Apple's iPhone 8 & 8 Plus use smaller batteries, maintain battery life

Apple has actually shrunk the batteries in the iPhone 8 and 8 Plus versus their predecessors while maintaining the same longevity, filings with the Chinese government show.

The iPhone 8 has a 1,821 milliamp-hour battery, while the 8 Plus is rated at 2,675 milliamp-hours, according to TENAA listings noticed by leak source Steve Hemmerstoffer. TENAA is an agency similiar to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission.

The iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, by contrast, are equipped with 1,960 and 2,900 milliamp-hour batteries. Apple's website suggests that the 8 and 8 Plus have "about the same" life, with similar statistics for talk time, video playback, and internet use — though figures for the new phones don't distinguish between 3G, 4G, and Wi-Fi connections.

Apple presumably shrank battery sizes to accommodate new internal components, such as a wireless charging system. To compensate the company would have to rely on more power-efficient hardware, like the 10-nanometer A11 Bionic processor.

TENAA has also confirmed leaks from the iOS 11 GM which pointed to the iPhone 8 having 2 gigabytes of RAM and the 8 Plus using 3. The Plus may need the extra memory to accommodate its bigger display and dual-lens camera system.

It's not yet known what size battery the iPhone X is using, but KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo once claimed that Apple would go with a Plus-sized component — something likely necessary given a 5.8-inch OLED screen.

Preorders for the iPhone 8 begin tomorrow, Sept. 15, in advance of a Sept. 22 ship date. The iPhone X will ship on Nov. 3.

14 Comments

fallenjt 4056 comments · 13 Years

About 7 years ago

Now, let's start complaining about thinness vs battery. I don't like battery in my 7+...it lasts only 2 full days /s.

tipoo 1121 comments · 14 Years

Makes sense that the more efficient processor more or less balances the 7% smaller battery...

But given that the battery size had just been increased in the 7 after the headphone jack removal, people are going to be pissed regardless. It's probably for space for the inductive charging I'd guess.

entropys 4302 comments · 13 Years

capnbob 388 comments · 16 Years

They did the same moving from 6 to 6s - 1851 to 1700

tshapi 372 comments · 13 Years

entropys said:

It's not yet known what size battery the iPhone X is using, but KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo once claimed that Apple would go with a Plus-sized component -- something likely necessary given a 5.8-inch OLED screen.

This is is my concern. Smaller form factor, bigger screen. Maybe the removal of the Touch ID sensor left more room?

Edit: this is Apple's battery life claim:

For the iPhone X: Lasts up to 2 hours longer than iPhone 7
For the iPhone 8 Plus: Lasts about the same as iPhone 7 Plus

I was pointing these battery issues out yesterday. Imo Apple is usually very good about detailing battery life. But this year they just say a new phone with oled lasts 2 hours longer than the previous generation. Of a phone that's a similar size. To me, that says the battery life isn't as good as they want It to be.