iPhone batteries will degrade over time, but users can apply a number of ways to prolong battery life and limit the need to replace them early.
According to Batteries Plus, battery health is measured in charge cycles, with each cycle equivalent to charging and discharging from 100% to 0%. Newer iPhone models, like the iPhone 15 series, can reach 1,000 cycles before performance degradation, and older models around 500 cycles.
Users can check the iPhone's battery status by going to Settings > Battery > Battery & Charging Status. Here, parameters including maximum capacity, number of charging cycles and related information will be displayed. Understanding battery health is critical to managing battery life and performance. After understanding this parameter, users can change their habits to help the battery last longer.
Wireless charging is a double-edged sword.
Wireless charging is convenient, when users just need to place the iPhone on the charging dock. However, this method generates heat, which is more harmful to the battery than the regular cable connection. Therefore, experts recommend that users limit wireless charging and use wired charging whenever possible.
Limit fast charging.
When you're in a hurry, fast charging is the best solution for your iPhone to quickly recharge its battery. But users also have to trade off when they want speed, because it generates more heat than conventional charging, as well as puts significant pressure on the battery, reducing durability. Users should only charge quickly in an emergency. For daily charging, a slower method is recommended.
Temperature is too high or too low.
Li-ion batteries are sensitive to temperature changes. High temperatures can accelerate internal chemical reactions, causing the battery to degrade faster, while low temperatures reduce battery performance and capacity. Therefore, users should avoid exposing iPhone to frequent sunlight or places with too high or too low heat sources.
Best charging range.
According to Pocket-link, the best capacity limit of an iPhone battery is in the range of 20-80%. Charging up to 100% puts extra "pressure" on the battery, thereby reducing performance and accelerating the battery aging process. Therefore, users should charge their phone to about 80% and turn on the Optimum Charging feature to prevent iPhone from exceeding this level.
In addition, avoid letting your iPhone run out of battery before recharging it because this also contributes to shortening the battery's life. You should try to keep the battery level above 20% whenever possible.
Other tips.
The screen is one of the parts that consumes the most energy on the phone. To help iPhone battery last longer, users can use the Auto Brightness feature to adjust the screen brightness level depending on the surrounding environment.
Some apps that refresh in the background drain battery, they can be turned off in Settings > General > Background App Refresh.
Besides, you should turn off functions that consume battery when not in use, such as positioning, Bluetooth, wifi. Too many notifications will also wake up the iPhone screen continuously.
In cases where the battery capacity is low but there is no charging source, Low Power Mode can be enabled. For iPhones with OLED screens, activating Dark Mode helps save more power, because OLED panels consume less power when displaying dark colors. Additionally, users are advised to update their iPhones regularly, as software updates often include battery optimizations.