The iPhone Air has been a breath of fresh air in Apple’s highly commercial iPhone lineup. It’s slim yet powerful enough to take care of all your mobile computing needs with ease. Sadly, the battery life has been a point of concern so far and Apple seems to have played it too safe, considering how its contemporaries from China have managed to adopt newer battery technologies for better stamina performance. With the iPhone 18 series, things could change.
According to supply chain and analyst reports, the upcoming iPhone 18 series is expected to feature a major shift to Silicon-Carbon (Si/C) anode battery technology. This change in battery chemistry may seem small, but the implications could be huge. Imagine your standard iPhone 18 being able to last two days on a single charge, with some charge left to get you into the third day!
iPhone 18 with silicon carbon battery: Why it is crucial
The Silicon-Carbon anode technology allows manufacturers to dramatically increase energy density while sticking to slim battery casings. Unlike traditional lithium-ion batteries that rely on graphite for the anode, the new Si/C composition uses silicon, which can hold up to 10 times more lithium ions per gram than graphite. This allows phone makers to either pack significantly more power into the same physical space or maintain respectable battery life despite shrinking the phone’s chassis, which indirectly shrinks the battery capacity.
A slim yet densely packed battery could be a huge deal for the next-generation iPhone Air, which could retain its slimness at 5.6mm. The current iPhone Air promises up to 27 hours of video playback, and Apple promises an all-day battery life if you get the detachable power bank. With a denser Si/C battery technology, you could expect the iPhone Air 2 to surpass the battery stamina of the current iPhone 18, if not better!
A dense battery combined with a rumoured power-efficient 2nm A20 Pro chip and Apple’s next-gen custom modem could give the next-generation iPhone Air a bigger boost in stamina. As for the iPhone 18, it could benefit from a far superior battery life than the current established norms. As far as the Pro models are concerned, such batteries could prove to boost practicality.
Are Silicon Carbon batteries safe?
While Silicon-Carbon batteries have been adopted by competitors like Xiaomi and OnePlus, they have a tendency to expand during charging, thus leading to rapid battery degradation. The technology is deemed safe as manufacturers implement additional measures to monitor for signs of stress and prevent any untoward incident. Apple’s implementation is expected to be more refined with clever battery chemistry at play.