iPhone batteries compared: Capacity, mAh and watt hours for every iPhone

Battery life is one of the most important factors when choosing which iPhone to buy.

Measuring iPhone battery life in straight hours of real-world usage (as Apple likes to do) is not an accurate metric for comparison purposes as so many use and environmental factors play a part.

Here at Macworld we run our own battery life tests, which should give you a more accurate representation of how long the battery in your iPhone will last. In the table below you can see battery life (in minutes).

Another way to gage battery life is to look at the technical specifications to find out the battery capacities of each iPhone. Unfortunately, Apple is notoriously secretive about these battery specifications, mainly because smartphones from rivals such as Samsung boast much larger battery capacities. The only way to discover the battery capacities is by ripping the battery out of the phone and checking the specifications printed there.

Below you will find a list and explanation of the battery capacities of every iPhone from 2007’s original iPhone to the very latest iPhone 17 series, including the iPhone Air.

iPhone battery life tests

This chart shows that there is a clear and impressive increase in battery life over time. Battery capacity has grown significantly, almost doubling from the iPhone 8 to the iPhone 17. But battery life has extended much more than that, with the iPhone 17 running the same test, at the same brightness, lasting over five times as long as the iPhone 8! Bear in mind that screen size has increased quite a bit over this time, too.

For more details about our battery life tests of every iPhone from the iPhone X to the iPhone 16 Pro Max see: How much the iPhone’s battery life has improved.

iPhone mAh and Wh: what’s the difference?

We can look at the straight technical specifications to find out the battery capacities of each iPhone, but as mentioned above, to do so requires opening up the iPhone to see the details on the battery itself.

Battery capacity is measured in either Milliamp Hours (mAh) or Watt Hours (Wh).

Milliamp hours are a measure of electrical charge, while a watt-hour is equal to one watt of energy consumed for one hour of time. And it is the energy consumed that matters when we’re measuring actual battery life.

Learn how to properly charge a phone battery.

Wh is a more accurate and consistent way to compare the total amount of energy that similar types of batteries can store.

And it’s all about the battery voltage, which mAh ignores, which determines the wattage (power) of a battery.

If the mAh is the same, the higher the voltage, the greater the actual stored power.

Volts (V) are a measure of electric pressure. Amps (A) are a measure of current. Multiply V x A and you get Watts (W) that are a measure of power. So V × A = W.

You can convert watt hours (Wh) to milliamp hours (mAh) using this formula: (Wh x 1,000) divided by V = mAh.

The lithium batteries that power most portable electronics have a voltage of about 3.6V, but some external battery packs (such as Apple’s 7.62V MagSafe Battery Pack) boast a higher voltage, which means they actually carry more power than their mAh implies.

Here we list the battery capacity of every iPhone ever released in both mAh and Wh.

iPhone battery capacities

Here is the mAh and Wh for every iPhone ever made.

Check out the best iPhone chargers and USB-C iPhone charge cables in our test results.

Is your iPhone battery living up to its potential? Find out How to check iPhone battery health and find out how and when to replace it.

Got an iPad? Read 12 power tips for longer iPad battery life