iOS 14.5 includes battery recalibration for iPhone 11 — You might be eligible for a free battery
Some iPhone 11 owners will be getting a new battery with iOS 14.5
While the iPhone 12 is among the best smartphones available today and rumors regarding the iPhone 13 are heating up, the iPhone 11 remains an excellent device that many will continue to use for years thanks to Apple's reliable software updates.
Currently, the iOS 14.5 update is nearing its final stages of beta testing and among its many features is a battery recalibration for the iPhone 11 lineup that, according to Apple's support page, will address an outstanding issue with the battery health reporting on those devices. However, it won't be a fix for every user (via MacRumors).
- iOS 15: Release date, new features, how to download it early and more
- iPhone 13 will feature the same wide-angle camera lens as iPhone 12 (report)
- Best mobile phone deals in April 2021
The iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max all suffer from the same bug with their battery health reporting system causing issues for some users. According to Apple, this has included "unexpected battery drain behavior or, in a small number of instances, reduced peak performance capability."
Apple insists this isn't an actual battery health problem, but simply a flaw in the way it is being reported by the system. The recalibration will be initiated automatically upon installing the iOS 14.5 update and will display a brief pop-up saying, "Your battery health reporting system is recalibrating Maximum Capacity and Peak Performance Capability. This process may take a few weeks."
In some cases, after the recalibration period is over, users will see a message indicating that "Recalibration of the battery health reporting system was not successful." In these instances, you will be instructed to take your iPhone 11 to an Apple Authorized Service Provider and your battery will be replaced for free. Apple is adamant that this is purely a matter of meeting expected performance and not a safety issue for these phones.
While it may not be the most exciting feature arriving with iOS 14.5, this should certainly be welcome news for any iPhone 11 owner that has been experiencing issues with battery life.
Stay in the know with Laptop Mag
Get our in-depth reviews, helpful tips, great deals, and the biggest news stories delivered to your inbox.
Sean Riley has been covering tech professionally for over a decade now. Most of that time was as a freelancer covering varied topics including phones, wearables, tablets, smart home devices, laptops, AR, VR, mobile payments, fintech, and more. Sean is the resident mobile expert at Laptop Mag, specializing in phones and wearables, you'll find plenty of news, reviews, how-to, and opinion pieces on these subjects from him here. But Laptop Mag has also proven a perfect fit for that broad range of interests with reviews and news on the latest laptops, VR games, and computer accessories along with coverage on everything from NFTs to cybersecurity and more.