• The iPhone 18 Pro Max uses software artificially reduce its battery capacity to avoid shipping restrictions
• The same software trick will need to be used when shipping the phone off to repair or sell it
• Other phones might start taking this same approach

The iPhone 18 Pro Max has the highest capacity battery that Apple has ever put in a handset. Going by teardowns, you’re getting a 5,567mAh battery in eSIM-only models and a 5,391mAh one in versions with a physical SIM card slot. But both of those are over 20 watt-hours (Wh), and that could have been a problem for Apple.

You see, most countries have additional shipping requirements for devices with a single-cell battery of over 20 Wh. For example, both the US and UK consider these ‘dangerous goods’, and they’re prohibited to be sent through standard consumer mail services such as USPS standard post and Royal Mail.

That’s obviously a problem for a device that many people will be ordering online — and it can also complicate shipping the device to stores. But Apple has come up with a clever solution called ‘Prepare to Ship’.

This is a mode that uses battery firmware to limit the capacity to under 20Wh, and it's active from when the phone is manufactured to when a customer first activates it.

Once you have the phone up and running, the limit is removed automatically — so in other words this gets it around the shipping restrictions, without limiting the capacity of the product you receive.

However, this also adds an extra step you need to take before shipping the phone somewhere yourself — whether you’re sending it off for repair, selling it, or whatever else, as you need to manually enable the ‘Prepare to Ship’ mode again.

How to prepare your phone for shipping

To do this, go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Prepare to Ship. Then just follow the onscreen instructions, including selecting whether or not you also want to erase your phone.

There are a few things to be aware of though: to activate ‘Prepare to Ship’ mode, your phone might need to discharge a bit, so you should unplug it from its charger, and you should also be aware that it might become warmer than usual while this process is being carried out.

The full process can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours depending on how much the battery needs to drop, but you can use the phone as usual in the meantime (assuming you haven’t also opted to erase it), and the Settings app will display a red badge reading ‘Ready to Ship’ once it’s done.

If you have erased it, then you’ll instead see whether it’s ready to ship on the ‘Hello’ screen — just tap the info button there.

Once ‘Prepare to Ship’ has been enabled, it limits the battery to under 80% capacity for 14 days, but if you need to undo this setting prior to that, just head to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Ready to Ship, and tap ‘Undo Shipping Preparation.’

This might become the new normal

So it’s a simple enough process, but it’s one that’s vital to know about when it comes time to sell or repair your phone — so hopefully there will be enough messaging around it.

But while for now this only affects the iPhone 18 Pro Max, it could one day become the norm. Certainly, we’d expect future large iPhones to have this same feature, but Android phones are likely to get in on the act too, since it's a very elegant solution to the problem.

Currently, some Android phones get around 20Wh restrictions by using multiple smaller battery cells, but depending on the design of the phone it might be preferable to just have a single cell — in which case a solution like Apple’s firmware trickery makes total sense.

This is one of those situations where we don't think there's any shame in borrowing ideas from other manufacturers.

• Look out for the small blue 'hello' signs in Apple Stores
• They're to help test the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max cameras
• The new phones are now available to purchase in retail stores

The next time you head into an Apple Store, you should be able to spot a small blue 'hello' sign somewhere, as per reports on social media — and the appearance of these little signs is apparently connected to the launch of the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max.

As per MacRumors, the signs are there to help customers test out the optical zoom capabilities of the new handsets. Both models offer up to 8x optical zoom, so having something specific to zoom in on is going to be helpful.

While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max have a variable aperture feature on one of their three rear cameras now, the optical zoom capabilities are actually the same as the iPhone 17 equivalents that launched in September of last year.

There are also new Pro controls on the latest handsets, so settings for lens aperture, shutter speed, and white balance can be tweaked shot by shot — something else you might want to test out in an Apple Store.

Now available

The iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max arrived in Apple's retail stores on Friday, September 18, six days after preorders started. Prices for the handsets start at $1,199 / £1,199 / AU$2,099 and $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$2,299 respectively (for 256GB of storage).

New Apple CEO John Ternus made an appearance at the Apple Store in New York to help celebrate the wider availability of the flagship iPhones — as well as the Apple Watch Series 12, the Apple Watch Ultra 4, and the AirPods 5.

He didn't mention anything about the new 'hello' signs in stores, but they've been spotted by customers nevertheless. They look to be located on higher shelves and fixtures, perhaps to put off anyone wanting one as a souvenir.

And if you're wondering where the iPhone 18 is and when you'll be able to test that out, don't panic — it's rumored to be showing up around March time, alongside the iPhone 18e and the iPhone Air 2.

In the midst of hype for Apple’s new A20 Pro chipset and slick foldable software, the company’s durability department is quietly having a moment.

Its Ceramic Shield 2 display glass — first introduced on the iPhone 17 line and returning this year on the iPhone 18 Pro — is earning plaudits for delivering on the promise of 3x better scratch resistance 12 months on from its release, while the iPhone Duo is set to arrive next month with a host of impressive on-paper durability credentials (including, notably, a Galaxy Z Fold 8-beating IP68 resistance rating).

But while features like ingress protection and corrosion resistance aren’t the sexiest topics of discussion at Apple Park, they are some of the most important for ensuring Apple’s products stand the test of time — and Tom Marieb, the company’s new Vice President of Hardware Engineering (a role formerly occupied by CEO John Ternus), knows that better than most.

I had the chance to quiz Marieb on the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo in a group interview at Apple’s London HQ, and he lifted the lid on how Ceramic Shield 2 — which we described as “the first iPhone glass we fully trust” earlier this year — managed to deliver such a noticeable jump in quality versus the original Ceramic Shield, and why he’s “especially proud” of the iPhone Duo’s hinge durability.

“Personally, when I see someone put a screen protector on their iPhone, it makes my skin crawl, because we work so hard to make beautiful front screens,” Marieb told me. “So we very much wanted to develop new coatings that could withstand [scratches], but also make sure that these coatings were wear-resistant as well. We worry about scratching, which is obviously very dependent on having [material that can withstand] very sharp things going into the screen. But we also worry about wear over time; as people use the screen, whether they’ll wear away that surface. And it turns out that those things are a little counterindicated in a lot of materials.

“So we had to try to optimize both of those [qualities] simultaneously [...] And I think we finally hit on a nice balance between the two [in Ceramic Shield 2]. We could have made it more scratch-resistant, but it would have been a little less wear-resistant. It’s the long life we’re looking for against both of those loads over time.”

Marieb added that, in testing Ceramic Shield 2, Apple accounted for half a decade’s worth of use in a comparatively minuscule testing period: “We very much try to meet the customer where they live, and so we don't design tests that measure old military specs or old standards; we try to say, ‘How are customers actually using this? What exactly are they exposing it to in the real world?’ And we make tests that mimic those things.

“And as you said, people waiting a year or two to actually see the benefits of [Ceramic Shield 2] means we've correctly predicted how people would use it. We accelerate time to try to compress those things into the engineering cycle, so that we can feed back as we try one thing after another, and can represent five years of life — or even more — within a couple of weeks of testing.”

It all hinges on the hinge

The display is the most important part of any iPhone, but the foldable iPhone Duo saw Apple tasked with protecting a new, equally crucial component: the hinge.

Like any foldable, the Duo can be used open or closed, and Apple has also developed dedicated ‘Seated’ or ‘Standing’ modes that will see the Duo bent at various angles for extended periods. The former displays visual content on the top half of the screen and viewing controls on the bottom (picture a Game Boy Advance), while the latter turns the Duo into a bedside clock, photo gallery, or weather screen via StandBy.

Whichever orientation you choose, the Duo remains fixed in place — but the work to make that happen wasn’t easy.

“I'm glad you hit on this, because this is something I'm especially proud of, and it took us a long time [to crack],” Marieb explained. “What we worry about with this device is that people see how thin it is and they think it's fragile. People seem to be worried about the Air, too, but it's honestly one of the most reliable phones we’ve ever made. And so we thought, ‘How do we design a hinge that feels very solid when you close it, but also really solid when you open it?’

“We really worked on the torque profile very heavily, and that means changing a lot of the mechanical properties of the hinge to have it feel solid, like a high-end automobile's car door, when you shut it. That was design intent, so people would have a feeling like, ‘Oh, it's okay. This is well crafted, and it's safe for me to use and not worry about it.’

And then, as you said, we have a lot of use cases where the Duo is [in a half-folded state]. And so we also had to think, ‘Can people interact with this [device] and not have it feel floppy?’ So getting those torque profiles right at both those ends, as well as in the middle — not having it feel like you're pulling something open, and not feeling as if it's floppy — we spent a lot of time optimizing that. So thank you for noticing, because a lot of blood, sweat, and tears went into that.”

The dual benefits of nano texture

On top (literally) of the iPhone Duo’s hinge, Apple has equipped its first foldable phone with a 7.6‑inch nano‑texture display. This new material isn’t a million miles away from the anti-reflective nano-texture glass that can be added to the best MacBooks, though, of course, the Duo version of said glass needs to bend in half.

Another journalist in my group interview with Marieb noted that foldable creases typically appear minimal out of the box, but become more prominent mere months after being used extensively. In response, the Apple executive was bullish on the longevity of the Duo’s hinge and explained that the nano‑texture display should help maintain its obscurity:

“Hold us accountable to that, please […] The choice of a matte finish — apart from it being beautiful — is part of that equation. When you look at glossy displays, their specularity makes it very easy to pick up topology differences. That’s part of the reason we picked the matte finish — it’s not only beautiful in terms of preventing glare, but it’s also more forgiving of [topology] changes over time.”

Apple, then, is supremely confident in the durability credentials of its first foldable phone — and we look forward to putting the iPhone Duo through its paces ahead of its official launch on October 23. For our full verdict on Apple's latest candybar handsets, check out our iPhone 18 Pro and 18 Pro Max review.

"Feel the vibe here, that's what I love," said Harry Sung as he stood in the middle of a buzzing Apple Fifth Ave flagship store. Moments earlier, Sung picked up the first burgundy iPhone 18 Pro Max of the day after being ushered into the glass edifice by none other than new Apple CEO John Ternus.

It was a big day for Sung, who scored his second year in a row as the first Apple customer on iPhone launch day, and an even bigger day for Ternus, who was hosting his first iPhone launch store event as CEO.

It's been a whirlwind few weeks for Ternus, who officially took over for former CEO Tim Cook (new Executive Chairman) on September 1 and, a week later, was on stage unveiling the iPhone 18 Pro line, new AirPods, new Apple Watches, and the exciting foldable iPhone Duo.

On this day, that flexi-phone was nowhere in sight. Even so, the atmosphere was electric, and it felt, to those of us who've been attending iPhone store launch events for almost 20 years, like the old days.

When I caught up with Ternus inside the store, he told me the day was "exciting," and I could tell he was still a little amped up from the store opening ceremony.

At precisely 8am ET, Ternus appeared behind the frosted glass doors of Apple's Fifth Avenue flagship store and then swung open the doors. He stood for a time, waving to a cheering crowd, behind which was a small cluster of protesters shouting about, among other things, iPhone manufacturing working conditions. As the groundswell of excitement grew around Ternus, the protesters seemed to lose steam.

Ternus then turned to the long line of iPhone customers waiting outside the store, many of whom had pre-ordered the phone last week, and started greeting them. First up was Sung.

In his arm was a binder full of cards denoting the 120 Apple Stores he'd visited around the world. Sung later told me he had met Ternus once before at another product launch at Apple's "100th store" where he'd had Ternus sign the book. The inside cover also featured more than half a dozen other Apple executives' signatures (This is not surprising. In another part of the store, I witnessed Apple head of Retail Deirdre O'Brien signing someone's MacBook.)

Ternus posed with Sung outside the store and then turned his attention to the next customer.

After collecting his iPhone 18 Pro Max, Sung briefly appeared outside the store again and held his purchase aloft. The crowd cheered again.

Later, when I asked Sung, 21, how he secured his pole position, he told me that first he pre-ordered his burgundy 256GB iPhone 18 Pro Max online (he never leases and always buys), and then he arrived at the store yesterday at 8:30pm ET — and waited.

I asked Sung, who is a native of China but is currently living in New Jersey and attending university, if he's ever owned an Android. He shook his head and then told me his first iPhone was the iPhone 15.

Why, though, does Sung visit all these stores, and why was he here right now? Sung looked at me like I had lobsters dancing on my head. "I love Apple," he told me, as if nothing could be more obvious.

In case you were unaware, Apple unveiled the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max last week, alongside its first-ever foldable, the iPhone Duo.

Naturally, the iPhone 18 Pro preorders quickly followed suit, with rebates of up to AU$1,595 when you trade in an old phone, and accompanying SIM plans from AU$39/m.

While it’s always nice to have the latest tech, a fresh product launch also means an older device is ripe for discounts, and that’s certainly the case for the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max.

Apple may have discontinued both models from its online store, but retailers and telcos, including Amazon, Optus and Vodafone, still have stock — including the popular Cosmic Orange colour — meaning you still have time to score one at a discount. Whether you just want to save money, aren’t fussed with having the latest iPhone, or you simply prefer the colour options of the iPhone 17 Pro series, now’s a great time to take advantage of any offers.

Buying outright

If you want to buy outright, then Amazon and Optus are great options, although if you’d prefer to shop at the former, you’ll want to hurry as the retailer doesn’t have stock of all sizes and all colours.

The standout offer has to be a 9% saving on the iPhone 17 Pro Max (256GB) in Cosmic Orange, now AU$1,995. The same phone is also available in Silver for the same price.

If you’d prefer the smaller iPhone 17 Pro, Amazon no longer has stock of the base 256GB variant. Instead, the most affordable option is 512GB for AU$2,197 in Deep Blue, or AU$2,229 in Cosmic Orange.

Alternatively, you could get the 256GB iPhone 17 Pro from a retailer such as The Good Guys, and pair it with Optus’ Small plan, or any of our other highly recommended SIM-only plans.

With a telco

Optus arguably has some tempting offers of its own. Not only can you split the cost of either the iPhone 17 Pro or iPhone 17 Pro Max into monthly interest-free instalments over up to 36 months, but all colours and storage sizes are in stock.

And, for a limited time, you can pair either iPhone with Optus’ Small plan, which has currently been reduced to just AU$39/m while the included data has increased from 60GB to 100GB. These benefits only apply to the first 12 months, after which the plan reverts to its regular AU$60/m for 60GB data — at this point, I’d recommend you check out the best SIM-only mobile plans for a more affordable option.

If you’re able to, it’s cheapest to pay the device off over 12 months, as you can see in the table below.

However, if you intend to remain on that Optus plan for three years anyway, all three options cost exactly the same over 36 months: AU$3,906.72. With the 12-month option, you'd simply pay $205.56/month for year one, then $60/month for years two and three.

Vodafone also has some attractive offers, with monthly device payments for the iPhone 17 Pro starting at AU$47.18/m. Once again, you’ll spend the least amount of money if you pay off over 12 months.

This is just a snapshot of the iPhone 17 Pro offers available right now, but if you want to take advantage, you’ll need to be quick, because once stock has gone, it’s gone.

John Ternus has barely been CEO of Apple for a fortnight, and he's already caused quite the stir. Some of this is to be expected; Apple's September event is barely in the rearview, and the dust has far from settled following the announcement of the long-awaited iPhone Duo.

Still, it's one small interjection he made in a video interview with TechRadar and Tom's Guide (see below) that tells me a lot about his relationship with the company he now governs.

In addition to discussing the new devices launched this week, we had the opportunity to ask Ternus about his views on AI, wearable tech and becoming CEO of one of the world's largest and most eminent tech companies; plus, crucially, his view on innovation.

When our Editor-at-Large, Lance Ulanoff, asked about his plans to reinvigorate the brand's image when it comes to innovation, Ternus replied: "I don't think we ever lost innovation."

Is it ever enough?

The unavoidable truth is that the "iPhone moment" is, perhaps, once in a generation; and there's a lot more competition in the playing field now than there was back in 2007. That being said, it's hard to argue that there's been no innovation under Tim Cook's tenure.

From Apple silicon chips (2021) and Touch ID (2013) to Face ID (2017) and the world's first over-the-counter direct-to-consumer ECG in the Apple Watch Series 4 (2018), there's been plenty to shout about — even though recent years have maybe been a little quieter, barring the Vision Pro... but that's not much to write home about yet.

Of course, Ternus' quick retort garnered some reactions nonetheless, with commenters across our TikTok and YouTube accounts arguing that true product-level innovation had been lost at Apple for many a year. So, what do you think?

Cook had a difficult job, without a shadow of a doubt: huge boots to fill in the wake of Steve Jobs' passing, a grieving user base and fanbase, plus lofty expectations to steer the Apple ship through everything from a global pandemic to hardware supply chain chaos; and that's just in recent years.

Apple's still kicking, with a strong set of products, devoted audience and a seemingly optimistic future under Ternus' leadership. Only time will tell what's in store for this new era after the iPhone Duo.

Got your iPhone 18 Pro Max on preorder but can't quite decide on the perfect plan to pair it with? I think I've found a contender for the best overall option right now.

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Even without the discount, Mint's unlimited plan is competitive and much cheaper than many competitors, so the deal is just the cherry on top. While you'll have to pay $180 upfront, you'll lock in an unlimited data plan for an almost unbelievably cheap $15 per month.

Overall, the Mint unlimited plan includes unlimited talk, text, and mobile hotspot. There are a few restrictions, such as 50GB of 5G data and 20GB of mobile hotspot, but these are still pretty generous for the price - especially at $15/mo.

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