The latest iPhone 12 rumor might mean charging your phone a lot more often

Yagi Studio/Photodisc/Getty Images
Impact
ByTebany Yune

The latest iPhone 12 rumor is here, and it isn't great news for people who don't love charging their phones. The eagle-eyed folks at MySmartPrice have found certifications for three smartphone batteries that appear to be for the upcoming iPhone 12 models. Unfortunately, the batteries are smaller than the ones used in the iPhone 11, which could mean the iPhone 12 might hold a shorter charge than its predecessor.

According to MySmartPrice, the certifications only list one battery that's larger than the iPhone 11 Pro Max's — this one would presumably fit on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. The other two batteries are all smaller than their iPhone 11 counterparts.

On paper, it seems like a real downgrade. So why would Apple do this? Previous rumors have hinted at four iPhone 12 models for this year, with at least one model designed to be 10 percent thinner than the iPhone 11 Pro Max. The drive to make phones thinner and lighter could be part of the reasoning behind using a smaller battery for the iPhone 12.

Perhaps the smaller battery is also Apple's way of keeping the cost of the iPhone 12 low or equivalent to the iPhone 11's pricing. The rumored lack of a wall charger in the iPhone 12's boxes might support that as well, and the possibility of a newer 20W charger (sold separately) could make up for the shorter battery life with a faster charge time.

However, as MacRumors pointed out, they presumed that the iPhone 12 would drain more battery power due to better displays, 5G support, higher RAM, and other features. If this is true, then a smaller battery and more battery drain could mean frequent stops to quickly charge your iPhone.

The writers at Tom's Guide were slightly more optimistic as they noted that Apple has been getting better and better at optimizing their phones to reduce the drain on batteries. The iPhone 11 and iPhone 11 Pro Max made the website's 'Best phone battery life in 2020' list despite having smaller battery sizes than the competition, the author pointed out, and a new processing chip could make the phones even more efficient.

Only time will tell whether the battery size will greatly impact the iPhone 12 or not. Fans will have to hold out for official news from the company, but even that thought brings disappointing news: Production could be delayed due to the pandemic, which could delay any announcements as well.