Understand How Your Phone Battery Degrades
Your Apple lithium-ion battery uses fast charging to reach 80 percent of its capacity quickly, then switches to slower trickle charging. Apple iOS also limit charging above 80 percent if battery temperatures get too hot. By doing so, it will prolong the battery life to prevent over-charging. An iPhone lithium-ion battery typically holds up to 500 charge cycles, or about two years before you will see a degrading of the battery to 80% of its full capacity. You complete one charge cycle when you have used an amount equals 100% of your batterys capacity. Example, you use up 60% today and re-charge it fully the next day. If you use 40% the next day, then you will have discharged a total of 100%. That is one charge cycle. It could also take several days to complete a cycle.
Myth: Some users discharge 100% before re-charging to reduce charging cycle. It is no longer needed for the lithium-ion battery as reason explained above. |
Iphone Se 2020 Battery Life Is A Major Letdown
The iPhone SE’s battery life trails other phones by a significant margin based on our testing
Update: See our iPhone SE 2022 review for the latest version of Apple’s most affordable iPhone.
The iPhone SE 2020 has a lot of things to recommend it for its $399 price, including a fast A13 Bionic processor, vibrant display and very good cameras. But battery life is not one of the phone’s strengths.
In fact, based on our battery test, the iPhone SE’s 1,821 mAh battery trails every modern iPhone by a significant margin and its top Android phone competitor by nearly 3 hours. Here’s how the new iPhone SE stacks up.
Solution #: Check Out Your Apps
If you are still experiencing battery issues on iPhone SE 2020 after performing a restart, and there isnt an update available, check your applications. Apps, especially third-party applications, will sometimes act up after a new iOS operating system is released and theres a very good chance its one of your apps causing the battery drain issues.
Checking app performance is easy and you might be able to identify a rogue app in a matter of minutes. Heres how to do that:
This section will show you the apps draining your iPhones battery life and when theyre doing so. If youre using an app a lot, it will obviously drain your devices battery. However, if you notice that an app you rarely use is draining battery life, you might need to take a closer look.
If you see an app you rarely use draining your iPhones battery life, try updating the application to the latest version. App developers are busy rolling out iOS updates and an update could resolve the problem.
If you are still having poor battery life on iPhone SE 2020, try deleting the app and see if that returns things to normal.
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Use Optimized Battery Charging
A lot of battery issues are caused by the way the phone is charged. One way you can ensure that you are doing this properly would be by using optimized charging.
Apple introduced Optimized Battery Charging with their iOS 13. This can stop your iPhone SE battery from aging too fast.
The feature simply monitors your everyday battery usage and routines and charges the phone according to how frequently you use it.
This effectively stops the battery from having to sit at maximum charge capacity for too long, prolonging the lifespan of the iPhone battery.
To enable this feature,
- Scroll to the Battery option.
- Click Battery Health
- Activate the button that’s located next to the Optimized Battery Charging tab.
The Most Important Iphone Lifespan Factor: Software Updates

Technically, as long as your iPhone turns on and functions, it’s within its lifespan. But practically, there are a few ways to determine if your iPhone is still within its useful life chief among them is how long it receives iOS and security updates from Apple.
Every eligible iPhone gets software updates shortly after they become available, whether it’s a major revision, like iOS 15, or a minor release to fix bugs, like iOS 15.0.1. Installing these not only brings new features to your iPhone, but also patches security issues to keep your device secure.
Over time, Apple drops support for older iPhone models. Spending time to make sure a new release works on an aging device that few people use isn’t worth it for any company. Plus, the weaker hardware of older iPhone models can’t keep up with the requirements of newer iOS versions.
Apple uses the “vintage” and “obsolete” labels for its older devices. An Apple device is considered obsolete when the company stopped distributing it for sale over seven years agonote that this is not the same as its initial release date.
At this point, Apple does not offer hardware support or the device, and service providers can’t order parts for them. As of this writing, the iPhone 4S and older are considered obsolete.
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How To Fix Bad Iphone Se 2 Battery Life
As we push deeper into 2022 we continue to get feedback from iPhone SE 2 users. While a lot of the feedback is good, some users are complaining about abnormal battery drain, a common issue that impacts all versions of the iPhone.
Weve heard about an assortment of issues with Apples second-generation iPhone SE. Some of the problems are minor bugs. Others, like abnormal battery drain, are far more problematic.
Again, iPhone battery life problems are extremely common. They tend to popup after every iOS update so these complaints dont come as much of a surprise.
Some battery issues might be hardware-related, but most probably have something to do with the iOS 15 and iOS 16 software that powers the phone.
If you start noticing heavy battery drain youll want to take matters into your own hands before getting in contact with Apples customer service.
In this guide well take you through some fixes that might help you fix bad iPhone SE 2 battery life. These are fixes that have worked for us over the years and theres a chance they work for you.
Iphone Battery Life Compared: How Does The New Iphone Se Stack Up
Battery life is one of the most important factors for smartphones these days. Apple doesnt make it particularly easy to compare the lifetimes between iPhone models, so weve collated all the specs so you can break it down, and help with your buying decision.
The latest entrant to this arena is the just-announced iPhone SE 2nd-generation. But how does the new iPhone SE battery life compare to the rest of Apples iPhone lineup?
Battery life is the result of a combination of physical battery life, chip efficiency, and operating system behavior. Its also hard to get accurate numbers for each individual as battery life can vary dramatically based on the current features being used, like GPS or gaming, and even geographic location. If you have a weak phone signal, your iPhone battery life will be reduced as the phone works harder to maintain a cellular connection.
On the whole, Apple has substantially improved overall battery life of the iPhone in recent years, through a combination of software optimizations and by putting ever-bigger capacity batteries inside the devices. They have also changed up how they report battery life over time.
The one meaningful statistic Apple reports for every iPhone model is called video playback. This test is basically how long can the phone continuously play video content that is stored on the devices internal storage. Higher is better.
Model |
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40 hours |
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Iphone Se 2022 Battery Life Vs Other Phones
Samsung Galaxy A52 | 12:19 / 10:19 |
The good news is that the iPhone SE 2022 lasted longer than the iPhone 13 mini, though not by much. The new iPhone SE endured for an average of 9 hours and 7 minutes, compared to 8:41 for the iPhone 13 mini.
It’s hard to account for the difference in runtime, but the mini does have a significantly larger 5.4-inch display, compared to just 4.7 inches for the iPhone SE 2022. Based on teardowns, the iPhone 13 mini features a 2,406 mAh battery, but we don’t yet know the capacity of the new iPhone SE.
The previous iPhone SE 2020 lasted 9:18 with its 1,821 mAh battery. However, it’s important to remember that our testing for that phone ran over 4G LTE, which uses less power than 5G. We would expect the iPhone SE 2022 to last significantly longer over 4G LTE if you decide to turn 5G off.
Another interesting iPhone SE 2022 battery life comparison is with the . Google’s $450 phone lasted for 9 hours and 45 minutes on our web surfing test over 5G. That’s more than 30 minutes longer than the new iPhone SE, but it’s not a huge delta. The Pixel 5a sports a relatively large 6.3-inch display, but it also houses a fairly large 4,680 mAh battery.
So what about the regular iPhone 13? Apple’s mainstream flagship lasted for 10 hours and 33 minutes, which is about an hour and a half longer than the iPhone SE 2022. That phone packs a 6.1-inch display and houses a 3,227 mAh battery.
Should I Buy The Iphone Se
If you love a small phone but feel youre missing out on a top-notch camera, solid battery life and speedy processor, the iPhone SE is impossible to ignore. It delivers in spades and doesnt have a comparable competitor.
Even though its the lowest-priced iPhone weve ever seen, its still not cheap, especially since the 16GB option is inadequate for most users. However, if you look after it then its resale value will remain high. No other phones retain their value quite like iPhones do.
The one major downside, for some, will be the distinctly average front-facing camera. If youre a registered member of the selfie generation then consider yourself warned.
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For Ios 113 And Later
iOS 11.3 and later improve this performance management feature by periodically assessing the level of performance management necessary to avoid unexpected shutdowns. If the battery health is able to support the observed peak power requirements, the amount of performance management will be lowered. If an unexpected shutdown occurs again, then performance management will increase. This assessment is ongoing, allowing more adaptive performance management.
iPhone 8 and later use a more advanced hardware and software design that provides a more accurate estimation of both power needs and the batterys power capability to maximize overall system performance. This allows a different performance management system that more precisely allows iOS to anticipate and avoid an unexpected shutdown. As a result, the impacts of performance management may be less noticeable on iPhone 8 and later. Over time, the rechargeable batteries in all iPhone models will diminish in their capacity and peak performance and will eventually need to be replaced.
What The Manufacturers Say
The major phone manufacturers declined to provide any recommendations for specific charging techniques when we asked, but they do offer vague tips on their websites.
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Apple says you should charge your Apple lithium-ion battery whenever you want and adds that there is no need to let it discharge 100 percent before recharging. On a different page on Apples website, the company notes that you should avoid extreme temperatures and remove cases that might cause your iPhone to overheat while its charging. But Apple doesnt outline when you should or shouldnt charge or suggest any optimal charging thresholds.
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is similarly straightforward: Charge as much or as little as needed. You dont need to teach your phone how much capacity the battery has by going from full to zero, or zero to full, charge.
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Samsung advises charging regularly and keeping the battery above 50 percent. The company also says that leaving your phone connected while its fully charged may shorten the battery life.
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How Long Do Iphone Batteries Actually Last
Wondering how long iPhone batteries actually last? Youve come to the right place!
The iPhone is a magnificent device that is capable of staggering capabilities. We can use an iPhone to watch 4K movies at will, shoot amazing panoramic photos, and play hundreds of thousands of games. But despite all its amazing capabilities, the iPhones most important piece of tech is its most basic: the battery.
This is because, without a battery, your iPhone is simply a really expensive piece of glass and aluminum. With the battery, the screen wont turn on, the Wi-Fi wont connect, and you wont be able to take a single picture. Without the battery, the iPhone is a very weak door stop.
Thats why so many people wonder how long do iPhone batteries actually last? Well tackle that question first. But its a question that many people conflate with the similar how long do iPhones last? Well also answer that for clarity.
Avoid Extreme Ambient Temperatures

The ideal temperature comfort zone is between 16 22 degree). Avoid exposing your device to an ambient temperature higher than 35 degrees. Example, under direct sun, near high heat area, left in the car under hot weather. The damage can be irreversible and decreases the battery lifespan in the long term.
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Iphone Se 2020 Battery Life Vs Other Phones
5,000 mAh |
* = Tested over 5G
On our battery test, we have each phone surf the web continuously over a cellular connection at 150 nits of screen brightness until the phone runs out of power. The phone loads a new site every 30 seconds. This test is not designed to mimic real-world use but it does allow us to compare relative endurance across multiple handsets.
Unfortunately, the iPhone SE did not impress on our testing, lasting an average of 9 hours and 18 minutes. We consider anything over 11 hours very good, and those handsets land on our best phone battery life list.
The new iPhone SE’s battery life is nearly 2 hours behind the iPhone 11, which benefits from a larger 3,110 mAh but also powers a larger 6.1-inch display. The iPhone SE has a smaller 4.7-inch LCD.
The iPhone 11 Pro, with its 5.8-inch display and 3,046 mAh battery, lasted 10:24 on our test and the 6.5-inch iPhone 11 Pro Max‘s 3,969 battery endured for an excellent 11:54.
So what about smartphones that are in the iPhone SE’s price range? It doesn’t look good there, either. The $399 lasted a very impressive 11 hours and 59 minutes on our battery test, so you’re getting 2.5 hours of extra juice out of this Android phone.
Ultimately, the iPhone SE is an excellent value in terms of the features and the performance you get for the money. But if you want long endurance you should look elsewhere.
Activate Low Power Mode
One of your strongest weapons against battery drain is Low Power Mode. With it enabled, your phone only performs the most essential of tasks, so background activities like downloads and mail fetching are disabled.
Low Power Mode will automatically kick in when the battery falls below 20%, but you can also activate it manually to keep your phone going for longer . Head over to Settings > Battery > Low Power Mode and toggle it on. When activated, the battery icon in the top-right corner will turn yellow.
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How Long Do Iphones Last
If youre wondering how long an iPhone lastsmuch longer than the battery. I know people who are still rocking an iPhone 4, which will be almost a decade old soon. Of course, their old iPhone no longer gets iOS updates, but the phone still works.
iPhones usually are still perfectly capable smartphones for at least 5-6 years after you buy one. But they can last for a decade or more. However, once you get past the 4-year mark, your iPhone battery will take a big hit, which means you will likely need to get an iPhone battery replacement at that time if you do not want to upgrade to a new iPhone.
Change Your Location Settings
When we move to a new location, the iPhone SEs location settings automatically adjust. However, some apps request location permission. If you have any apps that access your location, your battery may discharge.
We can modify the settings to allow the apps to access our location. So that the apps only access the location when they are opened and have no background access.
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Cut Down On Notifications
If your screen lights up with a preview of every notification you receive, it’s consuming power with each text, breaking news alert, or Twitter follow. Cutting down on these interruptions can save your battery and sanity. Open Settings > Notifications and customize how, when, and where specific apps will show notifications.
Another option is to directly select a notification you would like to disable in the future. Swipe left on such a notification and tap Manage. Here, you can choose to have the alert delivered quietly, which means it will go to your Notification Center without displaying on your lock screen, playing sound, or showing a banner or badge icon. You can also turn off notifications for this app completely.