Update August 2, 2021: Apple makes room for a bigger battery, claims DigiTimes. Apple plans to make smaller internal components so that there is more room for the battery. This should be made possible by using IPD's, or 'integrated passive devices', the chips needed for peripherals. These are smaller and provide better performance. Apple is said to have given supplier TSMC the green light to mass-produce IPD's for the upcoming iPhones and iPads, so this applies to the iPhone 13 at least.
Below is our original article from June 1, 2021.
The battery in the iPhone 12 models was slightly smaller compared to the iPhone 11 series. Fortunately, that didn't mean a shorter battery life, but it's good news if Apple switches to larger batteries again. According to a source on the Chinese social network Weibo, all iPhone 13 models will have a larger battery. The news is shared by the well-known rumor nicer @L0vetodream, who regularly provided accurate information about unannounced products.
iPhone 13 battery: ‘larger than previous models’
According to the source, all iPhone 13 models will get a higher capacity battery. We see the biggest improvement with the iPhone 13 Pro Max: according to the leaked info, it goes from 3687 mAh to 4352 mAh. That is an increase of 18%. With the iPhone 13 and iPhone 13 Pro, the difference is about 10%: from 2815 mAh to 3095 mAh.
The device that would benefit most from a larger battery is the iPhone 12 mini. Unfortunately, the improvement there is the smallest in percentage, namely from 2227 mAh to 2406 mAh. That is an improvement of about 8%. The iPhone 12 mini is mainly criticized for being difficult to do a full day on a single battery charge. On the other hand, it's no surprise that the jump in capacity is smallest there. Because the device is so compact, there is also less room for a larger battery.
Size Battery 2020 Possible capacity 2021 5.4-inch iPhone 12 mini: 2227 mAh iPhone 13 mini: 2406 mAh (+8%) 6 .1-inch iPhone 12: 2815 mAh iPhone 13: 3095 mAh (+10%) 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro: 2815 mAh iPhone 13 Pro: 3095 mAh (+10%) 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max : 3687 mAh iPhone 13 Pro Max: 4352 mAh (+18%)
But whether the higher capacity in the battery of the iPhone 13 also ensures a longer battery life is still open to question. Apple often uses a larger capacity to add more advanced features. The ProMotion 120Hz display for iPhone 13 is on the list for this year. This ensures smoother animations, but such a high refresh rate has the disadvantage that it consumes more power. For this function, such a larger battery comes as called.