If better battery life is at the top of your wish list for your next iPhone, the latest report from industry insider Ming-Chi Kuo that it could be considered for this iPhone 16 Pro Max year will be interesting.
The iPhone 16 Pro Max could offer a significant battery upgrade.
Updated May 20. This article was first published on May 18, 2024.
A new battery design is about more than just the lifespan between charges. The redesigned case, for example, in addition to offering greater robustness as mentioned below, would have another effect, according to Ming-Chi Kuo.
Kuo explains: “Using a stainless steel battery case also reduces the difficulty of removing the battery, which will help Apple comply with European Union requirements for the replaceability of mobile phone batteries at the same time. future. »
This new claim about switching to a new battery design also echoes a previous report, published last November, which indicated that the iPhone 16 battery would use a different metal shell, although at this point, just after overheating issues that hit some iPhones after iOS. 17 was released, was focused more on thermal benefits than extended battery life.
Kuo also suggests that one company in particular, Sunway, a major supplier of stainless steel battery cases, will benefit from the switch to the new design, especially if the iPhone 17 model lineup all adopts this design. Apple’s high production requirements are said to also increase the manufacturer’s gross margin.
In his latest article on Medium, reliable industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo of TFI Securities says: “My latest supply chain survey indicates that the energy density (Wh/kg) of the battery cells of the iPhone 16 Pro Max will increase. »
Note that this is only one of four iPhones expected this year, the Pro Max model, which, according to Kuo, will thus be upgraded. And as the report points out, greater energy density in the battery “has the benefit of longer battery life with the same battery size or a smaller battery size with the same battery life”.
In other words, Apple could shrink the battery and give the freed up valuable space to other components or even reduce the size of the phone. Or it could do what we’d all like, add extra battery life.
There is of course a third option: increase battery capacity, but also add additional features and capabilities that are more power intensive, leaving battery life generally the same. With the focus on generative AI expected on the next iPhones, this option is the most likely in my opinion. In other words, a more powerful iPhone but with intact autonomy.
There’s more Kuo: Since greater energy density in battery cells will increase battery temperature during operation, Apple will switch to a new stainless steel battery case, “for the first times as a thermal solution”.
Apple will certainly want to avoid a repeat of the iPhone overheating issues seen last fall, and this would be an interesting solution. There are other advantages, Kuo says: “Stainless steel is not as effective as aluminum at dissipating heat, but it is sturdier and less susceptible to corrosion. So, in addition to dissipating heat, the stainless steel battery case provides better protection to the battery. and the iPhone system.
If you’re not the Pro Max type, there’s news that the new battery system could be used more widely in the future, with Kuo predicting that if feedback is favorable, “this new battery design will be adopted in all the new 2H25”. iPhone models. Which means all iPhone 17 models could benefit from this upgrade.
News Source : www.forbes.com
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