Technologies

iPhone 17 Rumors: New iPhone Battery Could Be Stronger and Smaller

Speculation on better battery life and charging could give a power boost to the rumored iPhone Air.

The next iteration of iPhones is just around the corner, with an official announcement expected sometime this fall. With the Worldwide Developers Conference now behind us, we’re most looking forward to the announcement of the iPhone 17.

There are plenty of rumors about what the next iPhone will look like and what sort of specs it may have. One of the more popular talking points for any new smartphone release is battery life, and the new iPhone is no exception. A rumored iPhone 17 Air with a thinner design has raised the question of whether a slimmer iPhone would have to sacrifice battery life.

Regardless of the model type, battery life is a concern across the board. After all, you can’t use your new tech if the battery drains too fast and doesn’t last more than a few hours. We’ve sorted through all the rumors and leaks when it comes to the battery for the iPhone 17. Let’s break it down.

Battery size for the next iPhone

Current iPhones utilize a lithium-ion battery, which is less malleable and not really conducive to being used in a slimmer model, like the rumored iPhone 17 Air. So, if they were to shrink the lithium-ion battery to fit a skinnier frame, it would likely have less capacity. However, Apple may be adding a silicon-anode battery to the new slimmer iPhone, according to AppleInsider.

Compared with graphite-based anodes, common in lithium-ion batteries, silicon anodes can hold more lithium ions, allowing them to store more energy. In theory, that would mean a more compact silicon-anode battery wouldn’t sacrifice power. The iPhone may even charge faster than previous iterations as a result. As for the rumored iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to 9to5mac, it’s expected to have a slightly larger battery than the iPhone 16 Max Pro.

AI-powered battery management

The next iPhones (and the current models after iOS 26 rolls out) will have AI-powered adaptive battery energy management starting this fall, we learned at WWDC. Part of Apple Intelligence, the company will utilize AI to monitor how you use your device and adjust performance and energy consumption settings accordingly, aiming to extend the phone’s battery life. Think of Adaptive Power as the first step toward extending your iPhone’s battery life and Low Power mode as the last step of doing the same.

Another piece of new hardware that’ll likely impact battery efficiency is the rumored A19 processing chip. The iPhone 17 base and Air will likely get the A18 chip, which is the same chip that the iPhone 16 uses. However, according to Apple analyst Jeff Pu, the rumored iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are set to include the A19 chip, which would likely come equipped with better optimization, which in turn could impact how long the battery will last on the rumored iPhone, and how efficiently it will run.

How accurate are iPhone rumors?

Until Apple officially releases its new phone, speculation on the iPhone 17 is simply educated guesswork. While most rumors come from insider knowledge or are leaked from the teams working on these products, until Apple says otherwise, they remain rumors.

Technologies

Today’s Wordle Hints, Answer and Help for April 20, #1766

Here are hints and the answer for today’s Wordle for April 20, No. 1,766.

Looking for the most recent Wordle answer? Click here for today’s Wordle hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands puzzles.

Today’s Wordle puzzle has a couple of rare letters in it. If you need a new starter word, check out our list of which letters show up the most in English words. If you need hints and the answer, read on.

Today’s Wordle hints

Before we show you today’s Wordle answer, we’ll give you some hints. If you don’t want a spoiler, look away now.

Wordle hint No. 1: Repeats

Today’s Wordle answer has one repeated letter.

Wordle hint No. 2: Vowels

Today’s Wordle answer has two vowels, and then one of those is repeated, so you will see that one twice.

Wordle hint No. 3: First letter

Today’s Wordle answer begins with W.

Wordle hint No. 4: Last letter

Today’s Wordle answer ends with E.

Wordle hint No. 5: Meaning

Today’s Wordle answer can refer to forming fabric by interlacing long threads, perhaps on a loom.

TODAY’S WORDLE ANSWER

Today’s Wordle answer is WEAVE.

Yesterday’s Wordle answer

Yesterday’s Wordle answer, April 19, No. 1765, was STAND.

Recent Wordle answers

April 15, No. 1761: BEGUN

April 16, No. 1762: CUBIT

April 17, No. 1763: BELLE

April 18, No. 1764: TOADY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 20 #778

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for April 20, No. 778.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Today’s NYT Strands puzzle offers an interesting mix of words, and they all begin with the same two letters. Some of the answers are difficult to unscramble, so if you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Gloriously glaring!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Shimmery.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

TEAM, MATE, HATE, GATE, LIST, LISTEN, GLEE, LINT, CHEAT, HEAT

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

GLOW, GLEAM, GLINT, GLITTER, GLISTEN, GLIMMER

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is CATCHTHELIGHT. To find it, start with the C that’s three letters to the right on the bottom row, and wind up.

Technologies

Turn up the Volume With These EarFun Air Pro 4 Earbuds While They’re Down to Just $63

The EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds are the perfect choice for budget-conscious shoppers who still want every audio perk available.

Right now we’ve spotted EarFun AirPro 4 earbuds for just $63, which saves you $17 with Amazon Prime. In addition to this discount, shoppers can save an extra 5 or 10% when making other eligible purchases. Though not exactly its lowest price, it’s just $10 previous short of its previous low record price and one best deals on audio gear we can expect right now.

The earbuds are frequently discounted from their $80 list price, but that $63 price is a significant discount. CNET Executive Editor David Carnoy reviewed the Earfun Air Pro 4, noting that its wireless charging, ear-detection sensors and multipoint Bluetooth pairing for using with multiple devices are all very useful perks.

Carnoy does note that voice-calling performance for these earbuds doesn’t come anywhere close to premium earbuds like Apple’s AirPods Pro, but when these earbuds cost a fraction of that, they could be a good value for someone who just wants something easy to use for listening to music and podcasts.

HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK

Sony WH-1000XM5 Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones (Black):

$248 (save $152)
Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Black):

$170 (save $181)
Sony WH-1000XM6 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones:

$398 (save $62)
Bose QuietComfort Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones (Twilight Blue):

$179 (save $170)
Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless ANC Over-Ear Headphones (Black):

$200 (save $250)

Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.

Why this deal matters

This earbuds offer many of the same features as those found in top brands, all for a fraction of the price. Be sure to lock in this low price, as we doubt it will fall any lower anytime soon.