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Apple's Foldable iPhone Rumored to Feature Unrivaled Battery Life

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Apple's first foldable could feature the biggest ever iPhone battery and eclipse rival devices, according to a known leaker.

Foldable-iPhone-2023-Feature-Iridescent-1.jpg

In a new post, the Weibo user known as "Fixed Focus Digital" says that the foldable's battery could be over 5,500 mAh in size, which would make it the largest capacity of any current or previous iPhone. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has the biggest iPhone battery to date at 5,088 mAh.

Competing foldables already on the market feature a noticeably smaller battery than the rumored size. The Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold has a battery capacity of 5,015 mAh, while the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 has a 4,400 mAh battery. As a result, any foldable smartphone from Apple with a battery over 5,500 mAh in size would be class-leading.

Last year, the leaker known as "yeux1122" said that Apple was testing a battery for the device in the 5,400–5,800 mAh range, citing supply chain sources. A March report from the same Korean 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 said the device will use high-density cells to deliver superior battery life.

Apple's first foldable iPhone is rumored to feature a 7.8-inch crease-free inner display, a 5.5-inch cover display, Touch ID, two rear cameras, the A20 chip, and the "C2" modem. It is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max later this year.

Article Link: Apple's Foldable iPhone Rumored to Feature Unrivaled Battery Life
 
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https://www.macrumors.com/2026/02/01/foldable-iphone-to-feature-unrivaled-battery-life/
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Well, duh. That's like saying an iPad has unrivaled battery capacity compared to iPhone. Yeah, it does, because it has more space to house it, which is fortunate, because has a much bigger screen to power (the primary draw on battery).

Very likely the fold will have competitive battery life with the Pro Max model. Not anything dramatically greater. Though it's a given that it will last longer when only using it folded.

Still though...if true that this product does not have Face ID...I don't know how anyone is going to get past that. I think it was a really poor decision on Apple's part to (allegedly) push forward anyway with this product. A $2,000 Ultra tier iPhone....that lacks the most fundamental iPhone feature, and replaces it with Side Button Touch ID, which if you've ever used on an iPad Air, is truthfully and without hyperbole the worst user experience Apple has ever shipped.
 
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Farquar said:
Well, duh. That's like saying an iPad has unrivaled battery capacity compared to iPhone. Yeah, it does, because it has more space to house it, which is fortunate, because has a much bigger screen to power (the primary draw on battery).

Very likely the fold will have competitive battery life with the Pro Max model. Not anything dramatically greater. Though it's a given that it will last longer when only using it folded.

Still though...if true that this product does not have Face ID...I don't know how anyone is going to get past that. I think it was a really poor decision on Apple's part to (allegedly) push forward anyway with this product. A $2,000 Ultra tier iPhone....that lacks the most fundamental iPhone feature, and replaces it with Side Button Touch ID, which if you've ever used on an iPad Air, is truthfully and without hyperbole the worst user experience Apple has ever shipped.
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Because in reality Face ID or Touch ID doesn’t really matter. One isn’t any better than the other. Just a different layer to unlock
 
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A big battery is nice. However with multiple screens to be powered, the end result might be that it has battery life similar to the Pro Max. Looking forward to seeing the device though I don’t think I will get one if it is going to lack the telephoto lens.
 
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It’s also important to remember that this iPhone will be on a 2nm chip process, and will likely use the latest, most efficient display technology, as well as the next generation C2 cellular chip.

This shrinks the internal footprint so you can have a larger battery, while also making the device much more power efficient as a whole. It’s basically going to be similar to the iPad inside, in that it’s all battery.

Side note, but I have a theory the rumored 200MP camera is for the iPhone Fold only, at least initially, to be used as 4x telephoto. Probably in a future update to it.
 
The Game 161 said:
Because in reality Face ID or Touch ID doesn’t really matter. One isn’t any better than the other. Just a different layer to unlock
Click to expand...
I mean that just couldn't be more untrue. If you care that much about this form factor that you're willing to accept a much more worse user experience 20-30 times a day every day, then good for you. But it just isn't so.

Forget the fact that Face ID is several orders of magnitude more secure than Touch ID, the convenience factor is unmatched. You look at the thing, and it unlocks. You're not having to deliberately do anything unnatural. Side Button Touch ID however is bad. Very bad. It is incredibly awkward to do, and requires a deliberate AND awkward gesture every single you want to use it. It is bad enough on the iPad Air, I can't imagine it dozens of times per day on iPhone. Making excuses for it is not necessary. It really is just bad.
 
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Farquar said:
Well, duh. That's like saying an iPad has unrivaled battery capacity compared to iPhone. Yeah, it does, because it has more space to house it, which is fortunate, because has a much bigger screen to power (the primary draw on battery).

Very likely the fold will have competitive battery life with the Pro Max model. Not anything dramatically greater. Though it's a given that it will last longer when only using it folded.

Still though...if true that this product does not have Face ID...I don't know how anyone is going to get past that. I think it was a really poor decision on Apple's part to (allegedly) push forward anyway with this product. A $2,000 Ultra tier iPhone....that lacks the most fundamental iPhone feature, and replaces it with Side Button Touch ID, which if you've ever used on an iPad Air, is truthfully and without hyperbole the worst user experience Apple has ever shipped.
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All folding phones have side button touch.
I was surprised that it wouldn't have Face ID but it probably is of space constraints.
 
Viddrumr32 said:
There’s a lot more screen to power off that 5500 mAh battery. Just because the battery size is the largest doesn’t mean actual usage will see any improvement. Likely just enough capacity to continue the “all day battery life” claim they routinely use.
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Well, depends how much the average user utilizes the internal display in normal use during the day. I imagine if I still had a 9 to 5 job that I went to that I would use it during lunch mainly and in the evening, or when traveling for movies so I don’t need to bring an iPad. I bet the split between open and closed use would be close to 50/50 for the average person, so battery life will likely depend a lot on how someone uses it, more than any other iPhone before.
 
Farquar said:
Still though...if true that this product does not have Face ID...I don't know how anyone is going to get past that. I think it was a really poor decision on Apple's part to (allegedly) push forward anyway with this product. A $2,000 Ultra tier iPhone....that lacks the most fundamental iPhone feature, and replaces it with Side Button Touch ID, which if you've ever used on an iPad Air, is truthfully and without hyperbole the worst user experience Apple has ever shipped.
Click to expand...

Count me into the minority of people to prefer Touch ID as apposed to Face ID. I actually think it is more convenient and more reliable over Face ID. Face ID has been too busy recently for my taste. Work the bugs out of Face ID first and then I'm listening.
 
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Viddrumr32 said:
There’s a lot more screen to power off that 5500 mAh battery. Just because the battery size is the largest doesn’t mean actual usage will see any improvement. Likely just enough capacity to continue the “all day battery life” claim they routinely use.
Click to expand...

I think the point of the post was just that it would be class leading compared to other foldable's that are currently on the market. I doubt the Apple Fold will get substantially more battery life than let's say the 17 PM, but it would be a good start. If I can get "all day battery life" from Apple first generation foldable iPhone I would count that as a win in my book.
 
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