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%.

---

Don’t miss any of our unbiased tech content and lab-based reviews. Add CNET as a preferred Google source.

---

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.”

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
• iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro Max
• iPhone Air
• iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max
• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max

Although some iPad and Mac models support Apple Intelligence, the feature is only available on iPhones.

How to turn Adaptive Power on

On the iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, iPhone 17 Pro Max and iPhone Air, Adaptive Power is on by default. For other models, you must opt in to use it. In iOS 26, you’ll find the Adaptive Power toggle in Settings > Battery > Power Mode. If you want to be alerted when the feature is active, turn on the Adaptive Power Notifications option.

Enlarge Image

Adaptive Power sounds like an outgrowth of Gaming Mode, introduced in iOS 18, which routes all available processing and graphics power to the frontmost app and pauses other processes in order to deliver the best experience possible — at the notable expense of battery life.

What does this mean for your charging habits?

Although we all want as much battery life as possible all the time, judging by the description, it sounds as if Adaptive Power’s optimizations will not always be active, even if you leave the feature on. “When your battery usage is higher than usual” could include a limited number of situations. Still, considering that according to a CNET survey, 61% of people upgrade their phones because of battery life, a feature such as Adaptive Power could extend the longevity of their phones just by updating to iOS 26.

I also wonder whether slightly adjusting display brightness could be disruptive, but in my experience so far, it hasn’t been noticeable. Because the feature also selectively de-prioritizes processing tasks, the outward effects seem minimal. When it’s activated on my iPhone 16 Pro, the only indication was the Adaptive Power alert that appeared.

Read more: Adaptive Power in iOS 26 Could Save the iPhone 17 Air From This Major Pitfall

We’ll get a better idea about how well Adaptive Power works as more people adopt iOS 26 and start buying new iPhone models. Also, remember that shortly after installing a major software update, it’s common to experience worse battery life as the system optimizes data in the background; Apple went so far as to remind customers that it’s a temporary side effect.

The 2025 Worldwide Developers Conference is coming up quick, with less than a week to go before the big keynote event. We’re sharing a series of rumor recaps this week, for those who want to get a sneak peek at some of the features expected in Apple’s upcoming software updates.

iOS 26 is definitely the OS that we’ve heard the most about, and rumors suggest that it’s going to get a major design overhaul. We’ve highlighted everything we know below.

Naming

iOS 18 is not going to iOS 19, with Apple instead opting to change the numbering for its software updates. Instead, we’re going to get ‌iOS 26‌, which will be released alongside iPadOS 26, macOS 26, watchOS 26, tvOS 26, and visionOS 26.

The “26” in the name marks the September 2025 to September 2026 release season for ‌iOS 26‌. Next year we’ll get iOS 27, then iOS 28, and so on. All software updates now share the same year number, which makes it easier to keep new releases straight.

Design Updates

‌iOS 26‌ is going to get a major design revamp, adopting some visual elements from the visionOS operating system. Inside Apple, the design project is referred to as “Solarium,” which hints at what we can expect.

A solarium is an all-glass room that’s designed to let in sunlight, and rumors suggest that ‌iOS 26‌ will adopt a more translucent, glass-inspired aesthetic.

visionOS has a translucent interface to allow people to see their surroundings in AR or VR while also interacting with app menus and windows. visionOS windows blend into the background for an unobtrusive look, and on the iPhone, Apple could adopt the same translucent focus to let content shine through.

‌iOS 26‌ is also expected to get some of the floating on-screen windows and menus that are used in visionOS, with rounded pop-up navigation and menu bars that float above the content on the display. Apple could use shading, shadowing, and subtle lighting effects to give buttons and other interface elements a slight lift.

App icons could be rounder, and notifications, menus in apps, search bars, card-style interfaces, and other parts of the iOS user interface could have more rounded corners than we’re used to. The floating navigation bars are expected to be pill-shaped, for example.

‌iOS 26‌ has been described as having a glossy or glass-like look, which is also how visionOS looks. Apple’s WWDC 2025 teaser images feature a frosted glass rainbow with soft colors, and those images might hint at what’s coming. Apple could use a soft, frosted glass style across ‌iOS 26‌.

Mockups that are allegedly based on real ‌iOS 26‌ designs were shared earlier this year by Front Page Tech, demonstrating some of the design changes that might be in store.

A mockup of the Camera app, for example, has translucent pop-out menus that better blend into the background to put the focus on the images.

Newer Apple apps like Apple Sports and Invites have simpler, translucent interface elements with expanding buttons, and could also serve as an example of the design language Apple is debuting in ‌iOS 26‌.

Apple is planning to overhaul its built-in apps with the updated design, though some will get bigger refreshes than others. Apple will also provide developers with design guidelines and assets so that third-party apps can adopt the new aesthetic as well.

Navigation Simplification and Streamlining

Along with a new look, Apple is also going to streamline navigation options in ‌iOS 26‌. Apple is tweaking menus, buttons, and navigation to make the operating system simpler to learn and navigate.

Some of the design and interface changes will also extend to macOS, iPadOS, tvOS, and watchOS, improving design consistency and navigation across Apple’s operating systems.

Apple Intelligence Features

There are several new Apple Intelligence features that are expected in ‌iOS 26‌.

AI Battery Management

An AI-powered battery management feature will analyze how you use your ‌iPhone‌ and make adjustments to maximize battery life. The option will be able to limit the power draw of apps and other system features based on device usage.

Battery management will be particularly useful for the iPhone 17 Air that will have a smaller battery than other iPhones, but it will be available on iPhones that are able to run ‌iOS 26‌.

Shortcuts App

Apple plans to update the Shortcuts app with ‌Apple Intelligence‌, allowing users to create actions that use ‌Apple Intelligence‌ models. With this functionality, Shortcuts could be easier to use, with even casual users able to create useful shortcuts using natural language.

Google Gemini

Apple and Google are close to establishing a deal that will add Google Gemini to the ‌iPhone‌ as an alternative to ChatGPT, and that’s a feature that we’ll likely see in ‌iOS 26‌. Google Gemini would integrate with Siri like ChatGPT, with ‌Siri‌ able to hand requests over to Gemini for more in-depth AI-powered answers.

Siri

We’re still waiting on all of the ‌Apple Intelligence‌ personalized ‌Siri‌ features that Apple debuted at WWDC 2024. Those updates are expected to come at some point in ‌iOS 26‌, but they may not be ready for the launch version of the software. If the functionality isn’t ready to go, Apple isn’t going to mention it at ‌WWDC 2025‌ to avoid further embarrassment.

Here’s what’s coming, eventually:

• Personal Context – ‌Siri‌ will be able to keep track of everything on your device, like emails, messages, files, and more, helping you complete tasks and find things.
• Onscreen awareness – ‌Siri‌ will know what’s on your screen and will be able to complete actions involving whatever you’re looking at.
• Deeper App Integration – ‌Siri‌ will be able to do more in and across apps, performing actions and tasks that are not possible with the personal assistant right now. This will be a feature available for Apple’s apps and third-party apps.

Gaming App

Apple has a new gaming app planned, and it’ll replace Game Center and add more functionality than ever before. It’s going to house the games section of the App Store, so you’ll be able to find and launch games from one convenient gaming-centric spot.

The app is also expected to feature communication options for connecting with other players, in-game achievements, editorial content and recommendations, and leaderboards.

New Features for Existing Apps

Rumors suggest that there are several new features coming to existing Apple apps.

• Messages – Automatic translations and support for polls.
• Music – Full screen animated art on the Lock Screen.
• Notes – Markdown support.
• CarPlay – Updated user interface to match ‌iOS 26‌.

AirPods Live Translate

With an AirPods firmware update, an ‌iOS 26‌ feature will allow the AirPods to translate in-person conversations from one language to another. If an English speaker with AirPods is conversing with someone who is speaking Spanish, the ‌iPhone‌ will detect the audio, translate the speech, and relay it back in English to the AirPods wearer.

Connectivity

Apple is adding a new feature that will synchronize captive Wi-Fi portal login information across devices, so you’ll only need to enter login details for a captive Wi-Fi network once, and it’ll be available on all of your Apple products. Captive networks are common in hotels, airports, coffee shops, and other locations with shared or paid internet options.

Apple might also make it easier for ‌iPhone‌ users to transfer an eSIM to an Android smartphone.

Health App

There’s a new Health app coming, but it might not be ready when ‌iOS 26‌ launches, so Apple might not be planning to unveil it just yet. The revamped app will apparently offer AI-powered health coating features with personalized health recommendations.

There may also be new food tracking functionality that would allow users to keep track of their calorie intake each day.

Stage Manager

There’s a possibility that Apple will add a Stage Manager feature for ‌iPhone‌ models that have a USB-C port, with the feature activating when an ‌iPhone‌ is connected to an external display over USB-C.

‌Stage Manager‌ would allow multiple apps to be opened at once, offering a more Mac-like experience when an ‌iPhone‌ is used with a display.

Accessibility Features

Apple previewed new Accessibility features coming to ‌iOS 26‌ earlier this year, and there are some interesting new additions.

• Music Haptics – Music Haptics will get customization options so haptics can be enabled for an entire song or just vocals, plus there will be options to adjust the intensity of taps, textures, and vibrations.
• App Store Labels – ‌App Store‌ product pages will get Accessibility Nutrition Labels that highlight accessibility features in apps.
• Accessibility Reader – Accessibility Reader is a systemwide reading mode that will make text easier to read thanks to customization features for adjusting font, color, spacing, and more.
• CarPlay – CarPlay is getting support for Large Text and Sound Recognition that will alert drivers to the sound of a crying baby, horns, and sirens.
• Background Sounds – Background Sounds will be customizable with new EQ settings, timers, and automation actions in Shortcuts.
• Personal Voice – Personal Voice will let users preserve their voice faster and more easily. It will use on-device machine learning to create a smoother, more natural-sounding voice in under a minute.
• Tracking – Head tracking and eye tracking are getting updates, plus Apple is adding support for Brain Computer Interface devices.

iPadOS 26

iPadOS 26 is going to get the same design updates that are coming to the ‌iPhone‌, so it will have the same glass-like, translucent look.

Apple is also rumored to be working on adding new features that will make the iPad experience more like using a Mac, introducing improved productivity, new multitasking features, and expanded window management options.

iPadOS 26 may have a Mac-like menu bar when connected to a Magic Keyboard, plus Apple is adding a new reed calligraphy pen option for Apple Pencil users that need to write Arabic script.

Compatibility

Rumors suggest that ‌iOS 26‌ will not be available on the ‌iPhone‌ XR, ‌iPhone‌ XS, or the ‌iPhone‌ XS Max, but it will run on all other iPhones that support ‌iOS 18‌.

• iPhone 16e
• iPhone 16
• ‌iPhone 16‌ Plus
• iPhone 16 Pro
• ‌iPhone 16 Pro‌ Max
• iPhone 15
• ‌iPhone 15‌ Plus
• ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro
• ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro Max
• ‌iPhone‌ 14
• ‌iPhone‌ 14 Plus
• ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro
• ‌iPhone‌ 14 Pro Max
• ‌iPhone‌ 13
• ‌iPhone‌ 13 mini
• ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro
• ‌iPhone‌ 13 Pro Max
• ‌iPhone‌ 12
• iPhone 12 mini
• ‌iPhone‌ 12 Pro
• iPhone 12 Pro Max
• ‌iPhone‌ 11
• ‌iPhone‌ 11 Pro
• iPhone 11 Pro Max
• ‌iPhone‌ SE (2nd generation or later)

While these iPhones will support ‌iOS 26‌, advanced features may be limited to newer iPhones with faster processors. ‌Apple Intelligence‌ in ‌iOS 18‌, for example, only runs on the ‌iPhone 15‌ Pro and the ‌iPhone 16‌ models.

Read More

More info on all of the rumored features that we know about so far can be found in our iOS 26 roundup.

WWDC 2025 Keynote

Apple’s ‌WWDC 2025‌ keynote will begin on Monday, June 9 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time. Apple will live stream the event on its website, on YouTube, and in the TV app.

If you’re not able to watch live, we’ll have a live blog and coverage of the announcements here at MacRumors, plus we’ll be live tweeting the event on the MacRumorsLive account.