iPhone 14 Pro users complain of major drops in battery health and capacity after less than a year

iPhone 14 Pro users are growing increasingly concerned about the state of their iPhone’s battery health. A number of iPhone 14 Pro users have taken to Twitter, Reddit, and more to share screenshots of their deteriorating battery capacity – less than one year after the iPhone 14 Pro was officially launched.

Apple added the “Battery Health” feature to iPhones starting with iOS 11.3 in March 2018. The feature came in response to the so-called “Batterygate” scandal. At the time, Apple confirmed that it had been silently throttling iPhone performance as batteries aged over time, so the “Battery Health” menu was added to Settings to give users more context on their iPhone’s battery.

iPhones use lithium-ion batteries, which chemically age throughout the device’s life cycle. In a support document, Apple explains that as the battery ages, the amount of charge a battery can hold diminishes. In turn, this results in shorter amounts of time before a device needs to be recharged.

Apple says iPhone batteries are “designed to retain up to 80% of its original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles when operating under normal conditions.”

The battery health of an iPhone can also impact performance, and iOS has measures in place to balance performance and battery health. Apple explains:

The power needs of iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11 Pro Max, and later are dynamically monitored, and performance is managed so that it can address these needs in real time. The system is more advanced than previous iPhone battery and power management systems and allows your iPhone to reduce performance impacts from battery aging

While performance impacts are reduced as much as possible, battery aging might still eventually lead to noticeable, possibly temporary, effects. Depending on the battery state and the tasks that your iPhone is handling, examples might include longer app launch times, lower frame rates, reduced wireless-data throughput, backlight dimming, or lower speaker volume.

The balance between performance and battery health is managed by iOS. “Built-in dynamic software and hardware systems will help counter performance impacts that may be noticed as your iPhone battery chemically ages,” Apple says.

iPhone 14 Pro’ Maximum Capacity’ battery concerns

Over the last several months, a growing number of iPhone 14 Pro users have taken to Twitter and other social media platforms to share screenshots of their iPhone 14 Pro battery’s “Maximum Capacity.”

• Aaron Zollo: 90% max capacity
• Apple Hub: 89% max capacity
• Lon Siedman: 88% max capacity
• Jon Rettinger: 90% max capacity
• MilesAboveTech: 86% max capacity
• Robert Rosenfeld: 93% max capacity
• Andrew Clare: 90% max capacity
• TechDaily: 89% max capacity
• Matou Ecureuil: 88% max capacity
• Brandon Butch: 91% max capacity

This number can be found by going into the Settings app, choosing “Battery,” then tapping “Battery Health and Charging.” Apple says this number is a “measure of battery capacity relative to when it was new.” As such, “lower capacity may result in fewer hours of usage between charges.”

There are a few possible reasons as to why users are seeing a change in their iPhone 14 Pro’s “Maximum Capacity” rating. First, it could be that Apple adjusted the algorithm for how this number is calculated compared to previous iPhone models.

It could also be that the iOS 17 beta has had an abnormally large impact on iPhone battery health. As always, things like power and battery management are less refined in beta versions of iOS than in versions released to the general public.

Another possibility is that features exclusive to the iPhone 14 Pro, such as the Always-On Display, are impacting overall battery health. The iPhone 14 Pro’s display can also reach 2000 nits peak brightness in outdoor environments, nearly double that of the iPhone 13 Pro.

Still, Apple hasn’t directly commented on these complaints from iPhone 14 Pro users, so this is all conjecture for now. In general, the company recommends battery replacements when “Maximum Capacity” falls below 80%. Less than one year after the iPhone 14 Pro’s release, some users are getting surprisingly close to that threshold.

iPhone battery replacements are covered as part of the one-year warranty included with every new iPhone purchase as well as for iPhone models covered by AppleCare+ plans (provided that the iPhone’s battery health is below 80%).

If your device is out of warranty or if you want a battery replacement before it falls below 80%, here are replacement prices:

• iPhone 14: $99
• iPhone X, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, and iPhone 13: $89
• iPhone SE, iPhone 8, and earlier: $69

Apple battery replacement can be performed at Apple retail locations through the Genius Bar, online using mail-in service, or at authorized resellers.

9to5Mac’s Take

More important than the potential impact on performance is the impact “Maximum Capacity” deterioration can have on iPhone battery life. The lower the “Maximum Capacity” number, the shorter your iPhone’s battery life.

Another factor that contributes to battery health is the cycle count – meaning how many times your iPhone has been charged. Apple doesn’t make it easy to find this data. My recommendation is a third-party app for the Mac called coconutBattery. Just download the app, connect your iPhone to your Mac, and look for the “cycle count” number. Mine is at 347 cycles.

It’s also a double-edged sword. As your iPhone’s battery ages, the more often you have to charge your iPhone. The more you charge your iPhone, the faster the battery ages. The snowball effect here means the rate at which your iPhone battery ages will only get faster over time.

There are ways to potentially mitigate the decline in battery health, such as reducing how often you charge and using lower-wattage charging options. This isn’t something iPhone users should have to worry about, though.

I’ve complained about iPhone 14 Pro battery life since the day it was released last September. I think iPhone 14 Pro’s battery life is significantly worse than other recent iPhone models. If these batteries are also deteriorating at a faster rate than before, that’s an issue Apple needs to address.

iPhone battery health will always vary from person to person and can be impacted by a number of factors, including things like how you charge, how often you charge, and more. The overall capacity and health of an iPhone battery can also vary from day one, right when they come off the production line.

Battery aging is normal and to be expected with iPhones. One of the takeaways from these numbers is not necessarily your iPhone’s current max capacity but rather the rate at which this number is dropping. Based on the feedback from iPhone 14 Pro users on Twitter, that number is dropping significantly quicker this year than it has in prior years.

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