Kuo: iPhone 16 Pro Max Could Feature Longer Battery Life

Apple in the iPhone 16 Pro Max will use battery cells with increased energy density, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which will offer either longer battery life using the same battery size as that found in existing models, or equivalent battery life using a smaller battery.

iphone 16 pro battery kosutami
In his latest supply chain survey, Kuo says the energy density (Wh/kg) of the battery cells in the iPhone 16 Pro Max will increase, which "has the benefit of longer battery life with the same battery size or lower battery size with the same battery life."

To avoid overheating the battery, Apple is using a stainless steel battery case for the first time as a thermal solution, according to Kuo.

Stainless steel is not as effective as aluminum in dissipating heat, but it is more robust and less susceptible to corrosion. The use of a stainless steel battery case also reduces the difficulty of removing the battery, which will help Apple comply with the European Union's requirements for mobile phone batteries' replaceability in the future.

Sunway will reportedly be a major supplier of the stainless steel battery cases. If the mass production of this new battery design goes well, Kuo believes the design will be adopted across all iPhone 17 models next year.

A rumor last June suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro models will use stacked batteries, which can result in higher capacity and a longer lifespan, but Kuo makes no mention of the technology in his survey. Apple is expected to release the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup in four months, likely around mid-September.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16 Pro

Popular Stories

iphone 16 display

iPhone 17's Scratch Resistant Anti-Reflective Display Coating Canceled

Monday April 28, 2025 12:48 pm PDT by
Apple may have canceled the super scratch resistant anti-reflective display coating that it planned to use for the iPhone 17 Pro models, according to a source with reliable information that spoke to MacRumors. Last spring, Weibo leaker Instant Digital suggested Apple was working on a new anti-reflective display layer that was more scratch resistant than the Ceramic Shield. We haven't heard...
iPhone 17 Air Pastel Feature

iPhone 17 Reaches Key Milestone Ahead of Mass Production

Monday April 28, 2025 8:44 am PDT by
Apple has completed Engineering Validation Testing (EVT) for at least one iPhone 17 model, according to a paywalled preview of an upcoming DigiTimes report. iPhone 17 Air mockup based on rumored design The EVT stage involves Apple testing iPhone 17 prototypes to ensure the hardware works as expected. There are still DVT (Design Validation Test) and PVT (Production Validation Test) stages to...
Beyond iPhone 13 Better Blue

20th Anniversary iPhone Likely to Be Made in China Due to 'Extraordinarily Complex' Design

Monday April 28, 2025 4:29 am PDT by
Apple will likely manufacture its 20th anniversary iPhone models in China, despite broader efforts to shift production to India, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In 2027, Apple is planning a "major shake-up" for the iPhone lineup to mark two decades since the original model launched. Gurman's previous reporting indicates the company will introduce a foldable iPhone alongside a "bold"...
iphone 17 air iphone 16 pro

iPhone 17 Air USB-C Port May Have This Unusual Design Quirk

Wednesday April 30, 2025 3:59 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to launch a dramatically thinner iPhone this September, and if recent leaks are anything to go by, the so-called iPhone 17 Air could boast one of the most radical design shifts in recent years. iPhone 17 Air dummy model alongside iPhone 16 Pro (credit: AppleTrack) At just 5.5mm thick (excluding a slightly raised camera bump), the 6.6-inch iPhone 17 Air is expected to become ...
apple watch ultra yellow

What's Next for the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and Apple Watch SE 3

Friday April 25, 2025 2:44 pm PDT by
This week marks the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, which launched on April 24, 2015. Yesterday, we recapped features rumored for the Apple Watch Series 11, but since 2015, the Apple Watch has also branched out into the Apple Watch Ultra and the Apple Watch SE, so we thought we'd take a look at what's next for those product lines, too. 2025 Apple Watch Ultra 3 Apple didn't update the...
iPhone 17 Pro Blue Feature Tighter Crop

iPhone 17 Pro Launching Later This Year With These 13 New Features

Wednesday April 23, 2025 8:31 am PDT by
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices. Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of April 2025: Aluminum frame: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models have a titanium frame, and the iPhone ...
iPhone 17 Pro on Desk Feature

All iPhone 17 Models Again Rumored to Feature 12GB of RAM

Tuesday April 29, 2025 3:36 am PDT by
All upcoming iPhone 17 models will come equipped with 12GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence, according to the Weibo-based leaker Digital Chat Station. The claim from the Chinese leaker, who has sources within Apple's supply chain, comes a few days after industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo said that the iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max will all be equipped with 12GB of RAM. ...
AirPods Pro 3 Mock Feature

AirPods Pro 3 Just Months Away – Here's What We Know

Tuesday April 29, 2025 1:30 am PDT by
Despite being more than two years old, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 still dominate the premium wireless‑earbud space, thanks to a potent mix of top‑tier audio, class‑leading noise cancellation, and Apple's habit of delivering major new features through software updates. With AirPods Pro 3 widely expected to arrive in 2025, prospective buyers now face a familiar dilemma: snap up the proven...

Top Rated Comments

Living the Dream Avatar
13 months ago
Just make the phones thicker with a bigger battery and remove the dang camera bump.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Smittywerben Avatar
13 months ago

Just make the phones thicker with a bigger battery and remove the dang camera bump.
There are thinner phones than 15PM with 5600mAh battery. Apple just doesn't want users to have good battery life like 13 Pro Max anymore.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Love-hate ? relationship Avatar
13 months ago
Seriously, only for the max ??.

And the pro whose battery is limited and that would benefit from such a tech...won't get it ? F***
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
13 months ago
"could"

Very informative.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
13 months ago
Hmmmmm, pay a few nickels more in materials cost to include extra battery or cut those nickels for "same great battery life" and "thinner" spin. What will modern Apple Inc choose? It's so, sooooo hard to imagine. ???

However, perhaps they should adopt the pictured shape of that part as the new phone shape:

* All those who relentlessly whine for a redesign would be able to show very clearly they own the newest phone.
* An L-shaped phone would still have the main portion slip into a normal pocket.
* Since screen size is measured diagonally, the new horizontally widened section could allow Apple to jump measurement specs from 6.XX" to maybe 9 or 10 inches while still being "pocketable": "the biggest screen we've ever had in an iPhone... and same great pocket-ability and battery life."
* Some of us could be upsold old west gun holster-like products as an accessory.
* Some of those phone holsters could offer wireless battery charging when this "gun" is holstered.
* We could practice our "quick draw" techniques for getting the phone out of the holster.
* Apple could spin the term "quick draw" in more than one way by adding a pencil slot in the "only Apple can..." holster "for only $349"
* The "The Good, the Bad & the Ugly" ringtone would probably hold the #1 spot for an extended period of time.
* Maybe make it a boomerang shape so that when you drop it- instead of hitting the ground- if curves right back to you again?
* Maybe move dynamic island thinking into the new section and call it dynamic [S]boat[/S] dock?
* Maybe bend the new section up ever so slightly and build the camera pack in there so that the overall device can lay flat on a table?

All ;)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scorpio vega Avatar
13 months ago

There are thinner phones than 15PM with 5600mAh battery. Apple just doesn't want users to have good battery life like 13 Pro Max anymore.
My battery life is fine on my 15 pm.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)