An iPhone, like every other smartphone on the market, runs on rechargeable batteries. While such batteries perform well at the start, they start to age after a certain period of time. The signs of an aging battery include rapid battery draining, lower screen-on times, overheating issues, inconsistent battery percentage, and occasional system crashes. If you’re seeing one or more of these symptoms, there’s a good chance your iPhone’s battery is in poor shape and might require a replacement.
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How Long Does An iPhone Battery Last?
According to Apple, batteries of iPhone 14 and older models, are designed to retain 80% of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles. For those catching up, an iPhone completes a charge cycle when the discharges “an amount that represents 100%” of the battery capacity. Similarly, iPhone 15 models are designed to retain 80% of their original battery capacity at 1,000 complete charges. However, given that all users have a different usage style, the battery can deplete at a different rate.
Usually, the 500 charge cycles can easily last users for a couple of years (if they’re a light user) or a year and a half (for hardcore users). And it’s not like an iPhone stops functioning once its battery health goes below 80%. However, you’d surely have to carry a power bank at all times. While the one-year limited warranty covers a defective battery, if the battery health goes below 80% after that, you’d have to get it replaced by availing Apple’s paid battery service.
What Is Battery Health?
Apple uses lithium-ion batteries on its iPhones, which “charge faster, last longer, and have a higher power density for more battery life in a lighter package.” Fresh out of the assembly line, an iPhone’s battery has a peak charge holding capacity, denoted by the original battery capacity. However, with time, as we recharge the smartphone, the battery starts to age, and the amount of charge it can hold diminishes. At any given point, the ratio of the current battery capacity to its original battery capacity, expressed as a percentage, is called the battery health.
For instance, if you purchase an iPhone 15 in 2023 with a maximum battery capacity of 3,367 mAh, and the current battery capacity is 3,005 mAh, then the battery health would be 3005/3367 x 100, i.e., 89%. The metric is denoted by “Maximum Capacity” in the Battery Health menu on an iPhone. This is an important metric for users, especially if they’re using an iPhone as their primary device. The lower the battery health, the shorter your iPhone will last on a single charge and the more inconvenience it will create for you.
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- The Battery Health feature helps you make informed decisions regarding replacements.
- In the event of a malfunction, the feature optimizes your iPhone’s performance to accommodate the battery’s poor power delivery.
- While lower battery health could impact your usage, it also affects your iPhone’s resale value.
How To Check Battery Health On iPhone
- iPhone users running iOS 16.0 or older can check battery health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health.
- iPhone users running iOS 16.1 or newer can check the battery health in Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging > Maximum Capacity.
- As mentioned earlier, the percentage of the current battery capacity to the original capacity is denoted as Maximum Capacity.
iPhone 15 And Newer Models Show Additional Battery Stats
- Cycle Count: it denotes the number of times an iPhone has consumed 100% of the battery.
- Manufacture Date: mentions the month when the iPhone’s battery was manufactured.
- First Use: mentions the month when the battery was first used by the owner.
What Is Peak Performance Capability?
Under normal circumstances, an iPhone battery should be able to provide more power for supporting demanding tasks such as video games, video editing, etc. However, when the battery isn’t able to do so, your iPhone adjusts its peak performance and degrades it a bit to match the battery’s output. Look out for the message under the Peak Performance Capability to gauge your battery’s condition.
- “Your battery is currently supporting normal peak performance.” This message indicates that the battery is working fine and that peak performance is not limited.
- “This iPhone has experienced an unexpected shutdown because the battery was unable to deliver the necessary peak power. Performance management has been applied to help prevent this from happening again.” This means there’s an issue with the battery, and it can no longer deliver peak power. You also get an option to disable performance management, but it is not advised to do so.
- “This iPhone is unable to determine battery health. An Apple Authorized Service Provider can service the battery.” This option might show up after installing a temporary battery or an unsupported model.
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When Should You Replace Your iPhone’s Battery?
If your iPhone’s battery health is below 80% and the system has applied performance management, you should have it replaced by an authorized repair center. To schedule an appointment, head over to Apple Support and create a service request.
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