While speed and camera performance are the most eye-catching parts of a new smartphone, stamina certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. And it appears the upcoming iPhone 16 Pro family will be getting a boost in that department too.
According to the Weibo leaker Instant Digital, the 16 Pro will get a 3,577mAh cell — up 9.25% from the 3,274mAh battery in the iPhone 15 Pro. The iPhone 16 Pro Max will also be boosted, but by a lower 5.74%, going from 4,422mAh to 4,676mAh.
This improvement could possibly be linked to stacked battery technology — something originally rumored for, but ultimately AWOL, on the iPhone 15 Pro series.
If true, this also narrows the gap between the two phones’ batteries. While the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max had a 1,148 mAh gap between them, these figures would shrink that to 1,099 mAh. Still significant for those who value stamina over everything, but a nice boost for Pro users all the same.
Improved battery capacity has been something Apple has generally offered year-on-year. Here are the last few models for comparison — if you’re using an older model and eying an upgrade, you may be in for a pleasant surprise (especially as your capacity will likely have degraded over time).
| Row 0 - Cell 0 | Pro capacity | Pro Max capacity |
| iPhone 12 (2020) | 2,815mAh | 3,687mAh |
| iPhone 13 (2021) | 3,095mAh | 4,352mAh |
| iPhone 14 (2022) | 3,200mAh | 4,323mAh |
| iPhone 15 (2023) | 3,274mAh | 4,422mAh |
| iPhone 16 (2024) | 3,577mAh (rumored) | 4,676mAh (rumored) |
Interestingly, we’ve heard both of Instant Digital’s figures before, but from different leakers.
@lipilpsi previously mentioned 3,577mAh for the smaller Pro model, but thought the Pro Max would reach 4,747mAh. Back in April, meanwhile, another Weibo tipster (Baby Baby Sauce) pegged the Pro Max at the same 5,676mAh figure we’re hearing today, but had the Pro barely changed from its predecessor at 3,355mAh.
Whichever numbers you think are most likely, the one thing all three leakers seem to agree on is that the battery capacity is going up, which — when combined with the new A18 Pro chipset’s efficiency improvements — will lead to longer spells away from the charger. Indeed, it’s rumored that Apple could claim the iPhone 16 Pro Max will boost 30 hours of usage.
Not only will you get more time between charges, but you might also spend less time charging. According to a recent rumor, the iPhone 16 Pro series will benefit from 40W wired and 20W wireless MagSafe charging. That’s quite a boost on the 27W and 15W currently offered, albeit a long way off the 80W/50W provided by the OnePlus 12.
We don’t have long to wait, to find out which figures are correct. Virtually every numbered iPhone in the last decade has launched in September, and that means that the iPhone 16 family will almost certainly be revealed next month. Alongside four new iPhones, we’re also hopeful the company will reveal the Apple Watch X.
