iPhone 18 Pro Max battery throttled to below 20 Wh for shipping: the jokes
What happened
Apple published a support document explaining that the iPhone 18 Pro Max battery exceeds 20 Wh. That triggers extra shipping rules in most countries and regions. A firmware limit caps capacity below 20 Wh from manufacture through transport, and the limit is removed when the user activates the phone.
- Prepare your iPhone 18 Pro Max to ship (support.apple.com)
15 private thoughts from John Ternus, ranked by readers
John Ternus, internallyApple CEOPhoto: Tessa Bury, CC BY 4.0- 1
“Jony made them thin, Tim made them thinner, I made one that needs special shipping.”
Needs votesShare - 2
“My first iPhone as CEO has too much battery for regular mail, and I've never been prouder.”
Needs votesShare - 3
“Tim never once made an iPhone that shipping rules were scared of.”
Needs votesShare - 4
“Put it on the keynote slide: so much battery, it gets its own shipping rules.”
Needs votesShare - 5
“If software unlocks the full battery at setup, it could just as easily unlock it for $99.”
Needs votesShare - 6
“The rest of the battery is already in there, we're one checkbox away from a subscription.”
Needs votesShare - 7
“We limited the battery with a setting and called it innovative, which is honestly most of my job.”
Needs votesShare - 8
“A battery that's smaller until you open the box sounds innovative if I say it slowly on stage.”
Needs votesShare - 9
“Tim called removing things courage, I'm calling temporarily removing things innovation.”
Needs votesShare - 10
“Our newest feature drains your battery on purpose before you're allowed to mail your own phone.”
Needs votesShare - 11
“Finally, an iPhone setting that kills your battery and we get to say it's working as intended.”
Needs votesShare - 12
“Gifting your old iPhone now starts with a trip to Settings and a two-hour wait.”
Needs votesShare - 13
“Twenty years of thinner iPhones, and mine is the one the mail has rules about.”
Needs votesShare - 14
“The first thing I removed as CEO was battery, and I put it back at setup so nobody noticed.”
Needs votesShare - 15
“Every iPhone leaves the factory with less battery than we advertise, and that's the feature.”
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