iPhone XS and XS Max Have 4GB of RAM, XR Has 3GB; XS Max and XR Have Larger 3,174 and 2,942 mAH Batteries

The battery capacities and RAM inside the new iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR have surfaced in regulatory filings Apple is required to submit to China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

iphone xs vs xr
China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, often shortened to TENAA, is sort of like the FCC of China. Apple has filed many products with the regulatory body over the years, as required, and there is a track record of them being factually accurate, so there's no reason to doubt these latest ones.

Chinese website MyDrivers was first to share the filings, but only provided screenshots. MacRumors uncovered direct links to the filings below.

The filings reveal that the iPhone XS has a 2,658 mAh battery, around 2.2 percent less capacity than the 2,716 mAh battery in the iPhone X that it replaces, despite both being 5.8-inch devices. Nevertheless, with continued performance and power optimizations, Apple's tech specs indicate that the iPhone XS gets up to 30 minutes longer battery life than the iPhone X per charge cycle.

As the largest iPhone ever, the iPhone XS Max naturally has the largest battery capacity of any iPhone ever at 3,174 mAh, according to the filings. That's roughly 16.8 percent larger than the battery in the iPhone X, and 19.4 percent larger than the battery in the iPhone XS. Apple's tech specs indicate that the iPhone XS Max lasts up to 1.5 hours longer than the iPhone X per charge cycle.

iphone xs max tenaa

iPhone XS Max regulatory filing in China

Last, the iPhone XR is listed with a battery capacity of 2,942 mAh, roughly 8.3 percent larger than in the iPhone X, 10.6 percent larger than in the iPhone XS, and 7.3 percent smaller than in the iPhone XS Max.

Despite having a smaller battery than the iPhone XS Max, the iPhone XR has the longest battery life of any iPhone ever, according to Apple's tech specs. A big reason may be that the iPhone XR has a smaller 6.1-inch display with a lower resolution compared to the iPhone XS Max. Less pixels, less power consumption.

The filings also appear to confirm that the iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max each have 4GB of RAM, while the iPhone XR has 3GB. That's exactly in line with information shared by Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo and Taiwanese research firm TrendForce earlier this year, so the filings are very likely accurate. By comparison, the iPhone X and iPhone 8 Plus have 3GB of RAM, and the iPhone 8 has 2GB.

iPhone XS and iPhone XS Max launch this Friday, so it won't take long before iFixit teardowns and Geekbench benchmarks confirm these battery capacities and RAM for good measure. iPhone XR launches October 26.

Tag: TENAA
Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

5105973 Avatar
68 months ago
We need a dark mode for those OLED displays.
Score: 31 Votes (Like | Disagree)
RickInHouston Avatar
68 months ago
I am very happy with the X and don’t plan on upgrading but it’s a solid upgrade. It’s amazing how these products just keep getting better when you think they have finally peaked.

I am way more exited about the Watch and can’t wait for an upgraded iPad Pros with FaceID and baseless design.
They've actually peaked, you just haven't realized it yet.

Marketing.
Score: 22 Votes (Like | Disagree)
cmaier Avatar
68 months ago
I have a feeling the battery in the Max will be plenty for me but how does the Note 9 fit a 4000mAh battery? I know following this will be comments about being too big and past issues but surely they learned their lesson. Maybe the phone is bigger?

As for the RAM, I don't think 3 or 4 will be a big difference if you're wondering about the XR, it will be a fantastic phone and although I am going for the Max most of my recommendations to people have been for the XR.
The note needs a bigger battery because android is inherently less efficient, and the Qualcomm processors need to be revved to higher clock speeds to achieve (not even) equivalent performance. Samsung found space for the bigger battery by leaving out some things. Like attention to detail, good taste, and love.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Baymowe335 Avatar
68 months ago
Solid update and it already seems iOS 12 RAM management is greatly improved.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jona2125 Avatar
68 months ago
The note needs a bigger battery because android is inherently less efficient, and the Qualcomm processors need to be revved to higher clock speeds to achieve (not even) equivalent performance. Samsung found space for the bigger battery by leaving out some things. Like attention to detail, good taste, and love.
Honestly can't say Android is less efficient anymore, for sure 5 years ago it was but nowadays it seems fine. My Note9 is a daily media device through the day for background music and video, about 10 hours of my day (8 hours streaming audio on cellular and 2 hours video streaming on cellular). I get home with it at 60%+. My X's could never dream of such good efficiency
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
jona2125 Avatar
68 months ago
For the last decade or so, every article about OLED display technology has said that it saves power vs. LCD. And yet, now that OLEDs are actually a thing, it's the opposite? I don't understand.
When you have a very bright and vibrant operating system, where a lot of the design relies on white as well as offering very bright displays, OLED actually will be more power hungry than anything. To make it efficient you need to be able to use the OLED advantage of shutting off power to pixels with black. MacOS should not have been the first to get the dark theme.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 17

iOS 17.2 Will Add These 12 New Features to Your iPhone

Friday December 1, 2023 12:19 pm PST by
iOS 17.2 has been in beta testing for over a month, and it should be released to all users in a few more weeks. The software update includes many new features and changes for iPhones, including the dozen that we have highlighted below. iOS 17.2 is expected to be released to the public in mid-December. To learn about even more features coming in the update, check out our full list. Journal ...
iOS 16 4 Web Push

Apple Confirms Governments Using Push Notifications to Surveil Users

Wednesday December 6, 2023 5:06 am PST by
Unidentified governments are surveilling smartphone users by tracking push notifications that move through Google's and Apple's servers, a US senator warned on Wednesday (via Reuters). In a letter to the Department of Justice, Senator Ron Wyden said foreign officials were demanding the data from the tech giants to track smartphones. The traffic flowing from apps that send push notifications...
airpods pro 2 pink

Apple Releases New AirPods Pro 2 Firmware

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware update for both the Lightning and USB-C versions of the AirPods Pro 2. The new firmware is version 6B34, up from the 6B32 firmware introduced in November. Apple does not provide details on what features might be included in the refreshed firmware beyond "bug fixes and other improvements," so it is unclear what's new in the update, but prior software releases ...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

'All-Screen' iPhone Under-Display Camera Enters Development

Wednesday December 6, 2023 2:03 am PST by
Apple's Korean suppliers have begun developing smartphone under-display cameras (UDC), paving the way for the first iPhone with a true "all-screen" appearance. According to The Elec, LG Innotek has entered the preliminary development of the UDC, which sits under the display and does not result in a visible hole in the panel when the camera is not in use. A UDC differs from a typical front ...
magsafe blue 2

iOS 17.2 Brings Qi2 Support to iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 Models

Tuesday December 5, 2023 11:04 am PST by
The iOS 17.2 update that Apple is set to release to the public in the near future will bring support for the next-generation Qi2 wireless charging standard to the iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models. Qi2 was mentioned in the release notes for the RC version of the update that came out today. With the addition of support for the new standard, iPhone 13 and iPhone 14 models will work with Qi2...
iphone se 4 modified flag edges

iPhone SE 4 May Reuse Existing iPhone 14 Battery

Wednesday December 6, 2023 1:17 pm PST by
Recently, MacRumors has received details on the battery currently being tested on the upcoming fourth-generation iPhone SE, and the information corroborates previous findings in relation to the device. The iPhone SE 4, known by its device identifier D59, is expected to use the exact same battery found in the base model iPhone 14. Partially assembled prototypes of the next iPhone SE have been ...
airpods pro bulbs

Black Friday Prices Return for AirPods Pro 2 With USB-C, iPad, and More

Tuesday December 5, 2023 7:30 am PST by
Today we're tracking a collection of deals that are matching - or nearly matching - the same all-time low discounts we saw during Black Friday. This includes the AirPods Pro 2 with USB-C, 9th generation iPad, and M1 MacBook Air. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the ...
instagram messenger

Instagram and Facebook Messenger Chats to Disconnect This Month

Tuesday December 5, 2023 1:57 am PST by
Meta has revealed plans to end Instagram users' ability to chat with Facebook accounts later this month, rolling back a feature that it introduced over three years ago. In September 2020, Meta (then Facebook) announced it was merging its Facebook Messenger service with Instagram direct messaging, allowing Instagram users to chat with Facebook users and vice versa using the same platform....