Phonearena.com recently conducted tests on various iPhone models to compare the battery performance of iOS 16 and iOS 17. The results showed that while iOS 16 increased the Geekbench battery score on multiple iPhones, iOS 17 has actually lowered the battery test scores for the same models. Although the iOS 17.0.1 and iOS 17.0.2 updates have slightly improved the numbers, overall, the test scores are lower compared to iOS 16.

Notably, some iPhone 15 series users have reported that their devices were experiencing significant battery drain and overheating issues. For instance, using certain apps like Instagram for just five minutes could result in a five percentage point decrease in battery life. The chart provided by iAppleBytes covers iPhone models from the iPhone SE (2020) to the iPhone 13 line. When iOS 17 was released, the Geekbench battery test score for the iPhone 13 dropped from 4620 (achieved using the last iOS 17 beta release) to 4100. However, subsequent minor updates managed to bring the score back up to 4250. It is worth noting that the highest score of 5870 for the iPhone 13 was obtained after the iOS 15.0.1 update.

Interestingly, most iPhone models tend to respond to iOS updates as a group. Therefore, if the next update improves the battery life of the new models, there is a good chance that older iPhones will also see some improvement. However, the extent of improvement may vary from device to device.

It is important to keep in mind that these results are based on tests conducted by iAppleBytes, and individual experiences may differ. As always, it is advisable to monitor your own device’s battery performance and seek any necessary software updates or optimizations to maximize battery life.