Unlocking the Secrets: Mastering iPhone 15 Battery Life Optimization

Key Takeaways

Apple introduced a new feature in the iPhone 15 that allows users to limit charging past 80% to improve battery health.

Enabling the 80% limit may lead to a reduced daily battery life since it instantly decreases the phone's battery capacity by 20%.

For the majority of individuals, it is more economical to use their iPhones in the usual manner and replace the battery once its capacity declines, instead of promptly decreasing the capacity and potentially requiring more frequent charging.

What Is the New iPhone 80% Charging Optimization?

Several smartphones offer the option to restrict overnight charging to approximately 80-90% and then complete the remaining capacity just before disconnecting the phone from the power source. This practice is believed to enhance the longevity of the internal battery, as continuous charging at 100% for extended periods can negatively impact battery health. Building on this, Apple has introduced a new feature on the iPhone 15 series that allows users to limit charging beyond 80%. However, it is advisable for most individuals not to activate this option.

The iPhone 15 series introduces a new feature called Charging Optimization, which ensures that your battery never exceeds 80% charge. This feature works alongside the existing "Optimized Battery Charging" option, which has been available since the iOS 13 update in 2019.

According to Apple's support document, selecting the 80% Limit setting means that your iPhone will charge up to approximately 80% and then stop charging. If the battery level drops to 75%, charging will resume until it reaches around 80% again. However, even with 80% Limit enabled, your iPhone will occasionally fully charge to 100% in order to accurately estimate the battery's state of charge.

How to Limit Charging on the iPhone 15

To maintain your iPhone's battery capacity at 80%, simply follow these quick steps. Open the Settings app (if you're unable to locate it, just ask Siri to "open Settings"). Next, go to Battery > Battery Health & Charging > Charging Optimization. Finally, choose the 80% limit option.

The battery charging on your iPhone will now stop at 80% capacity, with the exception of occasional battery calibration measurements. If you wish to revert to the default charging setting, navigate to the same menu and choose "Optimized Battery Charging" instead of "80% Limit."

You can also choose the option of "None" to allow the iPhone to reach a full charge whenever feasible. This could be the ideal choice if you observe that the phone is not completely charged in the morning or if you seldom charge it overnight.

Should You Limit Charging to 80%?

Is it practical to utilize the new charging limit feature? For the majority of individuals, probably not. It is intended to decrease battery wear by avoiding charging the final 10-20% of a battery cell, as this can generate more heat and strain on the battery cells. Nevertheless, with the existing optimized battery charging, which has been in use for several years, most individuals only experience a 5-10% reduction in reported battery capacity annually.

By enabling the charging limit option, you immediately sacrifice 20% of your phone's battery capacity. This may result in your phone not lasting an entire day of usage, depending on your activities. If you find yourself needing to charge your phone more frequently throughout the day, this still contributes to battery wear, albeit likely not as much as fully charging it to 100%. Nonetheless, it is still a factor to consider.

It should be noted that a degraded battery does not mean the end for an iPhone. Apple offers battery replacements for iPhone 15 and other recent models at a cost of $99 in all Apple Store locations. Additionally, third-party repair centers like uBreakiFix/Asurion and Best Buy Geek Squad are expected to provide battery replacements for the new models in the near future.

For most individuals, it is more logical to continue using their iPhones normally and replace the battery when the capacity decreases to a low level (typically after 2-3 years). This approach avoids the need to constantly charge the battery and potentially shortening its lifespan. To put it in perspective, if you find yourself needing a battery replacement every 24 months, it would cost you $99, which averages out to a monthly battery "tax" of $4.13 to charge your phone to 100%. Therefore, if you are unsure about using this feature, you can consider it as paying four dollars a month for longer battery life and less frequent charging. Furthermore, if you manage to go 36 months without needing a replacement, the monthly "tax" reduces to $2.75.

Looking at it from that perspective, the idea of artificially reducing your battery's capacity by 20% doesn't seem as appealing anymore. While it's nice to have the option for specific situations, we advise against worrying excessively about battery health. Regardless of the settings you choose, the battery will naturally degrade over time. Therefore, it's not necessary to optimize your battery to the extent that it compromises your enjoyment while using your phone.