Those who have at least one iPhone 6 and have updated to iOS 11.3 or later versions can immediately know the Battery’s state of health and evaluate its replacement. Until recently, iPhone owners interested in checking the health of the Battery installed on the device had to go to an Apple Store and have a diagnostic test run in the store. Alternatively, Apple support operators could request the same test remotely.
Although this is still possible today, since Geekbench – exactly one year ago – discovered the abnormal behavior of Apple devices after installing the latest iOS versions ( Geekbench: Is there a correlation between iOS updates and reduced performance of the iPhones ), a real fuss arose that prompted Apple to run for cover quickly.
Apple confirmed to limit the performance of older iPhones to prevent them from suddenly shutting down due to worn-out batteries, no longer being able to offer a decent user experience or a rapid reduction of autonomy: Apple has confirmed that they limit the performance of older iPhones.
Since users had not been informed of this practice, several class actions were filed against Apple in the following months ( iPhone performance artificially reduced: three class actions against Apple ), and the Italian Antitrust has recently decided to impose a 10 million euro fine to the giant led by Tim Cook: Planned obsolescence: the Antitrust fines Apple and Samsung.
How To Check Battery Health On iPhone
In March 2018, Apple released iOS 11.3, a new operating system update for its devices, providing all the instructions for accessing battery health information: Battery Health Debuting in iOS 11.3: Informs users when the Battery needs to be changed. Let’s start by saying that one year after purchasing a smartphone, the battery life cycle will be reduced compared to when the device was started up for the first time.
Unlike what happened in the past, for some months, it has been possible to evaluate whether to replace the Battery of your iPhone using some software features. Two parameters in particular offer a useful indication of the state of the Battery: the maximum remaining capacity (the charge that the Battery can manage overall); the second is the number of recharge cycles to which the Battery has been subjected. Apple claims that iPhone batteries are designed to retain about 80 percent of their initial capacity after 500 full charge cycles.
iPhone 6 Or Later Users With iOS 11.3 Or Installed Can Directly Access The Battery Status Data
It is enough to access the settings of the Apple mobile device, choose Battery, then Battery Status, as explained in this support document dedicated to battery assistance. The Maximum entry capacity immediately gives an idea of the Battery’s state: the higher the percentage (closer to 100%), the better.
A little further down, you will find the entry Maximum performance capacity: for batteries in good health; you will read the sentence ” Your Battery currently offers standard peak performance “.
This means that the iOS operating system is not limiting performance in any way. Otherwise, you will read a message informing you that you are using a battery, beginning to feel the weight of time. In these situations, consider changing the Battery. Bearing in mind that the checking mechanism offered by Apple is the best way to check the status of the Battery, it is possible to get a second opinion using a free application like Battery Life Doctor.
The application has several sections: the most useful for ascertaining the health of the Battery is Battery Life. By selecting this item, a screen will appear with the response on the battery status; the Wear level indication followed by a percentage expresses how worn the Battery appears. If it reads, for example, 15%, it means that the Battery’s maximum capacity is 85% of a new battery.
A check can also be carried out from the desktop by connecting the iPhone or iPad using the supplied cable. By downloading and installing coconutBattery for macOS, clicking the iOS device button will get all the information you seek.
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