iOS 18.2 May Provide Estimated iPhone Charging Times
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In addition to all the great Apple Intelligence features and other improvements we’ve already seen in the first two developer betas, Apple may be preparing to deliver another small but substantial feature in iOS 18.2: charging time estimates.
The folks at 9to5Mac found code in the second iOS 18.2 beta released this week that points to this possibility via a new framework called “BatteryIntelligence.” The information surrounding the framework suggests that it will provide an estimate of charging time similar to what’s already been available in the Battery menu on MacBooks for years. As Filipe Espósito reports:
A new framework called “BatteryIntelligence” will calculate the estimated time to recharge the phone, most likely based on the amount of energy being received by the device. Users will have the option of receiving a notification with an estimate of how long it will take for the charge to reach 80%, for example.
While the first stages of the feature are buried in the iOS 18.2 beta code, Espósito points out that it’s “still disabled and unfinished.” This means that while it could still appear in a future iOS 18.2 beta, it’s also possible Apple is merely laying the groundwork right now for something that won’t come until a later iOS point release.
It’s common for Apple to add new code into iOS developer betas months or even years before release. Most famously, code for AirTags appeared in the first iOS 13 developer beta in 2019, nearly two years before we even knew what Apple’s tracking tags would be called. This led to months of speculation that Apple’s new tracking tags were right around the corner; many expected them to be released alongside the iPhone 11 that fall, but while we got the new U1 Ultra Wideband chip in that model, what would eventually become AirTags didn’t become a product until only a few months before the iPhone 13 arrived.
Along similar lines, we’re still waiting on the long-rumored HomePod with a display, even though code for the device was found in iOS 17.4 earlier this year.
Of course, those are extreme examples that involve new hardware products. Still, there are plenty of scenarios where Apple has deployed new frameworks a few point releases in advance of a feature becoming available, so we wouldn’t suggest holding our breath that this will appear in iOS 18.2. However, based on Apple’s track record, there’s still a good chance it will arrive before iOS 19, quite possibly in an early 2024 iOS 18.3 release that may focus on things other than Apple Intelligence since the next wave of Apple’s AI features after iOS 18.2 aren’t expected to arrive until iOS 18.4 in April.
It’s also likely this feature may be limited to recent iPhone models. Apple improved the Battery Health capabilities in last year’s iPhone 15, adding a new hard 80% charging limit in iOS 17. Following that, iOS 17.4 added more detailed battery information for iPhone 15 models, including the number of charge cycles and manufacturing and first-used dates.
These features are also supported on the iPhone 16 lineup, but older iPhones presumably don’t have the hardware to deliver this additional information or reliably enforce a fixed charging limit. A charging estimate would likely face similar challenges, thereby limiting it to at least the iPhone 15 and later models.
[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]
