New iPhone 15 battery upgrade will make you rethink buying older iPhones

One of the biggest upgrades Apple made to the iPhone 15 is only just coming out now, nearly six months after the phone launched.

According to some new copy on Apple's support website (spotted by BGR), iPhone 15 batteries can last a lot longer than previous models. Like, a lot. Apple says iPhone 14 (and earlier) batteries can retain "80 percent of their original capacity at 500 complete charge cycles under ideal conditions." The same page says the iPhone 15 battery can keep 80 percent of its capacity at 1,000 charge cycles.

SEE ALSO: Apple's new AI tool will help you write iPhone apps, report says

A bit wordy, right? The most important thing to know is that the iPhone 15 battery can survive twice as many charge cycles as the iPhone 14 under the best conditions. Apple defines a "charge cycle" as using an amount of battery that "represents 100 percent of your battery's capacity." That can take place over several days, depending on when you choose to plug in.

Mashable Light Speed Want more out-of-this world tech, space and science stories? Sign up for Mashable's weekly Light Speed newsletter. By clicking Sign Me Up, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Thanks for signing up!

You can also check your battery's capacity in the iPhone settings menu, under the "Battery" section, if you're curious to see how your phone is doing.

The point is that the iPhone 15 got a big boost to battery health and Apple didn't think to mention it until now. Better late than never!