iPhone 14, 14 Pro users reports battery issues in less than a year

Certain iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro users are reporting a peculiar battery health issue less than a year after purchasing their respective iPhones. According to social media posts and as reported by The Verge, certain users are claiming that the battery health of their recent iPhones has dropped to 90 per cent or even 80 per cent. Leading tech figures like AppleTrack's Sam Kohl and Wall Street Journal senior technical columnist Joanna Stern also point to similar experiences. While the full scope of this battery health issue remains unclear, Apple has had a history of controversy involving deliberately affecting battery health.

In an X post, Stern claims that the battery health of his iPhone 14 Pro has dropped as much as 88 per cent less than a year after receiving the smartphone. She adds, "Is it because I use my phone too much and have already hit 450 charge cycles?! (That's what Apple Store says.) Is it from heat from fast charging? Is there something up with the battery?"

Stern is referring to Apple's own description of a "normal battery." The company claims that a "normal battery" is designed to retain up to 80 per cent of its original capacity at 500 full charge cycles when operating under normal conditions. Apple also notes that the one-year replacement warranty covers "defective battery."

Another user, "milesabovetech", on X, notes that the battery health of his iPhone 14 Pro Max has dropped to 86 per cent in 11 months. One user, "michaelnle" is also facing a similar issue on iPhone 14. His phone's battery health has dropped to 89 per cent. However, it is not a widespread problem. My iPhone 14 Plus still shows a 100 per cent battery despite running iOS 17 beta on the device. The iPhone 14, on the other hand, shows 99 per cent battery health after a year.

What is iPhone battery health, and how to check it?

Apple introduced the Battery Health section to allow users to check the battery health after repeated charging cycles. You can find them in Settings > Battery > Battery Status (with iOS 16.1 or later, find them in Settings > Battery > Battery Status & Charging). This section also allows you to use the performance management feature, which dynamically manages maximum performance to prevent unexpected shutdowns. The Battery Status screen also includes a section for Peak Performance Capability where the following messages may appear. As mentioned, Apple has yet to address the issue of rapidly depleting battery health.