It works a little differently, though. Instead of a fixed
cap, Apple is using intelligence to figure out when you
need a full charge and when you don’t. Apple describes
it like this: “A new option helps slow the rate of battery
aging by reducing the time your iPhone spends fully
charged. iPhone uses on-device machine learning to
understand your daily charging routine so it can wait to
finish charging past 80 percent until you need to use it.”
Let’s say that, by analysing your usage habits,
your iPhone has determined that you always plug
in your phone around 10pm and leave it plugged
in until 7am the next morning. One day, you plug in
at 4pm It’s likely that your iPhone will only charge
to 80 percent, because (based on your past usage)
it knows that much charge will easily take you to
your usual 10pm charge time. That’s probably an
oversimplification. Apple’s algorithm is probably quite
conservative, because nothing would be worse than
running out of charge because your iPhone decided you
would only need 80 percent, and was wrong.
The hope is that, with this feature enabled, you don’t
actually experience any real practical difference in how
often you need to charge. But, after owning your phone
for three or four years, the battery might hold 80- to 90
percent of the charge it did when it was new, instead of
50- to 60 percent, so you don’t need to replace it.How to set Optimized Battery Charging
In the current iOS 13 beta build, the Optimized Battery
Charging feature is disabled by default. If testing
goes well, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Apple make
enabled the default setting, provided it gives a clearItworksalittledifferently,though.Insteadofafixed
cap,Appleisusingintelligencetofigureoutwhenyou
needafullchargeandwhenyoudon’t.Appledescribes
itlikethis:“Anewoptionhelpsslowtherateofbattery
agingbyreducingthetimeyouriPhonespendsfully
charged.iPhoneuseson-devicemachinelearningto
understandyourdailychargingroutinesoitcanwaitto
finishchargingpast 80 percentuntilyouneedtouseit.”
Let’ssaythat,byanalysingyourusagehabits,
youriPhonehasdeterminedthatyoualwaysplug
inyourphonearound10pmandleaveitplugged
inuntil7am thenextmorning.Oneday,youplugin
at4pmIt’s likelythatyouriPhonewillonlycharge
to 80 percent,because(basedonyourpastusage)
itknowsthatmuchchargewilleasilytakeyouto
yourusual10pmchargetime.That’sprobablyan
oversimplification.Apple’salgorithmisprobablyquite
conservative,becausenothingwouldbeworsethan
runningoutofchargebecauseyouriPhonedecidedyou
wouldonlyneed 80 percent,andwaswrong.
Thehopeisthat,withthisfeatureenabled,youdon’t
actuallyexperienceanyrealpracticaldifferenceinhow
oftenyouneedtocharge.But,afterowningyourphone
forthreeorfouryears,thebatterymighthold80-to 90
percentofthechargeitdidwhenitwasnew,insteadof
50-to 60 percent,soyoudon’tneedtoreplaceit.
HowtosetOptimizedBatteryCharging
InthecurrentiOS 13 betabuild,theOptimizedBattery
Chargingfeatureisdisabledbydefault.Iftesting
goeswell,itwouldn’tbesurprisingtoseeApplemake
enabledthedefaultsetting,provideditgivesaclear