China’s ATL supplying batteries for Apple’s XR successor

China’s ATL (Ameperx Technology Limited) has kicked off mass production of batteries for the successor to Apple’s iPhone XR forecast to be unveiled later this year, according to those close to the matter on June 9. Battery packaging will be done by another Chinese firm, Huapu Technology.

The new batteries will have a capacity of 3110mAh, which is more than a 5% improvement from the 2942mAh of the iPhone XR. In fact, it boasts the largest capacity among all iPhones running on a single battery cell.

Of the flagship duo iPhone XS Max and XS, the former has a slightly larger capacity of 3171mAh. But a key difference is that batteries in both models are actually two conjoined battery cells. The batteries for their successors – also to be revealed in the second half of the year – have not begun to be mass produced yet.

Apple first deployed the dual cell engineering system for the iPhone X, although the technology itself is old, having been used for Macbooks and iPads. The shape of the battery was changed from an “I” to an “L.”

“An L-shaped battery is capable of surges of power when necessary, but the I-shaped battery is safer and more suitable for mass production,” opined one market expert.

Unlike in the past when it focused on optimizing its OS and AP system to improve battery time, Apple has recently been committed to beefing up overall capacity, as done by its rivals Samsung and Huawei.