Apple Shares More Details on iOS 16.1 Clean Energy Charging Feature

[lordofthereef]

I have to wonder if this is just something of a test feature for more power hungry devices. These phones use something around 2kWh a YEAR each. My house uses upwards of five times that in a DAY.

I was skeptical of the optimized charging feature, but it worked just fine and I never find my phone not 100% charged when I need it. I would assume, but can't know until I try, that this feature would work somehow similar. Regardless, seems easy enough to disable, so I can't say it stresses me out much.

 

[CapitalIdea]

Not always. My point still stands. I need my phone reliably charged, and it's unethical for apple to turn this on by default. There's any number of life/health/safety situations where someone who expects a fully charged phone, only to find a dead one instead, could suffer serious consequences. I don't disagree with the function for those interested. I disagree with the default-on.

It’s “unethical” because of your use case? God. Way to throw in outlandish fringe scenarios. Just toggle the feature off then. Most people will not notice any difference and as the apocalypse is not upon us I think people will survive just fine.

 

[fromgophonetoiphone]

As someone with PV on my roof, I find it kinda ridiculous that most people like to hype the benefits of PV but refuse to acknowledge our challenge of storage as well as generating power when there isn't any sunlight.

If we look back at the CA power struggles during the September heat wave, the peak use of power where the state went into Stage 1, 2, 3 alerts were basically when solar power was declining massively in the afternoon. The real hero that kept the power grid running was gas. And while I as a homeowner can probably also install batteries, the payoff is simply not there unless a power outage at your home can be valued in the thousands. I paid $50k to replace my roof and install solar. That's not something that average working Americans can afford, and while another $10-$15k doesn't sound bad for batteries, at least my solar pays itself back in about a decade.

Features like these are virtue signaling. Maybe I charge my phone off PV, but so what? It's most certainly not charging sustainably if I charge at night, and when most Americans get home and cook dinner for the winter most of them are not using renewables.

To me the need for charging devices shouldn't be compromised. Most of us use our phones for really important tasks where running around on 30% battery during the day would really impact our daily lives. If we want to attack the problem of clean energy on the grid, then we need to really invest in energy storage, and so long as we keep shutting off nuclear plants in the US, there won't be enough energy generation in the evening to keep the lights on without natural gas. You can feel good about killing coal in US states, but most of it simply got replaced by natural gas.

 

[CapitalIdea]

I agree, I want my phone charged when I plug it in , do not like others deciding for me

Then don’t complain about electricity rates since you’re part of the cause. Easy peasy.

 

[madrigal77]

I could not care less about my carbon footprint. Luckily it's US only, but if it ever comes to Canada, it's going off right away.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I could not care less about my carbon footprint. Luckily it's US only, but if it ever comes to Canada, it's going off right away.

Yep until those endlessly preaching about it stop flying in private planes, I don't see any reason us peons should do anything either.

 

[I7guy]

Yep until those endlessly preaching about it stop flying in private planes, I don't see any reason us peons should do anything either.

Out of curiosity who is preaching about this on the forum and flying private planes? Some people due to particular circumstances in their lives have to do what they have to do.

I don’t thing anybody gives a hoot if you keep it off. Mine is set on.

 

[TheMountainLife]

The USB port is free and the power comes from the jet engine. It's being generated if you use it or not.

Why are you stuck on this charge while on an airplane thing? I've had over 25 flights this year and maybe 3 of those had power outlets. This is with United, Delta, Southwest and Frontier. I expect to see them on Delta and United is hit and miss.

 

[MallardDuck]

It’s “unethical” because of your use case? God. Way to throw in outlandish fringe scenarios. Just toggle the feature off then. Most people will not notice any difference and as the apocalypse is not upon us I think people will survive just fine.

No, it's unethical because of the potential health and safety risks. Opt-in is fine. Opt-out isn't.

Having been in a crisis situation with a dying phone and no way to charge it, wasn't fun. There is no reason to have this automatically on.

 

[MallardDuck]

Why are you stuck on this charge while on an airplane thing? I've had over 25 flights this year and maybe 3 of those had power outlets. This is with United, Delta, Southwest and Frontier. I expect to see them on Delta and United is hit and miss.

Yup, not every airplane has them, not every airplane enables them, and basically none of them have enough amps to give a full load to every seat. Some just lower the amps to all outlets as the load increases, others will round-robin and disable some outlets periodically. The pilot can disconnect the power (I've had that happen in bad storms, as well as on the ground when we're short on fuel.

RJ's are even worse.

I also find this ironic because of the transition to magsafe charging, which is inherently less efficient than a wired connection. Left hand, right hand.

 

[hagjohn]

When I need to charge my phone, I need to charge my phone. It cannot wait.

 

[Cam Elppa]

But how does it know. I have solar on my roof. So anytime I charged during the day would be fine. But it doesn’t know my current solar output of my home!! But I wish it did. I would have all my homekit devices connected to solar status so it would turn things on and off throughout the day. Or have my heater turn on when I have enough solar or AC. But that’s not smart yet either.

 

[valkraider]

The USB port is free and the power comes from the jet engine. It's being generated if you use it or not.

That’s not how energy works.

 

[valkraider]

I’d love to see the science that actually justifies this. How about setting this up on all those eco friendly electric vehicles that people think don’t use “dirty energy”. They just trade gas for the coal at our parent plants.

Bring back nuclear power plants and let’s move on with real sustainable power that’s safer and less polluting!

Because then when you clean up a single generating plant, you instantly clean up thousands of electric vehicles.

But with internal combustion - you have each and every dirty engine operating for the entire lifespan of the vehicle no matter what.

And yes, we should be using more nuclear. Modern nuclear energy is incredibly clean and safe and reliable.

 

[valkraider]

I feel like people haven’t really read how this works.

 

[adrianlondon]

I have no stake in this game as I don't live in the US, but it seems like it's smart enough to just be left on, if in the past you already decided the "charge to 80% and only complete the charge when it learns you're ready to unplug" option works well for you.

However, for those concerned about energy usage, you'll do the planet a much bigger favour by not using wireless charging. It's inefficient.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I think a little dinosaur should appear in the dynamic island when using fossil fuels for charging.

Before a pedant comes by, I know it isn’t dinosaurs. But it’s more amusing to see a Dino than to see some algae up there.

 

[madrigal77]

Yep until those endlessly preaching about it stop flying in private planes, I don't see any reason us peons should do anything either.

I didn't have kids. You're welcome . I've already done more for the environment than any recycling, "carbon pinching", vegan diet, ect. will ever do.

I always find it funny that the people that seem to be the most concerned about the environment are the ones that pumped out 3-4 kids.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

I didn't have kids. You're welcome . I've already done more for the environment than any recycling, "carbon pinching", vegan diet, ect. will ever do.

I always find it funny that the people that seem to be the most concerned about the environment are the ones that pumped out 3-4 kids.

The celebrities are just virtue signaling and for the most part couldn’t give less of a crap about the planet.

 

[CarlJ]

Energy Companies Hate This One Simple Trick

Joke's on you if you're using that on a table inside under electric lighting - then it's just wireless charging that's less efficient that Qi.

 

[stiligFox]

A dumb feature. Just like stage manager on macOS.
I’ll definitely turn it off. And I want it to KEEP OFF.

Megacorps love to introduce these inconsequential features trying to offset their emission and pollution onto end user, when in reality, their activity emits way more stuff and damage environment more. If this feature is not considered green wash, idk what else would be.

I wouldn’t be so quick to judge. It might not be useful to you, but it may be to someone.

Stage Manager is, non-hyperbolically, the biggest update to macOS for me in years. I was excited for it when it was announced and it’s really cleaned up my gaggle of windows. It works in my work flow in a way that Spaces and Expose never quite helped.

 

[stiligFox]

Out of curiosity who is preaching about this on the forum and flying private planes? Some people due to particular circumstances in their lives have to do what they have to do.

I don’t thing anybody gives a hoot if you keep it off. Mine is set on.

I think they’re talking more about the politicians, actors, executives, and all the “higher ups” that keep telling the general public that it’s our cars, our use of plastic bottles, our plant watering, our charging our phones that’s killing the planet, and not their use of private jets to fly from one city to the next, cool, heat and maintain several mansions with giant pools of pristine water, and operate their businesses and lives with an excess of waste.

Not all of them, but so many of the rich people that tell us we’re the problem, live their life to the fullest anyway. The solution starts by clean energy production, shutting down the cruise industry which outputs so much more emissions than anyone could believe, scaling back on how much cattle is being raised, how much land is wasted on soy and corn, much of it for said cattle, to stop producing so much plastic and then blame us for buying it, for the giant corporations to limit their carbon footprint. Cars with lithium batteries don’t consume gas, sure! But they have to strip mine mountains for it, and they’re charged by the same exact dirty energy sources that Apple is trying “help relieve” with “Clean Energy Charging” - a phone is a drop in a bucket compared to a electric car!

But no, my 90’s Volvo that gets better gas mileage than many new cars is the problem, sure. Charging my phone mid day, that’s the problem! Yes. This will protect the earth! I’m doing my part!

(Don’t get me wrong, I’m for electric cars - but not with current lithium tech and not when the electric grid is neither equipped for the huge influx of vehicles they want to merge to nor is it clean)

Sorry, that’s my soap box hah

 

[I7guy]

[…]

I also find this ironic because of the transition to magsafe charging, which is inherently less efficient than a wired connection. Left hand, right hand.

Options and convenience.

 

[joshellis625]

This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard of. Disabling. Tracking carbon footprint to control when my phone charges?? I literally could not care any less. Stupid woke BS.

 

[hatchettjack]

Just turned mine off! Just to piss off greta