The iPhone 15 series was officially introduced last week, bringing significant upgrades in both design and specifications. Notably, Apple replaced the lightning port, which had been a standard feature since the iPhone 5, with a USB Type-C port this year. In addition to this change, the Cupertino-based company has implemented new battery settings for its latest lineup. This feature allows users of the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max to control their battery charge percentage to maximize battery lifespan. Essentially, this setting enables users to limit the battery charge level to 80 percent, instead of allowing it to reach a full 100 percent charge. Furthermore, Apple is providing more comprehensive information about battery health to users.
During a Q&A session, The Verge’s Allison Johnson revealed that all iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro models running on iOS 17 now include a new option in the Battery Health & Charging menu. This option is designed to prevent the device from charging beyond 80 percent when enabled. The menu offers three choices: “Optimised Battery Charging,” “80 percent limit,” and “none.” Users can access this menu by navigating to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.
The new “80 percent limit” option effectively stops the charging process when the battery reaches 80 percent of its full capacity. This feature had been previously discovered in the iOS 17 beta code.
Additionally, Apple now allows users to check their device’s battery cycle count, a feature that was not available before. iPhone 15 users can access details such as the battery’s manufacturing date, initial usage time, battery cycle count, and more by going to Settings > General > About on their devices.
Charging a battery up to 80 percent is recommended as it helps protect the battery from overheating and can extend its overall lifespan. The final 20 percent of charging is said to require more energy and generate additional heat, making it potentially detrimental to battery health. This practice aligns with the concept of preserving battery health over time and is similar to the Optimised Charging setting that Apple has already offered for older iPhone models, which limits overnight charging. Other smartphone manufacturers like Samsung and OnePlus also provide similar features in their handsets.
