iPhone 17 Pro: increased autonomy on the back of 19% battery capacity boost
By ForGeeks
On the eve of Apple’s September presentation, the battery capacities of the entire iPhone 17 lineup have been revealed from Chinese regulatory filings. All models will get larger batteries compared to the iPhone 16 series, with the main jump coming iPhone 17 Pro — plus 18.7% over last year’s figure.
iPhone 17 Pro battery: official numbers from the registry
According to the Register, iPhone 16 Pro had a battery of 3582 mAh, while iPhone 17 Pro will get 4252 mAh— an 670 mAh more.iPhone 17 Pro Max for the first time for an iPhone will cross the threshold of 5000 mAh: 5088 mAh versus 4685 mAh for the 16 Pro Max (+8.6% year-on-year).Updated capacities (for eSIM versions):
- iPhone 17 — 3692 mAh
- iPhone 17 Pro — 4252 mAh
- iPhone 17 Pro Max — 5088 mAh
- iPhone 17 Air — 3149 mAh
How many hours will the iPhone 17 Pro battery add
The exact battery life measurements will be revealed by Apple, but there are benchmarks. Moving from the 15 Pro to the 16 Pro, a boost of about300 mAh gave +2 hours in a video streaming test. It is logical to expect that iPhone 17 Pro with the increase 670 mAh will be able to add about 4 hours «passport» time. In that case, the 17 Pro could match or surpass the claimed battery life of the 16 Pro Max.For the iPhone 17 Pro Max the gain is close to +400 mAh — you can expect an additional 3-4 hours of real-world daytime use.
eSIM vs. physical SIM: who lives longer
First eSIM versions of the iPhone 17 promise slightly better battery life than models with a physical SIM tray. The US, Europe and a number of markets are expected to sell eSIM-only variations, while in China and some regions, Apple will retain models with physical slot — to meet local requirements.
Why iPhone 17 Pro battery will unfold better
Autonomy —s not just about mAh, it’s also about efficiency. The A19/A19 Pro chips, according to the industry, should be produced on the TSMC N3P (3nm) process, which is more efficient N3E than the A18 series. The screen on the Pro models is not expected to change dramatically — this helps convert capacity gains into hours of operation, rather than «eating» it up with new, voracious components.
Base and iPhone 17 Air: where’s the catch
The iPhone 17’s capacity gain is small— about 4%, with the model moving to a 6.3-inch display (instead of 6.1″) and likely getting ProMotion 120Hz for the first time. In reality, Apple could claim similar battery life to the iPhone 16.The slim iPhone 17 Air — the tradeoff is clear: 3149 mAh, which is 17% less than the base 17. Still, it’s over 3000 mAh, which belies early rumors of «sub-3000».
When it’s all revealed
The iPhone 17 lineup is scheduled to be unveiled on September 9 at 8 p.m. Moscow. The Apple Watch and AirPods Pro 3 are expected to be unveiled at that time as well.
