Could Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro Max pack the battery boost gamers have waited for?

While there’s no doubting that Apple is the market-leading cell phone brand, there’s one area in particular that it’s fallen behind the Android pack in recent years. Yes, I’m talking about battery life. However, according to a new leak, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, this year’s Apple flagship, could boast a sizeable battery upgrade.

Last year’s iPhone 16 Pro Max was very impressive, topping our list of the best gaming iPhones. However, one of the areas it was most lacking was battery life, especially compared to the likes of the Xiaomi 15 and Honor Magic 7 Pro. That could change this year, though, with the suggestion that the iPhone 17 Pro Max could pack a 5,000mAh battery, a significant upgrade on the 4,676mAh cell inside of last year’s premium Apple offering.

This new leak is courtesy of the reliable Weibo tipster, Setsuna Digital, via 9to5Mac, who estimates that the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s battery is around 5,000mAh. To clarify, they haven’t suggested an exact size, just an estimate, courtesy of their unnamed source, with 5,000mAh as a baseline. Unfortunately, there are no details on the other iPhone 17 models in the report, including the rumored iPhone 17 Air, so we don’t have much of an idea whether we can expect battery boosts across the board or just for the Pro Max device.

While a bigger battery is always a good sign for improved battery life, it’s important to point out that the two factors don’t necessarily go hand in hand. It could be the case that the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s chip requires more power to run AI tasks and the best iPhone games, resulting in the same slightly disappointing battery life of recent Apple devices. If that is the case, I just hope that there’s at least an improvement to charging speeds, as that’s another area where even Apple’s most expensive iPhones can’t keep up with the Android contingent from our guide to the best gaming phones.

As ever, we should point out that we can’t be certain about the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s battery size until its big reveal later this year, so you should take these details with a pinch of salt for now. If you can’t wait around to pick up some new hardware, be sure to check out our guides to the best gaming tablets and the best handheld consoles while you’re here. Or, if you’re strictly an Apple user, see our list of the best iPads.