Apple is rumored to be working on a new battery metal case for next year’s iPhone 16 Pro. Today, leaked images of what this metal battery casing might look like have surfaced on the social media platform X.
The images are courtesy of @KosutamiSan, who last week revealed that Apple plans to switch to a metal battery shell in addition to a graphene-based heat sink on the upcoming iPhone 16 lineup for better thermal management. According to the leaker, the set of images provides a first look at a purported iPhone 16 Pro battery prototype which also reveals a slightly larger capacity at 3,355 mAh compared to the iPhone 15 Pro’s 3,274 mAh size.
The biggest visual change for the purported iPhone 16 Pro’s battery is the shift from a traditional black foil casing to a metal one, which is said to improve heat dissipation and thermal management. The metal casing’s final appearance seems to be undecided at this point as the leaker reveals that Apple has tested both matte and glossy finishes. The battery’s motherboard connector is reportedly set to receive a redesign too.
Apple is also rumored to be working on a radically new battery technology that was thought to make its way to consumer-facing products by 2025. However, a newer report from yesterday revealed that the company’s custom battery project is still at an exploratory stage and is unlikely to be consumer-ready anytime soon.
After the iPhone 15 Pro’s launch, overheating problems arose due to suspected issues with the new titanium chassis and design coping with the A17 Pro chip’s power demands. Apple later attributed this to an iOS software bug, quickly resolving it with a minor iOS 17 update. The company also blamed certain third-party apps for excessive power consumption.
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.
