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incoherent_1

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Oct 19, 2016
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2,289
I've heard a lot of anecdotal complaints that Magsafe charging shortens the life of a battery by reducing its maximum state of charge faster.

Is there any data or other evidence to support this?
 
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I would love to know this. I believe that it is proven that fast charging shortens battery life but I’ve never seen it proven if MagSafe affects battery life.
 
I actually did a measurement, but realize this is just one datum.
I recharged my iPhone SE v2 with the cable, and recorded the temperature via my ThermoWorks IR thermometer. The next day I recharged it with a generic Xi charger, and the temperature was 2º higher, mid-charge.
So, magnetic charging will shorten the life of a battery, but it'll have to be someone else who can calibrate recharge temp vs battery life (I'm retired and I don't care that much anymore).
 
Routine excessive battery temperatures affects the performance of the phone as well as the health of the battery. The battery is an ever-changing chemical reaction. It's performance is not linear. As such, long term use of wireless charging, especially a charger that is cheap and not very efficient with its coils can produce a lot of excess heat which in turn raises the temperature of the battery and phone casing. Order time, this kind of usage can cause the battery life to degrade faster than it otherwise would with wired charging. Each phone battery is different. One person may have a battery that last a lot longer than another person due to usage type, apps use, and as noted, environmental usage of the phone. It is best to not subject the phone to excessive cold, heat, or excess drain on a regular basis.

The best thing to do in my opinion, is make use of the optimized battery setting in iOS 26, and use your phone as you normally would (and with common sense usage). And if the battery gets under 80% after before a year, Apple will replace for free. Should that happen after a year and you still like the phone, pay for a battery replacement. Don't obsess of the battery. A lot of people here do just that and that isn't good.
 
Routine excessive battery temperatures affects the performance of the phone as well as the health of the battery. The battery is an ever-changing chemical reaction. It's performance is not linear. As such, long term use of wireless charging, especially a charger that is cheap and not very efficient with its coils can produce a lot of excess heat which in turn raises the temperature of the battery and phone casing. Order time, this kind of usage can cause the battery life to degrade faster than it otherwise would with wired charging. Each phone battery is different. One person may have a battery that last a lot longer than another person due to usage type, apps use, and as noted, environmental usage of the phone. It is best to not subject the phone to excessive cold, heat, or excess drain on a regular basis.

The best thing to do in my opinion, is make use of the optimized battery setting in iOS 26, and use your phone as you normally would (and with common sense usage). And if the battery gets under 80% after before a year, Apple will replace for free. Should that happen after a year and you still like the phone, pay for a battery replacement. Don't obsess of the battery. A lot of people here do just that and that isn't good.
A very sensible, nuanced view. Thank you.
 
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