Matthew Cooper 
Nov 13, 2023
The iPhone has long been known for its impressive battery life. The iPhone 13 Pro Max took battery optimisation to new heights. Versions up to 16.4 were plagued with bugs and poor battery optimisation.
Fortunately, the arrival of iOS 16.5 brought about a significant improvement. Installing this update on the primary phone, the iPhone 14 Pro Max, has been a game-changer. Before, the battery would drain rapidly in specific scenarios, such as when using location-based apps like Google Maps or Uber. However, with iOS 16.5, these apps no longer consume excessive battery power.
Furthermore, other apps like Spotify and Twitter, which used to drain the battery more than usual, now operate without causing significant depletion. Even throughout the night, the standby battery drain has improved remarkably. Previously, the iPhone 14 Pro Max would lose up to 8% of battery life overnight, but with iOS 16.5, the depletion is minimal again.
The introduction of Dynamic Island, despite initial setbacks, has gradually become more useful with app developers embracing its features.
Overall, the mixture of the vastly improved battery life in iOS 16.5 and the refinements in Dynamic Island make the iPhone 14 Pro Max one of the most impressive smartphones of 2023. It has continually improved over time.
