iPhone 16 Pro leak could point to a big battery breakthrough

The iPhone 16 Pro is still many months away, but parts are already starting to leak. The first comes from Kosutami on X (formerly Twitter), who has shared images of a battery from an early-stage iPhone 16 Pro prototype.

The battery is unique in several ways. For one, it has a frosted metal shell instead of a glossy black foil shell as used in prior models. That’s presumably to help with heat dispersion and has been used on the Apple Watch since the Series 7. Earlier this month, Kosutami reported that Apple was “actively working on graphene thermal system of iPhone 16 Series to solve the heating problem” and would adopt a metal battery casing “for the same reason.”

Additionally, there is a “redesigned connector” as well as a fractionally larger capacity. The image shows a battery with a 3,355mAh capacity, which is slightly bigger than the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3,274mAh battery. 

The iPhone 16 Pro could yet have significantly better battery life, however; there have been reports that Apple is working on new battery and thermal tech to help iPhones last longer. It’s impossible to tell from these photos whether any of that is at play here, but the leak certainly suggests big changes are coming to the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery. The new casing coupled with the new connector indicates that Apple is exploring new ways to increase battery efficiency.

The iPhone 16 isn’t due to arrive until September 2024, so many things could change between now and then. Follow along with all the rumors through next year in our iPhone 16 roundup.

Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor