Whereas at present’s iPhone fashions supply first rate battery life, they nonetheless fall in need of the two-day battery life that some rival Android smartphones present. It’s additionally honest to say that Apple hasn’t moved the needle a lot on this space over the previous couple of years, with enhancements in every new iPhone lineup that may finest be described as incremental.
Nonetheless, this may very well be the 12 months that every one adjustments, not due to higher battery know-how however due to higher synthetic intelligence.
In accordance with a report this week from Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, Apple is planning so as to add an AI-powered battery administration mode in iOS 19 that can mechanically modify energy consumption to preserve vitality based mostly on how you utilize your iPhone.
Since this shall be a part of iOS 19, it might theoretically additionally assist enhance battery life on older iPhone fashions which can be eligible for the replace. Nonetheless, it’s additionally potential it might require newer energy administration chips or different battery know-how which may be unique to this 12 months’s iPhone 17 lineup or be restricted by different constraints, resembling requiring the extra highly effective Neural Engines and Apple Intelligence options of Apple’s newer A-series chips.
Gurman’s sources describe the know-how as “a part of the Apple Intelligence platform,” which means that it might solely be accessible on units able to supporting the remainder of Apple’s AI suite. That will be the iPhone 15 Professional, on the very least. Apple additionally made some notable battery adjustments within the iPhone 15 lineup two years in the past, including a brand new cost restrict function and extra battery well being metrics that aren’t accessible on older fashions. The batteries in these and later fashions are additionally rated for 1,000 cost cycles as an alternative of the five hundred that has lengthy been the norm for iPhones.
It’s additionally notable that Apple’s main motivation for this isn’t to present iPhone 17 Professional Max customers two-day battery life however reasonably to make sure that its latest entry within the lineup — the so-called “iPhone 17 Air” — will be capable to get you thru an entire day.
The driving pressure behind the battery function is the corporate’s upcoming slimmed-down iPhone 17, which shall be supplied as a substitute for the usual and Professional fashions. Due to its thinner design, the brand new iPhone may have a a lot smaller battery — and fewer hours of life than different fashions.
Mark Gurman
Nonetheless, “the battery perform shall be accessible for all iPhones which have iOS 19,” Gurman stated. It’s unclear whether or not this function shall be mechanically enabled for all suitable iPhones working iOS 19 or if it is going to be a further energy administration mode that customers can toggle on manually.
Sources point out that Apple is growing a brand new AI power-saving mode utilizing years of battery information collected from customers’ units (presumably anonymously, contemplating Apple’s agency stance on privateness) in order that it might practice AI fashions on when to cut back the ability draw of particular functions or options.
Gurman notes that customers will even be capable to see an estimated charging time on the iOS 19 Lock Display screen. Apple has seemingly been laying the groundwork for this since no less than iOS 18.2 when a brand new “BatteryIntelligence” framework was found with that particular goal in thoughts. It’s by no means been enabled, but it surely means that Apple could have been hoping to launch this in an iOS 18 level launch earlier than finally deciding to push it off till iOS 19.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]