Earlier this year, Apple retested the batteries of its iPhone 15 models and updated its battery life claims for the entire series, suggesting that they offer better longevity than previously thought. Curious about the battery health of your iPhone 15? Here’s how to check it.
Apple in February 2024 updated the technical specifications for the batteries in the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max. According to its latest tests, Apple says that the devices’ batteries are designed to retain 80% of their original capacity at 1,000 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions.
It’s a significant improvement over the 500 charge cycles that the company advertises for all older iPhone models over the same cycle count.
iPhone 15 models also include a Battery Charging Optimization feature, so if you regularly charge your iPhone up at night while you’re asleep, the device can limit its charging to 80%, and then wait for an hour or so before you wake up to charge the remaining 20%. This keeps the iPhone at an optimal capacity for battery health by reducing the amount of time that it’s sat on your charger at 100% charged, which can reduce its life over time.
If you have an iPhone 15 with iOS 17.4 or later installed, you can get more specific information on the battery health of your device in the following way:
Open the Settings app.
Scroll down and tap Battery.
Check the readout next to “Battery Health.” For more details including your device’s battery cycle count, manufacture date, and first use date, simply tap the readout. (In earlier versions of iOS 17, this information was hidden in the General ➝ About section of the Settings app).
Apple says that the battery lifespan of any iPhone model ultimately depends on how the device is regularly used and charged. While the “Maximum Capacity” readout will give you a good indication of your iPhone’s battery health, it’s worth tapping on the blue text that says “About Battery & Warranty,” which will give you more information on the likely battery lifespan of your device based on how it’s used.
Battery life depends on a number of variables, but if you think you have an issue, it’s worth remembering that the standard one-year AppleCare+ warranty on an iPhone includes service for defective batteries. Depending on where you are, local consumer laws might even give you cover beyond the standard 12 months, so don’t be shy to ask at an Apple Store if you think there’s a problem.
With the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch approaching, we thought it would be fun to take a look back at an interesting bit of Apple Watch history.
After the Apple Watch was announced in 2014, and before it became available in 2015, Apple sent out custom Apple Watch iPad demo kiosks to retail stores. The Apple Watch and iPad units used for these devices were specially designed, had custom software, and represent the first and only time that an Apple Watch was able to pair with an iPad.
AppleDemoYT, known for sourcing rare prototypes, shared images and detailed information about the demo units with MacRumors, offering up detailed insight on the lengths Apple went to for this custom experience. AppleDemoYT was able to acquire one of these now-rare demo units.
Jony Ive and his design team came up with the Apple Watch iPad Kiosks as a way for customers to try out an Apple Watch without needing help from an employee. Apple used a modified iPad mini 2 running iOS 8.2 paired with an original Apple Watch running watchOS 1.0, with the two devices fused in a custom housing.
The iPad Apple used had multiple components removed, including the camera, microphone, and speakers, and the housing of the setup served as the body of the iPad. The Apple Watch was heavily modified as well, featuring a groove along the diagnostic port for cable routing, holes to affix it to the demo unit, and a special Sport Band that was shorter than normal.
The Apple Watch was paired to the iPad using a wired connection. A lightning cable attached to the Apple Watch diagnostic port connected to a converter board inside the iPad, allowing the iPad to communicate with and charge the Apple Watch. A special app called Apple Watch Demo was used to allow the Apple Watch to interface with the iPad, and a connection to Apple’s server was required.
The server that Apple used for the Apple Watch Demo app has long since gone offline, so the only way to see how the setup worked is through a demo unit that was paired in 2014 and not reset since then. With a functional unit, the iPad is able to mirror the Apple Watch, offering up transition animations and providing tips on the actions that can be performed on the Apple Watch. This functionality is demoed in AppleDemoYT’s video:
The custom iPad mini was not only the sole model able to connect with an Apple Watch, it was also the only iPad that could be charged using MagSafe 2, originally designed for the Mac. A MagSafe connector charged the iPad, Apple Watch, and extra batteries inside the iPad. A Lightning port is available as well, but Apple’s documentation suggests that it is only meant to be used for data transfer.
Apple discontinued the demo unit in 2016 because it was riddled with issues. Updates to the iPad or Apple Watch would erase demo content, and the front glass was prone to cracking because of the design of the housing. Batteries degraded quickly due to the always-on charging, and overheating and failure were continual problems. Apple also had to deal with pairing and syncing issues, and that caused Apple to tweak the interactive part of the demo functionality in 2015. After that change, the iPad provided Apple Watch info, but no longer mirrored the content on the Apple Watch.
Demo units that were decommissioned were supposed to be destroyed, and so finding one that is still available, functional, and in good working condition is unusual. The Apple Watch iPad kiosk represents one of the most advanced custom devices that Apple had designed at the time, and it offers a neat look back at the Apple Watch’s debut.
Rumors suggest that Apple has plans for the 10th anniversary of the Apple Watch, and as soon as this year, we may see a redesigned “Apple Watch X” with an updated magnetic band attachment system, new health features, and more.
Checking the health and maximum capacity of the battery in your beloved iPad isn’t as easy as it should be, but we can walk you through the process.
Finding out how worn out the tablet’s battery is can help you decide if it’s time for a new model.
Explaining iPad battery health: maximum capacity vs. cycles
Diamonds are forever but batteries are not. Li-ion batteries in phones, laptops, etc., inevitably wear out. Each one comes with a limited number of times it can be charged and discharged, which is called a cycle. But every time you plug in the device isn’t the start of a new cycle. One starts only after all of the battery’s power has been expended.
“You could use half of your laptop’s charge in one day, and then recharge it fully,” explains Apple. “If you did the same thing the next day, it would count as one charge cycle, not two. In this example, it might take several days to complete a cycle.”
This is where a measurement of maximum capacity comes in. This indicates how much power your iPad battery can hold now compared to the capacity when it was new. It’s typically listed as a percentage, and is a much better indication of battery health.
Here’s how to find out what the maximum capacity is for your iPad’s battery.
How to check battery health and maximum capacity on your iPad
On an iPhone, you can discover the maximum battery capacity with a quick visit to the Battery area in Settings. iPadOS doesn’t make it nearly so easy. The information is in there — you just need to dig it out.
Open the Privacy & Security then Analytics & Improvements sections of Settings to get access to iPad battery health data. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Start by going to Settings -> Privacy & Security -> Analytics & Improvements. On that screen, make sure Share iPad Analytics is toggled on.
Then tap on Analytics Data. This will open a long list of files keeping track of the minutia of your iPad. You’re looking for one whose name starts with “Analytics-” followed by today’s date (or the most recent one available). Tap on it to open the file. You’ll see a long, long series of entries, 99.999% of which is useless to you. But the data you want is buried in there.
Note: if you’re using an older version of iPadOS, you might be looking for a file that starts with “log-aggregated-” or maybe “sysdiagnose_” instead.
From here, there are two ways to go: use a Shortcut to find the current maximum capacity of your iPad’s battery or search through the file on your own.
1. Try a Shortcut
Install and open the Battery Stats Shortcut to discover your iPad’s battery health. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
If you’re willing to install a Shortcut on your iPad, follow this link to Battery Stats then click Add Shortcut. (I went through the code and it doesn’t do anything dodgy.)
Now go back and open that specific analytics file you found earlier in Settings. Tap on the Share Menu icon (box with an arrow point up) in the upper righthand corner of the screen, then select Battery Stats from the resulting popup window.
After a few seconds, a window will open showing you the battery capacity in both mAh and a percentage.
2. Search for yourself
Try to find these codewords in the iPad analytics file. Screenshot: Ed Hardy/Cult of Mac
Alternatively, you can search through the lengthy analytics file for the data on your own. You’re looking for “MaximumCapacityPercent” and “CycleCount.”
It’s not hard to guess that the first number is Apple’s estimate of the maximum current capacity of your iPad battery. Though you can calculate this for yourself. Go back to the analytics file and look for NominalChargeCapacity and MaximumFCC, then calculate:
(MaximumFCC / NominalChargeCapacity) * 100
This is generally lower than MaximumCapacityPercent. Oddly, that figure is often over 100% if the iPad is new. I don’t know why.
You’ll have noticed that the analytics file is enormous — you’d be better off opening it in a text editor and using a Find function to search for those terms. I use GoodReader, but there are other options.
To transfer the file to the app of your choice: open the file, tap on the Share Menu icon (box with an arrow point up) in the upper righthand corner of the screen, then select the text editor you prefer from the Share Sheet.
What now?
What happens next depends on your iPad battery’s health as determined by its current maximum capacity percentage. As noted earlier, Apple considers anything over 80% to be healthy.
Above than number, you’re almost certainly good. My iPad is at 88% (or 92%, depending) and I’ve used it virtually every day for about 18 months, so it’s in great shape.
The possible exception is if your tablet is fairly new and the max capacity isn’t near 100%. Before you get concerned, though, check your Cycle Count. If it’s also high (mine is at 165), it means you’re a very heavy user and are putting a lot wear on the battery. That’s not a bad thing — you clearly like the product a lot.
But if your iPad has seen many years of use and its battery health isn’t good — its maximum capacity is at or below 80% — it means the device doesn’t last as long between charges as it used to.
One option is replacing the battery. Apple will do it for roughly $100 to $120 depending on your model, and the process will return the computer to its original battery life.
Or you might look into one of the new iPad Air or iPad Pro models expected soon. (You’ve been looking for a reason to upgrade, right?)
Microsoft is going full speed ahead with its upcoming Windows 11 update 24H2, also known as Hudson Valley. It’s bringing more artificial intelligence (AI) features to the operating system, including AI Explorer, and as such Microsoft will be adding a feature that can tell users whether their PC will support it. Or you can look that information up for yourself.
Update 24H2, most likely launching in September or October 2024, will not only require PopCnt but a mandatory SSE4.2 requirement added to the undelaying code. This update will feature some truly great AI tools and enhancements to many Windows apps and programs like Windows Copilot and Cocreator AI-powered assistants for apps like Notepad and Paint.
You no longer have to own Vision Pro to see what’s on the visionOS App Store. Screenshot:
Apple made the visionOS App Store available for anyone to look through. The change will give anyone thinking about buying the Vision Pro AR headset a preview at what software is available.
Previously, the list of available app was only viewable by those who already owned the cutting-edge computer that launched in the United States in February.
visionOS App Store is on the web, no Vision Pro needed
Unlike typical VR headsets, Vision Pro is a multi-use computer that rivals a Mac in capabilities. It uses the same M2 processor as a MacBook, and displays applications in floating windows.
Many iPadOS applications are compatible with visionOS, but that’s only the start. There’s a visionOS software development kit for creating apps that make full use of the augmented reality capabilities of Apple’s new headset.
Few people will ever get to see inside a supercomputer for real, but it is possible to take a virtual tour. Nvidia previously opened the doors to Eos, one of the world’s fastest supercomputers, and now Department of Energy’s Argon National Laboratory has prepared a short 5-minute video guiding viewers through Aurora, its exascale supercomputer.
Aurora is already one of the fastest supercomputers in the world. HPC Wire ranked it number #2 in its top 500 list in November 2023. But that ranking was achieved with just “half of Aurora running the HPL benchmark”.
Samsung kicked off the month of March with new challenges for Samsung Health and PENUP users. As usual, the new Samsung Health challenge is a month-long, and PENUP artists can participate in a two-week contest before the theme changes in mid-March.
Here are the current live challenges. For Samsung Health, the March theme is “Jungle.” Samsung asks participants if they’ve become too dependent on high-tech devices and invites them to “Imagine getting lost in a jungle where you’re totally unplugged from technology. Things may be uncomfortable, but think of it as an adventure.”
As for the PENUP challenge, it began on March 1 and will end on March 15. The theme is “Let’s Draw School,” and as usual, Samsung wrote a fairly lengthy introduction to the challenge to set the mood and inspire digital painters.
There’s always room for interpretation with these PENUP challenges, but Samsung encourages PENUP users to “Take on this month’s challenge by drawing schools you attended in the past, the memories you have from school, or schools from our future.”
If you want to participate in these March challenges, open Samsung Health on your Galaxy phone, access the “Together” tab, and accept the Jungle challenge.
As for PENUP, you can access the “Challenges” tab from the app’s main screen, tap the “Let’s Draw School” banner at the top, and tap the cup-shaped button in the lower right corner. Before you start drawing, as usual, you can also view submissions from other PENUP users and read the challenge’s description by tapping “Introduction.”
Android apps have become our go-to tools for almost every need, from enhancing productivity to unleashing creativity. Among the plethora of options available, certain apps stand out for their unique functionalities and the ability to significantly enhance our daily routines. If you are on the lookout for some standout Android apps that cater to a diverse range of needs, you will be pleased to know that we have an awesome video from Brett In Tech with seven amazing apps that promise to elevate your smartphone experience. These apps range from video editing and news aggregation to music creation, language learning, advanced camera functionalities, navigation, and city transit solutions.
Quick by GoPro: For those who love to capture life’s moments and transform them into memorable videos, Quick offers an intuitive solution. This video editor lets you craft stunning videos from the photos and clips stored on your device. It simplifies video creation with automatic editing options and enriches your projects with a selection of over 80 free songs. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned editor, Quick ensures your video editing process is as seamless as it gets.
Flipboard: Staying updated with the latest news without the hassle of jumping between websites and apps can be a breeze with Flipboard. This sleek news aggregator brings together stories from a myriad of sources, presenting them in a beautifully designed interface. Tailor your feed with personalized categories such as technology, sports, and science, and dive into the world of informed reading.
Music Maker Jam: Unleash your musical creativity with Music Maker Jam, an app that allows you to produce your own tracks using loops, beats, and melodies. It’s equipped with a beginner-friendly tutorial and supports voice recordings, making it perfect for aspiring musicians and seasoned artists alike. Experiment with different sounds and create music that resonates with your style.
Memrise: Language learning has never been more engaging than with Memrise. This app takes a unique approach by focusing on vocabulary acquisition, native speaker videos, and AI-driven conversation practice. Offering lessons in more than 24 languages, Memrise is designed to make language learning not only effective but truly enjoyable.
Open Camera: For photography enthusiasts looking to elevate their smartphone camera’s capabilities, Open Camera is a treasure trove of features. It extends beyond the default camera app, offering customizable settings and remote photo taking with voice commands. This app ensures that your photography skills are only limited by your imagination.
Here We Go: When it comes to navigation, having a reliable app is crucial. Here We Go offers dependable directions, offline maps, and real-time public transportation options. It serves as a solid alternative to more well-known navigation apps, ensuring you reach your destination without a hitch.
Citymapper: Tailored for the urban explorer, Citymapper provides comprehensive transportation solutions for navigating the city. From bus and rail to ferry and bike, it offers detailed route options along with cost and time estimates. This transit app is indispensable for city dwellers and visitors looking to traverse urban landscapes efficiently.
These seven apps are more than just tools; they are gateways to enhancing various aspects of your life, from creativity and learning to exploration and productivity. Each app is highly recommended for its exceptional functionality and user-friendly design, promising to be a valuable addition to your Android device.
Whether you’re looking to create, learn, capture, or navigate, this curated list of Android apps is a testament to the incredible versatility and innovation available at your fingertips. Embrace these technological marvels and experience how they can transform your digital interactions and daily routines.
Source & Image Credit: Brett In Tech
Filed Under: Android News, Guides, Mobile Phone News
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Android’s app ecosystem is a treasure trove of innovation, brimming with tools that not only elevate your productivity but also infuse creativity and a personalized touch into your digital experience. If you’re on the hunt for some groundbreaking applications to transform how you interact with your Android device, you’re in for a treat. The video below from Sam Beckham walks us through a range of awesome Android apps. Let’s dive into 11 remarkable Android apps that stand out for their unique functionalities and how they can enrich your daily digital life.
Video Summarize: Imagine having the power to condense long YouTube videos into concise, digestible summaries. Video Summarize does exactly that, leveraging AI to extract key talking points from videos. This app is a boon for learners and professionals alike, helping save precious time while ensuring you don’t miss out on valuable insights.
Color Changing Camera: Ever wished you could change the color of objects in your photos with just a tap? The Color Changing Camera app turns this fantasy into reality. Using your phone’s camera, this app lets you alter the hues of objects in real-time, adding a creative flair to your photographs effortlessly.
Voice GPT: Elevate your device’s functionality by setting Voice GPT as your default assistant. This app brings the prowess of Chat GPT’s voice chat feature to your fingertips, offering a seamless and more intuitive way to interact with your smartphone through voice commands. It’s about making technology work smarter for you.
Sync Thing: In our multi-device world, keeping files and folders synchronized across platforms can be a hassle. Enter Sync Thing, a free, open-source solution that automates the process, ensuring your data is up-to-date across all your devices without the need for a central server. It’s privacy-focused syncing at its best.
Batang: This app addresses a common yet often overlooked problem: unexpected battery drainage across your devices. Batang keeps you informed about the battery levels of all your gadgets, helping you manage their usage more effectively and avoid sudden power losses.
AtMySite: Unleash your inner app developer with AtMySite, a no-code platform that empowers you to create and publish your own apps without needing to write a single line of code. It’s an invitation to innovate and share your ideas with the world, no technical expertise required.
Groovify: Music lovers, rejoice! Groovify is here to enhance your Spotify experience by generating playlists based on your selected song and vibes. Tailor your listening experience with customizable filters for mood, genre, and more, and discover new tunes that match your taste perfectly.
The4: Habit formation is made stylish and effortless with The4. This app focuses on design and user experience, encouraging you to track and maintain habits through its visually appealing interface. It’s about turning aspiration into action with elegance and ease.
Nothing Pro KWGT: Personalize your Android home screen with Nothing OS-inspired widgets thanks to Nothing Pro KWGT. This app offers a collection of sleek, minimalist widgets that bring a fresh aesthetic to your device, allowing you to customize your home screen like never before.
Twine: For those who love staying updated with the latest news and articles, Twine is an elegantly designed RSS reader that transforms news consumption into a visually pleasing experience. It’s about browsing your favorite feeds with fluidity and style.
Show Taps: Enhancing screen recordings has never been easier. Show Taps adds a layer of visual feedback to your recordings by indicating taps and swipes, making it an invaluable tool for creating more informative and engaging tutorials or demonstrations.
Each of these apps showcases the versatility and ingenuity within the Android ecosystem, offering solutions that cater to a wide range of needs and preferences. Whether you’re looking to boost productivity, explore your creative side, or simply enhance your device’s functionality, these applications promise to deliver a richer, more efficient, and personalized mobile experience. Dive into the world of Android apps and discover how these tools can reshape your digital landscape. You can find the links to all of these apps over at YouTube at the link below.
Source & Image Credit: Sam Beckham
Filed Under: Android News, Guides, Mobile Phone News
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As the digital landscape of our iPhones becomes ever more integral to our daily lives, the introduction of innovative widgets with iOS 17 has been a game-changer. Widgets, those small interactive tools that reside on our home screens, have evolved beyond mere shortcuts, transforming into comprehensive, at-a-glance solutions for a myriad of everyday tasks and pleasures. If you’re keen to elevate your iPhone’s functionality and aesthetic appeal, you will be pleased to know that the latest offerings in 2024 are nothing short of impressive. The video below from iReviews shows us a range of awesome iOS 17 iPhone widgets that are worth checking out. Let’s delve into some of the standout widgets that have caught the attention of users worldwide.
First up, Calculator 17 redefines convenience by enabling calculations directly from your home screen. Gone are the days of navigating through apps for quick math. This widget not only allows for instant calculations but also keeps a history of your past computations, making it a practical tool for those in constant need of arithmetic operations.
Weather enthusiasts will appreciate Rain Viewer for its detailed forecasts that include radar views and future weather predictions. Its integration into the home screen ensures you’re always prepared, rain or shine, without the need to open a separate app.
Morpho emerges as a must-have for the globally minded or the frequent traveler. This widget simplifies conversions – be it temperature scales or distances – directly from the home screen, embodying the essence of convenience and efficiency.
Widgy Widgets stands out with its vast collection of daily updated offerings. From a transparent weather widget that blends seamlessly into your background to an ingenious folder-within-a-folder widget, it’s all about enhancing organization and personalization.
For those looking to further customize their home screen, iScreen offers a variety of widgets, including shortcuts to your most-used apps and a quirky flip coin feature, adding a bit of fun to functionality.
Battery management is made stylish and informative with the Battery Widget. It provides detailed insights into your device’s battery, storage, RAM, and more, in a design that surpasses the default iOS battery widget in both looks and utility.
MD Blank is for the aesthetically driven user, allowing the addition of blank widgets for that perfect home screen layout. It also includes options for photo displays and a comprehensive dashboard widget that aggregates various device information.
Quicke combines aesthetics with functionality through a circular widget that houses customizable app shortcuts around a central clock, proving that practicality can indeed meet beauty.
Data management gets a boost with Didget, which monitors data usage in real-time. For those conscious about their data consumption, this widget acts as a vigilant assistant, ensuring you stay within your limits.
Clear Counter is an interactive widget that serves various counting purposes directly from the home screen. Whether it’s tracking your water intake or counting days to an event, this widget has you covered.
Adding a touch of humor and inspiration to your day are the Joke and Motivation widgets. The former provides a constantly updating feed of jokes, while the latter offers motivational quotes tailored to your mood and needs, both accessible with just a swipe.
These widgets not only enhance the iPhone’s usability but also its visual appeal, offering a blend of practicality and personality. They signify a step forward in how we interact with our devices, making everyday tasks more accessible and enjoyable.
Remember, for easy access to these widgets, look for the download links in the pinned comments of the video guide. Embracing these widgets will undoubtedly enrich your iPhone experience, proving once again how technology can simplify and beautify our lives.
Source & Image Credit: iReviews
Filed Under: Apple, Apple iPhone
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