The arrival of the iPhone 16 series has sparked the usual frenzy amongst tech enthusiasts, but this year, the spotlight has shifted firmly towards stamina. Whilst users often clamour for camera upgrades, it is the battery life and charging speeds that have taken centre stage. Having put the new lineup through rigorous testing, we can confirm that Cupertino’s claims are not merely marketing fluff; there has been a tangible leap in performance.
Domination in Endurance Tests
Our exhaustive tests on the iPhone 16 models revealed a clear upward trajectory in battery sizes and, crucially, real-world usage time compared to the previous generation. The undisputed champion of this lineup is the iPhone 16 Pro Max. It didn’t just outperform its siblings; it managed to secure the 8th spot in our all-time battery rankings, besting fierce rivals like the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the Pixel 9 Pro XL by over an hour of estimated life.
This prowess is particularly interesting given the somewhat peculiar charging behaviour we observed during the experiments. Whilst the batteries are physically larger, the real magic lies within the silicon. The new Apple A18 and A18 Pro chips, manufactured on TSMC’s second-generation 3nm process (N3E), have struck a pivotal balance between power consumption and delivery. This corrects the efficiency wobbles seen in the previous A17 Pro chips. Consequently, the Pro Max shone brightly in web browsing and gaming tests, outpacing even the iPhone 16 Plus. However, it is worth noting that in YouTube video streaming, the Pro Max and the Plus were neck and neck. The standard iPhone 16 and 16 Pro models received a modest bump, though we remain hopeful that the introduction of Apple’s proprietary 5G modem next year might finally push them past the 7-hour mark.
The Road to the 20th Anniversary
Whilst we analyse the hardware in our hands today, industry whispers are already pivoting towards a monumental shift slated for 2027. Reports emerging from Germany suggest that Apple is preparing a radical overhaul to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its smartphone lineup. Much like the iPhone X marked a decade of innovation, speculation is rife that the company will skip the “iPhone 19” moniker entirely, jumping straight to the “iPhone 20.”
A Radical Design Shift on the Horizon
According to industry insiders and reports from the Korean outlet Dealsite, this anniversary edition will feature a truly bezel-less aesthetic. To achieve this “All Screen” vision, Apple is reportedly deepening its collaboration with LG Display. The South Korean manufacturing giant is said to be eyeing an investment of 400 billion Won—roughly 300 million US dollars—to revamp its production lines specifically for this project.
The mooted design involves a four-sided curved display, a significant departure from the edge technology Samsung championed years ago. This panel would curve around all four corners of the device, necessitating complex changes to the panel circuitry within the frame. Furthermore, the Thin Film Encapsulation (TFE), which protects the OLED panel from moisture and oxygen, must be made significantly thinner to accommodate this curvature. The ultimate goal is to bury the front camera, TrueDepth sensors, and other components completely beneath the display, rendering them invisible and creating a seamless sheet of glass. If these developments come to fruition, the iPhone 20 could redefine the tactile experience of smartphones, making the current bezels on the iPhone 16 look positively archaic.
