iPhone 16 battery rumors: lifespan, material, design

A battery being removed from an iPhone [Apple]

Users often place the importance of the battery behind other factors when owning one iPhone. Processor performance, camera system and display are all seemingly better ways to impress consumers looking to purchase their next model.

But the battery is perhaps one of the most essential elements of a smartphone. Without power it simply doesn't work.

Ensuring that the battery lasts as long as possible is a task that Apple takes seriously. Every year, adjustments are made to the battery so that users can use their smartphone all day long.

With the iPhone 16 family of devices arriving this fall, the rumor mill has been making quite a few claims about the possible battery swaps.

One thing everyone wants is even longer battery life. While Apple could extend the life of an iPhone by making it more energy efficient, Apple can also do this by simply increasing the battery capacity.

In FebruaryProminent but questionable leaker Majin Bu claimed that two iPhone 16 models will see their capacity increase, but one will see their capacity decrease.

Battery life is important for iPhone users

The iPhone 16 Pro Max is said to jump from 4,441 mAh iPhone 15 Pro Maximum 4,676 mAh. The iPhone 16 will reportedly reach 3,561 mAh, compared to 3,367 in the iPhone 15.

However, the iPhone 16 Plus will have a 4,006 mAh battery, compared to the iPhone 15 Plus' 4,407 mAh.

Apple doesn't definitively mention the mAh capacity of its batteries when it comes to the iPhone. Instead, it chooses to say how long the battery life would be, based on typical usage scenarios.

There have been a few rumored design changes that could impact the incoming generation of iPhones.

In NovemberImages from leaker @KosutamiSan showed a J-shaped battery from an “early stage” iPhone 16 Pro prototype. In the leak, the battery is said to have a capacity of 3,355 mAh, with a limited charging voltage of 4.48 volts.

Since the photos were taken, it is claimed that the battery surface in the images has changed from glossy to a “matte metal case”. Apple is also said to have redesigned the connector.

An alleged early iPhone 16 Pro battery [X/KostamiSan]

In Mayanalyst Ming Chi Kuo offered that there could be a more radical battery redesign in the iPhone 16 Pro Max. For that model, there could be increased energy density for the battery cells.

It could also be that the cells are encased in stainless steel instead of aluminum. The change could make it harder to dissipate heat through the chassis, but it would make the battery stronger and even meet EU requirements for disposal.

Kuo added that the changes would only apply to the Pro Max model, but the design could be used across the entire iPhone 17 series.

The battery can generate heat inside the iPhone, which can become a problem if left unchecked. Heat can also affect the wear and tear of the battery, causing it to deteriorate more quickly.

a November 16 A report from KosutamiSan claimed that Apple could switch to a graphene heat sink and metal battery case in the iPhone 16 to improve heat transfer.

Graphene would be used because there is so little space in the iPhone for thermal management. Graphene also has ten times more thermal conductivity than copper.

Getting on your feet more, one ETNews report in November said that Apple was developing an entirely new battery. Apple “participated directly in the development of the materials that make up batteries,” the company said.

Apple apparently aimed for a new composition of raw materials, including nickel, cobalt, manganese and aluminum, for the cathode. It also wants to “dramatically increase silicon content” to replace graphite, ultimately increasing capacity and reducing charge times.

Cooling the battery makes it last longer.

Research into “carbon nanotubes” as a conductive material is also reported.

The report thought the new battery could be launched after 2025, although it's entirely plausible that elements of the research could end up in the batteries for the iPhone 16.

Apple has long pushed to improve its environmental performance. Apparently that includes batteries.

In April 2023Apple has stated that all batteries it designs by 2025 will use fully recycled cobalt. At the same time, circuit boards will use 100% recycled tin soldering and gold plating, and all magnets will use recycled rare earth metals.

The statement to design all batteries with recycled cobalt by 2025 does not prevent Apple from using the designs before 2025. This means it's entirely possible that the technology will make its way into the iPhone 16's power cells.

Apple has been working to shift some of its China-focused supply chain to other manufacturing centers. The intention is to reduce the potential damage to production due to various events, such as political trade wars or natural disasters.

Mumbai, India

As part of this effort, Apple has spent years increasing its manufacturing capacity in India. In DecemberApple has reportedly asked battery suppliers to increase production in India so it can better support the iPhone 16 supply chain.

This included Apple encouraging one supplier to build new factories in India, and another to scale up its existing production. At the same time, Rajeev Chandrasekhar, India's minister of state for electronics and IT, said TDK was building a new iPhone battery facility on a 180-acre plot in Manesar.

At the very least, the increase in production will mean that more iPhones produced in India will use locally produced batteries.