There is nothing more common than charging your iPhone when it runs out of battery. And the most natural thing to do in this regard is to charge it up to 100%. However, It is not advisable to always charge the battery to the maximum.This does not mean that it cannot be done sporadically, but if what we want is to slow down its deterioration, it should not be a common practice.
Given the characteristics of this component, and as in other smartphones, It is advisable to recharge it only up to 80%In fact, this is why the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max come with a new 80% charging limit that prevents further recharging.
How iPhone batteries degrade
Lithium is the main component of an iPhone battery, as in the vast majority of smartphones from other brands. This causes the battery to have a limited life and, as it is discharged and recharged, it loses capacity. This is what iOS tries to reflect with the battery health section.
This degradation is counted as charge cycles occur, assuming that a charge cycle is completed when the iPhone reaches 100%, regardless of whether this is achieved in one go or in several recharges. Likewise, Apple estimates a useful life of between 500 and 1,000 cycles for its iPhones (1,000 on the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max, 500 on the previous ones).
This means that once they reach that number of cycles, even though the battery continues to provide hours of use, these hours drop considerably to the point that it is recommended to replace it with a new battery. In the end, this is inevitable, although This degradation can be slowed down with practices such as recharging up to 80%And here it doesn’t matter what model of iPhone it is.
Why it is advisable not to exceed 80% charge
Having said all of the above, and again referring to the lithium ions that make up the batteries, it should be noted that continuously recharging the battery to 100% “stresses” the battery and causes its degradation to be greater.
Doing it up to 80% implies less degradation. That is why there has also been an option for years called optimized charging that pauses when it reaches 80% depending on our habits. The iPhone learns from our routine and if, for example, we usually charge the iPhone at night and wake up at 7 in the morning, it may reach 80% at 2 in the morning and pause, then resume that full charge up to 100% at 6 in the morning (just enough so that when we wake up it is already full).
Not letting the battery drop below 20% is also important.
Removing an iPhone battery (Image: iFixit)
Apart from recharging the iPhone up to 80% and never beyond, it is also recommended do not allow it to fall below 20% and that is when we put it to charge. The reason is practically the same as above, since lithium batteries also suffer with low limits.
Therefore, the perfect practice is to use 60% of the iPhone’s battery, which ranges from 20% to 80%. However, it is clear that It is not easy or comfortable to always manage at these levels.. Hence, it is advisable not to obsess over it too much.
Allowing it to go above 80% or below 20% does not mean that the battery will wear out overnight or that there is a risk of overheating or similar. They are more than prepared for this, but in the end you have to assume that in these circumstances the deterioration will be much faster, although it is also Other factors influence such as exposing the battery to high temperatures.
In any case, we insist on not obsessing. After all, we know that it is natural for the battery to degrade. It will be great if you manage to maintain a good habit that slows it down, but if it is not possible for you to always do so or you prefer to make the most of the full autonomy at the best moment of the battery, you will not have problems in the short term.