Apple's iPhone X to boast 2,716mAh battery, 3GB of RAM, Chinese regulatory filing shows

AppleInsider

A filing with the Chinese Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Telecommunication Equipment Certification Center (TENAA) appears to show specifications for Apple's iPhone X, notably a capacious 2,716 milliamp-hour battery that will power an A11 Bionic chip clocked at 2.4GHz.

The documents, spotted on Tuesday by avid leaker Steve Hemmerstoffer, offer a sneak peek at the upcoming flagship iPhone prior to its release in November. So far, Apple has been less than forthcoming regarding device specifications, opting only to focus on major hardware features in its promotional material.

According to the electronic filing, however, iPhone X packs in a massive 2,716mAh battery. By comparison, the iPhone 8 Plus carries a 2,691mAh cell, while the smaller iPhone 8 makes do with a 1,821mAh unit.

The extra capacity is likely an operating requirement for iPhone X's TrueDepth depth-sensing camera, the backbone of Apple's new Face ID facial recognition system. Another power-hungry component unique to iPhone X is a dual-camera array that boasts optical image stabilization mechanisms on both lenses instead of the usual single wide angle shooter.

Despite being an OLED component, the full-face 5.8-inch Super Retina screen might also draw more power than a typical iPhone display. Traditional LCD displays like those used on all iPhone models up to iPhone X are transmissive in that a backlight is constantly emitting energy to push light through individual pixels, which subsequently change color to present onscreen images. OLED, on the other hand, is an emissive technology, meaning each individual pixel is its own light source. As it pertains to power consumption, a black pixel consumes no energy because it is switched off.

For these and other reasons, OLED technology is more efficient than LCD, though the larger format on iPhone X, and as-yet-unknown tweaks to the handset's display controller, might mean it draws more power than iPhone 8 Plus.

In addition, the TENAA documents appear to show an A11 Bionic chip clocked at 2.4GHz, nearly identical to iPhone 8 and 8 Plus benchmarks. Interestingly, the iPhone X sports the same amount of RAM as its 8-series stablemates, suggesting Apple fine tuned the flagship's tentpole features -- Face ID, unique user interface -- to run with minimal overhead.

Preorders for iPhone X are slated to go live on Oct. 27 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific, ahead of public release on Nov. 3.

suddenly newton

Why aren't these battery capacities precisely in multiples of 10 (or powers of 10)? Isn't that how the universe works?

saltyzip

I had to laugh at this statement "iPhone X packs in a massive 2,715mAh battery." 

Compared to android phones this is still quite small, expect between 3000 up to 5000 for the green robot brigade.

Rayz2016

For these and other reasons, OLED technology is more efficient than LCD, though the larger format on iPhone X, and as-yet-unknown tweaks to the handset's display controller, might mean it draws more power than iPhone 8 Plus.

That is a seriously meaty wedge of guesswork. 

Avieshek

What to expect, from an Apple based Fansite.

[Deleted User]

If with a battery that is almost twice what the 8 and 8+ have, this phone doesn't achieve more than a day's worth, it is quite a letdown. 
Does really the FaceID need so much power that a full 1000mAh extra are necessary to achieve a 1-day usage on the X? 

Whether the OLED vs LED discussion yields that the former is more/less power hungry than the latter, I'd like to see more technical data about the 2 technologies. (i.e. 1cm2 of LED at 600nits with image X, consumes so and so much less/more than an 1cm2 OLED displaying the same).

wood1208

iPhone X's face id and screen is superior tech but I would have gladly accepted it with under screen touch id and LCD screen. I love the edge to edge screen with well balanced size of iPhone X, not small, not large, just perfect. Next year Apple might surprise with iphone 8s with under screen touch id.

rogifan_new

wood1208 said:

iPhone X's face id and screen is superior tech but I would have gladly accepted it with under screen touch id and LCD screen. I love the edge to edge screen with well balanced size of iPhone X, not small, not large, just perfect. Next year Apple might surprise with iphone 8s with under screen touch id.

I’m doubtful on that. if Apple redesigns an LCD phone with Touch ID under the display they’d basically be saying the X and Face ID wasn’t the future after all and everyone would assume Apple went with Face ID because they couldn’t get Touch ID under the display working in time for the 2017 iPhone release.

auxio

saltyzip said:

I had to laugh at this statement "iPhone X packs in a massive 2,715mAh battery." 

Compared to android phones this is still quite small, expect between 3000 up to 5000 for the green robot brigade.

You can either go two routes: add more battery capacity (easy, but shortsighted) or optimize your hardware and software stack so that it uses less power (harder, but better in the long run).

rattlhed

saltyzip said:

I had to laugh at this statement "iPhone X packs in a massive 2,715mAh battery." 

Compared to android phones this is still quite small, expect between 3000 up to 5000 for the green robot brigade.

Comparing battery size as it relates to the operating time of a device is akin to comparing megapixels to the quality of a digital photograph.  Sure, there's no comparison to a 100mAh battery to a 3000mAh battery, but neither is comparing a 2 megapixel picture to a 12 megapixel picture.  But the sizes of these batteries are becoming a mute point and it's all about the quality of the operating system, hardware, software, etc that needs this power to run.  Apple's OS and hardware is optimized to get the most out of smaller batteries.  Andriod sucks power like crazy and therefore requires a much larger battery to give a decent amount of run time.  Just like a few years ago it was all about getting the most megapixels out of a phone's camera, now that technology is improving it's all about sensor size, lens quality and what the post production software can do for the photo.  

melgross

The same old erroneous statement about OLED efficiency. Will it ever stop? And the difference between 2691 and 2716 is about 1%. Hardly leading to the new battery being “massive”. In practice, the difference doesn’t even exist.

melgross

saltyzip said:

I had to laugh at this statement "iPhone X packs in a massive 2,715mAh battery." 

Compared to android phones this is still quite small, expect between 3000 up to 5000 for the green robot brigade.

Well, the problem is that android phones need bigger batteries because of the seriously inefficient multasking model Android uses.

felix01

As Craig Federighi showed us all at the keynote, Apple's Face ID/facial recognition system continually tries to ID every face within range. Maybe a software change to restrict attempts to faces directly in front at maybe 18 - 20 inches or so. And that should significantly reduce the battery draw since apparently Apple's Face ID system is a power-hungry item. 

jume

felix01 said:

As Craig Federighi showed us all at the keynote, Apple's Face ID/facial recognition system continually tries to ID every face within range. Maybe a software change to restrict attempts to faces directly in front at maybe 18 - 20 inches or so. And that should significantly reduce the battery draw since apparently Apple's Face ID system is a power-hungry item. 

What Craig showed us is that Face ID isn't perfect  

ihatescreennames

melgross said:

saltyzip said:

I had to laugh at this statement "iPhone X packs in a massive 2,715mAh battery." 

Compared to android phones this is still quite small, expect between 3000 up to 5000 for the green robot brigade.

Well, the problem is that android phones need bigger batteries because of the seriously inefficient multasking model Android uses.

Yes.  This is reminiscent of my friend bragging to me that it cost him $100 to fill the tank in his Hummer years ago.

maestro64

Folks do the math, battery capacity is a function of cross area of the battery cell and the charge density of the chemistry. The 10's physical size if between the 8 and 8+, and has all the same component as the 8 and 8+ with a few extra's. The area/volume left for the battery is not bigger than the 8+ so how can it have a lager battery.

The only way, Apple would have to have develop a battery with a charge density higher than any current battery they are using. Not say this is not what happen, but has anyone heard any information on new battery chemistry that Apple could be using.

StrangeDays

felix01 said:

As Craig Federighi showed us all at the keynote, Apple's Face ID/facial recognition system continually tries to ID every face within range. Maybe a software change to restrict attempts to faces directly in front at maybe 18 - 20 inches or so. And that should significantly reduce the battery draw since apparently Apple's Face ID system is a power-hungry item. 

You’re making some assumptions — like that the faces were in the background and not right in front of the demo X as they were being cleaned, placed, etc by stage hands. 

It wont scan unless the raise to wake motion activates it. 

melgross

jume said:

felix01 said:

As Craig Federighi showed us all at the keynote, Apple's Face ID/facial recognition system continually tries to ID every face within range. Maybe a software change to restrict attempts to faces directly in front at maybe 18 - 20 inches or so. And that should significantly reduce the battery draw since apparently Apple's Face ID system is a power-hungry item. 

What Craig showed us is that Face ID isn't perfect  

No, what he showed was that it worked properly, which you would know, if you bothered to read the many articles that explained why.

curtis hannah

saltyzip said:

I had to laugh at this statement "iPhone X packs in a massive 2,715mAh battery." 

Compared to android phones this is still quite small, expect between 3000 up to 5000 for the green robot brigade.

I'm more of finding it funny that the battery is bigger then the 8+(by what is like 30 mAh), but they fail to mention it is smaller than every + model iPhone up to the 8+. Why do they keep shrinking the batteries?

saltyzip

auxio said:

saltyzip said:

I had to laugh at this statement "iPhone X packs in a massive 2,715mAh battery." 

Compared to android phones this is still quite small, expect between 3000 up to 5000 for the green robot brigade.

You can either go two routes: add more battery capacity (easy, but shortsighted) or optimize your hardware and software stack so that it uses less power (harder, but better in the long run).

Isn't there a 2900mAh battery in the iPhone 7 Plus, it's just apple being apple and focusing on keeping the bean counters happy by saving a few bucks.

Rayz2016

saltyzip said:

I had to laugh at this statement "iPhone X packs in a massive 2,715mAh battery." 

Compared to android phones this is still quite small, expect between 3000 up to 5000 for the green robot brigade.

Yup, in the best selling Android phones, the massive battery gives you more bang for your buck. 

You can can use that if you like.