iOS updates are a big moment for iPhone users, giving your beloved smartphone improved features, security improvements, and more. And while iOS 17.4 has only just entered beta, the potential for your iPhone 15 battery to get even better is a pretty great reason to update as soon as iOS 17.4 officially releases.
Apple has recently changed support guidance for iPhones to stop users putting their water-logged phones in rice, but the company is looking to boost the battery for your iPhone too. Unfortunately, this is currently exclusive to the iPhone 15 line up, but Apple is looking to potentially expand it to select older models.
For starters, the new Battery Health menu adding a "Battery Health" section, which rates your battery as "normal" if it's working as it should be. This additional context will give you more information as to whether your battery is doing well, with the iPhone users only getting a maximum capacity percentage prior to the update.
Interestingly, Apple has updated it's support documents for the iPhone battery by stating that the iPhone 15 batteries are "designed to retain 80 percent of their original capacity at 1000 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions". As noted by 9to5Mac, the original phrasing was "500 complete charge cycles", under normal conditions. There's also a new splash screen to share the new phrasing from the support document too.
You'll also get to see the manufacture date for your iPhone, how many cycles the battery has been used, and the first time you used the iPhone, all within the Battery Health menu. Previously, these three things were available to see in the About menu in General, so it's nicer that this has been moved for easier access.
Unfortunately, iOS 17.4 and it's other helpful features, such as new emojis and Stolen Device Protection, doesn't have an official release date just yet. However, it will likely be available in March, to comply with the new regulations set by the European Union recently. Maybe it's time to play 2019's best game on iPhone with the improved battery features.