The one feature people might want more than anything else in the next iPhone
Almost every major consumer study or survey suggests battery life is the number one most important factor when it comes to choosing a smartphone. It's more important than a phone's screen size, camera, or usability, according to an IDC survey.
In fact, the majority of people say they'd be happier with a thicker phone if it meant better battery life, according to a recent HuffPost/YouGov poll.
And, according to a recent column from The Wall Street Journal's Christopher Mims, people want better batteries since "our dependence on smartphones is only going to get worse."
Wearables like the Apple Watch are nearly useless without their accompanying phones. Using our phones as replacements for our wallets demands that they don't die sometime during dinner, leaving us stranded. Phone are fast becoming the hubs of our entire digital lives.
Some might argue that external battery packs or cases are the answer to these problems. But if more and more people feel the need to carry them, what's the point of buying such a slim phone in the first place?
Last year, Apple only improved battery life in the larger iPhone 6 Plus, which offered 16 hours of life; the iPhone 6 had the same estimated 10 hours as its predecessor, the iPhone 5S. But before the iPhone 6 launched last year, 97% of respondents in a 1,500-person WalletHero survey said they'd be more likely to buy the next iPhone if it had better battery life, which was easily the greatest group consensus.
This year, Apple tweaked its mobile operating system to give its iPhones and iPads better battery life. We'll have to see if iOS 9, paired with any hardware changes in the new iPhones, helps to improve the overall battery life of Apple's newest smartphones.
We'll learn more about the iPhone 6 successor(s) next month. We expect Apple to hold its media event to announce the phones on Sept. 9, with a launch date coming Sept. 18.