Apple unveiled the iPhone 15 series at its “Wonderlust” event yesterday. The company unveiled the new iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and the iPhone 15 Pro Max with many major improvements and upgrades. One of the most discussed points at the event was the battery life of the iPhone 15 series.
Before the launch, there were many speculations that Apple would significantly up the battery life with bigger cells. One report stated that the iPhone 15 Pro Max would boast a record-breaking battery backup. But did Apple live up to the expectations at the launch? Find out here.
Apple iPhone 15 Series Battery Life:
Apple has revealed the official specs of the iPhone 15 lineup, including the battery life ratings. Surprisingly, yet not so surprisingly, the iPhone 15 offers the same battery backup as last year’s iPhone 14 despite having an upgraded processor. The same story follows for the iPhone 15 Plus and the iPhone 15 Pro models.
Here is an overview of the battery life of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max:
- iPhone 15: Up to 20 hours of Video Playback; Up to 80 hours of Audio Playback
- iPhone 15 Plus: Up to 26 hours of Video Playback; Up to 100 hours of Audio Playback
- iPhone 15 Pro: Up to 23 hours of Video Playback; Up to 75 hours of Audio Playback
- iPhone 15 Pro Max: Up to 29 hours of Video Playback; Up to 95 hours of Audio Playback
Apple confirmed this at ‘Wonderlust,’ they subtly told fans that the battery hasn’t been improved. However, since the battery life on the iPhone 15 series is the same as last year’s lineup despite having upgraded processors, it could mean a smaller battery.
How much mAh is the iPhone 15 Lineup Battery?
Apple doesn’t advertise its battery capacities in milliampere hours (mAh). It only explains the video playback, streaming video playback, and audio playback while explaining the battery life. For the iPhone 15 series, especially the iPhone 15 Pro models, Apple called it an “all-day long battery life.”
We learn about the exact battery size when the iPhone is available to the public, and someone opens it up. The rumors claimed the iPhone 15 will have a 3,877mAh battery, bigger than last year’s iPhone 14’s 3,279 mAh. However, this hasn’t been confirmed yet. We’ll update the specific size later.
How is the iPhone 15 Battery Life Compared to the iPhone 14?
Let’s compare the iPhone 15 & iPhone 15 Plus with the iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus to check out the improved battery life of the newly launched Apple devices. We’ll also examine how the vanilla variant’s battery life has improved.
Comparison of iPhone 15’s battery life:
| Battery Life | iPhone 15 | iPhone 14 | iPhone 13 | iPhone 12 |
| Battery for video playback | 20 hours | 20 hours | 19 hours | 17 hours |
| Battery for audio playback | 80 hours | 80 hours | 75 hours | 65 hours |
Comparison of iPhone 15 Plus battery life:
| Battery Life | iPhone 15 Plus | iPhone 14 Plus |
| Battery for video playback | 26 hours | 26 hours |
| Battery for audio playback | 100 hours | 100 hours |
Note: These estimates are not guaranteed because the battery life depends on specific usage. Apple uses the term “up to” to explain this.
Is the iPhone 15 Pro Series Better than the iPhone 14 Pro?
Now, let’s compare the battery life of the iPhone 15 Pro and the iPhone 15 Pro Max with older models to see how much improvement we have received over the years.
Comparison of iPhone 15 Pro’s battery life:
| Battery Life | iPhone 15 Pro | iPhone 14 Pro | iPhone 13 Pro | iPhone 12 Pro |
| Battery for video playback | 23 hours | 23 hours | 22 hours | 17 hours |
| Battery for audio playback | 75 hours | 75 hours | 75 hours | 65 hours |
Comparison of iPhone 15 Pro Max’s battery life:
| Battery Life | iPhone 15 Pro Max | iPhone 14 Pro Max | iPhone 13 Pro Max | iPhone 12 Pro Max |
| Battery for video playback | 29 hours | 29 hours | 28 hours | 20 hours |
| Battery for audio playback | 95 hours | 95 hours | 95 hours | 80 hours |
Frequently Asked Questions:
The iPhone 15 has an impressive battery life of up to 20 hours of video playback, up to 16 hours of video playback with streaming, and up to 80 hours of audio playback. The device takes only 30 minutes to charge up to 50% and takes around an hour and a half for a full charge.
The iPhone 15 Pro has a battery life of up to 23 hours of video playback and up to 75 hours of audio playback on one full charge.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 15 Pro Max gives up to 29 hours of video playback and up to 95 hours of audio playback. The battery can last for a whole day without any issues.
Apple revealed that the iPhone 15 lineup will have a USB-C charging port instead of Apple’s proprietary Lightning port. This change brings the new iPhones in line with every other modern smartphone, computer, tablet, camera, and pair of headphones. Apple will ship a USB 2.0 cable with a type-C port now.
No, the iPhone 15 battery will not drain faster as Apple has upgraded the power consumption with a more efficient A16 processor. The battery will last around a day, and the exact backup you get depends on the usage. If you’re streaming videos continuously, it would still give you a backup of up to 16 hours.
Yes, the iPhone 15 will charge faster than the previous models due to the Type-C charging port. It would take only 30 minutes to reach the iPhone 15 series models to 50% with a 20W Apple adapter and cable. Apple is shipping USB 2.0 cables with the new iPhones, but you can upgrade them to USB 3.0 for faster charging.
Final Verdict:
The iPhone 15 series hasn’t gotten an ‘upgrade’ in terms of battery life, as the playback is just the same as last year’s phones. During its “Wonderlust” event, Apple emphasized that the new devices are more power-efficient than previous-gen models. However, if that were true, we would’ve gotten an extended battery life.
A logical conclusion that justifies more efficient power consumption with upgraded A16 and A17 Pro processors would include smaller batteries. We’ll find that out soon. Apple has also included the Type-C charging port on this year’s models.
The iPhone 15 models will take around 30 minutes to get up to 50% when charged using an Apple standard 20W or higher charger and cable. This means the phones would take around an hour and a half to charge fully. The Plus and Pro Max variants might take an even longer time.
This is Saquib, a technology and social media expert with over 10 years of experience in the industry. With a passion for staying up-to-date on the latest developments and trends in the tech and social media world and as a writer, I have been creating informative and engaging content that is easy for readers to understand and enjoy, also published in several leading tech and social media publications and is a regular speaker at industry events. In addition to my writing and speaking engagements, I also work as a consultant, helping businesses grow with the ever-changing tech and social media niche.
