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Battery Life

As an iPhone user, it is quite natural to choose Apple-branded devices to fulfil everyday needs. My first Apple Watch was a Series 4, followed by a Series 6. After a few years, I finally moved to the Series 10. This time, for myself at least, I am not looking for any further upgrade come September 2026, to whichever series arrives next.

Twenty years ago, I remember buying ringtones for my mobile phone; whereas now, my current phone is silent most of the time, with certain exceptions for important calls.

I have been a happy user of the Apple Watch for years. I do not have anything against it, apart from one thing. The device itself has become superior due to its medically graded sensors. We always hear stories of how the Apple Watch saved someone’s life by early detection of conditions that could lead to life-threatening situations.

Now that I am in my mid-forties, I look at that aspect much closer. For me, health features have become a major selling point. However, other aspects have slowly started to become annoying.

All measurements are done in the background and nicely synchronised with my device. The communication features, however, have become more of a nuisance, especially during stressful days at work. The constant buzzing has become a distraction rather than a useful feature.

Over recent months, I tried to break ties with my watch-screen addiction. It came to the point where I really wanted something that felt less like a phone on my wrist and more like an ordinary watch—but without losing those vital measuring capabilities.

So, I looked for an alternative.

The phone I am using daily is an iPhone 13 Pro Max, which has been with me for almost 3 years. At the same time, when I got mine, I also got an iPhone 13 for my wife.

Straight after purchase, I opted for AppleCare+ with the monthly payment option. Thanks to the recurring payments, my device is still covered under AppleCare+.

I am considering an upgrade later this year, possibly in September 2024, but I am not rushing into it. My phone is performing well for its age and is still in pristine condition, which is important for potential resale value. The only thing that is showing signs of age is the battery.

After over 33 months of daily use, I started noticing that the battery is not as good as it used to be. With the built-in Battery Health feature, I can see that it’s at 87% of design capacity. It’s not bad for its age.

However, after the same period with her iPhone 13, my wife began to notice that her phone needed to be plugged in much more often.

Recently, we even noticed that the battery surprisingly jumped from 59% to 61%, only to return to 59% shortly after.

This made me start thinking, so I quickly checked her battery health. From Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging, we can see that her health is at 80%.

It’s not a bad result after over 33 months, but also not great from the customer’s point of view, especially when you got AppleCare+ purchased.

According to AppleCare+ terms regarding the battery, you are entitled to have your battery replaced free of charge when it falls below 80%.

Exactly, it states “below” 80%, which currently you may think is not met, as the battery health in settings shows exactly 80%.

But what if that value is inaccurate?

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