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. Customers who need to ship the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max for repair, trade-in, or other purposes have to use a new Prepare to Ship feature. Prepare to Ship discharges the battery to below 20Wh and sets a charge limit so the iPhone stays below the threshold during the shipping process. The Prepare to Ship option can be accessed by going to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Prepare to Ship. Apple warns that the iPhone can become "warmer than usual" during Prepare to Ship if the battery needs to be discharged. When finished, the iPhone shows a "Ready to Ship" status in Settings. If Prepare to Ship needs to be undone, there is an option in the same section of the Settings app to undo the shipping preparation. Depending on the reason the user selected for the Prepare to Ship feature, there could be a 14-day waiting period before it can be disabled. Apple emphasizes that the ‌iPhone 18 Pro‌ Max is safe for shipping and air travel, and the limit has been added to meet shipping requirements. Since no other iPhones have a single-cell battery over 20Wh, this procedure isn't needed for other models. Related Roundup: iPhone 18 Pro Buyer's Guide: iPhone 18 Pro (Buy Now) Related Forum: iPhone This article, " iPhone 18 Pro Max Requires 'Prepare to Ship' Battery Drain Before Shipping " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
The Apple Watch Series 12 came out today, and we picked one up to get a look at the new feature set. There are no major external changes, but Apple updated the device's internals and health sensors. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The Apple Watch Series 12 has the same design as the Series 11, but it does come in different colors. The aluminum models are available in a light gold shade that's distinct from the rose gold Apple used last year, as well as dark bronze, black, and space gray. There are also ceramic models in pearl white and night blue, and polished titanium models in radiant gold and natural. On the aluminum models, Apple is now using Ceramic Shield 2 instead of Ion-X glass, and the new material is 60 percent tougher. You might not be able to tell a Series 11 apart from a Series 12 when looking at the front, but the back has been updated. Apple says the upgraded sensors make the Apple Watch Series 12 the most accurate wearable for heart rate sensing. The Series 12 has a Health Sensing System that pairs the new sensors with an S11 chip that's faster than the S10 in the prior-generation model. It takes heart rate readings every five seconds now and measures heart rate variability as often as every five minutes. It's early, but so far we haven't seen the higher sampling rates cause excessive battery drain. The Apple Watch Series 12 is still rated for all-day battery life, and charging is faster this year. You can get up to 12 hours of normal usage from a 15-minute charge, but you need to use the Apple Watch charger that comes with the Series 12. Older chargers won't give you the faster charging rate. The Health Sensing System powers a readiness score that lets you know whether to go all-out on activity or take a rest day. It's based on metrics such as recent activity, vitals, and sleep, and will adjust as the day continues. It takes about a week of data collection from the Series 12 before you start getting a readiness score. The S11 chip will power Live Rewind and Siri Recap features, but those won't be available until later this year. Even though the Apple Watch hasn't seen a design refresh, the health features make this a decent update. You may not want to upgrade if you have the Series 10 or Series 11, but anything older is worth upgrading from. The Series 12 comes in 42mm and 46mm size options with pricing starting at $399. Related Roundup: Apple Watch 12 Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Buy Now) Related Forum: Apple Watch This article, " Hands-On With the Apple Watch Series 12 " first appeared on MacRumors.com Discuss this article in our forums
