Apple has been looking to make significant additions to its battery technology team since the beginning of March, with a special emphasis on iOS devices, newly listed positions available at the company reveal.
At least nine listings posted within the last month are directly connected to battery technology, as discovered by AppleInsider. Some examples include openings for a hardware manager, a firmware development manager, a battery pack engineering manager, a cell engineer, and an electrical engineer.
While some of the positions may be linked to the batteries in MacBooks, others are more explicitly oriented towards iOS devices. These include listings for a battery life software engineer, a power analytics engineer, and a software power systems engineer. The last of the three seeks a candidate "able to think of innovative solutions to improve battery life, while always delivering great end user experience."
Apple may be ramping up battery work as it enters the home stretch on development of new iPhones and iPads expected to ship in the fall. The company could ship as many as three new phones, including a 6s, a 6s Plus, and a 6c.
Battery life has long been a central challenge in the development of iOS devices. As features have progressed, Apple has had to devise new ways to keep battery life on par with previous products. Last year's switch to larger iPhone sizes afforded new possibilities -- while the iPhone 6 lasts roughly as long as the iPhone 5s, the extra space inside a 6 Plus permits a battery than can drive the device for well over a day of normal use.
Future iPhones could potentially exploit the new room even further. That will depend on whether upgrades -- such as more RAM, a faster processor, and/or better camera technology -- will consume more power.