iPhone 16 series may get better battery life, says analyst Ming-Chi Kuo
iPhone 16 series may get better battery life, says analyst Ming-Chi Kuo
The iPhone 13 series had stellar battery life — probably the best on an iPhone ever. However, that trend didn't last. The iPhone 14 series came with weaker batteries; anecdotally, the iPhone 15 series batteries have not held up any better.
For instance, my iPhone 14 Pro Max, which I've been using from Day 1, is currently at 79% battery health, which is extremely disappointing. My friends' iPhone 15 Pro Max has a battery health of 93% just 10 months into its lifecycle. Even Macworld's Executive Editor Michael Simon wrote on June 23 that the battery on his iPhone 15 Pro Max dropped from 100% to 92% in just two-and-a-half months.
Heck, even the iPhone 6s I bought in 2016 has a battery health of 74%, with fairly regular use.
Go to any internet forum, and you will find multiple users complaining about the battery drain on Apple's latest and greatest iPhones.
However, that may be about to change with the iPhone 16 series, according to noted supply-chain analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo has posted on X (formerly Twitter) that Apple plans to introduce a stainless steel casing for the iPhone battery, potentially increasing cell density by 5-10%.
This advancement will kill two birds with one shot, per Kuo — enhancing battery capacity and adhering to the latest EU regulations requiring smartphone manufacturers to enable user-replaceable batteries by 2025.
Apple is exploring the electrically induced adhesive debonding technology, which will allow users to remove the battery swiftly using a low-voltage method, eliminating the need for adhesive strips.
Kuo elaborated on the energy density improvements expected in the iPhone 16 Pro Max's battery cells, offering extended battery life within the same compact size or even a smaller form factor with equivalent performance. Kuo added that the stainless steel casing would ensure the phone doesn't heat up.
Apple is likely to announce the iPhone 16 lineup in September.