When Apple introduces new iPhones, it’s easy to get caught in the jargon. Thirty minutes in, and you’re craving a phone with a “vapor chamber thermal management system” and earbuds that have a “workout buddy” speaking in your ear.
Looking past all the shiny stuff and the marketing speak, what do you really want from a new phone? One of the first things I look for is battery life improvements, and, fortunately, Apple delivered on this one. In fact, perhaps the most important upgrade across all of the new devices — iPhones, Watches, and AirPods Pro — was battery life.
With one exception, that is, but we’ll get to that one later.
Long commutes shouldn’t be a problem anymore, even if you’re using Transparency or Hearing Aid.
Credit: Apple
Starting with the AirPods Pro 3, the battery life is now up to 8 hours with Active Noise Cancellation above; a big leap from the 6 hours you get on the AirPods Pro 2. If you use the Hearing Aid feature, the difference is even more pronounced; 10 hours of listening time vs. 6 hours on the old model.
A very good reason to finally get the Watch
Then there’s the Apple Watch Series 11, which now has 24 hours of battery life (a bare minimum for a smartwatch if you ask me; this is up from 18 hours on the old model, which just isn’t enough). If you opt for the Ultra, you get 42 hours of battery life vs. 36 hours on the old model. The only new Watch that still only has 18 hours of battery life is the Apple Watch SE 3, but I guess Apple had to cut costs somewhere.
With 42 hours of normal operation and 72 hours in Low Power mode, even people who go on multi-day hikes might find the new Ultra 3 a good fit.
Credit: Apple
Let’s take a moment to appreciate these upgrades. After so many iterations, the Apple Watch finally graduated into a smartwatch with a full-day battery life (and a bit more if you use Low Power mode). For me, short battery life was a key issue that prevented me from fully enjoying the Apple Watches I’ve had over the years.
Mashable Light Speed
These figures will be laughed at by those who own smartwatches or sports watches from other companies such as Garmin or Polar, which typically boast multi-day battery life. But Apple’s approach was always to focus on the “smart” part first, and then let the users figure out how to make the watch last throughout the day (personally, I just keep a bunch of chargers everywhere and charge my Series 11 whenever I remember to do it. It doesn’t work great).
The new iPhones are battery life kings, too
The new iPhone 17 Pro Max has the largest battery Apple ever put in an iPhone.
Credit: Apple
Finally, the iPhone. The iPhone 17 now boasts up to 30 hours of video playback, compared to 22 hours on the iPhone 16. This is a massive upgrade; so big, in fact, that I’ll believe it when I actually get to test the device out.
The iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max have been similarly upgraded. The iPhone 17 Pro now has up to 33 hours of video playback (up from 27 hours on the 16 Pro), and the Pro Max — which has the largest battery in iPhone history — has up to 39 hours of video playback, up from 33 hours on its predecessor.
The iPhone 17 has officially landed. Here’s how and when you can preorder all 4 phones.
As a person who is able, willing, and capable of making every battery-powered gadget run out of battery fast — in the industry, they call this a “heavy user” or just, simply, an “annoyance” — I very much appreciate these updates. This is the stuff that makes me throw my money at Apple. Again, I’ll believe it when I see it, but Apple’s figures are typically quite close to what you get in real life.
Wait, what about the iPhone Air?
The iPhone Air is a little behind on battery life, but it’s not as bad as it may seem at first glance.
Credit: Apple
Finally, there’s the outlier – the super-thin, new iPhone Air. It’s sexy, it’s new, it’s slim, but it has the lowest advertised battery life of all the new models — up to 27 hours of video playback, three less than the iPhone 17.
While this sounds bad, it’s still exactly the same as what you get on last year’s iPhone 16 Plus. It should comfortably last a full day, maybe more. Unfortunately for Apple, it will be measured against the new crop of devices, which means endless complaining about battery life. Including, possibly, by me.
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Apple knows this, which is why it’s pushing iPhone Air buyers to also get the optional MagSafe battery. It even lists battery life figures with and without that optional battery in its technical specs. With it, battery life goes to a whopping 40 hours, but the iPhone Air’s thin figure is thin no more.
The jury is still out on the iPhone Air. But overall, if you’re looking to buy a new iPhone, Watch, or AirPods Pro, Apple just gave you a very good reason to consider the new models. Some of these battery life improvements are the biggest leaps Apple has ever made with these devices. And yeah, you can never have too much battery life.
