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Apple Adds Prepare to Ship Feature for iPhone 18 Pro Max Battery Above 20Wh

Apple added a Prepare to Ship setting in iOS 27 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max, whose battery exceeds the 20Wh shipping threshold in most countries and regions.

AI News Feed · 2026-09-19 21:15

The iPhone 18 Pro Max offers a large increase in battery life, in part because its battery is physically larger. Apple said in a newly published support document that the phone's battery capacity exceeds 20 Wh. Most countries and regions have extra shipping requirements for products with a single-cell battery over 20 Wh.

To meet those rules, Apple said the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses what it calls an innovative battery-firmware solution. The firmware limits battery capacity to below 20 Wh from the time the phone is manufactured until it is transported from the factory. When the user activates the iPhone, the limit is removed and the battery's full charging capacity becomes available.

The same shipping requirements apply in other situations, including sending an iPhone 18 Pro Max for repair, trading it in, returning it, selling it, or giving it to someone else. For those cases, Apple added the Prepare to Ship feature in the Settings app. The feature discharges the device battery below 20 Wh and sets a charge limit to keep it below that level.

Apple said the iPhone 18 Pro Max may need to discharge before Prepare to Ship is complete. The phone may become warmer than usual during that process, which Apple describes as expected; it will cool down again when it is ready to ship. Users can continue using the device while it discharges. The process may take only a few minutes, but it can take up to a couple of hours if the battery starts at a full charge.

When the Prepare to Ship process is complete, the Settings app will show Ready to Ship with a red badge. If the user erases the iPhone, the device cannot be used while the battery discharges. The option is located under Settings, then General, then Transfer or Reset iPhone, then Prepare to Ship. Apple's full support document has more details.

Editor's Summary

Apple has added a Prepare to Ship feature to iOS 27 for the iPhone 18 Pro Max because its battery exceeds 20 Wh and faces extra shipping rules in most countries and regions. The firmware limits capacity below that threshold until activation, while the new Settings option lowers the battery for repair, trade-in, return, resale, or gifting. The feature can take minutes or up to a couple of hours and displays Ready to Ship when complete.