iPhone 15 could bring major battery and charging improvements, report claims

Reports come amid concerns over battery capacity on latest models

(AFP via Getty Images)

The iPhone 15 could bring major changes to the battery life and charging speed of Apple’s handsets, according to new reports.

The new phones could be charged at up to 35W speeds, according to a report from 9to5mac. That would allow the device to charge far more rapidly than its predecessors: the iPhone 14 Pro is limited to 27W, while the normal iPhone 14 is capped at 20W.

Multiple rumours have suggested that Apple will be swapping the charging port in the bottom of the phone from the existing Lightning cable to USB-C, at least in some models. That could allow for the additional charging speeds.

But that might also mean that the Pro and non-Pro versions of the upcoming device could charge at different speeds. Some rumours have suggested that all the new Apple devices will have the new port, but that some of its capabilities will be restricted to the more expensive Pro models, since they will have Thunderbolt built in.

The charging might also require certified cables, rather than any USB-C wire. While the ports on the end of all USB-C cables are the same, the technology inside both the plugs and the wires themselves can be vastly different.

The new charging rumours come after a run of reports suggesting that the iPhone 15 could come with increased battery capacity, too. Rumours have suggested that the devices could come with up to 18 per cent larger batteries.

Alongside those changes, Apple is said to be preparing to bring a new hardware button to the side of the iPhone, improved cameras, and better chips – but, again, only for those premium, Pro models.

Apple is widely expected to reveal the new phones in the second week of September, with them going on sale a week and a half later. As usual, it will probably do so from a livestreamed event hosted at its California campus.

Around the same time, Apple will also make its upcoming iOS 17 update available, which comes with a wide array of new updates and a potentially controversial new change to the button used to put down the phone.

Apple’s iPhone batteries have been the subject of a number of critical stories in recent weeks. Some have suggested that the most recent iPhone 14 Pro models are losing their battery capacity more quickly than predecessors, and the company is sending out payments to customers affected by Apple’s “batterygate” controversy.