iPhone 17 Air's Battery Life Looks Promising Based on iPhone 16e

The new iPhone 16e has the longest battery life of any 6.1-inch iPhone. According to Apple's tech specs, the iPhone 16e offers up to 26 hours of battery life for video playback, compared to up to 22 hours for the standard iPhone 16.

iPhone 17 Air Fanned Feature
A key reason the iPhone 16e has longer battery life than the iPhone 16 is Apple's new C1 modem, which is the most power-efficient modem ever included in an iPhone. All other current iPhone models are equipped with Qualcomm modems.

Here is how Apple described the C1 modem:

Expanding the benefits of Apple silicon, C1 is the first modem designed by Apple and the most power-efficient modem ever on an iPhone, delivering fast and reliable 5G cellular connectivity. Apple silicon — including C1 — the all-new internal design, and the advanced power management of iOS 18 all contribute to extraordinary battery life.

Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo today said the iPhone 17 Air will be equipped with the C1 modem, which should contribute to the device having longer battery life.

It is not only the C1 modem that will boost battery life. With a large 6.6-inch or 6.7-inch display, there should be plenty of room inside the iPhone 17 Air for a larger battery, even with the device expected to have an ultra-thin design. So, despite being thin and light, the iPhone 17 Air's battery life might be more impressive than some may have anticipated.

Related Roundup: iPhone 16e
Buyer's Guide: iPhone 16e (Neutral)
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

john ternus on stage

Gurman: Major Apple Leadership Shakeup Impending With John Ternus as Next CEO

Monday October 6, 2025 6:21 am PDT by
Apple is entering its most significant leadership transition in more than a decade as multiple senior executives prepare to depart and CEO Tim Cook begins to shape the company's next generation of leaders, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. In the latest edition of his "Power On" newsletter, Gurman explained that Jeff Williams, who was viewed as Cook's potential successor for several...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4

Tuesday October 7, 2025 11:27 am PDT by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, prior-generation AirPods Pro 2, and the AirPods 4 models. The firmware has a build number of 8A358, up from 8A356. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the prior 8A356 update added iOS 26 features to the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4 with ANC. The software introduced better audio quality ...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26.1 to iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Wednesday October 1, 2025 1:26 pm PDT by
iOS 26 was released last month, but the software train never stops, and iOS 26.1 beta testing is already underway. So far, iOS 26.1 makes both Apple Intelligence and Live Translation on compatible AirPods available in additional languages, and it includes some other minor changes across Apple Music, Calendar, Photos, and Safari. More features and changes will follow in future versions,...
ios 26 1 slide to stop

Apple Fixes Alarms in iOS 26.1

Monday October 6, 2025 11:56 am PDT by
With the second beta of iOS 26.1, Apple updated the design of alarms set on the iPhone, making them harder to dismiss than before. Stopping an alarm in iOS 26.1 beta 2 requires a new Slide to Stop gesture rather than a simple tap. You can continue to tap to snooze an alarm, but if you want to turn it off entirely, you need to use a swipe. Transitioning from a tap to a slide gesture to...
ipad mini 7 feature blue

iPad Mini 8 on the Way: Expected Features and Release Timeline

Monday October 6, 2025 5:05 am PDT by
A new iPad mini is "absolutely" on the way, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. So what should we expect from the successor to the iPad mini 7 that Apple released a year ago? Processor and Performance Apple is working on a next-generation version of the iPad mini (codename J510/J511) that features the A19 Pro chip, according to information found in code that Apple mistakenly shared in...
iCloud iPhone 17 Pro

Apple Highlights Five Perks for iPhone Users Who Pay for iCloud Storage

Monday October 6, 2025 6:29 am PDT by
After launching new iPhones last month, Apple is promoting iCloud+ with a prominent banner on its home page, in a bid to boost its services revenue. In addition to more storage, all iCloud+ plans include five perks for iPhone users. As a refresher, iCloud includes 5GB of storage for free. If you want extra storage, you need to subscribe to an iCloud+ plan. In the United States, prices range...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 2

Monday October 6, 2025 3:54 pm PDT by
Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.1 and iPadOS 26.1, introducing useful changes to alarms, multitasking on the iPad, and more. There are also subtle tweaks to some of the Liquid Glass design elements as Apple continues to refine iOS 26. Alarms and Timers Alarms set using the Clock app now have a slide to stop button rather than a tap to stop button on the Lock Screen. To snooze an...
iOS 26 Feature

iOS 26 Adds These 200 New Features and Changes to Your iPhone

Saturday October 4, 2025 8:19 am PDT by
Apple's website offers a list of nearly 200 new features and changes (PDF file) included in the software update, released last month. Apple also shared equivalent lists for iPadOS 26 and macOS Tahoe. iOS 26 is compatible with the iPhone 11 and newer. To install the update, open the Settings app on your iPhone, tap on General, and tap on Software Update. Below, we have highlighted eight ...
macbook pro pink

M5 MacBook Pro Could Launch in October as M4 Model Faces Supply Constraints

Monday October 6, 2025 3:23 pm PDT by
Supplies of the 14-inch M4 MacBook Pro model appear to be constrained amid rumors that an upgraded M5 model could launch as soon as this year. As noted by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, custom configurations of the M4 MacBook Pro model have a delayed shipping date and will not be delivered to customers until October 23 to 28. The restricted supply could be an indication that Apple is planning to...

Top Rated Comments

bozzykid Avatar
8 months ago
It is wild how many articles are referring to the new C1 modem saving battery life when the battery information that Apple posts are based off of the phone being on WiFi. It is certainly possible it the C1 is more efficient than the current phones but you can't get that information based off what Apple has posted about the phone so far.
Score: 14 Votes (Like | Disagree)
klasma Avatar
8 months ago

In the age of +6500mah batteries on competition, Apple is trying to use smaller batteries. Samsung is also stuck on 5000 for like half a decade.
Yeah, but those are just milliampere hours, not magic Apple hours.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
AdamHarbour Avatar
8 months ago
Put a c1 and a silicon carbide battery in! Woooooow
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
8 months ago

Can we please get someone from Qualcomm's marketing department to pipe in here with some marketing data that refutes such claims?
Not until these are in the wild so that there can be real & objective testing to see what they can and can't do... what they do well and don't do so well. Until then, it's very (biased) positive speculation to the moon.

Right up to that point, speculation should have this C1 letting owners walk on water and cure cancer too. Oh and I hear it's faster than Nvidia 5080. And attracts super models to owners. And can pick winning lotto numbers. ;)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ghostface147 Avatar
8 months ago
Reliable? We’ll see. Real world testing in hands of customers will pass or fail them initially.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
8 months ago
Sorry, fixed that. Love that Siri voice to text.

But perhaps C2 can make super models attack??? ;)
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)