Apple’s upcoming iPhone 17 Pro Max might pack the biggest battery ever in an iPhone. A leaker indicates the phone could sport a 5,000mAh cell.
If accurate, that would be noticeably bigger than the iPhone 16 Pro and rival the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
iPhone 17 Pro Max may feature the biggest battery ever in an iPhone
Apple has always been conservative with the battery capacity on iPhones. But over the last few years, it increased the battery capacity on the Pro Max models to boost their runtimes. Continuing that trend, in a post on Weibo, Chinese leaker Setsuna Digital says the iPhone 17 Pro Max will sport a massive 5,000mAh battery. For comparison, the iPhone 16 Pro Max ships with a 4,676mAh cell while the iPhone 15 Pro Max houses a 4,422mAh battery.
If accurate, this would mean the iPhone 17 Pro Max would house a 324mAh bigger cell than its predecessor. A report indicated Apple could use AI to improve the iPhone’s battery life. And the company could rely on the same optimizations to boost the runtime of the iPhone 17 Pro Max. iOS 26 also ships with Adaptive Power mode that boosts the phone’s battery life under load.
Combined with the improved power efficiency of other components, Apple’s upcoming iPhone should offer the longest battery life ever on an iPhone. Currently, the iPhone 16e holds that crown despite coming with a considerably smaller display and battery.
Apple must also increase the charging speed
Samsung’s current flagship—the Galaxy S25 Ultra—also houses a 5,000mAh battery. But other Android devices pack substantially bigger cells, like the OnePlus 13 with its 6,000mAh battery.
With a bigger cell, Apple will also have to boost the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s charging speed. Otherwise, filling such a big battery at 20W speeds will take a long time. Thankfully, rumors and leaks point to the iPhone 17 lineup supporting faster wired and wireless charging speeds.
