Apple maintains a unique position in the smartphone market by exercising almost complete control over both the hardware and software of its devices. For instance, while Samsung customizes Google’s Android operating system and sources components from manufacturers like Qualcomm, Apple designs much of the iPhone’s hardware and software in-house.
This grants the company exclusive control over its devices. A recent company statement, however, has raised questions. Apple claims the iPhone 15’s battery now offers double the originally promised lifespan, despite no changes to its hardware or software. Here are the details…
Apple Doubles iPhone 15 Battery Lifespan with Mysterious Page Update
Apple has updated the iPhone 15’s battery lifespan information on its support page. The company now states that the phones will retain up to 80% of their original capacity over 1000 charge cycles, doubling the previous estimate of 500 cycles. Moreover, Apple has not released any hardware or software updates. The company retested the iPhone 15 series to reach this conclusion and updated the information accordingly.
However, the timing of this change raises questions. While we’d like to maintain our “faith in Apple’s honesty,” the change aligns suspiciously with the upcoming EU regulations that will assign an energy rating to the battery life of phones. The European Union is introducing new regulations that will assign smartphones energy efficiency ratings from A to G, similar to the system used for refrigerators and washing machines.
These ratings will reflect the phone’s battery life and its overall energy efficiency. So, Apple’s primary goal is to align its phones with European Union standards. These changes will have minimal impact on iPhone users. The expectation of 80% battery capacity after 500 charge cycles still applies to the iPhone 14 series and its predecessors.
