Malcolm Owen
Apple has updated its expectations for the battery life of the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro, with the company saying it will deliver twice the previously-predicted charge cycles.
Battery capacity has always been a problem for iPhone users, with complaints raised by some claiming that their smartphone's battery isn't holding as much charge as they would expect over time. While Apple has previously outlined its expectations for how long a battery should last, it has now doubled its claim.
Apple says its batteries for iPhones are designed to hold up to 80% of their original capacity following 500 complete charge cycles, namely from full to empty. Now, Apple told 9to5Mac that the number of cycles the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro are capable of retaining 80% of its charge for is 1,000 complete charging cycles.
The change in battery cycle lifespan is down to the iPhone being used in certain common use cases. Thanks to various improvements to components and its various power management systems, this has allowed Apple to make the change in cycle count.
It also only applies to the iPhone 15 generation of models, with earlier versions still rated to 500 cycles. Apple does say that older models are being checked to see if charge cycle data points are still correct.
Apple introduced new battery health controls in iOS 17 alongside the iPhone 15 launch, including an option to never charge the battery past 80%. The logic is that charging from 0% to 80% is relatively efficient, but the last 20% uses more energy and produces more heat, which can wear the battery down.
Users of the iPhone 15 can see the cycle count for their device by opening Settings then selecting Battery, followed by Battery Health.
It is likely that Apple will keep the higher cycle count for future iPhone releases, but the technology it will use could still change. One rumor claims Apple will use graphene to help reduce overheating issues.
Meanwhile a dubious leak claimed capacities in the iPhone 16 family will be lower than the iPhone 15.
Wesley Hilliard
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27 Comments
Does this include the 15 plus and 15 pro max?
My experience has been great so far. I've had my 15 Pro approximately 5 months now and battery health is still at 100%. I always leave the 80% charge limit turned on, since that mirrors what I do with my MBPs. Battery was manufactured 7/2023 and first use in 9/2023. Cycle count is 123, so it's not like I'm babying the phone - I use it a lot, every day!
Why are Apple not bringing the 80% limit option to iPhone 14 or earlier? The hardware will put charging past 80% on hold due to heat or continuity camera streaming, so why not give the user that choice like on iPhone 15?
oh, yes, that’s right. Another one of those nudges to upgrade my hardware…
Reduction in battery health when charged above 80% is not about heat generated. Charging actually slows down above 80%, so the charger generates less heat as the battery fills up.
In any LiIon cell there are side reactions that accumulate over time; these side reactions progress more quickly at high states of charge, and at high temperature; that's why staying below 80% prolongs battery life.