While the iPhone 16 Pro Max is expected in less than three months, a new leak has just given details. Apple has reportedly found a solution for its battery that would combine both better autonomy and compliance with a European law that will come into force in a few years.
In mid-September, it should be the iPhone 16 that would be announced by Apple during its next keynote. This is the moment ” tech ” the most anticipated of the year, as Apple is an important manufacturer, both in terms of sales and in terms of impact on the rest of the market with its iPhones. For its next smartphones, the brand would have found a solution for the battery of its iPhone 16 Pro Max.
Apple has no choice but to comply with European legislation
It all started with a post on X by the informant Ming-Chi Kuo, known for his information about factories in China, particularly at the level of Apple subcontractors. According to him, the iPhone 16 would choose a stainless steel battery case, which would allow two things.
The first is compliance with a new European law that is due to come into force in 2027. It states that all smartphones sold in the EU will have to allow consumers to remove the battery themselves. Indeed, last year, the Parliament voted in favour of a directive forcing smartphone manufacturers to allow consumers to replace the battery themselves.
Towards an even more autonomous iPhone 16 Pro Max?
Another consequence: this would allow Apple to increase the density of the battery cells by 5 to 10% more. More density (Wh/kg) in a battery of the same size (or approximately the same size) compared to previous models, it is a bigger battery, and therefore a priori more autonomy (although this is not guaranteed).
If a denser battery heats up more, Apple should be able to compensate for this thanks to the stainless steel of the case: this would be its thermal solution. Ming-Chi Kuo points out in a publication on Medium that this material is less effective than aluminum in dissipating heat, but that it is more robust and resists corrosion better.
However, this new battery would only arrive on the iPhone 16 Pro Max. In fact, we imagine that Apple is testing this solution and waiting for large-scale feedback. Moreover, the brand could trigger an electric shock to remove the battery. Testing this on a single model limits the risks. If all goes well, the manufacturer should logically extend this new type of battery to all its iPhone 17 models.
