Since 2023, Apple's newer iPhones have had an 80 percent charge limit for those who want to extend battery lifespan. Charging to 80 percent instead of 100 percent is supposed to put less stress on the battery, improving longevity.
For the last three years, I've used that setting on my iPhone. I started with the iPhone 15 Pro Max, then did the iPhone 16 Pro Max, and most recently, the iPhone 17 Pro Max. After 12 months at an 80 percent maximum charge, my iPhone 17 Pro Max is at 97 percent maximum capacity with a cycle count of 277.
Last year, my iPhone 16 Pro Max was at 94 percent capacity after 12 months, and in 2024, my iPhone 15 Pro Max was also at 94 percent capacity. During the year I tested the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I tried not to let the battery dip below 20 percent. This year, I did the same thing, but I also tried to do more charging over USB-C than Qi2 or MagSafe. I'm not sure if that helped, but 97 percent capacity is the best result I've had yet with the charge limit turned on.
I don't use the iPhone 15 Pro Max or the iPhone 16 Pro Max as my main iPhones anymore, but I do use them daily as test devices. They still have the 80 percent limit turned on. iPhone 15 Pro Max (36 months) - 88%, 369 cycles. iPhone 16 Pro Max (24 months) - 93%, 343 cycles. iPhone 17 Pro Max (12 months) - 97%, 277 cycles. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has a bigger battery and faster charging than the iPhone 16 Pro Max, so an 80 percent charge limit wasn't as difficult to live with as it was in the past.
Source: MacRumors · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing