iPhone 18 Pro Max Requires 'Prepare to Ship' Battery Drain Before Shipping
Apple has introduced a 'Prepare to Ship' feature for the iPhone 18 Pro Max to comply with shipping regulations regarding high-capacity batteries. The feature uses firmware to discharge the battery below 20Wh for safe transport, which can be reversed once the device is activated.
Why it matters
This highlights the intersection of hardware innovation and international shipping safety regulations for high-capacity consumer electronics.
The iPhone 18 Pro Max has a battery capacity over 20 watt-hours, which means there are additional shipping requirements. If an iPhone 18 Pro Max needs to be shipped somewhere, its maximum battery capacity has to be limited through firmware.
According to Apple , the iPhone 18 Pro Max uses an "innovative battery-firmware solution" that limits battery capacity to below 20Wh between when the iPhone is manufactured and its delivery to a customer. Activating the iPhone removes the limit to make the battery's full charging capacity available. iPhones that are not yet activated or still in the box will not need Prepare to Ship because they are already limited to under 20Wh.
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