I have an iPhone SE 1st generation that I wanted to start using as a phone since its my favourite iPhone design. I noticed however that the battery percentage will suddenly drop in intervals of about 20% at a time, the battery level graph looks like a set of stairs. Is this a sign of a failing battery?
iPhone SE, iOS 15
On a phone that old, it is very likely your battery is at the end of its life.
Batteries degrade over time with usage due to chemical aging, that's just how they work.
You can expect about a 1% drop per 50 charge cycles with average use on an iPhone. This is an approximation, that is why it may be plus or minus a few percent on a month to month basis.
Apple recommends replacing it when the battery health reaches 80%. To check your battery health, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health.
iPhone Battery Replacement.
iPhone Battery Replacement - Apple Support
About Lithium Ion Batteries
iPhone battery and performance - Apple Support (IN)
On a phone that old, it is very likely your battery is at the end of its life.
Batteries degrade over time with usage due to chemical aging, that's just how they work.
You can expect about a 1% drop per 50 charge cycles with average use on an iPhone. This is an approximation, that is why it may be plus or minus a few percent on a month to month basis.
Apple recommends replacing it when the battery health reaches 80%. To check your battery health, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health.
iPhone Battery Replacement.
iPhone Battery Replacement - Apple Support
About Lithium Ion Batteries
iPhone battery and performance - Apple Support (IN)
When was the last time that you replaced the battery?
Tap Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.
What is the Maximum Capacity of the battery? The battery needs to be replaced if the Maximum Capacity is less than 80%
That is indeed a common symptom of a battery nearing the end of it’s useful life.
iPhone Battery Replacement - Apple Support
The phone is at least 7 years old and as much as 8+ depending on when it was originally placed into service.
Batteries on phones at the time were designed to go 2-3 years before needing replacement.
I would be amazed if the phone still had the original battery, but I suppose anything is possible.
The batteries maximum capacity is 85%. I bought the phone a few years ago and have never replaced the battery, but I'm unsure whether it has been replaced before then.
Keep in-mind that your SE1 can only run iOS 15.
Meaning that 3rd party app support will likely start fizzling-out sooner rather than later.
Only you can decide if a battery replacement makes good economic sense for your specific situation and usage. (vice procuring a newer phone)
Ok thank you, I'll have a look at getting it replaced then.
iPhone battery drops dramatically in intervals of around 20%
