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

Tinder Users Must Start Logging In With Their Faces, Starting Nationwide

The social app now has new US requirements including face identification to help quell longstanding problems with catfishing and more.

US Tinder users will find a new feature when they open up the dating app starting Wednesday: A mandatory Face Check on their phones will be required before they can log into their profiles.

The Face Check step will begin with a new request to record a video of your face, a more casual version of setting up Apple’s Face ID login. Tinder will then run checks comparing your face data to your current profile pics and automatically create a small face badge for your profile. We already know how it works, because Tinder has already launched the feature in Canada and California before the full US rollout.

The technology, powered by FaceTec, will keep biometric data of the user’s face in encrypted form but discard the scanning video for privacy. Tinder will be able to use the face data to detect duplicate accounts, in an effort to cut down on fake profiles and identity theft.

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Tinder’s facial recognition rollout is also made to prevent catfishing, or people pretending to be someone else on Tinder to scam or blackmail them. But that also points to a deeper problem on the rise in dating apps — a growing number of bots, many controlled by AI, are designed to glean personal information or fool users into scammy subscriptions, among other problems.

Tinder’s working against these bots on several fronts, including this Face Check push as well as ID Check, which requires a government-issued ID and other types of photo verification.

The dating app also recently released a feature in June to enable double-dating with your friends, which Tinder reports is especially popular with Gen Z users. If you’re worried about the latest hazards on Tinder, we have guide to safety practices.

A representative for Tinder did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Thursday, Oct. 23

Here are the answers for The New York Times Mini Crossword for Oct. 23.

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

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get to those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Like some weather, memories and I.P.A.s
Answer: HAZY

5A clue: Statement that’s self-evidently true
Answer: AXIOM

7A clue: Civic automaker
Answer: HONDA

8A clue: What fear leads to, as Yoda told a young Anakin
Answer: ANGER

9A clue: Foxlike
Answer: SLY

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Verbal «lol»
Answer: HAHA

2D clue: Brain signal transmitter
Answer: AXON

3D clue: Hits with a witty comeback
Answer: ZINGS

4D clue: Sing at the top of a mountain, maybe
Answer: YODEL

6D clue: Name of the famous «Queen of Scots»
Answer: MARY

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for Oct. 23 #599

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle for Oct. 23, No. 599.

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 might be Halloween-themed, as the answers are all rather dangerous. Some of them are a bit tough 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: Please don’t eat me!

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: Remember Mr. Yuk?

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:

POND, NOON, NODE, BALE, SOCK, LOVE, LOCK, MOCK, LEER, REEL, GLOVE, DAIS, LEAN, LEAD, REEL

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: