Apple’s New iPhone Feature: Beating the Competition

TL;DR: Apple’s iOS 18 introduces a new feature that displays the time when an iPhone’s battery dies, beating Android competitors. However, it may be limited to iPhone 15 models, and the beta version requires caution.

Apple is set to introduce a handy new feature in the upcoming iOS 18 update this fall. This addition will prove useful when your iPhone’s battery dies, helping you catch that train or at least know if it’s worth running for it.

Power Reserve: A Lifesaver

For some time now, Apple has offered a valuable function called Power Reserve. This feature ensures that even when the iPhone’s battery is depleted, it keeps a small backup charge to remain findable. If you mark your iPhone as lost, it will still be able to contact Find My for around five hours.

During this period, the display shows an empty battery icon and the words “iPhone is findable.”

The Tiny-but-Highly-Useful Addition

With iOS 18, Apple is adding a small but incredibly helpful feature: the top left corner of the display will now show the time. This information is placed exactly where the time is usually displayed when the iPhone is in regular use, making it the first place your eyes naturally look.

Some Android phones from Samsung, Google, or others can match the findable feature, but they haven’t yet incorporated this new clock addition.

A Sting in the Tail

If you’re a night owl who regularly finds your battery drained and you’re eager for this new feature, don’t rush to upgrade just yet. There’s a catch: it seems to be limited to iPhone 15 models, at least for now.

According to MacRumors, Juli Clover tested the feature on an iPhone 15 Pro Max, and it worked, but there was no time displayed on an iPhone 14 Pro Max. It’s still unclear if it works only on the Pro models, but updates will be provided as more information becomes available.

Proceed with Caution

As always, there’s another proviso: the new software is currently only in the developer beta, which is just days old. You shouldn’t update your main iPhone, the one you use every day, to the iOS 18 developer beta, as things may not work properly, battery life may suffer, and it could be altogether frustrating. The public beta is expected to arrive next month.

Stay tuned.