This article was published on June 5, 2019

Apple’s new battery optimizer is iOS 13’s most underrated feature


Apple’s new battery optimizer is iOS 13’s most underrated feature

Apple’s under-the-radar battery optimizer is iOS 13’s most unheralded feature

While we debate the merits of a $1,000 monitor stand, one of the coolest things to come from yesterday’s WWDC event was an iOS 13 feature that didn’t even get mentioned.

According to Apple’s own list of what’s to come in iOS 13, its new operating system has a rather genius way to keep batteries in tip-top condition longer.

Optimized battery charging “helps slow the rate of battery aging by reducing the time your iPhone spends fully charged.” Or, put simply, Apple is no longer trying to keep your phone at 100 percent battery while on the charger. Instead, the “iPhone learns from your daily charging routine so it can wait to finish charging past 80 percent until you need to use it.”

The long and short of it is, Apple no longer plans to keep your battery topped up, instead preferring an approach that lets the battery drain naturally, only charging it to 100 percent when advanced machine learning algorithms determine you’ll need the extra juice. It’ll use this algorithmic approach to monitor your charging habits, adjusting your charging schedule accordingly.

The <3 of EU tech

The latest rumblings from the EU tech scene, a story from our wise ol' founder Boris, and some questionable AI art. It's free, every week, in your inbox. Sign up now!

It’s a better approach than its last attempt at battery management. In 2017, you may remember, the company drew the collective ire of the tech-loving public when it was outed for throttling CPU speeds on iPhones in an effort to save older batteries. Apple copped to the charge, and offered $29 battery replacements as an apology.

For those of you that would prefer to just let nature run its course, Apple says you can disable the feature depending on your preferences.

via Cult of Mac

Get the TNW newsletter

Get the most important tech news in your inbox each week.

Also tagged with