Apple has just introduced a new feature, promised weeks ago, to monitor the condition of our battery. After the controversy occurred by confirming that it deliberately slowed the older models With the excuse that the batteries were degraded and that it did so with the sole objective that our iPhone did not turn off unexpectedly when we needed it most, this new function "Battery Health" was expected. for many.
But what does the health of our battery mean? What figure should be considered normal? Why not let us disable the automatic management mode? What can happen if we deactivate it? All these and other questions we clarify in this article so that you understand this new function perfectly.
What is automatic performance management?
On older models, such as the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, iPhone 6s, iPhone 6s Plus, iPhone SE, iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus, Apple has established a new function called "Automatic Performance Management". What does it consist of? These are models that have been in the market for several years and therefore already have batteries that may be degraded. The average life of a battery is usually about two years, something more if we take good care of it, something less if we mistreat it. From that time the battery can already fail and not offer enough energy when there are consumption peaks, which causes the iPhone to shut down unexpectedly.
According to Apple, in the case where this automatic administration is activated we can notice the following effects:
- Longer start times of an app
- Lower frame rates when scrolling
- Backlight dimming (which can be redefined in the Control Center)
- Speaker volume decrease up to 3 dB
- Gradual reductions in frame rate in some apps
- During the most extreme cases, the camera's flash will be deactivated (it will be indicated in the camera's interface)
- It may be necessary to reload apps that are updated in the background when they start
What will never be affected by this automatic management mode They are the following functions:
- Quality of calls over the mobile network and performance of the network transfer rate
- Quality of photos and videos taken
- GPS performance
- Location accuracy
- Sensors such as gyroscope, accelerometer and barometer
- Apple Pay
Not all the models we have mentioned will have this automatic battery performance management mode activated, only those in which the system has noticed that the battery does not work as it should. The most modern models, such as the iPhone 8, 8 Plus and X are not affected by this mode management because Apple has already modified its software so that it is not necessary.
New in iOS 11.3: battery health
Apple has added a new option in iOS 11.3: Battery health. Even in the Beta phase, this option that we can find in Settings> Battery gives us information about the state of our battery and lets us know if we have the Performance Management mode activated or not. By default all models that are updated to this new version will have it disabled, and will be activated only if they suffer some unexpected shutdown as a result of the battery not being in good condition.
Maximum capacity of your battery
The maximum capacity of the battery is what it has the first time it is activated, and should be 100% when it is newly released. As time goes by that capacity decreases, because its chemical components degrade with use. With proper use the batteries are designed to retain 80% of capacity after about 500 charging cycles. Below that figure the battery starts to decrease in its performance, and not only will it last less but it can start to have failures that manifest in unexpected shutdowns.
Just below this section we find the so-called "Maximum performance capacity", that is, if the battery can withstand the peaks of energy expenditure that the system may sometimes need. When this capacity is impaired is when “Automatic performance management” may be activated.
Normal performance capacity
This is the screen that will appear to all who have their battery in a healthy state. Apple here will not have activated any type of performance management and therefore we have no option to disable anything. Everything works normally and we can forget about our battery.
Performance Management Enabled
The iPhone has shut down unexpectedly because the battery has not been able to cope with a peak system demand. Apple has enabled automatic performance management to prevent this from happening. It gives us the option to deactivate it, but we must know that this can cause failures and that the health of our battery drops even more rapidly.
Performance Management Disabled
Our battery is not good, Apple activated automatic performance management but we have deactivated it manually. This is what will appear on the screen of our iPhone. You have no way to activate it manually, it will only be activated again if the iPhone presents a problem again and turns off again unexpectedly. You can deactivate it again then if you wish.
Unknown capacity
It is not a good sign that this happens. The system is not able to determine the battery status of your iPhone, and That may be because it works badly, because it is an uncertified battery or that the installation is not adequate. Be that as it may, you must go to an official technical service to solve the problem.
Degenerate battery status
The battery is already in a significant degree of deterioration that will make the operation of your iPhone not adequate. Although performance management is enabled, Apple recommends that you change the battery to improve the performance of your device. You can continue to disable automatic management, but you will have many problems with your iPhone.
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