Supply chain check reveals strong possibility of longer battery life for iPhone 16 Pro Max

Rumors/leaks about the battery capacity for the upcoming iPhone 16 series have already been disseminated. One leaker said that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have the largest battery capacity of any iPhone ever released. But when it comes to such rumors or leaks, you normally can't feel comfortable about them. Last year there were rumors about a massive hike in battery size for the iPhone 15 line which never materialized. 

But today we have information about the battery expected to keep the lights burning on this year's iPhone 16 Pro Max and this information comes from Ming-Chi Kuo. For those not familiar with TF International's Apple analyst, Kuo has amassed quite a track record when it comes to forecasts he has made about future Apple hardware including the iPhone. So when Kuo talks about future iPhone models, it usually is a good idea to listen. 

On Friday, Kuo posted on Medium a new report stating that the iPhone 16 Pro Max battery is getting an energy density upgrade. What this will do, according to the analyst, is increase the battery life of the iPhone 16 Pro Max if the battery is kept at the same size or is larger than the cell powering the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Or, Apple could decide to keep the battery life the same which would allow it to reduce the size of the component in the iPhone 16 Pro Max giving the tech giant additional internal space inside the phone for other components.

Kuo adds that the battery for Apple's upcoming 2024 top-of-the-line handset will use a stainless steel case for the first time which will keep the battery from overheating. The analyst says that using the stainless steel case will make it easier for the battery to be removable, which is something that the European Union's Digital Market Act (DMA) will eventually force smartphone manufacturers to offer in the region.

While the report focuses mostly on the battery earmarked for the iPhone 16 Pro Max, Kuo does state that if mass production of the new battery design goes well and the feedback is positive, we could see Apple upgrade the energy density of battery cells and use the stainless steel battery case on all iPhone 16 models.

The analyst says that his report is based on a check of Apple's supply chain which showed that Apple is doing business with a company called Sunway. This company is a major supplier of stainless steel battery cases. A leak like this is right in Kuo's wheelhouse.