Apple’s ‘Battery Intelligence’: Unfinished And Nothing Novel

Apple Inc. released iOS 18.2 beta 2 for developers this week, with enhancements to Apple Intelligence capabilities and updates to features such as ChatGPT usage information, Find My, and Camera Control.

However, as beta testers try the new software update, more details are coming to light. One of them is apparently an unfinished charging enhancement: Battery Intelligence. 

A 9to5Mac code-diver discovered a framework with the name of “BatteryIntelligence” that could be used to calculate how long it would take for an iPhone to charge. It appears that users can ask for a notification that estimates the charging time for their device. However, this function is not active in iOS 18.2 and appears to be unfinished.

While it would be a first for iOS to offer the charging time notification capability, it is nothing new. Android devices have been offering charging time estimates for years, and some even alert users when the battery reaches its full charge. The feature is also available in Apple MacBooks, which tell users how long it will take to fully charge when plugged in.

Notably, iOS 18 enables users to prevent the newer iPhones from charging above certain levels in an attempt to prolong the battery’s life. Users can set custom percentages—80%, 85%, 90%, and 95%—above which the device won’t charge. Now given that these new iPhone users aren’t looking for a fully charged device (for improving battery life), the “Battery Intelligence” framework wouldn’t be too smart if the estimations were only valid for a 100% charge (and not, ideally, for the 80-95% charging limit a user has customised for their device).

Hopefully, the Battery Intelligence feature, which appears to be in the works but not yet complete, will be available in a beta release later and then available to non-beta users. Only then can its level of intelligence be judged with more certainty.