New iPhones 16 Plus will have a smaller battery capacity/AppleFun
The upcoming iPhone 16 line from Apple will have larger capacity batteries compared to the previous generation models. The exception will be the iPhone 16 Plus, which will have a smaller battery than its predecessor.
This is according to a Chinese leaker on the Weibo platform – OvO Baby Sauce OvO, a relatively new source of supply chain leaks that does not yet have a proven reputation for accuracy. According to Macrumors.
The iPhone 16 battery capacity data leaked on Weibo matches the numbers previously shared by “Majin Bu”, with the notable addition of the number for the iPhone 16 Pro model, which Majin Bu dropped So, for the first time, this leak gives us information about the expected changes in iPhone 16 battery capacity across all models.
The numbers show thatiPhone 16, iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max will be equipped with batteries of greater capacity than their predecessors. But the iPhone 16 Plus will allegedly face a reduction in battery capacity compared to the iPhone 15 Plus.
Why this is the case is unclear, as aside from the size difference, the iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus are expected to have an identical set of features. One version is that the reduction in capacity will be negligible in real terms due to efficiency gains in other areas. On the other hand, by reducing power, Apple may be trying to maximize differentiation between the iPhone 16 Plus and iPhone 16 Pro Max, to push customers towards the premium features (and prices) of its top model.
When the iPhone 14 Plus was introduced to Apple's smartphone lineup to replace the iPhone 13 mini, it gave customers the option to own a device with the same 6.7-inch display as the iPhone 14 Pro Max without paying a premium. In addition, the iPhone 14 Plus also had the advantage of a larger battery capacity than the iPhone 14 Pro Max, which allowed Apple to position this device as having the “longest battery life”.
However, with the arrival of the iPhone 15 series Apple has increased the battery capacity of the iPhone 15 Pro Max to make it the largest battery ever used in an iPhone.
According to other rumors, this year's iPhone 16 Pro Max will boast even longer battery life – more than 30 hours (compared to 29 hours in iPhone 15 Pro Max). Not only that, but both the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are expected to have slightly larger displays. If Apple really intends to reduce the battery capacity in the iPhone 16 Plus, it will further widen the gap between the two tiers. The iPhone 16 lineup is expected to be announced in the fall.