Apple’s long-rumoured entry into the foldable smartphone market is starting to take a clearer shape, and battery life appears to be one of the company’s biggest priorities. According to a fresh claim from a well-known Chinese leaker, Apple’s first foldable iPhone could feature the largest battery ever seen in an iPhone, comfortably surpassing both previous models and current rival foldables.

In a recent post on Weibo, the account Fixed Focus Digital said the foldable iPhone is expected to pack a battery exceeding 5,500 mAh. If accurate, this would place it well ahead of the current record-holder, the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which reportedly comes with a 5,088 mAh battery. For Apple, which has traditionally focused more on efficiency than raw battery capacity, this would mark a notable shift in approach.

The reported figure also stands out when compared with existing foldable smartphones. Google’s Pixel 10 Pro Fold is said to carry a 5,015 mAh battery, while Samsung’s Galaxy Z Fold 7 comes with a significantly smaller 4,400 mAh unit. A foldable iPhone crossing the 5,500 mAh mark would therefore sit at the top of the segment in terms of battery size, at least on paper.

This is not the first time such numbers have surfaced. Last year, another leaker, yeux1122, claimed that Apple was testing batteries ranging between 5,400 and 5,800 mAh for its foldable device, citing information from the supply chain. A follow-up report earlier this year suggested that Apple was heavily focused on improving power efficiency, while also slimming down internal components to make room for a larger battery.

Respected Apple analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has echoed a similar view, stating that the foldable iPhone will use high-density battery cells to deliver better battery life without compromising the device’s form factor. Taken together, these reports point to battery endurance being a core selling point of Apple’s first foldable.

Beyond the battery, the device is rumoured to feature a 7.8-inch crease-free inner display and a 5.5-inch cover display. Other expected specifications include Touch ID, a dual rear camera setup, the upcoming A20 chip, and Apple’s in-house C2 modem. The foldable iPhone is widely expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max later this year.

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While Apple has not confirmed any of these details, the growing consistency across multiple reports suggests that the company is aiming to address one of the biggest concerns around foldable phones: battery life. If these claims hold true, Apple’s first foldable iPhone could set a new benchmark in this area when it finally arrives.