Another new feature has been added to the iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Pro settings menu.

As The Verge and MacRumors explain, the iPhone 15 series has an option to stop charging above 80%. This limits the amount of time the iPhone can be used between charges, but slows down the battery's natural decay process and keeps the iPhone's battery health longer.

This new option joins the "Optimized Battery Charging" setting that already exists in the "Battery Status and Charging" menu under the main "Battery" section of the "Settings" menu. This long-standing iPhone setting pauses charging at 80% during habitual charging times and charges the remaining 20% just before unplugging the phone, thereby reducing the time the phone is at full charge (a harsh state for the battery) as much as possible.

Alternatively, one could choose not to limit charging at all, so that the iPhone is fully charged every time it is plugged in for an extended period of time. However, doing this will put more strain on the battery and will likely cause the iPhone's battery health, and thus its maximum total capacity, to degrade more quickly.

When the 80% charge limit on the iPhone 15 first came to attention, it was thought that it might be an unknown feature within iOS 17. However, it has now been confirmed that this feature is not available on other phones running the newly fully launched software. On older iPhones, there is only the option to turn "optimized battery charging" on or off, as before.

Pre-orders for the iPhone 15 are still being accepted for now, but Apple will officially begin selling the device on Friday, September 22. If you haven't decided on a purchase yet, take a look at our reviews of the newly released iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max to learn about the pros and cons of these new phones.