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.
iPhone 16 is the next iPhone to arrive in September 2024, and will be followed in 2025 by the iPhone 17 and iPhone SE 4. The new iPhone will arrive at a September launch event – find out how to watch the Apple September event live stream. For iPhone SE 4 and other new Apple products, see when is the next Apple event. You might also like our iPhone buying guide, best iPhone deals, and comparison of every iPhone that is available to buy today.
Author: Michael Simon, Executive Editor, Macworld
Michael Simon has been covering Apple for more than 20 years. He started covering rumors with Spymac when the iPod was the iWalk, and has owned nearly every iPhone Apple has ever made. He lives in Connecticut with his wife, son, and far too many gadgets.