iOS 13 “Optimized Battery Charging”

[steelyman]

I noticed this article on CNBC yesterday. As someone who’s recently replaced a device with a failing battery, I’m interested in getting as much battery life as possible out of the new one. The technique described seems to be one you can apply on your own (schedule permitting).

Apple's iOS 13 website explains what it does:
"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% until you need to use it."
Apple's battery website explains that the lithium ion batteries inside of an iPhone can quickly charge up to 80 percent. The remaining 20 percent uses a "trickle charge" that "eases the electrical current to extend battery lifespan."
But, when your phone is plugged in, this trickle charge continues to run in an effort to keep the battery fully charged. That can wear your battery out more quickly.
Apple's new feature will prevent the phone from charging up to 100 percent, and activating the trickle charge, until it thinks you're going to need it. So, if you typically pull your iPhone off the charger at 6 a.m., it'll finish juicing up the last 20 percent just before then, instead of earlier in the night when it might consistently try to keep the iPhone charged at 100 percent.
Doing this is supposed to reduce battery aging and allow you to use your iPhone at peak performance and with a maximum battery capacity for longer. In short, it's good news for people who want to own their phone for several years without having to replace their batteries.

https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/12/app...ery-life-with-optimized-battery-charging.html

 

[Chuckanut]

Amazing. I hope these guys figure it out and agree on how to preserve battery life. I was told years ago that I should keep my phone plugged into the charger as much as possible. Now that seems to have been wrong.

 

[ERD50]

This is pretty clever. It makes sense to hold back the full charge until it anticipates you need it.

But these can be too clever. Hopefully, they provided a simple, intuitive means to over ride this when you know you want a full charge outside of your normal schedule.

Amazing. I hope these guys figure it out and agree on how to preserve battery life. I was told years ago that I should keep my phone plugged into the charger as much as possible. Now that seems to have been wrong.

It's complicated. Without some extra 'smarts', a full charge is the best you can do. Trombone-Al was trying to circumvent the 'full charge degradation' on his laptop with a timer on the charger to shut it off after X hours, but that just adds discharge cycles, which has its own issues.

You need to stop charging and still keep it powered from the line at ~ 80% (which is what Apple appears to do).

Some laptops provided this in their firmware (Samsung?), with an override option. You can't do it with an app - it needs to work even when the computer is off/sleeping, it needs to be in the charger firmware.

-ERD50

 

[tulak]

I agree that you need a “charge to the max” option. It’s nice to see Apple focusing on this problem.

After years in other ecosystems, this is what I appreciate most about Apple. They might not always get it right, but they try to solve common problems and for the most part, it improves the experience for the average - and not so average - user.

 

[steelyman]

For right now (using iOS 12) I’m going to try keeping the device off the charger overnight and plugging it in in the morning.

Who knows? I’ve seen many pieces of advice about “conditioning” batteries by things like draining it completely then recharging, taking it out of the case (if you have one), maintaining a minimum charge level, etc.

 

[ERD50]

For right now (using iOS 12) I’m going to try keeping the device off the charger overnight and plugging it in in the morning.

Who knows? I’ve seen many pieces of advice about “conditioning” batteries by things like draining it completely then recharging, taking it out of the case (if you have one), maintaining a minimum charge level, etc.

Assuming the phone uses very little power overnight, this should help. But if it discharges a lot, then you are just adding charge/discharge cycles, which to some degree will offset benefits of not sitting at full charge most of the night.

I'd add a power strip or other switch rather than plug/unplug.

"Conditioning" batteries was more of a NiCd thing, but sometimes they recommend this procedure for lithium to allow the charging circuit to calibrate the high/low voltage levels (or something like that).

-ERD50

 

[steelyman]

Assuming the phone uses very little power overnight, this should help. But if it discharges a lot, then you are just adding charge/discharge cycles, which to some degree will offset benefits of not sitting at full charge most of the night.



I'd add a power strip or other switch rather than plug/unplug.



"Conditioning" batteries was more of a NiCd thing, but sometimes they recommend this procedure for lithium to allow the charging circuit to calibrate the high/low voltage levels (or something like that).



-ERD50

Hmmm. Interesting but I don’t have the expertise/knowledge to figger it out. What I do have is a brand-spanking-new device to try something new. Coming off a failing battery, it’s great to see how slowly the new one discharges depending on what I’m doing. I tend to be a heavy morning user, not so much in the afternoons, mostly on “standby” in the evening.

I don’t know that the description of Apple’s approach is “machine learning” but that sounds sexy these days.