iPhone 14 Pro Battery degradation from older wireless chargers?

[BigMcGuire]

I give my phones back to apple to do with as they wish. Battery health or life is irrelevant to me.

Battery life is what matters to me. My wife and I beat the heck out of our phones. We charge them as fast as we can…our 5w chargers have been relegated to other devices that aren’t phones.

The only metric that matters to us is how long between charges. Sometimes it’s a day, sometimes less, sometimes more.

When in our usage the battery life is less than when we can get to a charger we carry around an anker battery pack.

Whether or not older chargers degrade the batteries on an iPhone 14, life is too short to worry about an inexpensive battery replacement.

Most people I know the end game is maximizing utility of the phone, not maximizing the battery life at expense of utility of the phone.

Good intellectual discussion, but I use the phone as if i stole it…not like an historical artifact that is museum quality significance.

Yeah, I don't know if it is my age (late 30s), income (vs when I was younger), or what not but I really don't have the desire to baby my devices to make them last as long as possible anymore. I love batteries and could talk about them all day. Back in the day when I bought an iPhone or laptop, I'd do EVERYTHING I could to baby the battery, help it, watch it, sing to it, etc. lol. Now? Eh, I plug my phone into my MacBook so CoconutBattery records its health every week or so, I don't really pay attention what I plug my phone into.

It's a tool that I use to make my life better. I don't really care anymore. I just use what I need to use that works for me and if I end up using battery, then so be it. Life is not forever, and there's other things to spend my time on. Now? Several people rely on me to buy their electronics, lol.

I think this is key. Life is short. Enjoy it while you can. These tech devices should be things that make our lives better. Definitely agree there. In my earlier days on this forum, spending a massive chunk of my income on a device - I'd have not understood this tho. lol.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I think that if you keep devices for a while, this is a very important point, and one that requires some consideration. I think that the main question is “why not?” Is there any inconvenience to charging slowly and wired? Do you need that 15w non-aligning wireless charger? Do you have a combination of a phone and a usage pattern which allows some time to charge? (i.e., can you charge slowly without inconvenience?) if so... why not do that? If you can avoid a quick degradation for no tangible drawbacks, I’d do it.

I’m a light user on an iPhone Xʀ with efficient settings on the most efficient iOS version ever, iOS 12. I get 16 hours of screen-on time with light Wi-Fi use and 12 hours of moderate LTE use with outdoor brightness. Do I really need to charge it in one hour with a 20w USB-C charger? Or, alternatively, do I really need a 15w wireless charger? In my experience, the answer is no. Yeah, sure, my iPhone Xʀ with the little 5w charger takes like 4 hours to charge... but it’s fine! I don’t mind, and as somebody who doesn’t replace batteries AND keeps their devices, it’s just all benefits and no drawbacks.

Now, a massively heavy user on an iPhone 8 on iOS 16, perhaps needs to charge two more times because their screen-on time is very low due to their usage patterns. Can they wait? No. Therefore, they will charge as quickly as possible, maybe even with a fast wireless charger because it is convenient. It that ideal? No. Is there an alternative? Also no. Is it wrong? Absolutely not. They can’t wait 4 hours. I have a conservative charging pattern and pay attention to this (somewhat). Would I wait? No, of course I wouldn’t.



There has been a massive explosion of battery health “panic” which was a rather unfortunate consequence of the throttling issue. People just never cared, and now battery health is incorrectly blamed on every battery life issue.

Battery health is irrelevant unless the device is severely updated, and the user is a heavy user. A light user will just have enough battery life.

I reckon this is the most important aspect: battery health is only relevant if - and only if - three conditions are met:

-The device is sufficiently updated

-The user is a heavy enough user

-Battery health is low enough

Like you said, the number and proportion of people who meet all three conditions has skyrocketed. Couple to that the mass “panic” after the throttling issue, and the current battery health focus is both understandable and predictable.




Me too! The times I’ve let my iPhone Xʀ drop it’s taken at least 3 days, oftentimes more.

I envy folks who keep older devices for a long time. The world needs more people like this and the older I get the more I realize I don't need the latest iPhone. I know you know that doing small things to help the battery really pay off after 3-5 years of ownership (updating, charging slowly, etc).

I know SO many people who use their phone as their primary computing device, all day long. They burn through 2-3x the battery cycles that I do and some of them wirelessly charge in the sun and their battery health isn't that great but they get far more utility out of their phone than I do.

Agreed - "battery health is incorrectly blamed on every battery life issue."

Back in the day I'd balk at a $ battery replacement. Now? I'd rather use my device the way I need to to make my life better and replace it if I have to after a few years if needed.

 

[FeliApple]

I give my phones back to apple to do with as they wish. Battery health or life is irrelevant to me.

Battery life is what matters to me. My wife and I beat the heck out of our phones. We charge them as fast as we can…our 5w chargers have been relegated to other devices that aren’t phones.

The only metric that matters to us is how long between charges. Sometimes it’s a day, sometimes less, sometimes more.

When in our usage the battery life is less than when we can get to a charger we carry around an anker battery pack.

Whether or not older chargers degrade the batteries on an iPhone 14, life is too short to worry about an inexpensive battery replacement.

Most people I know the end game is maximizing utility of the phone, not maximizing the battery life at expense of utility of the phone.

Good intellectual discussion, but I use the phone as if i stole it…not like an historical artifact that is museum quality significance.

Agreed, completely. Convenience definitely outweighs any other issues and battery life is paramount and the only thing that matters on this topic. Battery health is just a number.

 

[PKIDelirium]

Except for the first few weeks with my current SE2, where I used Lightning via the slow, small AC to USB-A cube on an outlet, I've been using one of the "Only at Apple Special Edition" Belkin BoostCharge wireless stand, except for a couple days where wireless charging randomly stopped working, and then started working again just fine after a device reboot, and went back to my charging stand. I'm using an Apple leather case which is listed as being wireless charging compatible. The particular charger I have isn't available anymore as the Belkin offerings though Apple are now also MagSafe capable.

My AppleCare+ expires August 3, the device is just slightly under two years old, and it just fell from 81% to 80% battery health. I'm hoping it falls to 79% in time to get a battery replacement with AC+ because I use my phones until they fail and uncovered replacement cost isn't cheap. Aside from the battery health the phone is in excellent condition.

I would consider myself a power user of the phone. Once in bed, it's my computer, web browser, ebook reader, and music player. Safari being a battery hog doesn't help the lifespan, that's for sure. I update iOS with every new version for both features, security, and also phones simply aren't meant to be left on the software version that ships on them.

All that being said, I have no way of knowing if using the Qi charger has any disadvantage regarding battery condition. It's certainly faster than the AC cube that's been the same design since I got my first iPod, and the stand design instead of a pad is nice to be able to just set it down to charge, be able to check notifications etc while on the stand, and then pick it up once full. This SE2 is my first iPhone with wireless charging capability and the convenience is fantastic after years of cables.

 

[jz0309]

my iPhone (13PM, ~ 1.5 years old) is a tool and I invest in AC+ because stupid can happen. And I do the same for my AWU, AC+. Therefor, I do not care about "battery health" and don't burn cycles worrying about it, trying to come up with charge plans and such. But to each their own ...

 

[FeliApple]

I envy folks who keep older devices for a long time. The world needs more people like this and the older I get the more I realize I don't need the latest iPhone. I know you know that doing small things to help the battery really pay off after 3-5 years of ownership (updating, charging slowly, etc).

Absolutely, I know that I don’t need the latest iPhone. Obviously this is extremely personal and subjective, but I require my device to do what I need it to do, and to work properly, with great battery life and performance. Then, if the model I have is the latest or I am eight generations behind, I honestly do not mind. Likewise with iPads. Perfect performance and battery life, does what I need. Those are my three requirements. Nothing else. As long as that’s covered, I’m fine with any iPhone and any iPad.

I know SO many people who use their phone as their primary computing device, all day long. They burn through 2-3x the battery cycles that I do and some of them wirelessly charge in the sun and their battery health isn't that great but they get far more utility out of their phone than I do.

Yeah, I don’t think this is wrong either. There’s no wrong or right way to use an iPhone. You want to use your iPhone with every setting turned on and brightness at 100% all the time? There’s nothing wrong about that, go ahead! Battery life will be abhorrent, but as long as you understand that and as long as you don’t expect wonders from it, it’s fine. Who am I to say that your (general you of course) usage pattern is wrong in any way? I’m nobody.

Agreed - "battery health is incorrectly blamed on every battery life issue."

Back in the day I'd balk at a $ battery replacement. Now? I'd rather use my device the way I need to to make my life better and replace it if I have to after a few years if needed.

This is the way.

 

[HiVolt]

I charge my launch day 12 Pro Max with the old 5 watt charger overnight, every night, and battery health is 90%, in 2 years and 8 months.

But I also ride on bike during summer and keep it plugged into a usb battery bank while on rides so the cycle app doesn't drain it.

 

[Motionblurrr]

This is the attitude I've always had to batteries, they're going to cop out eventually either way, so I won't go out of my way to try and maximise the lifespan. If and when the time comes just get the battery replaced, or replace the device.

This is the way

 

[Jackbequickly]

With wireless charging my phone would be warm when I took it off in the morning. I went back to the 5 watt Apple charger via lightning on my last two phones and my battery was still at 100%. If heat is detrimental to rechargeable batteries, best to avoid wireless charging for me.

Use the charging method you want, this is just my personal experience.

 

[Torty]

Yeah, I don't know if it is my age (late 30s), income (vs when I was younger), or what not but I really don't have the desire to baby my devices to make them last as long as possible anymore. I love batteries and could talk about them all day. Back in the day when I bought an iPhone or laptop, I'd do EVERYTHING I could to baby the battery, help it, watch it, sing to it, etc. lol. Now? Eh, I plug my phone into my MacBook so CoconutBattery records its health every week or so, I don't really pay attention what I plug my phone into.

It's a tool that I use to make my life better. I don't really care anymore. I just use what I need to use that works for me and if I end up using battery, then so be it. Life is not forever, and there's other things to spend my time on. Now? Several people rely on me to buy their electronics, lol.

I think this is key. Life is short. Enjoy it while you can. These tech devices should be things that make our lives better. Definitely agree there. In my earlier days on this forum, spending a massive chunk of my income on a device - I'd have not understood this tho. lol.

Opposite for me. I learned that apple products are not perfect at all. Yes you can let the battery replaced but then you need an appointment at apple which takes time. And a replacement means your device will be opened and maybe you will have problems afterwards with your device because some internal cables were disconnected and connected again. And is the phone still water proof?

My iphone X stopped doing True Color, later Auto brightness was gone. Then it restarted sporadically.
I think there is some damage on the cable or connection.
Does it have something to do with the battery replacement? I don’t know but there is a risk in damaging the device which shows after 3 months of the apple given warranty.
Therefore no more wireless charging for me and I avoid deep discharge.

 

[FreakinEurekan]

My iphone X stopped doing True Color, later Auto brightness was gone. Then it restarted sporadically.
I think there is some damage on the cable or connection.
Does it have something to do with the battery replacement?

Maybe due to battery replacement. Maybe due to being a nearly 6-year-old device that’s carried around in a pocket all day & subject to all sorts of environmental extremes. Who can say? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

 

[BigMcGuire]

Opposite for me. I learned that apple products are not perfect at all. Yes you can let the battery replaced but then you need an appointment at apple which takes time. And a replacement means your device will be opened and maybe you will have problems afterwards with your device because some internal cables were disconnected and connected again. And is the phone still water proof?

My iphone X stopped doing True Color, later Auto brightness was gone. Then it restarted sporadically.
I think there is some damage on the cable or connection.
Does it have something to do with the battery replacement? I don’t know but there is a risk in damaging the device which shows after 3 months of the apple given warranty.
Therefore no more wireless charging for me and I avoid deep discharge.

I wouldn't let one experience with one phone be applied to how you treat iPhones in general.

My wife had one of those really bad iPhone 6s batteries that would shut off if below 50% charge and last just a few hours. We ended up getting it replaced - as mine didn't have the problem but hers did. But minus the few exceptions, most of our iPhones have been exceptional.

There are many millions of people wireless charging every day. While it is my opinion that charing wirelessly generates a lot of excessive heat and can affect the health of the battery, most people won't notice or care.

So I avoid wireless charging because I think it helps battery health and I also avoid deep discharges if I can help it for the same reason. But there's people I know that do both these things every day for years without problems.


To answer your question - when Apple replaces the battery, they replace the seal that keeps the phone waterproof after they replace the battery (from what I have read).