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TechRadar

James Rogerson

iPhone 15 battery predictions: rumored battery sizes and charging speeds

Apple Lance Ulanoff Future Foxconn

Apple iPhone 14 Pro Max angle with screen on

We’re now very close to the launch of the iPhone 15, with that phone expected to land alongside the iPhone 15 Plus, the iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max, in mid-September, as iPhone 15 release date leaks point to a September 12 announcement.

Unsurprisingly therefore, there have been loads of leaks and rumors about these phones, including about the likely iPhone 15 battery sizes and charging speeds. So while nothing is confirmed just yet, we have a good idea of what to expect on that front.

With this all in mind you’ll find full details of the likely battery sizes and charging speeds for each iPhone 15 model below, along with how they compare to their iPhone 14 predecessors.

iPhone 15 battery

The iPhone 15 will likely have USB-C rather than a Lightning port (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The most detailed iPhone 15 battery leak so far suggests this phone will have a 3,877mAh battery, which is 18% bigger than the 3,279mAh battery in the iPhone 14. So that’s a big upgrade, and this claim reportedly comes from a Foxconn worker, which is someone who would likely know, as Foxconn builds iPhones.

That said, this is the only battery capacity leak we’ve heard about the iPhone 15 so far, so we’d still take this with a pinch of salt.

Still, if this leak does pan out then – coupled with a likely more efficient chipset than the iPhone 14 – we could see serious battery life gains from the iPhone 15. For reference, Apple claims the iPhone 14 can last for up to 20 hours of local video playback, 16 hours of streamed video, or 80 hours of audio playback, so expect higher figures than that from the iPhone 15.

Going just by the capacity increase without factoring in the chipset change, that could translate to around 24 hours of local video, 19 hours of streamed video, and 94 hours of audio.

We could also see upgrades to charging. At the very least, the iPhone 15 will almost certainly charge via USB-C from what we’ve heard (and this is a change Apple needs to make before too long, at least for EU models).

But beyond that, the iPhone 15 might charge faster than the iPhone 14. The latter tops out at 20W, but according to “people familiar with the matter” speaking to 9to5Mac, at least some iPhone 15 models with support 35W charging. However, they’re not sure whether this will apply to every model or just the Pro and Pro Max.

Finally, there’s a chance that the iPhone 15 will support reverse wireless charging. This would let you use it as a wireless charging mat to juice up other devices, such as an Apple Watch or AirPods. However, we’ve only heard this claim from one source, and they only say Apple is working on the feature – not that it will definitely be included on any iPhone 15 models, so we wouldn’t count on this.

iPhone 15 Plus battery

The iPhone 15 Plus could have a much bigger battery than the 14 Plus (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The iPhone 15 Plus might have a 4,912mAh battery according to the detailed iPhone 15 battery leak mentioned above. That would be a 14% increase on the 4,323mAh battery of the iPhone 14 Plus, and using the same back-of-an-envelope calculations, could translate to around 30 hours of local video playback, 23 hours of streamed video, or 114 hours of audio playback, up from 26 hours, 20 hours, and 100 hours respectively with the iPhone 14 Plus.

That though, once again, doesn’t factor in the new chipset we’re expecting (an A16 Bionic rather than an A15 Bionic), which could add additional longevity to the battery.

As with the iPhone 15, we might also see the iPhone 15 Plus get 35W charging (up from 20W with the iPhone 14 Plus), and support for reverse wireless charging – though we wouldn’t count on either of those things. What it will almost certainly have, though, is a USB-C charging port, in place of Lightning.

iPhone 15 Pro battery

The iPhone 14 Pro (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

According to the main iPhone 15 battery leak so far, the iPhone 15 Pro will have a 3,650mAh battery, which is up from 3,200mAh in the iPhone 14 Pro – a 14% increase.

For reference, the iPhone 14 Pro is rated to last through 23 hours of local video playback, 20 hours of streamed video, or 75 hours of audio playback. Assuming a straight 14% increase to those figures, we’d be looking at around 26 hours of local video, 23 hours of streamed video, and 85 hours of audio playback from the iPhone 15 Pro.

Of course, it won’t be that simple, but if anything, the figures might be even higher, since the iPhone 15 Pro is expected to have a more efficient A17 Bionic chipset.

As with the other iPhone 15 models, we’re expecting a USB-C port here, and there’s a high chance that the iPhone 15 Pro will charge at 35W (up from around 20W with the iPhone 14 Pro) if the charging speed leak discussed above is accurate. There’s also a small chance that it will support reverse wireless charging.

iPhone 15 Pro Max battery

You'll probably be able to charge the 15 Pro Max faster than the 14 Pro Max (Image credit: Future / Lance Ulanoff)

The iPhone 15 Pro Max – or iPhone 15 Ultra as it might be called – will reportedly have a 4,852mAh, according to the same source as the other iPhone 15 line battery capacity leaks. That’s a 12% increase on the 4,323mAh battery in the iPhone 14 Pro Max.

So that’s the smallest percentage increase of any of these phones, and would leave the iPhone 15 Pro Max with a slightly smaller battery than the iPhone 15 Plus.

Still, a boost is a boost, and this could make the iPhone 15 Pro Max capable of lasting through 32 hours of video playback, 28 hours of streamed video, and 106 hours of audio playback, with those figures being a 12% increase on the 29 hours, 25 hours, and 95 hours respectively that the iPhone 14 Pro Max is rated for.

For most use cases that would make the iPhone 15 Pro Max the longest lasting of the new models – despite not quite having the biggest battery – though there’s the usual caveat that these are basic estimates, so are unlikely to be totally accurate; especially as the change in chipset will likely affect the life of all four models.

As with the iPhone 15 Pro, there’s a significant chance the iPhone 15 Pro Max will also charge at 35W, which would be an improvement on the iPhone 14 Pro Max’s charging speeds; that phone is officially listed as charging at 20W, but independent tests suggest the reality is more like 27W.

It will also almost certainly have a USB-C port, and may support reverse wireless charging – though we’re skeptical of that.