**iPhone 17 Pro Max’s Battery Performance Might Have Been Superior Without iOS 26’s Liquid Glass, Experiment Suggests**
The iPhone 17 lineup features enhanced battery performance compared to its forerunners, with the iPhone 17 Pro Max at the forefront. This version is equipped with a larger battery, particularly in the eSIM-only model, taking advantage of the space made available by eliminating the physical SIM card. Nonetheless, initial evaluations reveal that the Liquid Glass design in iOS 26 considerably accelerates battery drain in comparison to iOS 18. For example, an iPhone 16 Pro Max depleted 13% of its battery during standard operations on iOS 26, while it only used 1% on iOS 18.
A user on Reddit, MarionberryDear6170, ran a test that uncovered Liquid Glass as a “terrible battery issue” on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. The test, sparked by the user’s experience with the iOS 26 beta on the iPhone 15 Pro Max, pointed out significant heat generation and battery drain challenges. The user illustrated that various activities require excessive power, and that the Reduce Transparency setting does little to counteract this. However, there is potential for a notable boost in battery life, though the remedy may not be well-received by users.
**Low Power Mode greatly enhances the battery life of the iPhone 17 Pro Max**
The Redditor’s test involved restricting charging to 80% and performing activities on the iPhone 17 Pro Max while observing power consumption. Here are some insights:
– Accessing the Control Center: 8-9W
– Taking photos: 8-9W
– Capturing screenshots: 7-17W
– Utilizing Apple Maps: 8-9W
– Screen recording: 5-6W when idle, reaching 9-11W while scrolling
The trial indicated that utilizing clear icons in iOS 26 elevates power consumption, and activating Reduce Transparency mode contributes an additional 1W for all tasks. Low Power Mode appeared as the sole efficient remedy, cutting energy usage to under 5W for equivalent activities. This mode extended screen-on duration from 6.5 hours to 10 hours. However, Low Power Mode modifies the iPhone experience by dimming the display, reducing the refresh rate to 60Hz, restricting 5G access, and limiting background processes. Even with this, the battery performance of the iPhone 17 Pro Max remains outstanding, suggesting that users may not often need to depend on Low Power Mode.
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