By Lydia | Last Updated
The iOS 18 Beta 1 is available for developers. However, many users say that they notice an obvious battery life decrease after upgrading to iOS 18 Beta 1. Let’s take a look at the actual test results, including battery life, heating issues, and signal performance on different iPhone models running iOS 18 beta.
The Battery Life test runs on iPhone SE 2020, iPhone XR, iPhone 11, iPhone 12, iPhone 13, iPhone 15.
Preparation: Unified device settings first, and GeekBench 4 for iPhone Battery Life testing. The battery benchmark feature was employed for high-intensity testing, running until the battery depleted and shut down, with times recorded.
Across multiple iPhone models, the results comparing battery life between iOS 18 Beta 1 and iOS 17.5.1 are as follows:
Judging by the final test results, the iPhone XR and iPhone SE (2nd generation) both showed significant improvements in battery life. The iPhone XR increased by 25 minutes, and the iPhone SE increased by 15 minutes.
Conversely, the iPhone 11, iPhone 13, and iPhone 15 models experienced notable declines in battery performance after upgrading to iOS 18 beta.
The iPhone 11 exhibited the poorest battery life, with a decrease of approximately 43 minutes compared to iOS 17.5.1. Following this, the iPhone 15 and iPhone 13 decreased by 34 minutes and 23 minutes respectively.
Besides, there is a feedback survey from users regarding iOS 18 Beta, where many users have pointed out a significant decrease in battery life for various iPhone models after the upgrade.
Reason: The increased power consumption after upgrading iPhones to iOS 18 Beta is primarily due to the system being in a testing phase, leading to relative instability and higher power usage. This may be improved a lot after the stable version is released.
Preconditions: Fully charged, identical system settings, uniform screen brightness, automatic brightness adjustment off, all background apps cleared and restarted, same volume level.
Battery life: Rapid battery depletion, approximately 10% decrease.
Signal: No change in carrier signal, stable WiFi signal with an increased internet speed.
Heating: Abnormal heating, especially when swiping videos.
Smoothness: Occasional stuttering and frame drop. Some apps crash after opening, with delays in app startup (0.5s). Lag during page scrolling and text input.
Battery life: Poor performance, battery drains quickly, approximately 8% decrease.
Signal: Similar to iOS 17.5, stable WiFi network, low latency during gaming.
Heating: Noticeable heating during normal use, more severe when gaming.
Smoothness: Average stability, not as smooth as iOS 17.5. No app crashes during use, but occasional stuttering when opening certain apps.
Battery life: iPhone with iOS 18 Beta 1 slows down battery drain. In a 5-hour endurance test, iOS 17.5.1 left only 22% battery, while iOS 18.0 remains 31% . However, devices with low battery health may not see significant improvements in battery life.
Signal: After upgrading to iOS 18.0, indoor office signals can reach full bars, but in most cases, it remains at 3 bars. In outdoor scenarios like city parks and commercial districts, signals can remain full for a long time. Compared to iOS 17.5.1, signal improvement is noticeable.
Heating: Light usage of iOS 18 Beta does not cause heating, and when playing large games, it exhibits lower temperatures compared to iOS 17.5.1.
Smoothness: Good in use. No serious bugs such as crashes encountered.
If you prioritize battery life, iPhone 15 series models can all upgrade to iOS 18, but it's better to ensure the battery health is maintained above 95%. With too low battery health, upgrading may not optimize battery life and could even result in faster battery drain.
Regarding heating issues, iPhone 15 series models show significant improvement in heating after upgrading compared to iOS 17.5.1.
In conclusion, if you currently own an iPhone 14 or iPhone 15 with battery health above 95%, you can upgrade to iOS 18 directly. If you often play games and want to avoid significant heating issues, it might be better to hold off on upgrading for iPhone 14 series and older models.
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