With the unveiling of the iPhone 17 series roughly five weeks away, leakster (to coin a term) Majin Bu says that one of his sources has sent him photographs of the iPhone 17 Pro battery inside a stainless steel case. Two different versions of the battery case were revealed. One is for the U.S. market and the other for the Chinese market. The U.S. version has a smaller “L-shaped” cutout compared with the cutout on the Chinese variant of the stainless steel battery case.
The Chinese version of the steel battery case also differs from the U.S. version because of its ability to host a SIM tray. Starting with the iPhone 14 series in 2022, new model iPhone units sold in the U.S. are not equipped with a physical SIM tray. The U.S. version of the stainless steel battery case is also wider.
Majin Bu notes how the battery case in both variations comes with a welded edge, and Apple will use new adhesives to make replacing the battery easier. The”leakster” also believes that the steel case indicates that the new iPhone 17 Pro models will have a better grip on thermal management for charging at faster speeds. Apple is way behind when it comes to fast charging, especially compared to some of the outrageous charging speeds available on some phones made by Chinese firms such as Xiaomi, vivo, and realme.
Some of the fastest charging phones can completely replenish the battery in tens of minutes. Apple, worrying about the cumulative effects of fast charging on the longevity of the battery, and the amount of heat such charging speeds generate, is too conservative when it comes to fast charging. In addition to doing a better job of managing heat dissipation, the stainless steel battery cases are more durable and less prone to puncture than the previously used “soft packs.” The latter held the battery cells in a pouch made of a thin, flexible foil-like material and are prone to accidental punctures, which makes it harder to replace the phone’s battery. Thus, the new stainless steel cases should make battery replacement easier.
The “soft packs” weigh less than the stainless steel battery cases, and takes up less room. But the stainless steel cases are not only more durable, they also do a better job of dissipating heat. Apple first tested the stainless steel battery case with last year’s iPhone 16 Pro. The iPhone 16 Pro Max came with a “soft pack” battery case. According to Majin Bu, besides the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max, we could see the stainless steel battery case employed on the ultra-slim iPhone 17 Air.
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