Rumor Says Apple Will Finally Cram Larger Batteries Into The iPhone

One of the bigger complaints that Apple iPhone fans of had over the last few generations is that Apple continues to rely on smaller batteries than much of its competition. A new rumor circulating claims Apple is finally ready to add larger batteries to the iPhone line when the iPhone 13 launches. The rumor also says the iPhone 13 will have several design changes and efficiency improvements.

The rumor's source is Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, who wrote in a recent investor note that all four versions of the iPhone 13 will get larger batteries. Kuo says the entire iPhone 13 series expected the launch in the second half of 2021 would have larger battery capacities than the iPhone 12 series. What will enable the larger batteries is a new space-saving design of many components inside the smartphones.

According to Kuo, the downside of larger batteries does mean iPhone 13 models will weigh slightly more than the iPhone 12 models they replace. Components that had been slimmed down to allow for the larger batteries include a SIM card slot integrated with the mainboard and a thinner front optical module thickness. The assumption is larger batteries will mean longer battery life.

In the iPhone 12 family, the batteries shrunk compared to the previous generation. However, battery life was the same because the hardware inside the smartphones was more efficient. IPhone 13 models are also expected to feature 5G across the range, and some have worried access to 5G networks would reduce battery life, so larger batteries should alleviate those concerns.

Other rumors have suggested that the iPhone 13 Pro and iPhone 13 Pro Max will utilize ProMotion displays with variable refresh rates of up to 120 hertz. Those screens can use lower refresh rates to help improve battery life when needed.