The iPhone 16 has excellent battery life, which I can say as a former iPhone 16 Plus owner. Battery life is the least of my worries, and I only need to charge my iPhone every day. Not only the Plus and Pro Max have better battery life, but all variants of the iPhone 16.
As we approach the launch of Apple’s iPhone 17 series, I expect Apple to continue to improve battery life in at least three of the four models. The rumored iPhone 17 Air will compromise battery performance so Apple can make the phone thinner.
Hopefully the iPhone 17 generation delivers on the big battery breakthrough rumors teased in previous years. Apple is supposed to be developing a new battery technology that can significantly increase the battery life of the iPhone. Rumors have mentioned solid-state batteries in the past, as well as new materials for anodes and cathodes. Next-generation batteries will have higher density in addition to higher capacity, and may support faster charging rates.
However, this big battery upgrade may not be ready in 2025. However, we will have to wait until the iPhone 18 series comes out, which will be the right time because it may include a foldable iPhone model.
The next generation of battery technology is underway
The Korean leak is well known by name eyes1122 write a blog post about the battery innovations that will come to smartphones in the coming years. Apparently, the Chinese vendor wants to equip the 2026 smartphone with a battery ranging from 7,000 mAh to 8,000 mAh, but they do not want to make the device thicker.
The leak says that Apple and Samsung are also developing battery technology innovations to respond to this type of competition.
Chinese batteries will use high-grade silicon materials instead of relying on previous lithium-ion technology. Samsung is supposed to be working on new battery materials for the cathode and anode, looking to develop a new type of battery.
The leaker said that Samsung has made significant progress with the technology. Companies can add more silicon to batteries while avoiding side effects like battery expansion.
eyes1122 also said that Apple has a very similar strategy, with the first iPhone battery breakthrough coming in 2026. This means that the iPhone 18 model could offer significant battery life improvements.
Chinese phones already use silicon-carbon batteries
Nothing is confirmed at the moment, but I will remind you that Chinese vendors like Honor have been using silicon-carbon batteries for several years. Initially, the battery technology was limited to units sold in China. Honor then brought the technology to Europe last year with the Honor Magic 6 Pro 5,600 mAh battery.
Interestingly, Honor announced the Magic 7 Lite phone this week, a mid-range device with a 6,600 mAh silicon-carbon battery and 66W charging support. Honor seems ready to use new battery technology in cheaper phones while increasing capacity. This confirms, at least in part, that Chinese vendors are pushing new smartphone battery technology to other phones.
What exactly is Apple doing?
Look at it eyes1122 report, a different leak connects the story to rumors from late 2023. Jukanlosreve pointed at ETNews a story I know. Back in 2023, I said that the iPhone would get the special Apple battery technology described in the Korean report.
It’s unclear when Apple will have the technology ready, and it still isn’t. But the ETNews The report says that Apple is creating a “completely new battery” by developing new materials for the cathode and anode. Apple wants to replace graphite with silicon in the anode while ensuring the new material won’t expand during charging and discharging.
The silicon-carbon batteries used by Chinese vendors also have anodes that replace graphite with silicon.
What I do know is that Apple is likely to deliver a major breakthrough in iPhone battery life, although it may not be ready this year.
In addition to competing with Chinese phones with monster batteries, the technology could also improve the battery life of the iPhone 18 Air and iPhone 18 Fold, which could be launched next year. But this is just the speculation and wishful thinking of this long-time iPhone user.
