IPhone 17 Pro Battery Capacity Soared 19% Compared To Last Year

JAKARTA - The day before the iPhone launch event, on September 9 from Apple, official information on battery capacity for the entire iPhone 17 line has been revealed through a regulatory submission in China. All iPhone 17 models will have a larger battery than their predecessor, the iPhone 16. However, the most significant increase occurred in the iPhone 17 Pro, with an up battery capacity of 18.7% compared to the iPhone 16 Pro.

Specifically, the iPhone 16 Pro has a battery capacity of 3,582 mAh, while the iPhone 17 Pro increases to 4,252 mAh, or an increase of about 400 mAh. Historically, Apple claims an additional 2 hours of battery life on the video streaming test while switching from the iPhone 15 Pro to the iPhone 16 Pro, which only has an increase in capacity of about 300 mAh. Thus, the iPhone 17 Pro may be able to offer an additional 3 hours of battery life, surpassing Apple's claim for the iPhone 16 Pro Max.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max will be the first iPhone to exceed the 5,000 mAh limit, with a capacity of 5,088 mAh. This is an increase of 8.6% from 4,685 mAh on the iPhone 16 Pro Max, or an increase of about 400 mAh, which is estimated to generate an additional 3 to 4 hours of daily battery usage.

This 5,088 mAh figure is comparable to a high-end Android phone, but the better iPhone power efficiency has the potential to make the iPhone 17 Pro Max a new leader in terms of smartphone battery life.

Interestingly, for the first time, the iPhone 17 model with the eSIM will have a battery life slightly longer than the model with physical SIM card slots. Apple is expected to launch the iPhone 17 with eSIM only on markets like the United States and Europe, while models with physical SIM slots will remain for sale in some areas, including China, to comply with local regulations.

Based on eSIM model data, the new battery capacity is as follows:

However, battery life is not only determined by capacity, but also device power efficiency. There is no indication that the power efficiency of the iPhone 17 will decrease. In fact, the A19 and A19 Pro chips used are expected to be produced with the latest N3P 3-nanometer process from TSMC, which is more efficient than the N3E process on the A18 chip on the iPhone 16. Other power-efficient components, such as the screen, are not expected to change much, with the same screen size for the Pro model.

However, don't expect a major increase in the basic iPhone 17 model. The battery capacity is only up 4%, and the screen is now bigger, from 6.1 inches to 6.3 inches, with an additional 120Hz ProMotion feature for the first time. Apple will likely claim the same battery performance as the iPhone 16.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Air with a super thin design is predicted to be disappointing in terms of battery life. Its capacity is 3,149 mAh, 17% smaller than the usual iPhone 17. However, this figure is better than previous rumors that mentioned the capacity below 3,000 mAh.

Look forward to an update from 9to5Mac when Apple's show is held tomorrow, September 9, 2025, at 10 am Pacific time. The iPhone 17 line, along with the new Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 3, will be officially announced.