iPhone 16 rumors have not mentioned much about the batteries that will power next year's Apple devices. However, new reports on where Apple hopes to source the phone's battery from suggest that the company is taking steps to reduce the shortages that have been evident in recent iPhone launches.

According to a report in the Financial Times, Apple wants to expand manufacturing in India as it continues to reduce its reliance on China. It has asked several battery suppliers, including China's Desay and Taiwanese manufacturer Simplo Technology, to consider moving iPhone battery production to India.

Apple has long relied heavily on China for its iPhone manufacturing needs. In recent years, however, the company has been working to expand manufacturing to other countries, including Taiwan, Vietnam, and India. This is partly because Apple is concerned about the U.S.-China relationship and how it might negatively impact its business. Apple has also found that some of its manufacturing partners in India are able to address the supply and inventory shortages that have resulted from relying almost exclusively on Chinese manufacturers.

Apple already has a strong manufacturing relationship with India, and several partners, including Foxconn, Pegatron, and Tata, already manufacture iPhones in India. moving all battery production for the iPhone 16 to India is an important step, and Apple has already begun to look at the possibility of moving the iPhone 16 to China, clear indication that Apple wants to move as much production out of China as possible, and as quickly as possible.

The only thing that happens more regularly than Apple launching a phone every fall is the inevitable shortage of phones after the initial flood of orders. For example, in the first few weeks after the iPhone 15 was released, shipments of both the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max were significantly delayed. (As of this writing, both iPhone 15 Pro models are shipping immediately.)

However, it may be difficult to move iPhone 16 battery production to India before the handset lineup is released next fall. And Apple definitely wants to avoid the problem of iPhone 15 batteries overheating this year due to a software bug fixed in the iOS 17 update. According to recent reports, Apple is reportedly taking hardware-focused measures to avoid overheating by using a matte metal shell and new connectors on the iPhone 16's battery.

The iPhone 16 lineup may also ship with a slightly larger battery capacity (3355mAh capacity versus the iPhone 15's 3274mAh cell). This could pave the way for longer battery life in next year's iPhones, but the exact life users can expect is unknown.

Not surprisingly, Apple has not commented on any of the rumors surrounding the iPhone 16, let alone the device's battery. However, with several months left before the smartphone is unveiled for the first time, expect many more iPhone 16 battery rumors to surface.