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Leaked iPhone 16 battery prototype shows major improvement over iPhone 15

Published Nov 20th, 2023 8:44AM EST
iPhone 16 battery prototype
Image: KosutamiSan/X

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Last week, a rumor said the iPhone 16 would significantly improve the battery thanks to a new graphene thermal system, which would solve overheating problems on the current iPhone 15 Pro lineup.

Now, the first images shared by X user KosutamiSan show the early stage of the battery that could be available with the iPhone 16 Pro model later next year. According to them, Apple would ditch a glossy surface from the previous iterations to a frosted metal shell with a redesigned connector.

This new battery would have a 3,355 mAh capacity (13.02Wh) with a limited charge voltage of 4.48V. Currently, the iPhone 15 Pro uses a 3,274 mAh battery, meaning Apple would once again increase the battery size of the iPhone.

One of the reasons why Apple would increase the battery is due to a reportedly larger display on 2024’s Pro models. The iPhone 16 Pro is expected to jump from 6.1-inch to 6.3-inch, while the Pro Max will go from a 6.7-inch to a 6.9-inch display.

If this image is accurate, this means Apple will start transitioning its batteries from black foil casing to metal shells, which help improve thermals while not making the phone heavier. Since the Apple Watch Series 7, Apple has been adopting this new technology for its wearables, and interestingly, it’s now moving to the iPhone.

At the moment, it’s unclear if this change will be exclusive to the iPhone 16 Pro models or if the regular versions will also have a new battery.

That said, this new metal shell will help dissipate heat better, especially now that we’ve experienced more challenging climate conditions and more powerful processors. If Apple can dissipate better heat, it can maintain the performance of the iPhone for a longer period and help us keep the phones out of the charger for extended times.

BGR will keep reporting on the latest iPhone 16 news as we learn more about them.

José Adorno Tech News Reporter

José is a Tech News Reporter at BGR. He has previously covered Apple and iPhone news for 9to5Mac, and was a producer and web editor for Latin America broadcaster TV Globo. He is based out of Brazil.