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Apple's First Foldable Could Have Biggest Ever iPhone Battery

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Apple is expected to launch its first foldable iPhone next year, and while there have been plenty of rumors about the book-style foldable's design and cameras, there are still questions surrounding its potential battery life, particularly given Apple's recent focus on thinness.

Apple-Foldable-Thumb.jpg

According to the leaker and news aggregator account "yeux1122" on the Korean-langauge Naver blog, Apple is testing a battery in the 5,400–5,800 mAh range, which would make it the largest capacity of any current or previous iPhone. For reference, the iPhone 17 Pro Max has a 5,088 mAh battery.

As for how it would compare to rival foldables already on the market, the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a battery size of 5,015 mAh, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a 4,400 mAh battery, so anything in Apple's alleged testing range would likely offer superior battery life.

A March report from the same Korean aggregator account claimed that Apple has placed a heavy focus on improving power efficiency while slimming down key components of its foldable iPhone, with battery life said to be a key priority for the company. Separately, Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has said the device will use high-density battery cells.

The latest post claims that Apple will eventually settle on a capacity at the higher end of its testing range, as it apparently did previously with the iPhone Air. The details allegedly originate from a supply chain source, and the blog has offered accurate insights into Apple's component strategy in the past, but it has also been wrong, so a degree of caution is warranted.

Multiple sources agree on key specifications for Apple's first foldable iPhone, including a 7.8-inch main display when unfolded and a 5.5-inch cover display. That's the consensus among Kuo and fellow analyst Jeff Pu, as well as the Weibo leaker Digital Chat Station. The device is also expected to use Touch ID integrated into the side button instead of Face ID, similar to the iPad Air and iPad mini.

Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to be equipped with four cameras, consisting of one front camera, one inner (possibly under-screen) camera, and two rear cameras. The device will reportedly use Apple's second-generation C2 modem for cellular connectivity, but it will lack a physical SIM card slot.

Barring any unexpected delays, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes the foldable iPhone will launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in the fall of 2026.

Article Link: Apple's First Foldable Could Have Biggest Ever iPhone Battery
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2025/11/18/apple-foldable-biggest-iphone-battery/
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Reactions: SFjohn
Well, it is not like the days are getting any longer and we still need some sleep, so I can already go through my day with plenty of battery charge left by the end of it (iPhone 17).
 
It will need it because it will have the biggest screen among other things. The real test will be a the battery life.
 
The OnePlus 15 has a 7,300 mAH battery, so Apple will not be world-leading from a pure battery capacity perspective.
However, Apple is very good at power-management and its software and hardware are very tightly integrated.
Having said that, I wouldn't expect ProMax levels of battery life when driving such a large screen.
 
Nyx1 said:
Why not Face ID?
Click to expand...
The Face ID TrueDepth camera system has several components (dot projector, flood illuminator, infrared camera) which take up quite a lot of internal space. For a folding phone you'd need these components for both outside (folded) and inside (unfolded). So I am guessing it's either too bulky or too costly or both.
 
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Reactions: SFjohn, decypher44 and AmazeSE
The phone is bigger with it's two foldable sections, and thus will have a bigger battery. It will likely require a bigger battery because of the larger screen too. It's kind of obvious.
 
Over 5300 mAh is considered a dangerous good and has import restrictions. So this must be a two-cell battery. One cell under each display with some interconnector, perhaps? Hopefully it is SiC.
 
ugh I would love face id opposed to touch ID especially come winter time wearing gloves and using things like the wallet :(
 
Presumably it will have two batteries, one in each half, so that mass is evenly balanced across the device. The batteries may not be identically sized, but together they would add up to a capacity exceeding the pro model.
 
One would hope they don't lead the presentation touting the "smallest battery ever!" 😂
 
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