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Next year's iPhone batteries look like they're getting bigger

A new report suggests Apple's iPhone battery capacities are on the rise, mirroring the iPhone X. Will it mean better battery life?

Scott Stein Editor at Large
I started with CNET reviewing laptops in 2009. Now I explore wearable tech, VR/AR, tablets, gaming and future/emerging trends in our changing world. Other obsessions include magic, immersive theater, puzzles, board games, cooking, improv and the New York Jets. My background includes an MFA in theater which I apply to thinking about immersive experiences of the future.
Expertise VR and AR, gaming, metaverse technologies, wearable tech, tablets Credentials
  • Nearly 20 years writing about tech, and over a decade reviewing wearable tech, VR, and AR products and apps
Scott Stein
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Will the next iPhone X have a better battery?

Sarah Tew/CNET

The latest iPhones do a lot of amazing things, but they're mostly the same old story when it comes to battery life. Maybe 2018 will be the year when Apple's batteries will see some improvement.

A new report from respected industry analyst Ming-Chi Kuo at KGI Securities says that the next trio of iPhones coming in 2018 will all have larger L-shaped batteries inside, just like the iPhone X . Battery capacities could be as high as 3,000 mAh, 9to5Mac reports.

That could mean a boost in iPhone battery life in 2018, but keep in mind that the iPhone X already has a battery capacity of 2,716 mAh based on teardowns, and we found its effective battery life isn't significantly better than previous iPhones in our CNET tests.

Larger batteries could be included to drive larger displays (reported to be 5.8, 6.1 and 6.5 inches) and Face ID, which is also reported to be in all three phones . And, possibly, a more powerful processor, or maybe a TrueDepth camera on the rear as well as the front. It would be great to see better battery life in iPhones.

We'll see what happens next year.

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