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Apple's new iPhone 12 Pro Max is equipped with a 3,687 mAh battery, which is around 7% less capacity than the 3,969 mAh battery in the iPhone 11 Pro Max, according to a regulatory filing published by TENAA, the Chinese equivalent of the FCC.

Apple_iphone12pro-pacific-blue_10132020_Full-Bleed.jpg

The regulatory filing, spotted by MacRumors, also lists the iPhone 12 Pro Max with 6GB of RAM as seen in benchmark results last week.

Apple has filed many products with TENAA over the years, and the listings have proven to be accurate on multiple occasions. Last year, for example, accurate battery capacities and RAM in the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, and iPhone 11 Pro Max appeared in the database a few days prior to those devices launching. A rumor also suggested that the iPhone 12 Pro Max would have a 3,687 mAh battery earlier this year.

Despite having a smaller battery, Apple's tech specs indicate that the iPhone 12 Pro Max has the same battery life as the iPhone 11 Pro Max, with both devices providing up to 20 hours of video playback and up to 80 hours of audio playback.

Apple never discloses battery capacities or RAM on its iPhone tech spec pages, but teardowns of the new devices should confirm these details in the coming days.

Article Link: iPhone 12 Pro Max Has Smaller 3,687 mAh Battery According to Regulatory Filing
 
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JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,423
22,929
Apple never discloses battery capacities or RAM in iPhones, but teardowns of the new devices should confirm these details in the coming days.

This is incorrect. Apple discloses battery capacities for all their products. They are legally obligated to do so.

The info is listed on the bottom of this page:

 

apparatchik

macrumors 6502a
Mar 6, 2008
839
2,602
The phone itself is thinner, having less space -volumetric- than its predecessor. Then you have the significantly larger image sensor. Surely in perf per watt the A14 is a monster, as Apple sustains battery life, while increasing performance and reducing battery size.
 

JPack

macrumors G5
Mar 27, 2017
12,423
22,929
I dunno why is hard for Apple, they successfully creating high efficiency chips but very hard to increasing battery capacity. Instead when Apple introduced more efficient AX chips, they also reducing mAH as possible.

Because Apple increases the clock speed of the chip each year.

Apple increased the clock by 15% on A14, which eliminated the efficiency gains from 5nm.
 
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Murdock12

macrumors newbie
Oct 20, 2020
14
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I’m surprised no major phone manufacturer has ever made an extended capacity battery version of a phone. In the GPS smartwatch market, Coros came out with a watch that boasted twice the battery life of the best Garmins and it made them a legitimate player overnight.
 

Sasparilla

macrumors 68000
Jul 6, 2012
1,954
3,355
Bummer. Given that internal space up to other things presumably (mm wave antennas, bigger photo chip on a moving mount)...

But run times have been down for the 12 and 12 Pro in the reviews as should be expected the 5G versions of the android phones impacted their battery performance negatively as well.
 

noraa

macrumors 6502a
Jun 23, 2003
530
1,216
I assume the decrease in battery size (and the overall increase in size) is at least partially due to the 5G antenna array - which by necessity is huge.
 
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Freeangel1

Suspended
Jan 13, 2020
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fix one thing
break another


Next years model selling point. We've increased the battery capacity

and now latest update of Windows 10 looks more and more like MacOs with the latest translucent menu changes
They want the Apple faithful to finally switch to Windows and feel at home doing so.
 
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CarlJ

macrumors 604
Feb 23, 2004
6,971
12,133
San Diego, CA, USA
Bigger body than the 11 Pro Max, but 7% smaller battery? Aw.
They needed room for 5G 5G 5G 5G 5G 5G 5G. Did you hear they have 5G?

Sorry, just watched a 5G super cut of the event.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is slightly taller (2.8mm) and wider (0.3mm) than the 11 Pro Max, but it's also 0.7mm (8.6%) thinner. The 12 Pro Max has 9.5% less volume.
 

creediddy

macrumors 6502
Sep 11, 2014
276
192
Why would Apple put a smaller battery if the form factor is the same as an 11 Pro Max? Just b/c of the 5nm die size that's no excuse to shrink the battery.

Apple can have a huge hit with the Pro Series...I think they missed the boat. Rather than make cuts, go all out and price according to the market!!!

A14X CPU (5nm)
120Hz ProMotion display
+500ppi screen
6.5" and 7.5" XDR screen sizes
6000 mAH battery
8GB DDR4
256GB and 1TB storage options
Apple Pencil capability
65-watt adapter (fast charger)

Price $1499, $1699

I would buy this in heartbeat! No need to make the Pro Series an upgraded 12 or 12 Mini. Makes no sense...
 
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