Apple now claims that the battery across the entire iPhone 15 lineup can maintain 80 percent of its original capacity up to 1,000 charge cycles under ideal conditions. The company updated a support document to reflect the changes today.
When the iPhone 15 lineup was revealed last year, its battery capacity was rated at 500 complete cycles for 80 percent of the original capacity just like all previous iPhone generations. However, Apple communicated with MacRumors that it recently performed new battery tests on the iPhone 15, and was able to double its rated battery performance following the new tests.
The company declined to provide clearer specifications on the nature of these tests other than them involving charging and discharging an iPhone 1,000 times under particular conditions. However, it informed the publication that it is conducting the same round of tests on prior iPhone generations, meaning that these claimed improvements could still make their way to the iPhone 14 and earlier. For now, the 1,000 charge cycle count remains exclusive to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
Apple says that it was able to eke out better battery lifespan performance thanks to continuous improvements to the iPhone’s “battery components and its power management system.” The company still advises that the real-life battery performance of every iPhone unit will vary depending on how it’s used in day-to-day scenarios.
The latest iOS 17.4 beta which went live yesterday also consolidated battery health information under one page in the Settings app on all iPhone 15 models. Users will be able to see their device’s battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use all under the Battery section inside the new Battery Health tab. Before iOS 17.4 beta 4, this information was accessible by navigating to the About section under the General tab.
Apple is rumored to introduce a new metal battery casing for this year’s iPhone 16 lineup. The metal shell would replace the black foil casing seen on all iPhone batteries to date and could help with better thermal management which could result in a longer battery lifespan.
