I hope the iPhone 16 Pro Max battery design rumours are true

We expect to see Apple's iPhone 16 line up unveiled in less than four months now, assuming Apple sticks to its usual release cycle. And the rumours are getting more intriguing. 

Last year, Apple began to differentiate the iPhone Pro Max from the standard Pro by more than just size alone through the addition of the iPhone 15 Pro Max's 5X zoom. It's rumoured that the trend will continue this year with a new battery design for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. But it's a move we need to see on all iPhones, and all mobiles (see our full roundup of iPhone 16 rumours to see everything we expect from Apple's next generation of phones).

The rumour, courtesy of TF International Securities analyst and regular Apple tipster Ming-Chi Kuo, is that the iPhone 16 Pro Max will have a redesigned battery and case with several benefits. One the one hand, the new battery would have a greater Wh / Kg energy density, which could allow it to last longer on a single charge (although it could also mean that Apple's reducing the physical size of the battery while providing the same charge duration as before or is providing more energy density to power more energy-draining processes). 

The other benefit would come from a new stainless steel battery case. The main purpose of this would be as a thermal solution, with Apple keen to avoid overheating issues. Greater energy density increases battery temperature in use, and stainless steel provides better protection than aluminium. But a side benefit could be that the new design makes the battery is easier to remove and replace. That would help Apple comply with the European Union’s upcoming requirements for phone battery replaceability and would possibly allow the phone's life to be extended after battery life declines.

Anyone old enough will remember that mobile phones used to have easily replaceable batteries. But the move towards ever slimmer and more complex phones has seen batteries become more deeply embedded in the devices. That makes them hard to replace, potentially reducing the life of the product. We've seen the same thing happen with laptops too.

Apple and other tech companies are very slowly moving in the direction of making more repairable and sustainable devices, although it's required European Union legislation to make them act in some cases. Unfortunately, Kuo says the new battery design will only come to the iPhone 16 Pro Max this year, but if it's successful, it may be added to all iPhone models from iPhone 17 in 2025.

Meanwhile, Kuo has predicted that the iPhone 16 colours will be black, white (or silver) and grey (natural titanium) for iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max and black, green, pink, blue and white for iPhone 16 and 16 Plus. See prices on the current models below (or see our guide to the best iPhone 15 prices).