The batteries in the iPhone 17 series offer longer use before they need to be charged, especially the iPhone 17 Pro Max, which delivers "the best battery life of any phone that CNET has ever tested," according to managing editor Patrick Holland in his review. That's partially due to physically larger battery sizes -- but that isn't the whole story.
A new software feature in iOS 26 called Adaptive Power also contributes to improved battery life. It's enabled by default on Apple's latest phones, but also available on older models that support Apple Intelligence.
Currently, the iPhone uses as much power as it needs to perform its tasks. You can extend the battery life by doing a number of things, such as decreasing screen brightness and turning off the always-on display. Or, if your battery is running low, you can turn on Low Power Mode, which limits background activity, like fetching mail and downloading data, along with dimming the screen to help extend battery life. Low Power Mode also kicks in automatically when the battery level reaches 20%.
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If Low Power Mode is the hammer that knocks down power consumption, Adaptive Power is the scalpel that intelligently trims energy savings here and there as needed. Based on Apple's description that accompanies the control, the savings will be felt mostly in power-hungry situations such as recording videos, editing photos or even playing games:
Apple says Adaptive Power takes about a week to analyze your usage behavior before it begins actively working. And it works in the background without needing any management on your part. Here's how Apple describes it in the iPhone user guide: "It uses on-device intelligence to predict when you'll need extra battery power based on your recent usage patterns, then makes performance adjustments to help your battery last longer."
Watch this: The iPhone 17 Pro Max Has Incredible Battery Life 12:10
Which iPhone models can use Adaptive Power?
The feature uses AI to monitor and choose when its power-saving measures should be activated, so that means only phones compatible with Apple Intelligence get the feature. These are the models that have the option:
• iPhone 17
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