Apple's next iPhones will come with larger batteries, according to reliable analyst Ming-Chi Kuo (AAPL)

iPhone XS

Apple's successor to the iPhone XS could have a battery that's between 20% and 25% larger than that of the current model, according to analyst Ming-Chi Kuo.
The bigger battery would support a new reverse wireless charging feature that Kuo believes will come to all three 2019 iPhones.
Apple's other sized iPhones will also get a smaller boost in battery size, says Kuo's latest note to investors.

Apple's next batch of iPhones will come with larger batteries to support a new feature that would allow the phones to effectively double as wireless chargers, according to Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst for TF International Securities with a reputation for making accurate predictions about new Apple products.

The details of Kuo's most recent note to investors were reported by 9to5Mac, Apple Insider, and MacRumors on Monday.

In the note, Kuo says the size of the battery in Apple's next 5.8-inch iPhone — likely the successor to the iPhone XS — could grow by between 20% and 25%. The next-generation 6.5-inch iPhone is expected get a battery that's between 10% and 15% larger than that of the current model, while the 6.1-inch iPhone will see a very small bump in battery size that falls between 0% and 5%.

The increase in battery capacity would enable Apple's next iPhones to support bilateral charging, according to Kuo, which could allow the phones to wirelessly charge other compatible devices. This would make it possible to replenish the battery in a gadget like the Apple Watch or the new AirPods wireless charging case by simply resting it on the back of the iPhone.

Apple wouldn't be the first company to outfit its flagship smartphones with two-way wireless charging. Samsung's recently launched Galaxy S10, for example, includes a feature called Wireless Power Share, which allows owners to charge up their Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Buds, or another compatible smartphone by placing it on the S10's rear panel. Before that, a similar feature appeared in Huawei's Mate 20 Pro.

It's also not the first time it's been reported that Apple may bring bilateral charging to this year's iPhones. Kuo also mentioned this feature in a note to investors from February, and Japanese blog Mac Otakara reported that Apple's 2019 iPhones would come with reverse wireless charging in March.

Kuo has a strong track record when it comes to making predictions about upcoming Apple product launches. In 2017, for example, he correctly predicted that Apple would release a 5.8-inch iPhone with an OLED display, which ended up being the iPhone X. He's also made correct estimates about the iPhone SE and Apple's recently launched fifth-generation iPad mini. But Kuo isn't always right; he also reported in recent months that Apple would release its AirPower wireless charging mat in late 2018 or early 2019, and Apple instead scrapped the project in an unprecedented move. He also suggested in 2014 that Apple could delay the iPhone 6 Plus' launch because of production challenges, but it ended up debuting alongside the iPhone 6 as planned.

Other than reverse wireless charging, Apple is expected to implement a new triple-lens camera system on its most expensive iPhone and an improved version of Face ID across its new iPhone lineup.

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