At its media event earlier this week, Apple noted that it had increased the battery capacity of the iPhone 5c relative to the iPhone 5, and the company's tech specs show that users can expect longer for battery life on both the iPhone 5s and 5c for certain tasks.
In particular, both new iPhones offer up to 10 hours of talk time on 3G and the same 10 hours of LTE Internet use, up from 8 hours for both tasks on the iPhone 5. Standby time on the two new models has also increased to up to 250 hours compared to 225 hours on the iPhone 5.
Apple has not, however, revealed the exact battery capacity for the new iPhones, but AnandTechdug into the FCC documents and discovered that the iPhone 5c carries 5% higher battery capacity than the iPhone 5, while the iPhone 5s carries a 10% larger battery.
While I'm somewhat skeptical sometimes of the accuracy of battery capacities as reported in FCC disclosures (which I noted about the battery size for the Nexus 5), these numbers seem credible given what I've heard, the statement Apple made during the keynote about the 5C battery size going up, and what I'd expect with some board re-layout for the 5S.
The iPhone 5s number reported in the FCC documents is close but not identical to what was seen on a leaked December 2012 prototype. The battery in that device was listed as 5.92 Whr, while the FCC documents report a capacity of 5.96 Whr.
iPhone 5c battery
The documents report a capacity of 5.73 Whr for the iPhone 5c battery, which matches that seen in photos of the part posted by C Technology today.
Pre-orders for the iPhone 5c begin at 12:01 AM Pacific Time tomorrow morning, with availability of both the iPhone 5s and 5c set for Friday, September 20. Apple is not offering pre-orders for the iPhone 5s.
Thursday August 28, 2025 4:08 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
An iPhone 17 announcement is a dead cert for September 2025 – Apple has already sent out invites for an "Awe dropping" event on Tuesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The timing follows Apple's trend of introducing new iPhone models annually in the fall.
At the event, Apple is expected to unveil its new-generation iPhone 17, an all-new ultra-thin iPhone 17...
Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone 17 series on Tuesday, September 9, and last-minute rumors about the devices continue to surface.
The latest info comes from a leaker known as Majin Bu, who has shared alleged images of Apple's Clear Case for the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, or at least replicas.
Image Credit: @MajinBuOfficial
The images show three alleged changes compared to Apple's iP...
Monday September 1, 2025 4:35 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple will launch its new iPhone 17 series this month, and the iPhone 17 Pro models are expected to get a new design for the rear casing and the camera area. But more significant changes to the lineup are not expected until next year, when the iPhone 18 models arrive.
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Friday August 29, 2025 4:54 am PDT by Tim Hardwick
Apple and Samsung have reportedly issued cease-and-desist notices to Xiaomi in India for an ad campaign that directly compares the rivals' devices to Xiaomi's products. The two companies have threatened the Chinese vendor with legal action, calling the ads "disparaging."
Ads have appeared in local print media and on social media that take pot shots at the competitors' premium offerings. One...
Apple is preparing to release iOS 18.7 for compatible iPhone models, according to evidence of the update in the MacRumors visitor logs.
We expect iOS 18.7 to be released in September, alongside iOS 26. The update will likely include fixes for security vulnerabilities, but little else.
iOS 18.7 will be one of the final updates ever released for the iPhone XS, iPhone XS Max, and iPhone XR,...
No. Actually Apple is accurate/slightly conservative with its battery estimates. My iPhone 5 lasts for about 9 1/2 hours under heavy usage on LTE, while my 2013 MacBook Air usually lasts 13 hours.
I do not believe that.... If Apple says: It lasts 9 hours, the truth is it lasts 5 to 6 hours
No. Actually Apple is accurate/slightly conservative with its battery estimates. My iPhone 5 lasts for about 9 1/2 hours under heavy usage on LTE, while my 2013 MacBook Air usually lasts 13 hours.
I don't buy that, everyone I know with an iPhone 5, myself included, has lousy battery life. Before iOS 7 I got 5 hours of usage, after iOS 7 I get about 3-4 hours. Not only that, the battery bleeds out even when its asleep. This is true of everyone I know who has an iPhone 5.
Biggest design overhaul since iOS 7 with Liquid Glass, plus new Apple Intelligence features and improvements to Messages, Phone, Safari, Shortcuts, and more. Developer beta available now ahead of public beta in July.