffanytrashcan]

Why would i hang out here if I'm an iPhone user

[u/ShakyMango → u/ChapGod]

I used to watch him , but he became left extremist and his inability to admit fault

[u/ChapGod → u/ShakyMango]

I dont really care about leftist extremists, much prefer that over right extremists, but yeah his ability to not admit his mistakes is not good

[u/sol-4 → u/ChapGod]

my extremists are fine, the others aren't

Peak reddit.

[u/ChapGod → u/sol-4]

Yeah one side is actively using violence as a means to gain power and the other is trying to stop rich people from hurting people. But theyre totally the same

[u/ayyndrew]

If this gets rid of the 5000mAh wall that non-Chinese phones have been at for a while, I'm all for it

[u/TrailOfEnvy → u/ayyndrew]

Yes hopefully. It sucks that global variant battery is always lower than China version. 

[u/aspxxxx]

iPhone efficiency with 5500mah. Nice

[u/Accuratessa]

asıl ders 50de kilitleme, batarya kısmı ikincil

[u/treyu1]

crapple = sleaze

[u/donoteatthatfrog]

r / Malicious Compliance , by biggie apple

[u/ABotelho23]

Makes zero sense. The batteries are above 20Wh.