Apple likes to focus on thinness but customers have frequently pointed out that they wouldn’t mind a bit thicker device in exchange for a longer-lasting battery. Believe it or not, Apple’s iconic smartphone has actually grown thicker in the past five years.
Reddit user “Fredifrum” noted that Apple has been making iPhones thicker while increasing battery life since the iPhone 6 series. “Considering how much I see it, I bet most people here aren’t aware that iPhones have been getting thicker for a long time,” he wrote in a Reddit post.
See for yourself:
2014
- iPhone 6: 6.9mm
- iPhone 6 Plus: 7.1mm
2015
- iPhone 6s: 7.1mm
- iPhone 6s Plus: 7.3mm
2016
- iPhone 7: 7.1mm
- iPhone 7 Plus: 7.3mm
2017
- iPhone X: 7.7mm
- iPhone 8: 7.3mm
- iPhone 8 Plus: 7.5mm
2018
- iPhone XS: 7.7mm
- iPhone XS Max: 7.7mm
- iPhone XR: 8.3mm
It’s interesting that iPhone XR files as the thickest Apple phone since 2011’s iPhone 4.
An even more interesting observation: iPhone XR features by far the longest-lasting battery that tops even the flagship iPhone XS model (which has the second longest battery life).
On the other hand, thickness does not necessarily yield larger batteries. As the poster notes, battery capacity has even gone down between a few of these iPhone generations but power-sipping chips and other power-saving measures have helped offset the decrease in capacity.
Over time, Apple has indisputably been both making phones thicker and larger, as well as increasing the overall battery life. Whether or not these two things are related, you can decide for yourself.
What is definitely true is that increasing the iPhone thickness has lead to many advancements we may not have gotten with thinner phones: 3D Touch, Haptic Engine, better speakers, more and better cameras, wireless charging etc.
So, regardless of how it has affected battery life, I am very thankful that Apple has not chosen to prioritize thinness above all else for the last few generations.
Which begs the following question: would you, an unapologetic Apple fan, accept a slightly thicker 2019 iPhone than the XR in return for an even longer-lasting battery?
Let us know by leaving your comment below.
For what it’s worth, 2019 iPhones may actually go on a diet and become slimmer again—as we reported yesterday, a questionable report from ETNews has said that next year’s models will use new Samsung-made OLED panels said to integrate a touch-sensing component into the display, allowing for a thinner display assembly.