TECH NEWS – Even though Apple’s 2024 flagship comes with a sizable battery, it could still be better.

Apple has been steadily increasing battery capacity in its top-tier models, and the eSIM version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max became the first to cross the 5000 mAh mark with a 5088 mAh battery. But what if we told you there’s a way for its predecessor, the iPhone 16 Pro Max, to go beyond that figure simply by replacing the battery? That is exactly what the video below demonstrates, although you need the right parts. DirectorFeng shows that the new 5142 mAh battery is only negligibly heavier than the iPhone 16 Pro Max’s 4685 mAh unit, and because there is practically no difference in length, width, or thickness between the two, the higher-capacity pack can be fitted into last year’s flagship without much trouble.

After a set of thorough tests that include charging and draining the 5142 mAh battery three times, DirectorFeng reveals the real, usable capacity of the new cells being added to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The module comes from SEFU, a company specialized in lithium-ion battery manufacturing, whose products can be found across a wide range of devices, including iPhones. These third-party parts and accessories are becoming increasingly popular, but their long-term reliability can only be confirmed by comparing results from future tests. In this case, after reassembling the iPhone 16 Pro Max, DirectorFeng shows the battery health reading at 100%, and notes that it had already gone through three full cycles during the earlier testing.

Unfortunately, we did not get to see how this modified device stacks up against the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which reportedly beat rivals such as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and the Google Pixel 10 Pro XL in a battery-drain test. On top of that, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, equipped with a 7500 mAh battery (a 55% increase compared to the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 5088 mAh), lasted only five minutes longer, a result that highlights Apple’s focus on efficiency. The YouTuber says long-term testing will be carried out on the modified iPhone 16 Pro Max.

This small experiment suggests that if you are comfortable disassembling devices and can source the necessary components, you can install a larger battery in an older iPhone and potentially achieve longer battery life.

Source: WCCFTech