iOS 19 could help your iPhone last longer on a charge with new AI battery managment powers, according to a fresh report from Bloomberg's Mark Gurman.
Gurman and his sources claim that Apple will use user data it's gathered on current iPhone usage to keep your power level up. The data will supposedly allow the AI system to analyze which apps and features on your phone can be deprioritized, leaving the spare power capacity in reserve.
iOS 19 will apparently also add a charging time indicator for the lock screen. Currently, guessing when your iPhone will finish charging is a matter of guesswork, but this indicator could make it much easier to know when your iPhone will be completely full and ready to unplug.
Adaptive battery tech and charging time estimates have been available on several Android phone brands for years already, on flagship models and cheap phones alike. We would therefore hope and expect Apple to make its own version of these systems just as competently, ideally with the flair and ease-of-use that the best Apple products and features offer.
It's the Air that made them care
That's not to say Apple's completely dropped the ball when it comes to phone charging.
iPhones already come with plenty of smart battery systems, such as automatically pausing charging at 80% to maintain a device's battery health, or the option to lock your max charging percentage to 95%, 90% or 80%, again in the interest of battery health. But this new rumor, and the use of the magic word "AI" suggests that Apple's taking a renewed interest in this area.
As the often accurate Gurman reports, it's the rumored iPhone 17 Air that has finally motivated Apple to catch up. Its thin design likely means, similar to the newly-launched Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, the new slimmer iPhone is lacking in battery capacity compared to similar-sized phones.
Eking out the most battery longevity from the phone to meet Apple's usual all-day battery life promise will be crucial, and likely where this new AI-powered system comes in.
The new battery AI features will apparently be available on all iOS 19-compatible iPhones (believed to be the iPhone 11 series and later) once the new OS officially launches.
That will likely happen around September and the launch of the iPhone 17 series, but we should see Apple first announce iOS 19, macOS 16 and other new software versions at WWDC in June, Apple's annual software developer conference.
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