One of the less-highlighted enhancements in the iPhone 16 Pro is its improved battery life. Although Apple hasn’t placed much emphasis on advertising this new feature, this marks the first year where I’ve truly noticed a significant upgrade in battery performance.
iPhone battery performs well for a standard day, yet has historically faltered when most critical
The longevity of iPhone batteries varies greatly based on individual usage patterns.
This variance explains why Apple no longer provides a single, definitive battery life estimate, opting instead for guidelines based on particular tasks like video or audio playback.
The key question that many of us want to answer is: will my iPhone’s battery last an entire day?
For my typical usage, the answer has mostly been ‘yes’—but this success varies by day.
On an average day, the iPhone’s battery has always more than sufficed for me. However, there are two notable exceptions:
- Travel days
- Intensive photography days
This is particularly frustrating since these are the times when we typically need our iPhones the most, and the battery may fall short.
Yet with the iPhone 16 Pro, I believe we’ve finally turned a crucial corner.
#1: Battery during travel days
I’ve been traveling quite a bit recently, including a trip this week for Thanksgiving.
The iPhone 16 Pro is the first model that I can recall that has effectively handled the demands of travel days.
This morning, for instance, I utilized my iPhone in the following ways:
- I woke up just after 3 am for an early flight
- requested an Uber and monitored its route
- used my mobile boarding pass multiple times at the airport
- placed a mobile order at Starbucks
- caught up on emails
- did some writing during the flight
- then I arrived at the hotel (via another Uber), using mobile check-in to access my room
All of these activities, on previous iPhones, would have resulted in considerable battery drain and heightened my anxiety about the battery life. I would likely have charged my phone during the flight for peace of mind.
This time, however, I didn’t have any battery-related concerns.
For good reason: I’m still over 70% charged, with enough power for the remainder of my extensive travel day.
#2: Photography without compromises or prior planning
Apart from travel days, another common challenge with battery life arises during vacation-like days.
Traveling is one aspect, but if you’re going on holiday, you’re likely to take a multitude of pictures and videos once you arrive.
The other day, my family and I embarked on a full day of excursions. A highlight was an unplanned visit to Universal Studios Florida in the late afternoon.
We explored the new holiday decor in the theme park, my child enjoyed the wonders of Seuss Landing, and then we spent most of our time in Hogsmeade, concluding with a breathtaking projection and fireworks show at Hogwarts Castle.
Throughout this experience, I captured numerous photos and videos.
All of this took place in the late afternoon and evening, after I had extensively used my iPhone earlier that day. Yet, I didn’t encounter a single battery issue.
Previously, if I knew I would frequently use the Camera app at a theme park, I’d deliberately try to conserve battery life.
This time, I used my iPhone just as I normally would throughout the day and still had plenty of power for a spontaneous adventure at Universal Studios, along with all the accompanying photos and videos.
While I’m looking forward to next year’s anticipated iPhone 17 Air, giving up the battery life gains I’ve experienced with the iPhone 16 Pro is going to be a tough adjustment.
How has your experience with the iPhone 16 Pro’s battery life been? Share your thoughts in the comments.
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