New Battery Health Features Remain Limited to iPhone 15 Models on First iOS 17.1 Beta
All four iPhone 15 models have two new battery health features in the Settings app, including the ability to view the battery's cycle count and an option to more strictly limit charging beyond 80%. On social media, some users hoped these features would expand to older iPhone models in a future software update, but we are able to confirm that they remain limited to the iPhone 15 lineup as of the first iOS 17.1 beta released today.
It's early in the iOS 17.1 beta testing cycle, so there is still a chance the features are added to older iPhone models in a later beta. However, it's also possible there are hardware-related reasons behind the battery health features being limited to the iPhone 15 lineup. We've reached out to Apple for comment on the matter.
On iPhone 15 models, the 80% charging limit option can be found in the Settings app under Battery → Battery Health & Charging → Charging Optimization. It is separate from the pre-existing Optimized Battery Charging feature on iPhones, which intelligently delays charging past 80% until a more appropriate time by learning the device's daily charging routine. When the 80% limit is enabled, the iPhone will never charge beyond that percentage, except on rare occasions to "maintain accurate battery state-of-charge estimates."
In a support document, Apple says reducing the time that an iPhone battery is fully charged can reduce the wear on the battery and improve its lifespan.
On iPhone 15 models, the battery's cycle count, manufacturing date, and first use date can be viewed in the Settings app under General → About. This information can provide additional insight into the health of the battery. The battery's maximum capacity remains listed under Battery → Battery Health & Charging.
iOS 17.1 is expected to be released in late October.
Popular Stories
Apple today adjusted estimated trade-in values for select iPhone, iPad, Mac, and Apple Watch models in the U.S., according to its website.
Some values increased, while others decreased. The changes were not too significant, with most values rising or dropping by $5 to $50.
We have outlined some examples below:
Device
New Value
Old Value
iPhone 15 Pro Max
Up to $630
U ...
While the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" is not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the "ultra-thin" device.
Overall, the "iPhone 17 Air" is shaping up to be a mixed bag. Due to its thinness, the device is expected to have some limited specifications compared to the iPhone 17 Pro models, including only a single rear camera, only a single speaker, no SIM...
Apple provided the third beta of iOS 18.3 to developers today, and while the betas have so far been light on new features, the third beta makes some major changes to Notification Summaries and also tweaks a few other features.
Notification Summary Changes
Apple made multiple changes to Notification Summaries in response to complaints about inaccurate summaries of news headlines.
For...
iOS 19 is still around six months away from being announced, but a new leak has allegedly revealed a completely redesigned Camera app.
Based on footage it obtained, YouTube channel Front Page Tech shared a video showing what the new Camera app will apparently look like, with the key change being translucent menus for camera controls. Overall, the design of these menus looks similar to...
Apple is in talks with Barclays and Synchrony about becoming its new financial partner for the Apple Card, according to Reuters sources.
The report today added that Apple has also been holding discussions with Chase Bank owner JPMorgan since last year, so there are at least three potential companies in the running to take over the Apple Card from current partner Goldman Sachs.
Goldman...
While the iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max are not expected to launch until September, there are already plenty of rumors about the devices.
iPhone 17 Pro concept based on rumors
Below, we recap key changes rumored for the iPhone 17 Pro models as of January 2025:
More aluminum: iPhone 17 Pro models are rumored to have an aluminum frame, whereas the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro models ...
There is a good chance that Apple's first product announcement of 2025 will be updated 13-inch and 15-inch MacBook Air models with the M4 chip.
Last month, Apple released macOS Sequoia 15.2, and in doing so it accidentally confirmed new MacBook Air models are coming this year (unsurprisingly).
Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the new MacBook Air models will be announced "earlier" than some...
The iPhone 17 lineup will feature a vapor chamber heatsink to improve thermal performance, according to a new report.
The news comes from Chinese tech news site MyDrivers, which claims that the entire iPhone 17 lineup, consisting of the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Air, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Pro Max, will adopt the improved thermal heat spreader.
Vapor chamber technology is already used...
2025 promises to be quite a big year for Apple, with the company rumored to be planning more than 20 product announcements this year.
Apple's rumored smart home hub will be its second all-new product to launch in as many years, following the Apple Vision Pro headset last year. And of course, we will get several new iPhone and Apple Watch models, like every year. Beyond that, Apple could...
