The alleged battery capacity of the iPhone 17 lineup has surfaced online. It points to Apple using significantly bigger batteries on its upcoming iPhone.
And for the first time since adding eSIM support with the 2017 iPhone X, Apple may equip the eSIM-only models with a larger battery.
iPhone 17 models rumored to get major battery gains
Apple has always been conservative with the iPhone’s battery capacity. Instead of fitting in a bigger cell, it relies on underlying optimization to get a longer runtime. But with the iPhone 17, the company will seemingly change its stance, equipping the lineup with considerably larger cells.
Leaker ShrimpApplePro found the alleged battery capacity of the iPhone 17 lineup from a Chinese regulatory listing. Based on the data, Apple will use larger cells on its upcoming iPhones, barring the super-slim iPhone 17 Air.
Below are the battery capacities cited in the listing:
- iPhone 17 – 3692mAh
- iPhone 17 Air – 3149mAh/3036mAh
- iPhone 17 Pro – 4252mAh/3988mAh
- iPhone 17 Pro Max – 5088mAh/4823mAh
Given that the base iPhone 17 will supposedly share the same design as the iPhone 16, it’s understandable why it may only get a slight boost in battery capacity — 3561mAh vs 3692mAh.
The Chinese regulatory data lists two battery capacities for each iPhone 17 model, except the base iPhone 17. This is because Apple will reportedly use a larger cell on the eSIM-only versions. If accurate, this would be the first instance of Apple varying battery size between SIM and eSIM models.
iPhone 17 can go eSIM-only in more countries
eSIM-only iPhone models have more internal space than variants with a physical SIM slot. It seems Apple will use that extra space this year to fit those models with a larger cell. A 5% bigger battery shouldn’t significantly boost overall runtime. But for power users, even the extra few minutes of runtime on the eSIM-only variant could make a difference.
There are rumors that Apple could start selling eSIM-only iPhone 17 models in Europe this year. Right now, only iPhones sold in the US ship lack a physical SIM slot.
Rajesh has been closely following and writing about the latest happenings in the world of mobile for nearly a decade now. While he prefers Android, he does not deny the superiority of Apple’s products and ecosystem.
