Xiaomi 16 Pro tipped to launch with iPhone 17 Pro-baiting battery

Next-gen flagship smartphone batteries are thought to undergo potentially significant upgrades that put them at the on-trend 7,000mAh mark by the end of 2025.

They are now once again said to owe these advancements to steel shielding technology, possibly combined with the L-shaped design also historically found in higher-end iPhones (as illustrated by this arguably sketchy iPhone 14 Pro Max replacement battery from Amazon).

In an even more potentially ironic twist for Apple, none of these ultra-high-capacity batteries are reportedly destined for the next-gen iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max. Instead, one of them might be found in the Xiaomi 16 Pro (and/or its more spurious "16 Pro Max" sibling) instead.

One of that OEM's next-gen flagships is now thought to have a typical capacity of 6,860mAh, although it might follow the Android crowd by promoting itself with a rounder, more memorable rated capacity spec.

The Xiaomi 16 series of flagship smartphones is also thought to bedevil the 17 Pro series in terms of design, adapting and updating the camera hump from the groundbreaking Mi 11 Ultra in order to keep up with Apple's new metal unibody/glass window look.