Apple is said to be working on a new graphene-based thermal system that would help overcome any potential overheating problems on the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup, according to a new rumor originating from X.
@KosutamiSan is a prominent member of the Apple community on the social media platform, and today they claim that the company is “actively working” on what seems to be a graphene heat sink on the iPhone 16 for more efficient thermal management. Graphene is a much more superior thermal conductor than copper, with a thermal conductivity that is up to 10 times higher than copper.
The leaker also claims that Apple will include a metal casing for batteries of the iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max in another bid to improve thermal dissipation and management of the devices. All iPhone batteries to date feature a traditional black foil casing, but Apple already switched to a metal enclosure for Apple Watch batteries beginning with the 40mm Apple Watch Series 7 model before expanding it to larger sizes including the Apple Watch Ultra.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a radically new battery technology that could make its way to consumer-facing products by 2025. The new battery stack could include carbon nanotubes and a new chemical composition resulting in faster charging time and a longer battery health lifespan.
Rampant overheating problems with the iPhone 15 Pro were reported soon after the device launched to the public, with strong speculation blaming the new titanium chassis and other design choices as being unable to keep up with the power demands of the new 3nm A17 Pro chip. Apple later clarified that this was purely a software issue with iOS, quickly releasing a minor iOS 17 update that seemingly fixed the problem while also blaming certain third-party apps for excessive power draw.
We are still over 10 months away from the announcement of the iPhone 16 lineup, but rumors are already piling up over what to expect from the next iPhone generation. Rumors so far have included bigger display sizes for the iPhone 16 Pro, 5G Advanced connectivity, 48-megapixel ultrawide camera, and more.