Apple iPhone 14's battery capacity is degrading faster than expected
What's the story
The iPhone 14 and 14 Pro owners are facing battery degradation issues. Some users have reported a capacity drop of 10-12% in less than a year.
Apple claims that iPhone batteries should maintain up to 80% of their original capacity after 500 complete charge cycles.
However, the battery on iPhone 14 range appears to be degrading sooner than expected.
Twitter Post
14 Pro user lost 12% battery capacity within a year
My iPhone 14 Pro is down to 88% battery capacity after less than a year.
— Joanna Stern (@JoannaStern) August 11, 2023
Is it because I use my phone too much and have already hit 450 charge cycles?! (That's what Apple Store says.) Is it from heat from fast charging? Is there something up with the battery?
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Details
Previous-generation iPhones have not faced this issue
The battery degradation issue has sparked concerns among users.
Several iPhone 14 series owners have taken to X, Reddit, and other social media platforms to report deteriorating battery capacity on their handsets.
In some cases, users have extensively used their devices with over 450 charge cycles.
However, previous-generation iPhone models did not experience such a decrease in capacity well after one year of use.
Causes
Apple is yet to comment on the matter
Apple hasn't responded to the complaints from iPhone 14 and 14 Pro users. However, users may be observing the change due to a couple of reasons.
Apple might have adjusted the algorithm to calculate the percentage and/or features like Always-On Display might be impacting the battery's health.
For those on iOS 17 beta, power and battery management may not be optimum.
Factors
Battery health depends on several other factors
Battery aging is normal for smartphones. iPhones use Lithium-ion batteries, which undergo chemical aging over the course of the device's life cycle.
That said, the health of an iPhone battery will vary depending on usage.
Battery health can be affected by a variety of variables, including your charging pattern, your screen-on time, and how frequently you plug in your device for charging.
Tips
The increased cost of battery replacement is concerning
The faster degradation and higher replacement costs have led to growing frustration among iPhone 14 and 14 Pro owners.
The cost of replacing the battery for an iPhone 14 or 14 Pro has risen from $69 (around Rs. 5,700) to $99 (roughly Rs. 8,200).
This increase makes it more expensive for users to maintain their devices once they are out of warranty.
History
Here's how to check your iPhone's battery health
Apple introduced the "Battery Health" feature for iPhones with iOS 11.3 in March 2018 to provide users with more context regarding their handset's battery.
To check your iPhone's battery capacity, go to Settings > Battery, and then tap on 'Battery Health and Charging.'
According to Apple, the Battery Health percentage is a "measure of battery capacity relative to when it was new.