iPhone 16 Pro Max Battery Modification Gives Apple’s Previous-Generation Flagship A Near-10% Bump In Capacity, Higher Than The eSIM iPhone 17 Pro Max’s Cell

Apple has gradually increased the battery capacity of its top-end flagships, with the eSIM version of the iPhone 17 Pro Max becoming the company’s first to exceed the 5,000mAh ceiling as it ships with a 5,088mAh cell. However, what if we told you that there was a way in which an iPhone 16 Pro Max, the aforementioned device’s predecessor, could surpass it with a battery modification? A YouTuber just demonstrated that it is possible, just as long as you have the means to source the correct parts.

New battery modification gives the iPhone 16 Pro Max a 5,142mAh cell, making it larger than the unit found on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, and a 9.76 percent increase from its original 4,685mAh capacity

If there is any content creator who can meticulously showcase the process of switching from a smaller battery capacity on an iPhone to a bigger one, it is DirectorFeng. He demonstrates that the new 5,142mAh cell has a negligible weight increase over the 4,685mAh battery that ships with the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and given that there are virtually no length, width, or thickness differences between the two units, the larger one can easily be outfitted in Apple’s previous-generation flagship.

With some thorough testing that includes charging and discharging the 5,142mAh battery three times, the YouTuber reveals the actual capacity of the new cell that’s going to be added to the iPhone 16 Pro Max. The new module belongs to SEFU, a specialized manufacturer of lithium-ion batteries for a wide range of products, including iPhones. These third-party accessories and components are gaining popularity, but we cannot confirm their reliability beyond comparing the results of future tests.

On this occasion, after reassembling the iPhone 16 Pro Max, DirectorFeng showed that the battery health was 100 percent, with three whole cycles completed because of the earlier testing. Unfortunately, what we didn’t see was how this modded handset fared against the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which has beaten competing flagships like the Galaxy S25 Ultra and Pixel 10 Pro XL in a battery drain test.

Additionally, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max, which packs a massive 7,500mAh battery, making it a 55 percent increase over the iPhone 17 Pro Max’s 5,088mAh cell, only outlasted the latter by 5 minutes, displaying Apple’s laser focus on superior efficiency. The YouTuber says that he will conduct long-term tests on the modded iPhone 16 Pro Max, so we will have to wait for more updates in the future.

What this little exercise proves is that if you’re skilled in disassembling devices and have the means to source parts yourself, you can acquire a bigger battery for an older iPhone and get even more runtime. Then again, Apple is already said to be testing its iPhone Fold with a battery that’s in the 5,400-5,800mAh range, making it the highest capacity for any iPhone, while also increasing the iPhone 18 Pro Max’s thickness, implying that it might ship with a larger battery than the iPhone 17 Pro Max. In short, you may not have to perform these mods unless you own an older-generation smartphone.

News Source: DirectorFeng

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