Kuo: iPhone 16 Pro Max Could Feature Longer Battery Life

Apple in the iPhone 16 Pro Max will use battery cells with increased energy density, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, which will offer either longer battery life using the same battery size as that found in existing models, or equivalent battery life using a smaller battery.

iphone 16 pro battery kosutami
In his latest supply chain survey, Kuo says the energy density (Wh/kg) of the battery cells in the iPhone 16 Pro Max will increase, which "has the benefit of longer battery life with the same battery size or lower battery size with the same battery life."

To avoid overheating the battery, Apple is using a stainless steel battery case for the first time as a thermal solution, according to Kuo.

Stainless steel is not as effective as aluminum in dissipating heat, but it is more robust and less susceptible to corrosion. The use of a stainless steel battery case also reduces the difficulty of removing the battery, which will help Apple comply with the European Union's requirements for mobile phone batteries' replaceability in the future.

Sunway will reportedly be a major supplier of the stainless steel battery cases. If the mass production of this new battery design goes well, Kuo believes the design will be adopted across all iPhone 17 models next year.

A rumor last June suggested that the iPhone 16 Pro models will use stacked batteries, which can result in higher capacity and a longer lifespan, but Kuo makes no mention of the technology in his survey. Apple is expected to release the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup in four months, likely around mid-September.

Related Forum: iPhone

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Coming Soon With These 8 New Features on Your iPhone

Thursday December 11, 2025 8:49 am PST by
Apple seeded the second iOS 26.2 Release Candidate to developers earlier this week, meaning the update will be released to the general public very soon. Apple confirmed iOS 26.2 would be released in December, but it did not provide a specific date. We expect the update to be released by early next week. iOS 26.2 includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, such as a new...
Google maps feaure

Google Maps Quietly Added This Long-Overdue Feature for Drivers

Wednesday December 10, 2025 2:52 am PST by
Google Maps on iOS quietly gained a new feature recently that automatically recognizes where you've parked your vehicle and saves the location for you. Announced on LinkedIn by Rio Akasaka, Google Maps' senior product manager, the new feature auto-detects your parked location even if you don't use the parking pin function, saves it for up to 48 hours, and then automatically removes it once...
AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3

Thursday December 11, 2025 11:28 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3 and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B30, up from 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 firmware is 8B28, up from 8B21. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods Pro 3 are getting expanded support for Live Translation in the European Union in iOS...
Foldable iPhone 2023 Feature 1

Apple to Make More Foldable iPhones Than Expected [Updated]

Tuesday December 9, 2025 9:59 am PST by
Apple has ordered 22 million OLED panels from Samsung Display for the first foldable iPhone, signaling a significantly larger production target than the display industry had previously anticipated, ET News reports. In the now-seemingly deleted report, ET News claimed that Samsung plans to mass-produce 11 million inward-folding OLED displays for Apple next year, as well as 11 million...
iOS 26

iOS 26.4 and iOS 27 Features Revealed in New Leak

Friday December 12, 2025 10:56 am PST by
Macworld's Filipe Espósito today revealed a handful of features that Apple is allegedly planning for iOS 26.4, iOS 27, and even iOS 28. The report said the features are referenced within the code for a leaked internal build of iOS 26 that is not meant to be seen by the public. However, it appears that Espósito and/or his sources managed to gain access to it, providing us with a sneak peek...
AirTag 2 Mock Feature

Apple AirTag 2: Four New Features Found in iOS 26 Code

Thursday December 11, 2025 10:31 am PST by
The AirTag 2 will include a handful of new features that will improve tracking capabilities, according to a new report from Macworld. The site says that it was able to access an internal build of iOS 26, which includes references to multiple unreleased products. Here's what's supposedly coming: An improved pairing process, though no details were provided. AirTag pairing is already...
iOS 26

Apple Releases iOS 26.2 With Alarms for Reminders, Lock Screen Changes, Enhanced Safety Alerts and More

Friday December 12, 2025 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 26.2, the second major update to the iOS 26 operating system that came out in September, iOS 26.2 comes a little over a month after iOS 26.1 launched. ‌iOS 26‌.2 is compatible with the ‌iPhone‌ 11 series and later, as well as the second-generation ‌iPhone‌ SE. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones over-the-air by going to Settings >...
iOS 26

15 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 26.2

Friday December 5, 2025 9:40 am PST by
Apple is about to release iOS 26.2, the second major point update for iPhones since iOS 26 was rolled out in September, and there are at least 15 notable changes and improvements worth checking out. We've rounded them up below. Apple is expected to roll out iOS 26.2 to compatible devices sometime between December 8 and December 16. When the update drops, you can check Apple's servers for the ...
maxresdefault

iOS 26 Code Leak Reveals Apple Smart Home Hub Details

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:02 pm PST by
Apple is working on a smart home hub that will rely heavily on the more capable version of Siri that's coming next year. We've heard quite a bit about the hub over the last two years, but a recent iOS 26 code leak provides additional insight into what we can expect and confirms rumored features. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. Macworld claims to have access to an ...
studio display purple

Apple Studio Display 2 Code Hints at 120Hz ProMotion, HDR, A19 Chip

Thursday December 11, 2025 4:19 am PST by
Apple's next-generation Studio Display is expected to arrive early next year, and a new report allegedly provides a couple more details on the external monitor's capabilities. According to internal Apple code seen by Macworld, the new external display will feature a variable refresh rate capable of up to 120Hz – aka ProMotion – as well as support for HDR content. The current Studio...

Top Rated Comments

Living the Dream Avatar
21 months ago
Just make the phones thicker with a bigger battery and remove the dang camera bump.
Score: 21 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Smittywerben Avatar
21 months ago

Just make the phones thicker with a bigger battery and remove the dang camera bump.
There are thinner phones than 15PM with 5600mAh battery. Apple just doesn't want users to have good battery life like 13 Pro Max anymore.
Score: 18 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Love-hate ? relationship Avatar
21 months ago
Seriously, only for the max ??.

And the pro whose battery is limited and that would benefit from such a tech...won't get it ? F***
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
MrGimper Avatar
21 months ago
"could"

Very informative.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
HobeSoundDarryl Avatar
21 months ago
Hmmmmm, pay a few nickels more in materials cost to include extra battery or cut those nickels for "same great battery life" and "thinner" spin. What will modern Apple Inc choose? It's so, sooooo hard to imagine. ???

However, perhaps they should adopt the pictured shape of that part as the new phone shape:

* All those who relentlessly whine for a redesign would be able to show very clearly they own the newest phone.
* An L-shaped phone would still have the main portion slip into a normal pocket.
* Since screen size is measured diagonally, the new horizontally widened section could allow Apple to jump measurement specs from 6.XX" to maybe 9 or 10 inches while still being "pocketable": "the biggest screen we've ever had in an iPhone... and same great pocket-ability and battery life."
* Some of us could be upsold old west gun holster-like products as an accessory.
* Some of those phone holsters could offer wireless battery charging when this "gun" is holstered.
* We could practice our "quick draw" techniques for getting the phone out of the holster.
* Apple could spin the term "quick draw" in more than one way by adding a pencil slot in the "only Apple can..." holster "for only $349"
* The "The Good, the Bad & the Ugly" ringtone would probably hold the #1 spot for an extended period of time.
* Maybe make it a boomerang shape so that when you drop it- instead of hitting the ground- if curves right back to you again?
* Maybe move dynamic island thinking into the new section and call it dynamic [S]boat[/S] dock?
* Maybe bend the new section up ever so slightly and build the camera pack in there so that the overall device can lay flat on a table?

All ;)
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
scorpio vega Avatar
21 months ago

There are thinner phones than 15PM with 5600mAh battery. Apple just doesn't want users to have good battery life like 13 Pro Max anymore.
My battery life is fine on my 15 pm.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)