Sketchy rumor claims iPhone 16 Pro batteries to see modest size increase

A video supposedly showing the L-shaped battery for iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max reveals bigger capacities, but the numbers aren't surprising.

Apple has consistently fallen well under the curve of expected battery sizes compared to its competitors, but that has always been attributed to processor efficiency. Battery capacities have trended upward in recent years, and the iPhone 16 lineup will see a tiny overall boost.

According to an X post from user @lipilipsi, iPhone 16 Pro will have a 3577 mAh battery, and iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a 4747 mAh battery. That's up slightly from the 3274 mAh iPhone 15 Pro battery and 4422 iPhone 15 Pro Max battery.

That's a slight increase, bigger than recent upgrades, that could result in slightly longer battery life. However, Apple's A18 Pro processor could require additional capacity for Apple AI operations on-device.

The source of the video is unknown. The user @lipilipsi has tried passing iPhone cases as proof of the Action button and shared fake Photoshop images in the past.

These rumored battery capacities are within reasonable estimates. Samsung's Galaxy S24 Ultra uses a 5000 mAh battery, for example. So, we're rating this rumor as possible, though we can't verify the source, and the X user has a sketchy history.

Apple will reveal the iPhone 16 lineup during an event in September. It is expected to continue the trend of revealing AI-focused features as the iOS 18 release approaches in the fall.