Cabbage: Apple is preparing battery AI functions in iOS 26

The iPhone is currently not really intelligent with battery management. There is an optimized shop that learns the user behavior and can then only load completely from 80 to 100 percent shortly before the start of the day – but business trips with different updates bring the feature out of the kick. With iOS 26, Apple now promises new approaches to the battery management. After corresponding preliminary rumors for the battery, there are now further details for the first time.

Necessary improvements

Apple also seems to prepare for the upcoming “iPhone 17 Air” with the new iOS-26 functions, which is said to have only a small battery due to its thinness. The device should handle the battery accordingly so that the new flat iPhone can get through the day. The central new battery management feature in iOS 26 is the so-called “adaptive power” function. It is to be activated in the system settings via a simple switch and should explicitly advertise Apple again in the furnishings.

The description states that in the event of a higher battery consumption, the iPhone then makes “smaller performance adjustments” that “extend the battery life”. This not only includes simple changes such as a slightly reduced screen brightness, but also the intervention in “some activities”, which then took “a little bit longer”. However, the group does not write what this means. The well -known power saving mode (low power mode) from a 20 percent battery level, which can also be activated beforehand, is preserved.

Charging time is displayed

Another new battery function in iOS 26 concerns loading time. At the moment, the user never knows how long it will take for the battery to have full juice again. In the future, the iPhone also estimates thanks to AI how long the charging process will take to the currently connected power supply. The function can be found in the settings under “Battery”. Apple’s idea: Knowing how long the charging takes, you may first refrain from, which in turn reduces the number of charging processes and keeps the battery cycles small (ER). It is to be hoped that the function will also be implemented in the form of a home or lock screen widget so that users can keep an eye on the times.

Incidentally, it is not new to estimate the loading time. This was on the Mac over a long period of time, but Apple turned away suddenly, apparently because the group did not trust the accuracy. In the meantime you need extra tools such as Better Battery 2. It remains to be seen whether Apple implements even more intelligent battery management functions in iOS 26 when the iPhone 17 Air appears.