A new series of leaked images that was claimed to show the battery for the expected iPhone 17 Air, is now instead to be one of two battery versions for the iPhone 17 Pro.
The iPhone 17 Air is expected to achieve its slim profile both through redesigned components, and a compromise on the battery life of the device. Leaker Majin Bu claimed to have images of the battery, and to also know its capacity.
He’s now said that there was a “miscommunication,” and that what he’s been sent is a set of images that actually show the iPhone 17 Pro battery. The reason for differences between the images, he says, is that one is for the US market and one is for the Chinese one — where iPhones still require physical SIM cards.
In his original blog post, Bu also says that he has been told that the capacity of the battery is 2,900 mAh. While he does not address this in his updated post, if that figure is correct, it cannot be for this battery.
That’s because 2,900 mAh is roughly the same as other recent rumors have stated for the battery in the iPhone 17 Air. For comparison, the current iPhone 16 Pro battery is rated at 3,582 mAh.
Regardless of the capacity and physical size differences, Bu’s images do show batteries that appear to be encased in steel. This fits with how the iPhone 16 Pro introduced a steel case for its battery, to help with cooling.
The new images do resemble the iPhone 16 Pro battery in its steel finish. They also feature an L-shape design that is very approximately the same as on that current model.
This all said, the provenance of the images is impossible to prove. A reverse Google image search didn’t turn up anything — but there are very similar metal shapes that could easily be repurposed for the sake of this leak. Apple also isn’t the only smartphone manufacturer that uses L-shaped batteries.
Note that Bu has a mixed track record for accuracy. He’s previously claimed that iPhone 15 would get two front-facing cameras, and that the iPhone 16 Plus would have a lower capacity battery than its predecessor.
UPDATED: 11: 30 ET on August 2, 2025 with Bu’s corrections.
