There is a big difference between battery life and battery health. The former means how much battery is left in your device while the latter means how is the actual health of your device’s battery. Over a period of usage, the capacity of the battery deteriorates and it holds true for all electronics. Similarly, the iPhone battery also burns out over time and its health deteriorates. New versions of iOS for iPhone now include a “Battery Health” feature, which informs the iPhone user if their battery is healthy and operating at full potential or it has lost some steam due to its age.
The Battery Health feature is still in beta, so it is possible the feature will evolve over time. It made its debut in iOS 11.3 and might come out of beta in iOS 12. Currently, the feature is limited to the iPhone and is not available in iPad yet.
How to Check Battery Health of iPhone?
Here is where you can find details of battery health, which includes performance and maximum charge capacity.
- Open the Settings app on the iPhone
- Choose “Battery”
- Tap on “Battery Health”
- At the Battery Health screen, you will see two relevant indicators of battery health: “Maximum Capacity” and “Peak Performance Capability”.
If you have a new iPhone, the maximum capacity will be 100% for sure. However, if you’re using an iPhone that is couple of years old, then the maximum capacity will certainly be less than 100%.
What does “Maximum Capacity” in Battery Health for iPhone Means?
According to Apple, the maximum capacity battery percentage is:
“Maximum battery capacity measures the device battery capacity relative to when it was new. Batteries will start at 100% when first activated and will have lower capacity as the battery chemically ages which may result in fewer hours of usage between charges.
A normal battery is designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles when operating under normal conditions. The one-year warranty includes service coverage for a defective battery. If it is out of warranty, Apple offers battery service for a charge.”
All new iPhone models and new iPhone batteries will begin at 100% capacity naturally, but over time as the battery ages, goes through many charging cycles, and experiences normal wear and tear, the maximum battery capacity may reduce below 100%. In practice, the further the number is from 100% maximum capacity, the less available battery charge there will be compared to when the device battery was new.
If you see a number less than 100%, that does not necessarily mean your battery is defective or not working properly, it just means it’s maximum charge is less than 100% of original specification.
What does “Peak Performance Capability” for iPhone Battery Means?
The “Peak Performance Capability” section is where any reported problems with the battery will be shown, if those problems are degrading performance of the iPhone itself. Most newer iPhones will show “Your battery is currently supporting normal peak performance” to indicate this, but there are other potential messages that could be displayed, which could suggest a battery issue. If the iPhone is not performing at peak performance, you will see a message under that section that says “Performance management is on” which typically indicates the device rebooted itself due to a battery issue. If the battery health deteriorates a lot, the iPhone performance will get throttled.
So Apple has brought a new feature named “Battery Health” and hence you do not have to download different third-party apps in order to check the battery health of your iPhone. The feature is still in beta and will certainly get more refined in the coming months.
