iPhone Battery Life: iOS 17 vs. iOS 16

Despite all the new features that iOS 17 has introduced, the software update is still far from perfect. 

There are still a few issues that Apple has yet to solve in future software updates. One of the biggest of these has to do with the battery life of the iPhone.

As it turns out, some people have experienced battery-draining issues after installing iOS 17. But is that actually the norm for all of us?

Well, some people have asked that question and run some tests. Here’s what you need to know.

Is the Battery Life Worse on iOS 17 Compared to iOS 16?

While your battery life depends on many factors, a lot of folks have experienced issues with their iPhone’s battery performing poorly after updating to iOS 17 — even after the initial “break-in” period.

The YouTube channel UltimateiDeviceVids decided to put this to the test by analyzing the battery life on a total of 14 iPhones with iOS 16 and iOS 17.

The results? Battery life in iOS 17 is almost the same as in iOS 16. In fact, most iOS 17 iPhones lasted a bit longer than their iOS 16 counterparts. An iPhone 13 running iOS 17 had some battery-draining issues compared to the other iPhones, but overall, its battery lasted a little over 8 hours. 

While this test won’t cover every single iPhone out there, it seems like iOS 17 actually has the potential to give a bit more battery life to your iPhone. As long as it works properly, that is.

iOS 17 Does Have Some Battery Issues

While the results from the video above are promising, many users still seem to be having issues with the battery life on their iPhones.

Unfortunately, the current releases of iOS 17.0 through iOS 17.1.1 may still have some issues Apple needs to take care of.

We don’t know exactly when Apple will drop a new software update — iOS 17.2 will likely land in December, but there could be an iOS 17.1.2 before that. Whenever it does arrive, it will hopefully help improve battery life.

Until then, try to search for software updates and keep your iPhone up to date. A word of caution, though: Don’t expect betas — even public betas — to deliver better battery life. They’re usually worse as Apple’s engineers don’t optimize them for performance and efficiency until they get closer to the final release candidate. In other words, while iOS 17.2 may improve the battery situation, we can’t judge that from the iOS 17.2 betas that are circulating right now.

iOS 17 Will Provide Better Battery Life (Eventually)

If you’re someone who doesn’t have any issues with iOS 17, then you’re probably enjoying more battery life from your iPhone compared to when it ran iOS 16. If you’re not in that fortunate group, then you’ll likely need to wait until Apple fixes all the iOS 17 issues before you see an increase in battery life.