Just like any other smartphone, the iPhone comes with a rechargeable battery that has a limited number of charge cycles, 500 complete charge cycles to be exact. As soon as your iPhone’s complete charge cycles cross 500, its battery is consider consumed as its ability to provide power reduces. As a result, you will have to charge your iPhone more frequently and in worst cases, it may exhibit unexpected shutdowns.
According to a recent revelation, Apple is reducing the overall system performance of iPhone with degraded battery life. The company has also confirmed that it has implemented a software-based limit on the system performance where the OS detects a degraded battery installed.
While Apple has made it very convenient for macOS users to find out their MacBook’s battery cycle count, the iOS has no such option available. However, there is still a way to find out if your iPhone’s battery is close to the end of its lifespan and requires a replacement.
How to Check if iPhone Battery Need to be Replaced
With iSO 10.2.1, Apple has introduced a new feature under Battery section that allows you to find out if your iPhone’s battery needs to be replaced or serviced. It means your iPhone or iPad must be running iOS 10.2.1 or a newer iOS version. Here are the step-by-step instructions:
- Open Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Go to Battery section.
If your iPhone or iPad battery is closed to or has reached the 500 complete charge cycles, you’ll see a notice at the top saying that “Your iPhone battery may need to be serviced.” If you see the message, you can still continue to use your iOS device until your iPhone or iPad’s battery is checked or replaced by an authorized service center. The notice also appears when your iOS device has a defective battery.
Other than the notice discussed above, reduced performance, unexpected shutdowns, and frequent recharges are among the signs of a battery with a short lifespan. If you do not see any such notice, it either means your battery is in good condition or you have an iPhone or iPad running an older version of iOS.
Here are some of the factors that can affect your iPhone or iPad battery life:
- Number of charge cycles
- Age of the battery
- Exposure to extreme heat or cold.
All the rechargeable batteries have a limited number of charge cycles. The time will eventually come when it might need to be serviced. If you start seeing the battery service related message, you may want to consider Apple’s out-of-warranty battery replacement service that would set you back $79 fee + $6.95 shipping. These charges are also subject to local tax.
Apple says that once an iPhone battery complete 500 charge cycles, it is designed to retain 80% of its original capacity. The standards one-year Apple warranty does cover the defective batteries, but not the degraded battery time due to wear of daily life use. If your issue is covered under warranty of AppleCare+, you can get the battery replace at no additional cost.
Other than battery replacement, Apple also offers software-based solutions to extend your iPhone battery life. These iOS features include Low Power Mode which not only helps you in identifying battery-hogging apps but also throttles CPU performance to save power. Other battery saving options include Auto-Brightness (enabled), turning off the communication radios when not needed, disabling location services for unwanted apps and also disabling Background app refresh among other options.
Apple also offers a number of tips of its own to get most out of your battery.
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