Other 80% charging limit on older models

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Of course, no hardware constraints at all. Clearly it is only for the sake of differentiation for the 15 models.

If even the iPhone X can use optimized charging, setting a temporary limit to 80%, setting a permanent limit to 80% is even easier both in terms of programming and of hardware requirements.

It might come to the older models later when the feature loses leverage.

Since the 80% hard limit was never(?) mentioned as a new iPhone 15 feature, or really in any press release or footnote ever(?), I think there's a good chance it will come to all iPhones in a later iOS version.

I actually think Apple might make it a part of next year's presentation, when they do the whole sustainability "report" thing. It would certainly be a good fit.

"This year we're very excited to introduce even more features that will help every iPhone last as long as possible.", something like that.

Worth considering: Nobody, not even the E.U., forced them to do it for iPhones 15.

Plus, the 80% charge limit is a niche feature that has no appeal to the average consumer and won't break the 2-3 year upgrade cycle that Apple's target demographic is on.

 

[JPack]

Any code has to be written to be backward compatible for hardware, the phone model, chip, battery.
it really just sounds like the team that wrote this code doesn't want to write it to backward compatible.
(or weren't asked to by their leadership)

They were told to write this code for the iPhone 15 models only and never had plans make it work with older phones.

Or they wrote the code, but was told to disable for pre-2023 iPhones.

This is similar to Photonic Engine on iPhone 14. The iPhone 13 has the exact same A15 and camera sensor, but no Photonic Engine software.

 

[CraigJDuffy]

Optimized Battery Charging only works when the OS is booted up.
The 80% hard stop available on the 15 models works even when the phone is turned off but plugged in.

That requires a hardware change.

This is the answer. It’s a hardware feature of the battery controller and that is why.

This said, they could have implemented it in software as a way to bring 90% of the value to older phones.

 

[toobravetosave]

$$$$

 

[Clamjuice65]

apple knows what they doing and know why they didn’t put this feature on older devices . Trust apple and everybody should have been upgrading anyway get out there spend your money or put yourself on 3yr payment plan with your carriers . Us Apple shareholders needs a Good Quarter. Thanks 😊

 

[Tyler O'Bannon]

iOS 17.4……. Maybe…..

 

[0423MAC]

MONEY

 

[Sami13496]

Limiting to 80% and automatically losing 20% capasity by doing that

Using different apps to monitor battery stats

Worrying (even stressing) over battery life every day

👆Doesn’t sound like a normal usage to me. If the reason is resell value then I’m sorry, but I think you cannot really afford to own an iPhone. You should be able to use your device without thinking about it. This is just my opinion…

 

[zapmymac]

I’m hoping a dev can write an iOS/iPados app to shutdown charging at x%…

I bought a recently introduced Mac OS app called, “Al Dente” that does just this for my MacBook Pro, works exactly as advertised, and saves my older MacBook Pro battery: I have it set to 20%-73%.

👌💻

 

[Total Respray]

Optimized Battery Charging only works when the OS is booted up.
The 80% hard stop available on the 15 models works even when the phone is turned off but plugged in.

That requires a hardware change.

Good theory, except that charging an iPhone turns it on automatically.

Disclaimer - at least it does with my older iPhones.

 

[reppans]

Limiting to 80% and automatically losing 20% capasity by doing that

This seems to be conventional wisdom among iPhone users, but the easy answer is that for many of us folks, battery life lasts a lot longer than we have time to use in a day, so why not take of the battery if there’s no effort involved (eg, 80% limiter, shortcut/smartplug, Chargie usb dongle, heck even a dumb light timer). Saves me more time, effort, and money than wasting a couple hours to drive-to/wait-for an Apple Batt swap. I may eventually require a full 100% charge to get me through a day on one plug-in/day, but IME that will take 6+ years, and beyond Apple’s iOS support. And for the record, I’m not budget constrained at all, I just like to customize gear to my specific needs, and find upgrading (ie, starting over) to be a PITA.

In another analogy, how often do you redline the motor on your daily driver? Why not redline every damn shift… because it’s there?

JMHO and $0.02.

 

[Boy261]

I think it should definitely be possible. The phone does stop from charging when it is hot and i have experiencied it on my xs max, every model above should be able too.

They just need to implement the feature which at this point no one knows when that will be.

 

[one more]

Good theory, except that charging an iPhone turns it on automatically.

Disclaimer - at least it does with my older iPhones.

Plugging a turned-off iPhone into a power source will indeed turn it on. However, if you plug your “awake” iPhone first and then turn it off, it will stay off.

 

[dobrewski_77]

Today I decided to turn on the 80% Limit option on my iPhone 15 Pro Max. I would like to test how many cycles the phone will recognise for a week or so.

 

[laszlo182]

Optimized Battery Charging only works when the OS is booted up.
The 80% hard stop available on the 15 models works even when the phone is turned off but plugged in.

That requires a hardware change.

This might be because 1) Optimized Battery Charging needs much more logic to function, while 80% hard stop is just that. And also user with OBC wants 100% charged device when they need it, so if OS that controls the logic behind it is shut down => just charge normally. While user with 80% limit wants their device never cross 80%.

 

[MathersMahmood]

Can somebody shead some light on why this feature is missing on older models? I understand it wasn't ready for 17.0, which was optimized for new iPhone models. But in 17.1 I really thought they would add this to all iPhones and iPads. It seems like a trivial function to add, or am I missing something and there are actually some hardware constraints?

I will say it how it is.

"The new iPhones have a fantastic feature that allows you to limit your charge to 80% and tells you how many charge cycles you have. We think you are going to love it! THIS IS THE BEST EXCLUSIVE SOFTWARE FEATURE WE HAVE EVER CREATED!"

 

[Jason J. Schneider]

if (BatteryServiceProvider.service.charging.level >= 80) {
    BatteryServiceProvider.service.pauseCharging();
}

Here Apple. I've fixed it. Now please hire me to create an MR for it.

 

[ApplesAreSweet&Sour]

Good theory, except that charging an iPhone turns it on automatically.

Disclaimer - at least it does with my older iPhones.

Yes, all iPhones turn on automatically if you start charging them while they are turned off.

But if you start charging while the iPhone is still on, and then turn off the iPhone while it is still charging, the iPhone will keep charging while it's turned off and not turn on(unless you turn off your charger and turn it on again).

Not a lot of use-cases for this "trick". But it allows you to (maybe?) charge it a tiny bit faster as there's no drain from the iPhone running.

 

[Jackbequickly]

I can't say why as I don't know why and I don't speak for Apple. But, I think it's a thing now because people obsessed about batteries made it a thing.

My 11 Pro Max and my 6s+ have optimized charging and I do have it on. Other than that I have never worried about my battery health.

‘There seems to be a huge “divide“ of people who don’t care about battery life and those who do.

There is room for both. The 80% is not mandatory and allows users to choose on the newer devices. If you do not care, do not use it.

Society has become so polarized!

 

[Jason J. Schneider]

There seems to be a huge “divide“ of people who don’t care about battery life and those who do.

I've said it on other threads, I'll say it again.

If I would have an Apple Store two blocks away from me, then yes, I'll probably use that battery to the hell and back without sweating a bit. And replace it when it's done.

But I live in a country where the nearest Apple Store is like... two other countries away. And here, the 3rd party repair shops are not so Louis Rossmann or Jessa Jones. I won't take my one-two year old iPhone 13 Pro to a no-name dude to take it apart.

So my only solution is authorized repair shops. And those will replace my battery, fine, but will let me without a phone for one to two weeks, since the phone need to be shipped to a 600 km away location, opened, battery swapped and shipped back. Not to mention, I'll need to factory reset that phone before shipping.

Now, because all of that, I prefer to take care of that battery. And after 4-5 years of usage, I'll probably ship it for a change. But I really like to postpone that event as long as I can.

 

[eyoungren]

I've said it on other threads, I'll say it again.

I've said it on other threads, I'll say it again.

My iPhone 6s Plus is a 2015 launch weekend iPhone. Over six years of use without regard to the battery and the battery was at 79% when I had it replaced in November 2021.

That's six years of plugging it in at night without regard to whatever the battery percent said. Screen on all night with a bedside clock running. Two Phoenix, Arizona summers in a car with no A/C and windows that could not be rolled down - on average 110º F days.

And I live 30 minutes away from a genuine Apple store.

 

[eyoungren]

‘There seems to be a huge “divide“ of people who don’t care about battery life and those who do.

There is room for both. The 80% is not mandatory and allows users to choose on the newer devices. If you do not care, do not use it.

Society has become so polarized!

I don't have a problem with people who want to be obsessive about their battery. And now that the option is there, I will probably ignore it whenever I end up with a phone that supports it.

My problem is when the issue starts becoming like the divide here on Macrumors between case users and non-case users. However you use your phone battery is your own business.

Perhaps this new setting will alleviate things.

 

[toobravetosave]

I hope Apple deletes the battery icon and settings section all together so people still worrying about their batteries

 

[BugeyeSTI]

Can somebody shead some light on why this feature is missing on older models? I understand it wasn't ready for 17.0, which was optimized for new iPhone models. But in 17.1 I really thought they would add this to all iPhones and iPads. It seems like a trivial function to add, or am I missing something and there are actually some hardware constraints?

The same reason the Watch S9/U3 exclusively has double-tap or the S8/U1 had accident detection.. Apple offers exclusive features to the newest devices even though older models are quite capable to have it implemented too.. Sucks but Apple has been doing it forever

 

[Jackbequickly]

I don't have a problem with people who want to be obsessive about their battery. And now that the option is there, I will probably ignore it whenever I end up with a phone that supports it.

My problem is when the issue starts becoming like the divide here on Macrumors between case users and non-case users. However you use your phone battery is your own business.

Perhaps this new setting will alleviate things.

‘I doubt it. Again you insinuate that people are obsessive if they want to prolong their battery life.

Some seem to just enjoy confrontations.