iPhone 16 Battery and charging: More battery life and 40% faster wireless charging
Apple announced the iPhone 16 series, and one of the main upgrades this year have to do with its battery size, battery life, and even with the charging speeds (finally).
On its website, Apple has given hours of battery life for three different scenarios, all of which show generally higher numbers compared to those of the predecessors from last year. The company has also stated that the iPhone 16 series comes with larger battery capacities than before, although it has not said whether that's true for each model.
On its website, Apple has given hours of battery life for three different scenarios, all of which show generally higher numbers compared to those of the predecessors from last year. The company has also stated that the iPhone 16 series comes with larger battery capacities than before, although it has not said whether that's true for each model.
Perhaps more interesting is the charging situation of the iPhone 16 series, as Apple has increased the wireless charging speeds via MagSafe to match, or even possibly surpass those during wired charging.
iPhone 16 battery upgrades
Apple has changed the design and size of the iPhone 16 series batteries.
Apple claims that all four new iPhones will last longer compared to their predecessors. In part, that is probably thanks to the larger batteries that we expected prior to the announcement, but another major reason is without a doubt the new A18 and A18 Pro chipsets, which are significantly more power efficient.
The new Apple A18 and A18 Pro chips are built on TSMC's second-generation 3nm process (dubbed N3E). The first generation of TSMC's 3nm process produced powerful chips like Apple's A17 Pro silicon, but it did not have the greatest balance between power consumption and delivery, which is what the N3E process corrects.
Here are the hours Apple has stated each iPhone 16 model to last during three different scenarios. We have also written down iPhone 15 series equivalent numbers next to them for comparison.
| 16 Pro Max vs 15 Pro Max | 16 Pro vs 15 Pro | 16 Plus vs 15 Plus | 16 vs 15 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Video Playback 33 / 29 | Video Playback 27 / 23 | Video Playback 27 / 26 | Video Playback 22 / 20 |
| Video Playback (Streamed) 29 / 25 | Video Playback (Streamed) 22 / 20 | Video Playback (Streamed) 24 / 20 | Video Playback (Streamed) 18 / 16 |
| Audio Playback 105 / 95 | Audio Playback 85 / 75 | Audio Playback 100 / 100 | Audio Playback 80 / 80 |
Apple does not state the exact battery capacity for any of the iPhone 16 models — as per usual — but we have a rough estimation as to what they might be.
| Battery capacity/phone | Battery size |
|---|---|
| iPhone 16 | 3,561mAh (+6.3% vs previous model's 3,349mAh battery)* |
| iPhone 16 Plus | 4,006mAh (-8.6%vs previous model's 4,383mAh battery)* |
| iPhone 16 Pro | 3,577mAh (+9.2% vs previous model's 3274mAh battery)* |
| iPhone 16 Pro Max | 4676mAh (+5.7% vs previous model's 4,422mAh battery)* |
Apple also said there are battery optimizations for the iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max, besides the ones that come from the new chips, but the company did not share what exactly those optimizations are.
iPhone 16 charging upgrades
MagSafe wireless charging has either matched or surpassed regular wired charging with the iPhone 16 series.
When Apple started talking about the iPhone 16 charging speeds during the event, it left us with mixed feelings. While there was talk of faster wired charging during the last month, the company did not share any such news about any of the four new iPhones.
The good news is that at least we are getting faster wireless charging speeds this year, which are now 25W (a 40% increase) across all iPhone 16 models via MagSafe. The phones can still charge at 15W thanks to their Qi2 charging support, and they are capable of 4.5W reverse wireless charging just like last year.
iPhone 16 series charging speeds:
- 50% charge in 30 min (advertised)
- 25W wireless charging (with MagSafe chargers)
Does the iPhone 16 use have reverse wireless charging?
Yes, it does. You can charge other devices that support wireless charging via any iPhone 16 model, which has a maximum power output of 4.5W. This is the same as last year's iPhone 15 series, so it is not a new upgrade.
What charger does the iPhone 16 use?
Since the wired charging speeds have not changed, Apple's 30W USB-C charger is the default one to go for. That being said, the iPhone 16 series will charge at maximum speeds with any other 30W (or higher) USB-C charger on the market. Just make sure you buy a brand that is trusted and has good reputation, that way you can avoid any damage to your phone.
How fast does the iPhone 16 charge?
Apple claims that the each iPhone 16 model will charge to around 50% in about 30 minutes of charging. Funnily enough, charging via a MagSafe wireless charger might be a bit quicker as it is 25W, while the wired charging on previous iPhone models has been estimated to be around 20-23W.
We will have to wait and see how each iPhone 16 model performs during our own charging tests, after which we will be able to compare them directly to the iPhone 15 series and other devices to get a fuller picture of what's really going on behind the scenes. Stay tuned for our results!
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