iPhone 17 Pro Models Expected to Set New Battery Life Benchmark

Apple will tout major battery life improvements for both iPhone 17 Pro models when it unveils the new devices later today at its "Awe dropping" event, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.

Gurman does not go into detail about the battery improvements in what is likely his final pre-event report. However, based on information gleaned from a Chinese regulatory database, the smaller iPhone 17 Pro is expected to pack a 4,252 mAh battery in regions without a SIM card tray, representing an 18.7% jump over the iPhone 16 Pro's 3,582 mAh capacity.

Meanwhile, the iPhone 17 Pro Max could become the first iPhone to cross the 5,000 mAh threshold, with a rumored 5,088 mAh battery that's 8.6% larger than its predecessor.

The expected gains are the result of Apple's decision to ditch the plastic placeholder it has used in SIM-less iPhones since the iPhone 14. By reclaiming that internal space for battery cells, Apple can deliver meaningful capacity improvements without necessarily increasing device size – although one rumor claims that the Pro Max model will be marginally thicker.

The iPhone 17 series is expected to expand eSIM-only availability beyond the U.S. to include the EU and other markets, though China will likely retain physical SIM slots due to regulatory requirements.

Combined with the power efficiency improvements from the A19 Pro chip, the battery upgrades should translate to hours of additional usage time. Gurman says the iPhone 17 Pro battery life gains are a response to users' "unceasing demand for longer-lasting smartphones."

We'll find out more soon. Apple's event begins at 10 a.m. Pacific Time. Event times in other time zones are listed in our how-to-watch event guide.