iPhone SE (2016) iPhone SE battery percentage drops increments of 5%

[Freakonomics101]

Hey everyone!

I tried googling this “issue” but haven’t found any accurate results.

I am trying to figure out why my iPhone battery percentage drops in increments of 5 instead of the normal 1. I have tried a fresh restore, no iCloud backup. I’m not on the latest iOS version but am on iOS 12.1.1. Trying to decide if I want to jailbreak but not doing so until I can figure this out.

Anyone know what’s going on?

 

[now i see it]

Try recalibrating the battery % guesstimator.

Run the iPhone down until it warns of an impending shutdown, then charge it all the way to 100% without using it (screen off, except to check) and for about 20 minutes after it hits 100%.

 

[nfl46]

When this happened to me, I needed to replace the battery even though it was showing a battery health of 90%. I bought the phone used, and it turned out it was using a third party battery that was apparently defective.

 

[Freakonomics101]

When this happened to me, I needed to replace the battery even though it was showing a battery health of 90%. I bought the phone used, and it turned out it was using a third party battery that was apparently defective.

That’s the weird thing though. Apple replaced the whole device, not just the battery. It’s unfortunately out of warranty and it was replaced more than 90 days ago so there isn’t much I can do to get it replaced again for free. It’s not a huge issue, at least. It’s just annoying. Not only that but the percentage can fluctuate quite a bit.

 

[ghanwani]

Does it always drop in 5% chunks, or does it do that just once in a while? Did you have an unexpected shutdown with performance management kicking in?

I too got a new device last August because the Genius bar broke my old device when I took it in for battery service and changing the screen (because of a non functioning mic).

Here's my story:
https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/unexpected-shutdown-unable-to-deliver-peak-power.2170395/

 

[Freakonomics101]

Nope! No shutdowns at all. Phone is operating normally, as always. Just a fluctuating battery percentage. Right now it’s at 54%. Earlier today it went from 100 to 95 to 90 to 85 to 80 to 75. Didn’t notice it doing that anymore after that.

Edit: ironically that’s exactly what happened to my old iPhone SE. nothing was wrong with it other than the battery. This one has never given me any issues, except this. Going to Apple to “diagnose” this will be a waste because all they’ll tell me is “we recommend having the battery replaced.”

This thing is still a beast. Battery life is still great. I just don’t know if it will die before it reaches 1%. I try to not let it get below 20 but has happened a few times.

 

[Reno Raines]

I just got my old SE battery replaced when my battery started draining quickly. Made it good as new. My old battery was at 87% after about a year.