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iPhone 12 mini Abnormal Battery Health Decline?

Readings taken in the Apple store will differ from that of the phone and/or Coconut Battery. None will agree. Which can you trust? My 6S indicates it operates at 91% maximum capacity, yet dies after barely 2 1/2-3 hours. On the other hand my 12mini (6 mos old) remains at 100%. Go figure.
 
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Channan said:
Within a week of posting this, my 12 mini was down to 90% and a few days ago dropped to 89%. My 11 Pro is still at 90%.

I get that the built-in battery health indicator isn’t entirely accurate, but my battery’s health is consistently going down and never back up. Battery life is becoming noticeably worse than when I first got the phone and occasionally will drop several percentage points in a short amount of time, similar to, but not as extreme as, what you’d see in old batteries.
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88% now. Just keeping this updated.
 
now i see it said:
Battery degradation isn't linear. I personally wouldn't even check the battery health app until you notice an obvious reduction in run time a few years from now. If staying away from the battery health app proves to be too excruciating, you don't need to fret about the battery until the app reports its in the low 80s.

I have an iPhone 7 with a battery health score of 75% and it works fine. It just doesn't last quite as long as it did when it was new.
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I couldn't agree more.

I have a 6S with a battery health rating in the 90s and it battery performance is a joke.
 
I t
Tsepz said:
This! It’s honestly one of the worst features Apple has ever put on a device, here and on Reddit there are endless threads about abnormal battery health and people coming up with all sorts of crazy remedies to try slow it down “NeVeR cHaRgE OvEr 80%” “nEvEr LeT tHe BaTtErY gO uNdEr 20%”, “dOnT cHaRgE oVeRnIgHt” lol, absolute craziness and then some are using those old 5W chargers (I made this mistake to) on their brand new phone.

People don’t understand that not only is battery degradation not linear but each and every battery in each and every phone is slightly different, no 2 iPhone 12 Minis have the exact same capacity, there can be a full 100mAh difference in either direction of the design spec and not to mention how old the battery is. There is so much at play that you really don’t have a great base of where the battery health really should be, but rather just enjoy the device and replace the battery when you feel Performance has become sluggish and health is below 80%.

Many people will see fast drops of battery health followed by it sitting on a specific number like 93% for many many months afterwards. Others will sit at 100% for a year and then see a huge drop to 95% after an update when the health actually corrects itself lol, others will see more gradual movement, there is no cure, the battery will degrade no matter what you do.
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i believe those advices are not wrong (you can read batteryuniversity.com and some other reference), however there are also variances quality of battery in the manufacturing that can affect battery health degradation unpredictably. The practice can only minimize the affect, but not guaranteed the results in every case. This is (IMO) still much better than assuming all of those practices are myths only. Fyi, my MBA 2020 is >1 year and still has 99-101% health, my MBP 2014 is also still 87% health.
 
All we want is a way to get an accurate reading. No two processes are in agreement.
 
My 12 mini bought in late November was sitting at 99% before the 14.5 update, 2 days after the update it went to 98% and now 14 days later, it’s at 95%.

When using Spotify the phone gets extremely hot and loses battery like crazy. Even when doing simple stuff the battery life has decreased dramatically and I’m not even using 5G.

Something is definitely wrong. In comparison my old X, after 3 years was sitting at 97%, my 11 after a year and a half is at 98% and never had a battery issue with any of them.
 
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according to 3utools my 12 pro max is at 90% battery health with only 77 cycles sigh these batteries feel weaker then usual
 
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its also very noticable as well took it off the charge yesterday before work at 100% and in 8 hours down to 60% and i only answered a few texts with my watch nothing else
 
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I have a 12 mini from launch day. Out of curiosity, I plugged it into 3uTools. Interesting...
Screenshot 2021-05-14 121817.png
 
RRC said:
Incorrect… using the 5W charger produces a lot less heat, which is a major cause of battery degradation.

The 5w charger works the same with optimised charging as any other Apple charger too.
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Exactly. And I use it since forever. Not because of battery health but just out of convenience. I have a fast charger here and use it rarely but when I need it, I use it to get it charged quickly. Otherwise why would I need to risk it either way? If I don't need my phone to be charged fast I don't need to use a fast charger. And it is no secret that fast charging is damaging the battery over time because of heat. And people who experience otherwise maybe have had luck with the battery of the iPhone which was fast charged and bad luck with the battery of a former iPhone with 5W charging as every battery is indeed different. Something coconut battery shows you if But it is no secret and you don't need a scientist to confirm that heat over time does have an impact one battery. Same goes with wireless charging. I never charge it wireless as I don't see any reason why I should. Fast charging when you need it, ok. But wireless? What is the advantage of that? Only unnecessary extended use of the battery. And none of my iPhones till now have had less then 97% after a year.

My Mini from February is at 100%. But everything else would also be shocking. Reading this thread is also no good sign. I mean everyone says 12 battery is worth then before and I guess many people charge the same way they do for years? Or maybe it is Magsafe?????
 
I have a call scheduled with Apple tomorrow as within the space of a week my battery has dropped down to 96% and battery life isn’t anywhere near what it was.

There’s something seriously wrong since the last software update! Either that or these batteries are low quality, but seems too coincidental that numerous others are experiencing the same issue since the last update.
 
three said:
I have a 12 mini from launch day. Out of curiosity, I plugged it into 3uTools. Interesting... View attachment 1774720
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I noticed that Apple uses either Sunwoda or Desay Corporation (I have the 12 Pro Max and Apple uses both) and I've noticed that from my experience, Sunwoda tends to not that great, battery tends to degrade. However the 12 PM that I have has the battery manufactured from Desay Corporation and it still standing strong since launch day and still over 100%. I can't speak of others but that's just what I noticed on mine.
 
Shadowbech said:
I noticed that Apple uses either Sunwoda or Desay Corporation (I have the 12 Pro Max and Apple uses both) and I've noticed that from my experience, Sunwoda tends to not that great, battery tends to degrade. However the 12 PM that I have has the battery manufactured from Desay Corporation and it still standing strong since launch day and still over 100%. I can't speak of others but that's just what I noticed on mine.
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how do you know what manufacturer your battery is from?
 
Apple_Robert said:
I really wouldn't worry about what Coconut Battery or iMazing says etc. It is merely an estimate and the reading will fluctuate.
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Agreed.


(To everyone). Do you want to know/see how accurate/helpful these battery utility numbers are?

Using the latest version of coconutBattery:
iPhone_CoconutBattery.png
I’m certain the most recent was when the iPhone battery meter said 100% — so 95%+. I don’t recall at what charge level the other two were checked at.

With the latest version of TechTool Pro:
iPhone_TechToolPro.png

Interestingly, iOS concludes the battery health at 85%.

More info about the iPhone:
• Launch day iPhone X - received Nov. 4, 2017 - manufactured Oct. 23, 2017
About my charging habits:
forums.macrumors.com

Battery Health

Like others have said, your device is fine -- and don't get concerned over the number. As a comparison/foresight... My 3.3 year old iPhone X's battery is at 85% health (according to iOS) • Most instances I do a full cycle with usage (100% -> auto-shutoff, back to 100% in a single charging...
forums.macrumors.com forums.macrumors.com

My iPad (6th generation):
iPad_CoconutBattery.png
Again, most recent check was when the device was at (reported) 100% charge. Similar charging habit. iPad was purchased direct Apple refurbished in Jan. 2019.

Basically, don’t get obsessed with these figures — which I say as someone with OCD/OCPD.
 
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taneff said:
Exactly. And I use it since forever. Not because of battery health but just out of convenience. I have a fast charger here and use it rarely but when I need it, I use it to get it charged quickly. Otherwise why would I need to risk it either way? If I don't need my phone to be charged fast I don't need to use a fast charger. And it is no secret that fast charging is damaging the battery over time because of heat.
Click to expand...

iPhone has built-in protection against this (excerpt from article linked below):

If your device stopped charging at 80 percent​

Your iPhone might get slightly warmer while it charges. To extend the lifespan of your battery, if the battery gets too warm, software might limit charging above 80 percent. Your iPhone will charge again when the temperature drops. Try moving your iPhone and charger to a cooler location.
Click to expand...

If your iPhone or iPod touch won't charge - Apple Support

Fix issues with charging iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
support.apple.com support.apple.com

But I guess if anyone's paranoid, they could always buy a mini fan and direct it at the iPhone while fast-charging.
 
Sanforized said:
I'm in a similar situation to OP with my 12 Mini. I got it the first week of December and it's at 93%. I primarily charge it via wireless charging on my MagSafe Duo or Anker stand.
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Just checked mine today. Less than 3 weeks after I reported 93%, I'm now at 90%.
 
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Sanforized said:
Just checked mine today. Less than 3 weeks after I reported 93%, I'm now at 90%.
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Something is up for sure. Even coconut is showing less than 2000 mAh at full charge capacity compared to 2227 design capacity. And my cycle count is only 150. I’m just waiting for it to drop a few more percentage points so I can call Apple back. I called Apple when it was at 91% and the representative told me to call back when it drops to 85% or lower. It’s already 88% now. My battery life is definitely not as good as it used to be.
 
Channan said:
Something is up for sure. Even coconut is showing less than 2000 mAh at full charge capacity compared to 2227 design capacity. And my cycle count is only 150. I’m just waiting for it to drop a few more percentage points so I can call Apple back. I called Apple when it was at 91% and the representative told me to call back when it drops to 85% or lower. It’s already 88% now. My battery life is definitely not as good as it used to be.
Click to expand...

Channan said:
Something is up for sure. Even coconut is showing less than 2000 mAh at full charge capacity compared to 2227 design capacity. And my cycle count is only 150. I’m just waiting for it to drop a few more percentage points so I can call Apple back. I called Apple when it was at 91% and the representative told me to call back when it drops to 85% or lower. It’s already 88% now. My battery life is definitely not as good as it used to be.
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I just checked and mine is down another percent from yesterday to 89%. It really doesn't make sense to me either how it's degrading this fast.
 
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