Why I limit iPhone 15 charging capacity to 80% (and you should too)

In my experience, no topic has generated as many articles, blog posts, and YouTube videos as how to maximize your iPhone’s battery life. This is the topic I receive the most questions and comments about. People are obsessed with iPhone battery life and getting the longest possible run time on every charge.

Also: The best iPhone power bank you can buy

Every minute of run time and every percentage point of battery life matters. But if people are so obsessed with charging, why does it make sense to sacrifice 20%, or one-fifth, of battery capacity?

Built into the iOS of the iPhone 15 lineup is a feature Apple calls the “80% limit.”

This feature expands on the original concept of optimizing battery charging, which previously limited overnight charging to 80% for most of the night, and only required a full charge an hour or so before users typically woke up. was. The new feature makes 80% a permanent limit.

Want to try this feature? If you have an iPhone 15, tap Settings > Battery > Charging optimization.

The hope is that the charging optimization feature will extend the life of your iPhone’s battery. Given that the majority of a battery’s chemical wear and tear occurs during charging from 80% to 100%, Apple now says it can reach 1,000 charge cycles.

I was curious about this feature, so I’ve been testing it out for the past few weeks to see if I, the battery obsessive that I am, can live with a 20% reduction in battery life. Of course, it’s too early to comment on whether this feature will affect battery drain, so we’ll have to revisit this topic in a year or so to see long-term results.

Related article: How to turn on 80% charging limit on iPhone 15 to save battery health

In the meantime, I was curious if the 20% reduction in battery life would be a big deal. After experiencing battery-induced anxiety for the first few days, I found that I no longer thought about or noticed low battery power.

At first, it felt very strange to start the day with only 80% charge, as if I had already used up my iPhone. However, looking back at his usage patterns before this experiment, he realized that he almost never made it through the day with less than 35% charge. iPhone 14 Pro Max.of iPhone 15 Pro Max It performed even better.

For a heavy user like me, an 80% charge is enough to get me through a typical day. So I decided to take a risk by pushing the iPhone even harder.

I went hiking with my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I used my iPhone 15 Pro Max to plan, navigate, take photos and videos for product reviews, and document the extensive muddy areas I encountered along the way. I decided not to bring a mobile battery with me, considering it a “sneaky” move.

Related article: Apple doubles iPhone 15 battery life, no updates required

I expected the hike and product review to take about 8 hours, during which time I would be using my iPhone a lot. The challenge was further amplified by cold, wet weather, which is known to drain battery life faster.

Everything went well. Starting the hike with 80% charge, he returned to the car with 48% charge, along with extensive video and photos (including some that weren’t muddy).

I developed two strategies to smooth the transition to “smaller” batteries.

The first is practical. I found that the microcharging of the charge was very effective. Spending just a few minutes plugging it into a charging mat, car charger, power bank, or wall charger can make a big difference. I’m only talking a few minutes here. We haven’t talked about it any further.

Another strategy that has had a big impact is psychology. Disabled battery level display on iPhone. Instead of noticing a percentage point drop, I started focusing on the bigger picture.

Also: Can you safely revive a dead lithium-ion battery? Yes – here’s how

If the battery percentage feature is enabled and you want to disable it, tap . Settings > Battery and switch off The remaining battery capacity.

In conclusion, the iPhone 15 Pro Max has enough power to get you through the day, even with reduced battery capacity. If you’re traveling or want the best possible battery life, Carry a power bank with you or disable the 80% limit. However, on most days, the 80% limit is fine.