August 14, 2023, 11:43 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Since iOS 11.3, Apple has allowed iPhone owners to read the remaining capacity of the built-in battery as a percentage. This practical feature was a response to “Batterygate” and gives users control over reducing iPhone performance to conserve the battery. However, complaints are now piling up on social media that the battery in the current iPhone 14 retains less than 90 percent of its original capacity after less than a year. This is unusual—especially since earlier models typically showed a similar loss only after two or more years.
iPhone 14 Battery Losing Power
The flood of user complaints on X.com (formerly Twitter) and Reddit prompted Sam Kohl from the news site “Appletrack” to take action with a tweet. In July, Kohl posted an image showing a maximum capacity of 90 percent for the battery in his iPhone 14 Pro.
Since then, more and more owners of iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro models have been posting images showing a similarly significant capacity loss. In some extreme cases, the battery seems to reach only 87 percent of its original performance—and that’s after less than a year of use.
Also interesting: Who Still Benefits from Feature Phones
Does Fast Charging Damage the Battery?
This Setting on the Switch 2 You Should Definitely Change
Older iPhones Less Affected
Not all iPhone 14 owners are affected by the problem, as posts with 95 percent or more battery capacity show. However, a loss of more than 10 percent in less than 12 months is quite unusual. For comparison, TECHBOOK checked the battery capacity of older iPhone models in the editorial office. After about 22 months of use, the iPhone 13 mini still has 89 percent available. An iPhone 12, frequently used for navigation with CarPlay, also has a capacity of 89 percent after almost three years. An iPhone 13, which is used less, even maintains a full 100 percent.
The maximum capacity can be found in the settings under Battery > Battery Health & Charging. A detailed guide can be found here: Check iPhone Battery Capacity and Performance
Also read: 5 Apple Products You’ve Probably Never Heard Of
TECHBOOK has asked Apple whether the drastic drop in battery performance is within the normal range and is still awaiting a response. However, the company states on its website that iPhones should retain at least 80 percent of their original battery capacity after 500 full charge cycles. A full cycle is considered a charging process that charges the battery to 100 percent. If the iPhone is charged from 10 to 70 percent and then from 40 to 80 percent, that counts as one complete cycle.
The new iPhone 15 models, expected to be released in September, are said to have up to 18 percent larger batteries. The larger a battery is, the slower its capacity decreases. This is one reason why iPads are far less affected by declining battery performance than iPhones.
Tips to Preserve iPhone Battery
The driving factor contributing to iPhone battery degradation is heat. Therefore, frequent fast charging with more power and wireless charging tend to decrease capacity. Direct sunlight, GPS navigation, use as a Wi-Fi hotspot, and gaming also cause the iPhone to heat up. Devices frequently exposed to these conditions generally experience a faster loss of battery performance.
Charging from 0 to 100 percent also negatively impacts the battery. The emptier or fuller a cell is, the more the battery is stressed. It is generally recommended not to charge the iPhone over 80 percent and to plug it back in at 20 percent. A range of 30 to 70 percent is even gentler—though rarely feasible in reality. Fortunately, Apple has integrated a feature called “Optimized Charging” in iOS, which charges the iPhone to only 80 percent overnight and tops it up to 100 percent just before you wake up.