iPhone 17, Air, Pro and Pro Max battery capacities revealed early — here’s what you get

The official reveal of the iPhone 17 series is only a day away, and we're following all the build-up live. Of course, there's no danger of the rumor mill letting up ahead of Apple's "Awe Dropping" event, and the most recent leak claims to showcase final battery sizes for the next generation of iPhones.

The leak in question comes from an X user called ShrimpApplePro (via MacRumors.) The shared image, reportedly from the "Chinese regulatory," features the apparent battery capacity for each iPhone 17 model.

The leaked image also includes the battery capacity for each iPhone 17 model without a physical SIM tray.

We'd heard rumors the iPhone 17 Air could be eSIM-only outside of the U.S., but this indicates that the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max may follow suit. Unfortunately, the image is unclear regarding the base iPhone 17, as it looks to be cut off at the bottom.

Battery size comparison: iPhone 17 series (rumored) vs iPhone 16 series

For the most part, the battery sizes for the iPhone 17 series with a SIM tray only show a slight increase over the past models. However, the iPhone 17 Air, which is reported to be replacing the Plus model, features a significantly smaller battery than the iPhone 16 Plus. Obviously, due to how thin the phone is aiming to be, which would make it much harder to add a larger battery.

Meanwhile, the reported numbers for the versions of the phone that don’t feature a SIM tray show a much bigger difference in capacity, aside from the iPhone 17 Air. One of the most impressive increases is the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which, if the leak is accurate, would be the first iPhone to exceed 5,000 mAh.

While it might be disappointing to see the iPhone 17 Air feature such a low battery capacity, at least compared to the best iPhones, there is one major caveat. There have been several leaks indicating the iPhone 17 Air will feature Apple’s C1 modem, the same as seen in the iPhone 16e. This could have a major effect on the battery life of the phone, as the C1 modem was designed in-house by Apple to offer improved power efficiency.

We won't have to wait long to see how accurate these numbers are. Apple’s “Awe Dropping” event is scheduled for September 9, starting at 10 a.m. PT / 1 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. BST / 3 a.m AEST. To make sure you don't miss any of the leaks and rumors, as well as all the leaks as they happen, bookmark Tom's Guide's Apple event live blog.

In the meantime, have your say: are you excited about the iPhone 17 series, and would you be happy to see a modern iPhone without a physical SIM tray, especially if it means a bigger battery?

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