iPhone 13 mini: Performance & battery issues after iOS 26

furycake wrote:

Let’s set aside the fact whether the battery life decrease is normal or not. I have several friends who are using iPhone 13 (mini) with original batteries who are experiencing the same problems, i.e. slower app response (even in standard apps), greater battery drain etc. There are also numerous bugs on older devices that remain unfixed, such as the camera going to a black screen when using the lock screen shortcut. My friend who is sitting next to me literally has the same problem. I know it’s not an issue on newer devices since I use a 16 Pro for work. It’s extremely disappointing that apple is pushing users of older devices so hard to buy new iPhones now, when I switched from Android to iPhone for its longevity.

It wouldn't be surprising in the least that someone who is using a phone released in 2021, which has not had a battery replacement in the now more than 5 years since being released, would be having performance issues. Not surprising at all. Batteries don't last forever and Apple recommends replacing the battery when its health dips to 80% or less.

furycake wrote:

Let’s set aside the fact whether the battery life decrease is normal or not.

That makes no sense. Let’s set aside chemistry and physics and pretend you’re right. OK, that’s fine, but people that can explain what’s probably happening won’t bother because of your make believe scenario.

You need to have Apple perform diagnostics on your iPhone. It can be done in person at an Apple Retail Store or at an Apple Authorized Service Provider. You can also contact Apple Support and request remote diagnostics.

If you’re in the US, please call  1-800-MY-APPLE, or outside the US, consult the support articles below. In Canada, call 1-800-263-3394.

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furycake wrote:

I should have mentioned that I purchased it refurbished on Back Market with a new battery inserted about 6 months ago.

Back Market doesn't sell Authentic Apple Refurbished phones. Whoever refurbished it likely didn't use an authentic Apple Battery, so there's no telling what the true battery health is on a refurbished iPhone which wasn't refurbished by Apple.

It's not always the iOS update's fault!  Many things can cause phone problems.  If you tell people you think it's an iOS update, it might make it harder to fix or find a solution for the real issue.

Remember, the right question often leads to the solution!

Was/Is your device Jailbroken? If that's the situation, please be informed that attributing the issues to iOS updates may not be accurate.

iOS updates aim to enhance user experience, boost security, and fix bugs rather than disrupt core features. The majority of the issues after updates might stem from underlying, unmentioned factors. Updates won't typically alter personal data but may refine settings or features. Backup before major updates for safety. Review Apple's update details and backup advice for a smooth process.

Kindly consider checking your settings and addressing any device issues before attributing the issue to external factors. This could be a pure coincidence that the iOS update affected the iPhone functions.

Before initiating a standard iOS update, it's advisable to create a backup. Have you completed this step? If yes, proceed with the restoration from the backup.

See what each update does: OS — iOS 26, About iOS 18 Updates, About iOS 17 Updates, About iOS 16 Updates, About iOS 15 Updates, About iOS 14 Updates, About iOS 13 Updates, About iOS 12 Updates, and so on...

furycake wrote:

Let’s set aside the fact whether the battery life decrease is normal or not. I have several friends who are using iPhone 13 (mini) with original batteries who are experiencing the same problems, i.e. slower app response (even in standard apps), greater battery drain etc. There are also numerous bugs on older devices that remain unfixed, such as the camera going to a black screen when using the lock screen shortcut. My friend who is sitting next to me literally has the same problem. I know it’s not an issue on newer devices since I use a 16 Pro for work. It’s extremely disappointing that apple is pushing users of older devices so hard to buy new iPhones now, when I switched from Android to iPhone for its longevity.

Hello~ You can’t set those things aside….” whether the battery life decrease is normal or not.” If one has an iPhone 13 mini (released in September of 2021) with an original battery of diminished capacity…you are simply going to have issues period. Also, if not properly backing up your information you’re asking for disaster to strike. Apple isn’t pushing anyone to do anything and remember no battery lasts forever.

~Katana-San~

Back Market does not sell Apple Certified Refurbished phones, so you really don't know what you are getting when you purchase this type of product.

The battery may or may not have been a genuine Apple battery, so that is one thing to consider. The other is whether the shop that actually refurbished the phone was actually approved by Apple to refurbish phones.

If you can provide the Model Number of your phone we might be able to learn more about the qualifications of the shop that handled the refurbishment. Post back with the Model Number if you are interested in this.

Settings > General > About > Model Number

Unfortunately, no help on this one. Normally a phone that has been refurbished by a company authorized by Apple will have a "3" as the first character in the Model Number.

The "M" indicates that the phone was sold as new, and has not been refurbished. It might be a phone that was returned by a customer for a refund or exchange.

If a new battery was installed in the phone, that information would normally appear when you tap Settings > General > Parts & Service History. If you don't see "Battery" and "Genuine" under the Service History setting, then a new Apple battery was not installed in the phone.

The battery will normally decline an average of about 1% a month over longer periods of time, but the decline is not linear. The battery might not decline at all for 2 months, then drop 2% the next month and then not drop again for another 2 months. A 2% drop after a major update would not be unusual, because all of the data on the phone must be reindexed and the battery works really hard for 4-5 days after the update.

If your iPhone is 6 months old and the battery health is displayed at 95%, that would be normal battery decline. 2 years is going to be about it for the battery in an iPhone 13 before the battery will need to be replaced.

It surely is not iOS 26.2 because...

I conducted a thorough search of this forum using the term 'battery drain after iOS update' and uncovered numerous posts detailing similar issues across various iOS updates. This suggests that iOS updates may not consistently be the root cause. Below are a handful of examples extracted from the search results:

• iPhone 14 Pro Max battery drain after iOS 17.0.1 update
• iPhone 6s battery drain after iOS update 15.7.1
• Re: Battery draining quickly on my iPhone 13 after iOS 18.5 update
• Battery Drain rate after iOS 16 update
• My iPhone 13 battery is draining fast after iOS 18.3.2 update
• Battery Draining after the ios 16.5 update
• Battery Draining after updating iOS 18.1.1
• Re: Battery drain after ios 15.6 update
• battery drain after ios 10 update
• Re: iPhone battery drain after updating to iOS 16.3

There is no guarantee the non-Apple branded battery was manufactured to the same specifications and standards as the genuine Apple product. In fact, they typically weigh much less than Apple branded. Why, probably less active ingredients resulting shorter overall life span and poorer day to day performance.

What apps are you using when you observe the lag and stuttering? Have those apps been recently updated and have you confirmed they’ve been optimized for iOS 26?

Time to get a new phone or new battery

When did you purchase your iPhone 13 Mini and from whom? iPhone 13 Mini was discontinued by Apple in 2023, almost 3 years ago now. So a Battery Health of 95% in a phone which hasn't been sold new by Apple for more than 2 years seems suspect, to be honest.

Sorry for confusion. A 2626 is a secondary number that appears when you tap on Model Number.

Tap Settings

Tap General

Tap About

Do not tap on Model Number......simply report the number that you see listed next to Model Number.

Wait, you found multiple instances of reports that OS updates had negative effect on battery life, so you concluded it can't be the OS updates that affect battery life? Could you help me understand the logic there?