All articles tagged with #battery health
MacBooks already throttle charging to about 80% when they predict a long plug-in period to protect battery health, a setting you can toggle in Settings > Battery > Battery Health. For more control, you can use the free open-source Battery app to force an 80% cap (or temporarily allow full charging when needed), though you’ll need to plan ahead for times you’ll require a full battery.
Charging to 100% overnight can slowly shorten battery life because it keeps the cell at high voltage, but the impact is gradual and modern phones are durable. For best longevity, aim for about 20–80% charge, avoid excessive heat, and prefer slower chargers; don’t regularly let the battery drop to 0%. Check battery health and replace the battery if it falls below around 80%, and you can charge to 100% when you need longer usage for travel or important days.
The author prefers wireless charging as a reliable backup due to frequent USB-C port failures in recent flagship phones, which can be costly to repair and degrade over time. Wireless charging, though slower and potentially harmful to battery health, offers a crucial fallback to keep devices powered when USB-C ports malfunction, making it a recommended feature for future smartphones.
A comprehensive 2-year study involving 40 phones shows that fast charging does not significantly harm battery health, and charging habits like keeping phones between 30-80% offer only marginal benefits, suggesting users can charge their phones freely without concern.
Qualcomm has introduced Quick Charge 5+ to enhance fast charging by reducing overheating and improving efficiency, making charging safer and more effective without requiring new devices, and maintaining backward compatibility with previous standards.
Google is considering making Battery Health Assistance a mandatory feature on Pixel phones with poor battery health, potentially preventing users from disabling it until they replace their battery, as part of ongoing efforts to manage battery issues across Pixel devices.
The Android 16 update introduces a new 'Battery health' feature on Pixel phones, providing battery capacity estimates on Pixel 8a and newer, and a 'Battery health assistance' tool to help manage long-term battery performance, which is enabled by default on Pixel 9a and future devices.
Google is preparing to introduce a 'Battery health assistance' setting for Pixel devices, starting with the Pixel 9a, to help extend battery lifespan by adjusting charging behavior and voltage over time. This feature, which will be enabled by default on the Pixel 9a and newer models, aims to maintain battery health but may slightly reduce battery runtime as the device ages. It will be available as an optional toggle for older devices and is expected to be included in upcoming Android updates.
To maintain the health of your Android phone's battery, it's crucial to monitor its usage and avoid letting it drain completely or charge to 100% frequently. Use adaptive charging features, avoid extreme temperatures, and minimize parasitic loads by not using the phone while charging. Stick to official chargers and consider battery-saving features to extend battery life. When replacing a battery, use registered repair services and official parts to prevent damage.
Apple's upcoming iOS 17.4 update for the iPhone 15 will revamp the Battery submenu in the Settings app, providing users with easier access to battery insights and health information. The update will include a new Battery Health menu that displays whether the battery is normal, along with details such as cycle count, manufacture date, and date of first use. Additionally, Apple has retested the iPhone 15 models and estimates that their batteries should retain over 80% capacity after 1,000 charge-and-drain cycles. This update aims to make it more intuitive for users to monitor their iPhone's battery health, with potential for further battery management additions in the future.
Apple retested the iPhone 15 series during work on iOS 17.4 and found that the battery’s maximum capacity meets a higher bar than originally stated, with both the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro handsets able to maintain at least 80% of their original capacity after 1,000 charging cycles, double the initial claim. The company is also looking into older iPhone models to see if they also perform better than originally stated, and has emphasized measures to maximize iPhone battery longevity.
Apple released the fourth beta for iOS 17.4, featuring quantum computer protection for iMessage, an updated 'Hello' screen, a new CarPlay instrument cluster experience for Apple Maps, and changes to Battery Health information. The update includes Apple’s post-quantum cryptographic protocol, PQ3, to secure iMessage, an updated Hello screen with the user’s Apple ID profile photo, and a new CarPlay instrument cluster experience for Apple Maps. Additionally, Battery Health and Charging optimization information is now decoupled, and pertinent battery information has been migrated to the Battery Health panel.
Apple has updated its claim on the iPhone 15's battery longevity, stating that it can now maintain at least 80 percent of its original capacity for 1,000 charging cycles, double its initial claim of 500 cycles. However, it's unclear whether the batteries have actually improved or if Apple has changed its testing and language. The company has shifted from advertising under "normal conditions" to "ideal conditions," leaving ambiguity about the actual improvements. While Apple's support pages mention software features to preserve battery life, the specific testing conditions for the new claim remain undisclosed.
With the upcoming iOS 17.4 update, Apple introduces a new tool to easily monitor the battery health of iPhone 15 models, displaying whether the battery is normal or not. The update also provides information on battery cycle count, manufacture date, and date of first use. Apple has retested the iPhone 15 models and estimates their batteries should retain 80% or higher capacity for 1,000 charge and drain cycles. This change aims to make it more intuitive for users to manage their iPhone's battery health, with CNET's battery tests showing the iPhone 15 series as some of the best in terms of battery life.
As phone batteries age, they exhibit signs such as rapid drainage, slow charging, overheating, and reduced capacity. iPhone users can check battery health in Settings, while Android users may need to use specific apps or codes. To prolong battery life, it's advised to use high-quality chargers, avoid battery-draining apps, refrain from using the phone while charging, and remove the phone case during charging to prevent overheating.