Every iPhone 15 has a stealth battery upgrade Apple didn't tell you about

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Something got a bit bigger.

iPhone battery being replaced
(Image credit: Future)
iPHONE 15: What you need to know

Teaser image for Apple Wonderlust event

(Image credit: Apple)

- Apple Event - LIVE reaction
- iPhone 15
- iPhone 15 Pro /iPhone 15 Pro Max
- Apple Watch Series 9 / Ultra 2
- iOS 17
- watchOS 10

Before Apple announced the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro earlier this week there were rumors that they would come with bigger batteries. Apple didn't say anything about those batteries during its Wonderlust event, but it turns out it was keeping a secret all along.

While Apple's product pages for the new iPhones don't make mention of upgraded batteries it turns out that they are actually there. Although you're unlikely to notice any difference in how long those batteries actually last.

In fact, the difference between the old and new batteries is so marginal, that it's perhaps understandable Apple kept it to itself.

Small gains

With Apple keeping quiet about the new batteries it was left to MySmartPrice to spot them in a Chinese regulatory database.

That regulatory database confirms that the new iPhones do indeed have bigger batteries than their older counterparts, although the difference is very small indeed.

Here's what iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro buyers are getting under the hood.

  • iPhone 15 Pro Max — 4,422 mAh
  • iPhone 15 Pro — 3,274 mAh
  • iPhone 15 Plus — 4,384 mAh
  • iPhone 15 — 3,349 mAh

That doesn't mean all that much in isolation, we'll admit. So let's take a look at what batteries Apple used in the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro devices as well.

  • iPhone 14 Pro Max — 4,323 mAh
  • iPhone 14 Pro — 3,200 mAh
  • iPhone 14 Plus — 4,325 mAh
  • iPhone 14 — 3,279 mAh

While those differences aren't all that big. they're obviously welcome.

The biggest question some will have is whether these new batteries will stay healthy for longer. Many people with iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro models reported their battery health was particularly bad after less than a year of ownership.

We're covering all the Apple iPhone 15 event news and reactions now that Wonderlust is over. Don't miss all our iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Apple Watch Series 9, Apple Watch Ultra 2, iOS 17and watchOS 10 coverage so far.

Oliver Haslam
Oliver Haslam
Contributor

Oliver Haslam has written about Apple and the wider technology business for more than a decade with bylines on How-To Geek, PC Mag, iDownloadBlog, and many more. He has also been published in print for Macworld, including cover stories. At iMore, Oliver is involved in daily news coverage and, not being short of opinions, has been known to 'explain' those thoughts in more detail, too. Having grown up using PCs and spending far too much money on graphics card and flashy RAM, Oliver switched to the Mac with a G5 iMac and hasn't looked back. Since then he's seen the growth of the smartphone world, backed by iPhone, and new product categories come and go. Current expertise includes iOS, macOS, streaming services, and pretty much anything that has a battery or plugs into a wall. Oliver also covers mobile gaming for iMore, with Apple Arcade a particular focus. He's been gaming since the Atari 2600 days and still struggles to comprehend the fact he can play console quality titles on his pocket computer.