Some iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Pro owners have complaints reminiscent of the bad old days of “batterygate,” reporting that less than a year of service clocks in, their phones already reporting more battery degradation than expected. Sam Kohl on AppleTrack tweeted in July that his iPhone 14 Pro has already dropped to its maximum capacity of 90 percent, a much faster drop than previous iPhones he owned, and the thread shows many other people with the same experience.
Kohl followed up with a video posted yesterday about the issue, saying it makes it difficult for him to recommend the phone, especially considering how much it costs at $999.
Officially, Apple says iPhone batteries should “retain up to 80 percent of their original capacity over 500 complete charge cycles.” The iPhone 15 series is expected to launch soon, and recent rumors say that the devices will see an increase in battery size of 10 – 18 percent compared to current devices.
He’s not the only one seeing these kinds of numbers. Verge alum and Wall Street Journal Senior tech columnist Joanna Stern wrote in her newsletter this week that her iPhone 14 Pro shows 88 percent battery capacity. Around The Verge, reports are mixed, with two 14 Pros down at 93 and 91 percent and one at 97 percent. In previous years, most did not see a drop in reported capacity until two years of use, at least.
And that’s before we even consider the fact that it’s more expensive to replace the battery on an iPhone 14 or iPhone 14 Pro once it’s out of one-year warranty (assuming you don’t have AppleCare or some other extended service plan). Last year the price went up by $30, from $69 on previous devices to $99, though these days, you can always go the DIY route if you don’t want to visit an Apple Store or third-party repair shop .
We’ve contacted Apple about these reports and will update if we receive any additional information.
