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 Roundups: iPhone 16e, iPhone Air
Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

m5 macbook pro deal

Why You Shouldn't Buy the Next MacBook Pro

Tuesday February 10, 2026 4:27 pm PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models as soon as early March, but if you can, this is one generation you should skip because there's something much better in the works. We're waiting on 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, with few changes other than the processor upgrade. There won't be any tweaks to the design or the display, but later this...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3

Wednesday February 11, 2026 10:07 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.3 and iPadOS 26.3, the latest updates to the iOS 26 and iPadOS 26 operating systems that came out in September. The new software comes almost two months after Apple released iOS 26.2 and iPadOS 26.2. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release notes, ...
Apple Logo Zoomed

Apple Expected to Launch These 10+ Products Over the Coming Months

Tuesday February 10, 2026 6:33 am PST by
It has been a slow start to 2026 for Apple product launches, with only a new AirTag and a special Apple Watch band released so far. We are still waiting for MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips, the iPhone 17e, a lower-cost MacBook with an iPhone chip, long-rumored updates to the Apple TV and HomePod mini, and much more. Apple is expected to release/update the following products...
iPhone 16e Bottom Crop

Apple Reportedly Unveiling a New iPhone Next Week

Tuesday February 10, 2026 1:51 pm PST by
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld. The report said the iPhone 17e will be announced in a press release on the Apple Newsroom website, so do not expect an event for this device specifically. The iPhone 17e will be a spec-bumped successor to the iPhone 16e. Rumors claim the device will have four key...
Apple Logo Black

Apple Acquires New Database App

Wednesday February 11, 2026 6:44 am PST by
Apple acquired Canadian graph database company Kuzu last year, it has emerged. The acquisition, spotted by AppleInsider, was completed in October 2025 for an undisclosed sum. The company's website was subsequently taken down and its Github repository was archived, as is commonplace for Apple acquisitions. Kuzu was "an embedded graph database built for query speed, scalability, and easy of ...

Top Rated Comments

13 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
13 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)
13 months ago
Put a c1 and a silicon carbide battery in! Woooooow
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
13 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
13 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
13 months ago
Sorry, fixed that. Love that Siri voice to text.

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