iOS 26’s new battery features seem perfect for iPhone 17’s launch

iOS 26 will be here soon, packing a new Liquid Glass design, big updates to CarPlay, Wallet, and more. iOS 26 also adds a variety of new battery-related features, and with the iPhone 17 launch hitting at the same time, they seem a perfect match for what’s coming.

The iPhone’s battery is easily one of its most important features. There may be no upgrade as universally appealing as the promise of better battery life.

But despite the battery’s importance, iOS has historically offered very few battery-related features.

There’s a Batteries widget you can add to your Home Screen or Lock Screen, Low Power Mode, and some rudimentary data in the Battery menu inside Settings. But that’s largely it.

In iOS 26 though, Apple has several new battery-related features coming. These include:

These new features are a great addition for any iPhone user.

But as was rumored earlier this year, they seem especially well timed for one model in particular: the forthcoming iPhone 17 Air.

iPhone 17 Air looks like the main reason for iOS 26’s new features

One of the biggest question marks still surrounding the new iPhone 17 Air is a detail that could impact a lot of purchase decisions.

That question: what will battery life really be like?

Apple no doubt will still market the device as having all-day battery.

But as leaked side-by-side photos have made very clear, there’s no getting around how much thinner the 17 Air’s battery will be.

On one hand, the presence of iOS 26’s new battery features could help make the iPhone 17 Air experience more manageable.

But Apple’s timing with these new features also doesn’t bode very well for what battery performance may be like.

I’m of the mindset that iPhone 17 Air’s battery life will probably be ‘fine’ for a lot of users. Good, but not great.

It definitely won’t be enough for the most demanding use days, which is where the rumored smart battery case could prove crucial.

Until users get the new model in-hand though, it’s really impossible to know whether battery will be good enough or not.

One thing’s certain though: the timing of iOS 26’s new battery features arriving alongside iPhone 17 is no coincidence.

Which new iPhone 17 model do you expect to buy, and is battery life a reason why? Let us know in the comments.

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