One of the main criteria for the durability of smartphones is the longevity of their components. And for the case of these devices by definition mobile, that of the battery is obviously crucial. Apple, which recently reached first place in the smartphone seller market, has always been content to promise that its iPhone batteries would retain 80% of their initial capacity after 500 cycles of use, that is to say of complete charge and discharge; this 80% is considered by the industry as the threshold below which we consider that a battery is no longer in “good health”.
Apple today confirmed 9to5 Mac having improved its performance in terms of battery durability. The brand ensures that its latest iPhones are now capable of supporting 1000 charge cycles before reaching this same 80% capacity. The models concerned are none other than the iPhone 14, 15 Plus, 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. Apple also suggests that it is carrying out tests on older devices, in order to check whether they are capable of ensuring the same endurance; the 500 cycles previously mentioned only constituted a guaranteed minimum. We can therefore also understand that it is not quite a question, for the iPhone 15, of integrating more durable batteries than those of previous generations, but rather to better communicate about their capabilities.
This announcement accompanies efforts made by Apple to better inform the user about the health of their smartphone. The iOS system has long allowed you to check the operational percentage of the iPhone battery, and iOS 17.4 – currently in beta – offers a quick overview of the state of health of the battery, and allows them to control the available optimizations. It should be remembered that the “batterygate” of 2017, corresponding to a restriction in the performance of iPhones as soon as their battery reached 80% capacity, is no longer so far away, and that Apple has since then been banking on a clear communication with its customers. Finally, let us point out that Apple is not the only one to announce a large number of cycles; brands such as Xiaomi, for their part, announce around 800 cycles while maintaining 80% capacity.