Bigger, Better, Stronger: iPhone 17 Pro Max Tipped to Feature Apple's Most Powerful Battery Yet

Tipped to feature Apple's most powerful battery yet, the iPhone 17 Pro Max could be a powerhouse of endurance.

For years, Apple has slowly improved battery life, but this new model is rumoured to be a significant leap forward, offering users more time to work, play and create without needing to find a charger.

A 'Charged' Rumour

An exciting buzz is building as Apple's September 9 'Awe Dropping' event draws near. Despite the company's best efforts to keep details under wraps, a steady flow of information about the rumoured iPhone 17 series has been making its way online. In recent days, nearly every aspect of Apple's upcoming flagship devices has been revealed.

A recent post on X by leaker ShrimpApplePro included an image purporting to reveal the battery capacities for the new iPhone 17 series. According to the information shared, every model will come with a choice of two battery capacities, except for the standard iPhone 17.

Apple removed the physical SIM card slot from its US models a few years ago, freeing up valuable internal space. Now, with the new iPhone 17 line, the company is expected to finally take advantage of this room by fitting a more powerful battery in devices that only support eSIMs.

According to the report, the iPhone 17 Air will have a 3,036mAh battery in areas with a physical SIM card slot, while those using the eSIM-only version will receive a battery boost to 3,149mAh.

Big Battery Boost for iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max

The iPhone 16 Pro, which arrived in 2024, used a 3,582mAh battery to draw its juice. However, the new iPhone 17 Pro could see a significant upgrade, with its physical SIM card model tipped to feature a 3,988mAh capacity.

The eSIM-only model could come with a 4,252mAh battery, which is a substantial increase in capacity that should result in a notable improvement in battery life. The iPhone 17 Pro Max follows a similar pattern.

The iPhone 16 Pro Max was launched with a 4,685mAh capacity, but this year's version is rumoured to be upgraded to 4,823mAh for the physical SIM model and 5,088mAh for the eSIM-only one.

If these numbers are correct, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be the first iPhone ever to have a battery capacity of more than 5,000mAh. This change should result in a significant improvement to the model's battery life, building on the already excellent performance of the iPhone 16 Pro Max, which has one of the longest-lasting batteries among current flagship phones.

While Apple may be late to the market with a 5,000mAh battery — a capacity many Android phones have already surpassed — iPhones often manage to offer a longer-lasting experience thanks to the company's superior software and hardware integration.

The Key Takeaways

The leaked specifications offer some key insights. According to MacRumors, the smaller iPhone 17 Pro is set to get a substantial increase in battery life, with its capacity growing by almost 19% compared to the iPhone 16 Pro.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max is also tipped to be the first in the line to surpass the 5,000mAh battery mark. With a capacity of 5,088mAh, its battery would be approximately 8% larger than the one in the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Additionally, the ultra-thin iPhone 17 Air is rumoured to have a battery of roughly 3,000mAh. While this is a smaller capacity for an iPhone, the device is expected to have a more power-efficient C1 modem for its mobile connection, and Apple may also offer a battery case for it.

EU Disclosures

Due to a new EU requirement for Apple to display an energy label on its iPhone product pages, the official mAh battery capacities may become public in the coming days.

However, since iPhone batteries generally operate at the same voltage, comparing their mAh values remains a reliable method.