The iPhone 17 Pro Max could have the biggest battery of any iPhone ever

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14 hours ago

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We're about two months away from the rumoured launch of the iPhone 17. And the leaks continue to come thick and fast.
The latest says that we could see the biggest-capacity battery of any iPhone yet – a whopping 5000mAh for the iPhone 17 Pro Max. This capacity is very common with Android phones, but it's unchartered territory for an Apple handset.
Will it actually mean a longer battery life though? Or just mitigate against the phone's greater energy needs?
The iPhone 17 launch is expected in September. Four models are rumoured: the standard, Pro, Pro Max and new Air variant that's rumoured to be super slim.
The Air is rumoured to have a single rear camera like the iPhone 16e, and a small battery. We're expecting 120Hz displays across the whole range.
Wondering what else to expect? Read on, and we'll help you figure out if it's worth upgrading this year.
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Apple is yet to breathe a word about the iPhone 17, but we can be pretty confident of when it will launch: September 2025.
Every iPhone in recent memory has launched in September (apart from the 12, which was delayed due to the pandemic).
Behold.
iPhone 11: 10th September 2019
iPhone 12: 13th October 2020
iPhone 13: 14th September 2021
iPhone 14: 7th September 2022
iPhone 15: 12th September 2023
iPhone 16: 9th September 2024
When exactly in September is harder to pin down.
Apple usually launches its iPhones on a Tuesday, but the iPhone 16 was the first to be announced on a Monday (and the iPhone 16e launched on a Wednesday).
It's far too early to say with any certainty when exactly the iPhone 17 will launch, but we'll bring you all the leaks and rumours closer to September.
This could be the last year with the current iPhone launch schedule. One recent report says that Apple might split future iPhone launches across two separate release windows – retaining the traditional autumn schedule for Pro models while shifting standard models to the following spring.
This would take effect from 2026, possibly the same year that the foldable iPhone launches (here's everything we know so far about Apple's folding iPhone).
The nature of inflation means that devices like phones usually get more expensive. But in the last couple of years, we've seen much more modest price rises than previously.
In some cases, prices have remained the same, or even fallen, meaning a new model launches for less than its inferior predecessor.
The iPhone 16 range costs broadly the same as the iPhone 15 before it.
iPhone 16
iPhone 16 Plus
iPhone 16 Pro
iPhone 16 Pro Max
128GB
£799 / $799 / AU$1399
£899 / $899 / AU$1599
£999 / $999 / AU$1799
N/A
256GB
£899 / $899 / AU$1599
£999 / $999 / AU$1799
£1099 / $1099 / AU$1999
£1199 / $1199 / AU$2149
512GB
£1099 / $1099 / AU$1949
£1199 / $1199 / AU$2149
£1299 / $1299 / AU$2349
£1399 / $1399 / AU$2499
1TB
N/A
N/A
£1499 / $1499 / AU$2699
£1599 / $1599 / AU$2849
For context, Apple's latest iPad Pro launched at £50 / $200 / AU$200 more than the model it replaces, though admittedly it did add an OLED screen to the offering.
But the AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation launched at the same price as the AirPods 3, and that's despite adding ANC. So Apple's prices don't always go up.
Running counter to that, the iPhone 16e replaced the iPhone SE as Apple's cheapest iPhone. But with a starting price of £599 / $599 / AU$999, it's not exactly budget. Which suggests Apple has given up on the cheap phone market.
Prices are notoriously tricky to predict, especially this far in advance – and especially for a new variant like the iPhone 17 Air.
The recent tariff uncertainty has prompted some Apple analysts to forecast a price rise, but with tariffs changing by the day, it's too early to make any predictions. Smartphones were supposed to be among the devices exempt from tariffs, but then President Trump backtracked and threatened tariffs of "at least" 25 per cent on any iPhone made outside America.
According to Counterpoint Research, this will spell a price rise.
More RAM has been rumoured for the iPhone 17 range (more on this later), but with 12GB RAM modules costing 50 per cent more than 8GB ones, a price rise could be on the cards.
We'll bring you more price leaks and rumours nearer to launch.
One of the biggest rumours concerning the iPhone 17 is the range make-up.
Before the iPhone 16 even launched, there was talk of the Plus model being replaced by a new 'Air' or 'Slim' variant.
As the name suggests, this would be slimmer than the current Plus, but also have other points of difference, like a different screen size and camera arrangement.
According to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (who has a decent track record when it comes to these things), the iPhone 17 Air will measure just 5.5mm at its thinnest point, approaching the svelte dimensions of Apple's 5.1mm iPad Pro M4.
This remarkable thinness isn't merely an engineering achievement – Bloomberg's Mark Gurman suggests it could serve as a crucial testing ground for technologies destined for future foldable Apple devices.
Here's how it might look, with a render created by Front Page Tech.
The pursuit of such a slim profile has led Apple to make several significant design decisions, Gurman says: the frame will use a unique titanium-aluminium blend, with a higher proportion of aluminium than seen in current Pro models.
Physical SIM functionality will be replaced entirely by eSIM technology, while audio output will rely on a single speaker at the top rather than the dual-speaker configuration found in current iPhones.
If this is true, it could impact sound quality, so consider our interest piqued.
One more design compromise – the USB-C port on the bottom might not be centred, but rather be situated closer to the rear of the device than the front. That's in order to accommodate display components within the enclosure, according to a dummy model seen by AppleTrack.
That's a fairly minor change in the grand scheme of things. But unsightly to those with an eye for design, as it would mess up the pleasing symmetry of the device's bottom edge. We can't imagine Steve Jobs ever countenancing it.
In leaker Majin Bu's photos (via GSMArena) of a dummy iPhone 17 Air, the handset certainly looks slim, but the camera lens juts out quite a bit from the top half. Which could turn some people off.
The iPhone 17 Air also thought to feature a black camera bar across the width of its back panel.
And speaking on the Recycle Bin podcast, tipster Jon Prosser speculated that the iPhone 17 Air could have a 6.7-inch screen – bigger than the 6.55 inches previously rumoured (though this was rounded up to 6.6 inches).
6.7 inches would be the same size as the screen on the iPhone 16 Plus – which would make sense, seeing as the 17 Air is said to replace the 16 Plus in Apple's line-up.
Apple is said to be using high-density battery cells in the iPhone 17 Air in order to cram more battery power into a slimmer frame. That's according to Ming-Chi Kuo.
There's talk of Apple increasing the screen size of the standard iPhone model to bring it in line with the Pro.
Currently, the iPhone 16 has a 6.1-inch screen, compared to the iPhone 16 Pro's 6.3-incher.
With the rumoured iPhone 17 Air replacing the Plus model, that would leave the iPhone 17 range as follows:
iPhone 17: 6.3 inches
iPhone 17 Air/Slim: 6.6/6.7 inches
iPhone 17 Pro: 6.3 inches
iPhone 17 Pro Max: 6.9 inches
But that's not the only screen change being mooted.
Apple is also said to bring 120Hz refresh rates to every iPhone in the line-up (including the rumoured iPhone 17 Air). This is a pretty big deal, given that its so-called ProMotion displays are currently exclusive to the Pro models.
But according to display analyst Ross Young (via MacRumors), 120Hz will soon be standard across the board.
This was also mooted by a leaker on Weibo(via MacRumors) who said this would be enabled by Samsung's M14 OLED display panel (which is currently only used in Apple's iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max).
Not only would 120Hz refresh rates mean better handling of more frantic action, with less slowdown, it would also allow every iPhone 17 model to scale down to the more power efficient refresh rate of just 1Hz, extending battery life while also allowing for always-on displays to show information while the handset is locked (again, this feature is currently limited to the Pro models).
Samsung's M14 panel is also 30 per cent brighter than the M13 that came before it.
However, one leaker has poured cold water on our expectations. Someone calling themselves Digital Chat Station posted on Weibo that you should "lower your expectations appropriately", which suggests that either the standard and Air will only have 90Hz screens (still up from the 60Hz of the standard iPhone 16) or that they will have 120Hz displays but that these will lack the energy-efficient ProMotion tech of the Pro models.
That would mean fewer gains in battery life. But another screen technology could help out in this area.
Low-Dielectric TEE (Transmission Electrically Enhanced) apparently "improves battery efficiency, maximises display durability, and enhances overall performance compared to existing display technologies" according to the person who posted about it.
It's said to be new technology about very little is known, so file this under 'maybe' for now.
The iPhone 17 is also said to have an anti-reflective screen that's more scratch-resistant than Apple's current Ceramic Shield, according to a rumour on Chinese social network Weibo.
A smaller Dynamic Island could also be in store. Analyst Jeff Pu says (via MacRumors) that the iPhone 17 Pro Max will have a "much narrowed [sic] Dynamic Island" thanks to the Face ID system using a smaller "metalens".
Instead of being curved like a traditional lens, this would be thin and flat and be able to focus light more precisely. It would be the first change to the Dynamic Island since it was introduced in 2022.
However, another well-respected analyst thinks the Dynamic Island will remain "largely unchanged".
The iPhone 17 is said to feature some significant design changes compared to its predecessor.
One of the biggest – and most puzzling – design changes mentioned is ditching the Pro models' titanium build in favour of aluminium across the board. That's according to The Information, which notes that "the back of the Pro and Pro Max models will feature a new part-aluminium, part-glass design.
"The top of the back will comprise a larger rectangular camera bump made of aluminium rather than traditional 3D glass. The bottom half will remain glass to accommodate wireless charging."
Why is this puzzling? Apple only introduced titanium in 2023, on the iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max.
Apple marketed titanium as strong yet light, and a more premium option than the stainless steel previously used. (It hasn't used aluminium for a premium iPhone since the iPhone X in 2017.)
As such, this rumour has been met with some skepticism.
The iPhone 17 Pro could have the same horizontal camera bar on the rear as the iPhone 17 Air, according to this render from Front Page Tech.
But another leak contradicts that, showing the camera bar split into two distinct sections. Mark Gurman reckons the bar will be the same colour as the rest of the iPhone too, whereas previously it was thought to be a different shade in order to stand out.
According to leaker Majin Bu, the camera bar will mean the Apple logo sits lower on the back of the iPhone 17 Pro model than on the iPhone 16 range.
The iPhone 17's battery could be easier to remove, thanks to a different type of adhesive. According to MacRumors, that would make the batteries easier to swap, extending the life of your iPhone.
According to these CADs (computer-aided designs) shared by reputable leaker Sonny Dickson, the iPhone 17 will have a very similar design to the iPhone 16, with only the Air, Pro and Pro Max getting the horizontal camera bar.
Though the standard iPhone 17 model would still get plenty of other improvements, like the 120Hz always-on screen and possibly some new colour schemes.
The iPhone 17 Air will have the same dimensions as the iPhone 17 Pro Max, apart from being slimmer, according to leaker Ice Universe.
"The iPhone 17 Air is 5.5mm thick, while the iPhone 17 Pro Max is 8.725mm thick," they wrote on Weibo.
That would make the 17 Pro Max quite a bit thicker than the 16 Pro Max.
Apple usually gives its new iPhones a new processor, and the iPhone 17 should be no different.
The range-topping iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are expected to feature Apple's A19 Pro chip, while the iPhone 17 and 17 Air/Slim are thought to feature the standard A19.
This is in keeping with the iPhone 16 range, which was the first to feature different versions of the same chip in the Pro and non-Pro models.
TSMC's upcoming N3P technology is thought to feature. This is said to offer better efficiency and increased transistor density.
More RAM is also thought to be in the offing. Analyst Jeff Pu has previously said that the Pro models will have 12GB RAM, and the non-Pros 8GB.
However, analyst Ming-Chi Kuo reckons that only the Pro Max will have 12GB, with the rest featuring 8GB. In a more recent blog post, he expanded this prediction to include the iPhone 17 Air as well.
Apple doesn't reveal how much RAM each iPhone features, so it's down to teardowns and online sleuths to reveal it.
The iPhone 17 Air, in particular, is expected to feature at least 8GB of RAM to support Apple Intelligence's AI features, despite its slim profile.
However, the thin design necessitates some compromises – notably, the device will completely eliminate the physical SIM tray in favour of eSIM technology, which could affect its availability in certain markets.
Other new features are said to include an Apple-designed 5G modem (only in the Slim/Air variant), and an Apple custom Wi-Fi 7 chip.
The iPhone 17 range is also expected to gain vapour chamber cooling (via 9to5Mac). This is a more effective method of passive cooling to squeeze the maximum possible performance out of the phone.
Opinion is split whether this will be exclusive to the Pro Max, or available on all models.
The iPhone 17 Pro Max is also said to have a 5000mAh battery – larger than any iPhone that has come before it. The 16 Pro Max has a 4685mAh battery.
Google's Gemini AI assistant could arrive as part of the iPhone 17. Google's CEO Sundar Pichai has reportedly been talking to his Apple counterpart Tim Cook about having Gemini built into the next iPhone, and hopes to have a deal in place by September, Bloomberg reports.
But Apple's own Siri AI has reportedly been shunted back to 2026, according to Bloomberg.
We could see faster charging speeds. 91Mobiles spotted that Apple has submitted regulatory filings in Taiwan for two new MagSafe chargers supporting the Qi 2.2 standard. This would step up the maximum charging speed from 25W to 50W, meaning greater efficiency and less heat generation, and even better alignment when snapped into place using their magnets. Wins all round.
The camera is always one of the main selling points of any iPhone, and the iPhone 17's could be the best yet, with a comprehensive update across the range expected.
The top-end iPhone 17 Pro Max is rumoured to be the first iPhone with three 48-megapixel rear cameras: wide, ultrawide and tetraprism telephoto.
The iPhone 17 Air, given its svelte nature, is expected to have just a single rear camera, to allow it to be much thinner than its stablemates.
One model in the range is also said to have a mechanical aperture, to vary the amount of light allowed in to the sensor.
This would allow for shallow depth of field shots, and make it a much more versatile camera.
However, The Information doesn't reveal which model this would be, though it would make sense to be the 17 Pro Max, with the highest-end model getting the most advanced features.
The 5x telephoto zoom lens is thought to remain exclusive to the Pro models in the iPhone 17 range.
Every phone in the family is said to have a 24-megapixel front-facing camera – double the resolution of the iPhone 16's 12-megapixel selfie-taker.
The iPhone 17 is also rumoured to gain 8K video recording, according to a source on Weibo (via GSMArena).
Some Android phones allow 8K video recording, but this would be the first iPhone with the feature.
Even before the iPhone 16 broke cover, the 17 was said to be the first significant upgrade to the iPhone in years. If these rumours are true, that definitely looks to be the case.
As ever, Apple won't be short of competition, with Google, Samsung and a host of Chinese competitors vying for your hard-earned. And who knows what the economic climate will be come September, with price rises potentially on the cards.
As such, Apple will have to deliver even more from the iPhone 17.
We'll keep updating this page regularly with all the latest leaks, rumours and news, so make sure you check back for the latest.
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