The iPhone 18 Pro Max introduces a 'Prepare to Ship' battery feature

The iPhone 18 Pro Max features a high-capacity battery exceeding 20 watt-hours, which classifies it as 'dangerous goods' under international shipping regulations. To bypass these restrictions, Apple has introduced a 'Prepare to Ship' firmware mode that artificially limits battery capacity during transit. This feature is automatically disabled once the user activates the device. However, users must manually re-enable this mode when shipping the phone for repairs or resale. The process involves navigating to the Transfer or Reset settings, where the phone may discharge to meet safety requirements. While currently exclusive to the iPhone 18 Pro Max, this software-based solution is expected to become a standard practice for future smartphones with large batteries, potentially being adopted by Android manufacturers as an elegant alternative to multi-cell battery designs. Users are encouraged to familiarize themselves with this process to ensure compliance with shipping safety standards.