iPhone Fold could be the king of the Apple devices in one key area – a beefy battery

2026 looks set to be a year of change for Apple. If previous leaks and rumours prove true, it will be the first year where its base model for the new iPhone generation isn't launched, with the brand focusing on higher-tier devices at its autumn launch event.

That is said to include the successors the the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max models, but also the long-awaited iPhone Fold. While the rest of the tech world has plowed ahead with foldable phones for years, Apple has been notably silent, though that's said to be changing this time out.

Now, it seems the iPhone Fold could arrive as a record-breaker – at least within the brand's own history books. That's because it's said to feature the largest battery ever fitted to an iPhone handset.

The news, which was shared by macrumors, says that the device could be "over 5,500mAh" in size, which would just pip the iPhone 17 Pro Max. It would also beat out some of the competition – handsets like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 and the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold – though it's notably still beaten by the Honor Magic V5.

It's not entirely news, either. For a while now, rumours have suggested that the brand was working on larger battery technology for the model, in a bid to compete with others.

There's also no guarantee that the larger capacity would make any meaningful difference to performance. While the battery is larger, it also has to power more display area, which is one of the chief power draws on a modern handset. If I had to guess, I'd wager that the larger cell will only be enough to maintain the all-day battery life the brand touts for other handsets.

Still, it's good to know that it will be coming out swinging. Many of us will remember the Apple of old, which took pride in being more refined with its approach to launches, rather than unveiling things quickly. This could be another example of that ideology.