iPhone 14 Pro Max I pampered my 14PM battery. Battery health just dropped to 91% over 6 weeks

[Tsepz]

Hi all,
I pampered *) my 14PM battery from the day I bought it (jan 2023). Battery health was still at 98% one year later, but over the past few weeks it suddenly dropped to 95 -> 91%. Is this common for this model?

*) Treatment is basically to avoid 0% ~ 30% and 85% ~ 100% as much as practically possible. I did the same with my previous phone, iPhone 8plus, which I bought in 2017. My kid is still using that 8 plus, now seven years on and that battery is still at a respectable 75%.

Any input very welcome. Thanks!

Pampering the battery simply cannot avoid what naturally happens to the battery and it’s chemistry.
Also remember the battery health figure is not at all fully accurate, it is an estimate, hence it can sit at one figure for a long time then jump down a few % over few days/weeks/months, then again sit at another % for a number of months.

This is normal.

 

[JapanApple]

Right Now, my 14 Promax is at battery life 83.

 

[JapanApple]

iPhone 14 Pro Max bought April 2023 currently running iOS 16.7 with Battery Health 99%

• Never charged wireless, only used Xiaomi 4 USB Type A port brick and Apple Lightning cable for charging
• Tried Always On Display for a few hours but turned it off completely and never used it again
• Never played games
• Allowed to fully charge to 100% and fully drained to 0%
• At times I charge it when it is showing between 1% to 10% battery charge
• Took about around 800 plus photos and videos with the longest duration [recording] almost an hour
• As per Coconut Battery, 49 charge cycles as of Feb 01 2024 so probably 100 plus or more as of posting
• Background App Refresh enabled only on Wi-Fi
• Never used cellular/mobile data when outside, I use an android phone for connectivity when outside
• Never used iCloud for photo, video, and device backup and restore
• Performed Erase All Content and Settings about 5 times during the device lifetime
• Only used for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, YouTube [36 apps installed]
• Rarely made and received phone calls, even VOIP
• Never used a case since purchase

You don't use your iPhone Ok I understand now.

 

[blotchy-veil]

The battery states 100% even though it made be more than 100%. It could have gone from 105% to 98% the first year, and now from 95% to 91%.

This explains why many people can get maybe closer to one years with 100% BH. Many iPhones coming from the factory with more battery capacity mah than stated and iOS works off the min specced battery mah. This is giving more headroom and extra capacity before iOS starts showing the drop from 100% BH.

Eg… here’s my 15 Pro real battery stats from analytics. The original max capacity is higher than the supposedly 3274mah rated from factory (online sources) @ 3366mah and the BH is already dropping based on these numbers.

However battery health in iOS settings will stay at 100% until this drops below 3274mah.

Yep, that's why some people get "golden" batteries and some get "lemons". There is the design capacity, which is how much battery Apple intends each phone to have. Every iPhone will have at least this capacity. Then there is the actual capacity, which is how much battery the phone ships with. The actual capacity will always be at least the design capacity, but due to manufacturing variances, they won't all be the same. So some phones will start at 100% and immediately drop to 99%, while other will start at (e.g.) 105% of design capacity and then go to 104, 103, ... until finally reaching 99%. This misleads some people into thinking their babying of the battery is keeping the health up when it's really not doing much, or you'll have people saying they abuse their battery and the health barely changes. Battery health is also only a best estimate, and Apple may tweak the algorithms used to calculate it over time. IIRC, there was a big tweak they did a while back for the iPhone 14 (?) which really affected what was reported for battery health percentage.

 

[winxmac]

You don't use your iPhone Ok I understand now.

Please educate me how to correctly use the iPhone... Or define what you mean by actually using the iPhone...

 

[JapanApple]

I am a user-heavy user on my iPhone 14 Promax. I use it for FaceTime and other photos videos etc. I use Wi-Fi when using Facetime and other message video conferencing. Also, use my iPhone a lot outside on my cellular network as well It makes sense that my iPhone is now at 83 percent; because I am using my iPhone for the usage pattern. That is why I feel if you don't use your device much your battery life will be almost at full battery health.

 

[OSXphoto]

Thank you all for your input and for educating me on how the iPhone battery can be over 100% off factory and that it can explain why BH stays at 100% for a long time.

But honestly 80% and 500 cycles seems to me like a worst case scenario. We have employed "sensible battery user management" *) for the last 10 years across 7 MacBooks, 6 iPads and 12 iPhones and we have much better BH performance than 80%/500cycles. See the coconut battery screen shot of an iPhone 8 Plus, bought in 2017, used by myself for 2 years, then passed on to my daughter and it's still at 75% after 1368 cycles. It was certainly much much higher than 80% at 500 cycles (I remember 93% when I passed it on).

All this aside, my 14PM battery health is declining very rapidly, as days pass I now have 2% off within 3 days. Please have a look at the table below.
If you look at the values at the top of the table, the BH was much more stable through nov-jan: less than 1% over 3 months.

So something seems definitely wrong at the moment.

*) Let's forget the word pampering, just call it sensible battery user management: avoid 85-100% and 0-25%, always use 5W chargers, prevent heat accumulation (no car dashboard mounting in summer to navigate), use power apps to a minimum if possible

 

[JapanApple]

Thank you all for your input and for educating me on how the iPhone battery can be over 100% off factory and that it can explain why BH stays at 100% for a long time.

But honestly 80% and 500 cycles seems to me like a worst case scenario. We have employed "sensible battery user management" *) for the last 10 years across 7 MacBooks, 6 iPads and 12 iPhones and we have much better BH performance than 80%/500cycles. See the coconut battery screen shot of an iPhone 8 Plus, bought in 2017, used by myself for 2 years, then passed on to my daughter and it's still at 75% after 1368 cycles. It was certainly much much higher than 80% at 500 cycles (I remember 93% when I passed it on).

All this aside, my 14PM battery health is declining very rapidly, as days pass I now have 2% off within 3 days. Please have a look at the table below.
If you look at the values at the top of the table, the BH was much more stable through nov-jan: less than 1% over 3 months.

So something seems definitely wrong at the moment.


View attachment 2359658

*) Let's forget the word pampering, just call it sensible battery user management: avoid 85-100% and 0-25%, always use 5W chargers, prevent heat accumulation (no car dashboard mounting in summer to navigate), use power apps to a minimum if possible

You're lucky, I am at 83 percent .........my14 Promax. As I said heavy users it's terrible. But light to almost no use your battery life will be almost full. There is a (parallel or logic) in how battery life reflects with how it's used ........Ty for info.

 

[MacCheetah3]

*) Let's forget the word pampering, just call it sensible battery user management: avoid 85-100% and 0-25%, always use 5W chargers, prevent heat accumulation (no car dashboard mounting in summer to navigate), use power apps to a minimum if possible

These are really the only actions that have any (significant) benefit on possibly reducing battery degradation.

Avoid extreme ambient temperatures.​

Your device is designed to perform well in a wide range of ambient temperatures, with 62° to 72° F (16° to 22° C) as the ideal comfort zone. It’s especially important to avoid exposing your device to ambient temperatures higher than 95° F (35° C), which can permanently damage battery capacity. That is, your battery won’t power your device as long on a given charge. Charging the device in high ambient temperatures can damage it further. Software may limit charging above 80% when the recommended battery temperatures are exceeded. Even storing a battery in a hot environment can damage it irreversibly. When using your device in a very cold environment, you may notice a decrease in battery life, but this condition is temporary. Once the battery’s temperature returns to its normal operating range, its performance will return to normal as well.

Remove certain cases during charging.​

Charging your device when it’s inside certain styles of cases may generate excess heat, which can affect battery capacity. If you notice that your device gets hot when you charge it, take it out of its case first.

Batteries - Maximizing Performance

Maximize the life and lifespan of the rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in your MacBook, iPod, iPhone, and iPad.

www.apple.com

Keeping the battery state-of-charge between a range is only helpful sometimes, mostly misunderstood.

With iOS 13 and later, Optimized Battery Charging is designed to reduce the wear on your battery and improve its lifespan by reducing the time your iPhone spends fully charged.

In other words, it’s for users who have their device plugged in (to power) more than not (e.g., using your iPhone for navigation in a vehicle, using a MacBook as a desktop replacement with only occasional mobile use).

Store it half-charged when you store it long term.​

If you want to store your device long term, two key factors will affect the overall health of your battery: the environmental temperature and the percentage of charge on the battery when it’s powered down for storage. Therefore, we recommend the following:

• Do not fully charge or fully discharge your device’s battery — charge it to around 50%. If you store a device when its battery is fully discharged, the battery could fall into a deep discharge state, which renders it incapable of holding a charge. Conversely, if you store it fully charged for an extended period of time, the battery may lose some capacity, leading to shorter battery life.
• Power down the device to avoid additional battery use.
• Place your device in a cool, moisture-free environment that’s less than 90° F (32° C).
• If you plan to store your device for longer than six months, charge it to 50% every six months.

Depending on how long you store your device, it may be in a low-battery state when you remove it from long-term storage. After it’s removed from storage, it may require 20 minutes of charging with the original adapter before you can use it.

Furthermore, in contrast, in fact, it’s important to occasional allow the state-of-charge to reach the ends of the range, not for the battery cells but for accurate monitoring/reporting:

With 80% Limit enabled, your iPhone will occasionally charge to 100 percent to maintain accurate battery state-of-charge estimates.

About Charge Limit and Optimized Battery Charging on iPhone - Apple Support

To improve the lifespan of your battery, your iPhone learns from your daily charging habits.

support.apple.com

Battery Calibration

All newly-installed smart batteries should be calibrated as soon as possible. This helps your phone or laptop get an accurate reading on the battery’s state of charge.

www.ifixit.com

BU-603: How to Calibrate a “Smart” Battery

BU meta description needed...

batteryuniversity.com

 

[Andeddu]

I have had my iPhone 13 since Jan 2023 so it’s the same age as your iPhone 14. I have given the battery zero pampering regularly run it below 10%, I also exclusively wireless charge using the 15w Apple MagSafe puck every single night.

My battery is at 91% health also.

 

[JapanApple]

I have had my iPhone 13 since Jan 2023 so it’s the same age as your iPhone 14. I have given the battery zero pampering regularly run it below 10%, I also exclusively wireless charge using the 15w Apple MagSafe puck every single night.

My battery is at 91% health also.

That’s strange my sister 13 Pro Max and hers is at 81% right now. And she too is a very heavy user. I don’t think has anything to do with the charging it has a lot to do with using

 

[Andeddu]

That’s strange my sister 13 Pro Max and hers is at 81% right now. And she too is a very heavy user. I don’t think has anything to do with the charging it has a lot to do with using

Her 13 Pro Max is likely older than my regular 13 because I picked mine up in mid January 2023 when the iPhone 13 line was already almost 1.5 years old. I drain my battery pretty much every day now and consider myself a heavy user.

 

[JapanApple]

Her 13 Pro Max is likely older than my regular 13 because I picked mine up in mid January 2023 when the iPhone 13 line was already almost 1.5 years old. I drain my battery pretty much every day now and consider myself a heavy user.

She bought hers on launch day. heavy users are considered using Wi-Fi continuously FaceTime messaging with videoconferencing photos videos you name it.

 

[Jim Lahey]

iPhone 13 mini 5w charging almost exclusively between 40-80. Still at 100%. I care not if anyone thinks it’s pointless. It works and it matters to me because a) it’s my last ever iPhone and b) I would rather it not be opened with a heat gun and glued back together 👍

 

[rkuo]

OP, one thing to try is to run a full 100 to 0 cycle to give the BMS a chance to recalibrate. Other than that, it could be bad luck. I have also had phone batteries start to die quickly after being in extremely cold temperatures (such as all day skiing).

Shallow cycling around 50% is well understood to prolong the total life of the battery beyond the worst case 500 cycle / 80% guarantee. Keep doing it if that’s what you want.

 

[OSXphoto]

OP, one thing to try is to run a full 100 to 0 cycle to give the BMS a chance to recalibrate. Other than that, it could be bad luck. I have also had phone batteries start to die quickly after being in extremely cold temperatures (such as all day skiing).

Shallow cycling around 50% is well understood to prolong the total life of the battery beyond the worst case 500 cycle / 80% guarantee. Keep doing it if that’s what you want.

Thanks for your input. Draining to 0% is something I only do with very old batteries, as it can be harmful to the battery. I believe for laptops 100% -> 10/15% -> 100% is recommended.

We have mild winters here in The Netherlands but yes I have used the phone outside in low temperatures (0 C / 32 F) but normally that should not cause such a steep drop.

A few more days in since I started this topic, the battery appears to settle around 90% rather than continue to drop. I'll keep an eye on it though.

 

[vince22]

Thank you all for your input and for educating me on how the iPhone battery can be over 100% off factory and that it can explain why BH stays at 100% for a long time.

But honestly 80% and 500 cycles seems to me like a worst case scenario. We have employed "sensible battery user management" *) for the last 10 years across 7 MacBooks, 6 iPads and 12 iPhones and we have much better BH performance than 80%/500cycles. See the coconut battery screen shot of an iPhone 8 Plus, bought in 2017, used by myself for 2 years, then passed on to my daughter and it's still at 75% after 1368 cycles. It was certainly much much higher than 80% at 500 cycles (I remember 93% when I passed it on).

All this aside, my 14PM battery health is declining very rapidly, as days pass I now have 2% off within 3 days. Please have a look at the table below.
If you look at the values at the top of the table, the BH was much more stable through nov-jan: less than 1% over 3 months.

So something seems definitely wrong at the moment.


View attachment 2359658

*) Let's forget the word pampering, just call it sensible battery user management: avoid 85-100% and 0-25%, always use 5W chargers, prevent heat accumulation (no car dashboard mounting in summer to navigate), use power apps to a minimum if possible

View attachment 2359652

My 19 months old iPhone 14PM is at 93%, i'm heavy user, installed every beta builds when released.

 

[JapanApple]

My 19 months old iPhone 14PM is at 93%, i'm heavy user, installed every beta builds when released.


View attachment 2362125

mine is 82 percent and I had it on release day. sad
I am a heavy user of my iPhone. I don't know how others use it. But if you are like me 82% there is a problem with the batteries of this model. if one says they are a heavy user; are at a high battery and I take care of my iPhone with 3rd no party accessories use. It's different from the user's assumption of what heavy usage is.

 

[digitalcuriosity]

When you no longer can use your phone then you really have a battery problem ,till then just keep using it.

I feel these present numbers as for the battery may be meaningless .

 

[Andeddu]

mine is 82 percent and I had it on release day. sad
I am a heavy user of my iPhone. I don't know how others use it. But if you are like me 82% there is a problem with the batteries of this model. if one says they are a heavy user; are at a high battery and I take care of my iPhone with 3rd no party accessories use. It's different from the user's assumption of what heavy usage is.

Basically, if you can use your phone enough to deplete the battery from 100% down to 10% or less and must charge your battery every single day then you are a heavy user. I have to charge my phone every night because I run it below 10%. I sometimes have to also use the Apple MagSafe battery to get enough charge to last me the full day.

 

[JapanApple]

Basically, if you can use your phone enough to deplete the battery from 100% down to 10% or less and must charge your battery every single day then you are a heavy user. I have to charge my phone every night because I run it below 10%. I sometimes have to also use the Apple MagSafe battery to get enough charge to last me the full day.

My sister's 13 Promax is 82% like mine. At this time, it looks like I'm getting a battery replacement in 2 months. Regardless of assumptions of people, Fact is they don't last as long as others. no matter how people use their iPhones.

 

[Andeddu]

My sister's 13 Promax is 82% like mine. At this time, it looks like I'm getting a battery replacement in 2 months. Regardless of assumptions of people, Fact is they don't last as long as others. no matter how people use their iPhones.

Yeah but you got your phone when the iPhone 13 and 13 Pro were new back in September 2021. I purchased mine in January 2023 which is why my battery is much healthier than yours. Your phone’s battery has underwent many more charge cycles than mine, and other users, which is why your battery health is so low.

 

[Splitrail]

Why obsess over battery health upkeep? Merely buy replacements as needed and enjoy.

That can involve a 300 mile round trip and the risk of some "genius" botching your phone.

 

[rkuo]

My sister's 13 Promax is 82% like mine. At this time, it looks like I'm getting a battery replacement in 2 months. Regardless of assumptions of people, Fact is they don't last as long as others. no matter how people use their iPhones.

My 13 Pro degraded to about 85 percent, sitting mostly on the charger during the pandemic. So very light use and still bad loss, likely due to some poor chemistry in that battery and apple’s lack of 80% limit.

 

[dotnet]

View attachment 2359658

*) Let's forget the word pampering, just call it sensible battery user management: avoid 85-100% and 0-25%, always use 5W chargers, prevent heat accumulation (no car dashboard mounting in summer to navigate), use power apps to a minimum if possible

If you always keep the charge between 25% and 85% then those “health” (battery capacity) numbers could be way off. They’re just estimates. The battery needs to be charged from from 0% to 100% (or discharged from 100% to 0%) in order to accurately determine its remaining capacity.