phone 16 power thickness increased, new stainless steel casing – Kuo

A new supply-chain report says that the iPhone 16 battery will have greater energy density than that of current iPhones. This could potentially give the device a longer battery-life, though Apple may instead opt to use a smaller battery.

Additionally, the report says that Apple plans to swap out the aluminum battery housing for stainless steel, which has both pros and cons …

The report comes from Ming-Chi Kuo.

My latest supply chain survey indicates the energy density (Wh/kg) of the battery cells of iPhone 16 Pro Max will increase, which has the benefit of longer battery life with the same battery size or lower battery size with the same battery life.

While most iPhone users would likely prefer the former approach – increasing battery life – the company may instead opt to reduce the size of the battery in order to maintain the same battery capacity. The benefit here would be a weight-saving, albeit a rather tiny one.

This is accompanied by a claim that Apple is replacing the aluminum battery housing used in current iPhones for a stainless steel version.

That would add strength, but be a surprising move because we’d expect a more energy-dense battery to run hotter, and stainless steel is less efficient at dissipating this heat. Additionally, steel is heavier than aluminum, so if Apple is aiming at reducing the weight of the battery, it would likely be more than offset by the heavier material.

However, one possible explanation is that Apple is seeking to comply with EU pressure to make DIY battery replacement easier.

The use of a stainless steel battery case also reduces the difficulty of removing the battery, which will help Apple comply with the European Union’s requirements for mobile phone batteries’ replaceability in the future.

We’ve noted before that Kuo was once the most reliable Apple analyst around, with rock-solid supply chain sources – but this is no longer the case. His change of employment likely means that he no longer gets to spend as much time on the ground in China talking with Apple suppliers.

Additionally, Kuo tries to fill the vacuum created by having less access to reliable information by posting a great deal of mere speculation.

This report appears to at least be based on supply-chain information, but we’d put it into the ‘maybe’ category for now.

Image: 9to5Mac composite from iFixit and Avinash Kumar on Unsplash