In my little experience, no topic has generated more articles, blog posts, and YouTube videos than how to get the most out of your iPhone’s battery life. In any case, this is the subject on which I received the most questions and comments. People are obsessed with their iPhone battery life and getting the longest usage time possible from each charge.
Every minute of battery life, every percentage point of battery life is important. So even if you’re obsessed with charging, why does it make sense to sacrifice 20% – or, to put it another way, a fifth – of your battery capacity?
You should already know that Apple has integrated into iOS, on the iPhone 15 range, a function called “80% Limit”.
The 80% limit setting for the iPhone 15 range in iOS 17. Screenshot by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
1,000 recharge cycles
This feature expands on the original concept of Optimized Battery Charging, which previously limited overnight charging to 80% for most of the night, only completing it about an hour before the user normally wakes up. The new function makes the 80% limit a permanent limit:
Want to try this feature? If you have an iPhone 15, tap Settings > Battery & Charging Optimizations.
The Charge Optimization feature should improve the iPhone’s battery life, which Apple says can last up to 1,000 charge cycles, since much of the chemical wear that batteries experience occurs. produced when recharged between 80% and 100%.
Living with 20% less autonomy
This feature intrigued me, and over the last few weeks I’ve been doing some testing to see if it’s possible for me – I’m obsessed with the battery issue – to live with 20% less battery life. Of course, it’s too early to tell if this feature affects battery wear. So I will come back to this topic in a year or so to see the long term results.
In the meantime, I wondered if a 20% reduction in battery life could be a major problem. It turns out that after the first few days of battery-induced anxiety, I didn’t think about the battery level reduction anymore and didn’t notice it anymore.
Initially, starting the day with only 80% charge felt weird, like I’d already used my iPhone a lot. However, reflecting on my usage habits before this experience, I realized that I rarely ended the day with less than 35% charge on my iPhone. Performance is even better.
I went on a hike with my iPhone 15 Pro Max
For a heavy user like me, an 80% charge is enough to get me through a normal day. So I decided to push my iPhone further and take the risk.
I set out on a hike with my iPhone 15 Pro Max, using it to plan and navigate my route and take photos and videos for an article. I decided not to bring an external battery, considering it “cheating” in terms of my test.
I expected the hike and product evaluation to last about eight hours, during which time my iPhone would be heavily used. The challenge was amplified by cold and wet weather, conditions known to deplete battery life more quickly.
I started the hike with an 80% charge and returned to the car with a 48% charge.
Everything went well. I started the hike with an 80% charge and returned to the car with a 48% charge, along with a plethora of videos and photos.
I took a lot of photos and still had plenty of battery left at the end of the day. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
I’ve come up with two strategies to make the transition to a “smaller” battery easier.
- The first is practical. I found the micro-refills to be very effective. Spending a few minutes on the charging pad, on a car charger, connected to a power bank, or plugged into a wall charger can make a significant difference. And I’m talking about just a few minutes here, no more.
- Another strategy that has had a significant impact is psychological. I turned off the battery percentage display on my iPhone. Instead of noticing each percentage drop, I now focus on the bigger picture.
The iPhone 15 Pro Max has more than enough power to get me through the day
If the battery percentage feature is enabled and you want to disable it, tap Settings > Batterythen turn off Battery percentage.
In summary, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has more than enough power to get me through the day, even with reduced battery capacity.
If I’m traveling or need optimal battery life, I’ll turn off the 80% limit. But most of the time, the 80% limit is not a problem.
Source: “ZDNet.com”