In 2023, Apple introduced a feature in its iPhone 15 series that allows users to limit battery charging to 80% with the aim of extending its lifespan. Now, a year later, Juli Clover, a journalist at MacRumors, has shared her experience and the data she has gathered to assess from a real-world perspective whether activating this feature truly makes a difference.
A year with the iPhone at 80%
Since purchasing the iPhone 15 Pro Max, Juli Clover activated the 80% charge limit on her new iPhone, committing to a routine where her phone seldom saw a full charge.
As battery durability is affected by more than just charge percentage, beyond simply enabling the setting, Clover also considered variables like ambient temperature and charger type. She chose to charge her device in an environment typically at 22 degrees Celsius and used a USB-C cable for 70% of the time, avoiding the extra heat from MagSafe wireless charging (the remaining 30%).
Results?
Over twelve months, her device underwent 299 charging cycles, and the maximum battery capacity was recorded at the end of the period at 94% of its original capacity.
Meanwhile, other MacRumors editors who did not apply the same limitation recorded battery capacities of 87% and 90% after 329 and 271 cycles, respectively.
Conclusion: does limiting the iPhone's charge to 80% really improve anything?
With meticulous management by the journalist, the results show that limiting the iPhone's charge to 80% has a positive effect on preserving its battery, but not by much.
After similar device usage, the difference in battery capacity between Clover's device and those of her colleagues is not very significant, being just 4% higher in the best case and with fewer charging cycles.
Considering the drawbacks this limitation can have (such as running out of battery faster, having to charge the phone multiple times a day, and even carrying portable charging solutions), it raises the question of whether the long-term benefits outweigh the drawbacks of reduced daily autonomy.
Each user must consider their own needs and context to determine if the benefit of this 80% charging limitation on iPhones, which aims to prevent premature battery degradation by constantly charging to 100%, is truly an advantage.
And in any case, the recent option to limit the charge to 90%, introduced with iOS 18, appears as a more practical alternative that could offer a better balance between daily duration and long-term battery preservation.
The fact is that batteries, not just in iPhones but in any device, degrade over time and use. It is inherent to their physics. Although the improvement is moderate, depending on our circumstances, we may appreciate the extra care of being able to limit the charge to 80%.
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