Should I upgrade my iPhone 16 based on battery health?

Battery health is a digital estimatation of and an approximation of a decidedly-analog battery-degradation process.

The estimate is not always accurate, and the decline in the estimate over time is not reliably linear. It can drop a few in days or weeks, or can stay at one estimated value for months.

Environment matters. Heat exposure, for instance, can quickly kill rechargeable batteries. So too is the particular battery and its materials. Sometimes the battery just goes bad. You’re trying to predict from an approximation.

Battery health is only a factor when the iPhone doesn’t last as long as you need it between recharges, and you can then choose whether battery replacement or iPhone replacement is appropriate.

In fewer words, you might get a few months, or you might get several more years. If the iPhone meets your needs, use it. When it doesn’t, replace it.

Tap Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging

What is the Maximum Capacity that you see for the battery at this point?

If it is approximately 90%, that tells you that the battery has declined by about half of its expected useful life, and it would be reasonable to expect that the battery might go around another 2 years.

If the Maximum Capacity is at approximately 84-85%, then the battery will likely go another year before it will need to be replaced.

When it comes time to replace the battery, you can expect a new battery to go another 3-4 years.

Cost of new battery is about $100 (U.S.).

Unless there is some important new feature that you really need in a new phone, I can't think of a good reason to buy another phone unless you simply want something "new".

After all, some users do regularly buy a new phone every year, regardless of the battery settings.

I do not see battery "Health" as an indicator of when a phone should be replaced. Ours get replaced when they no longer serve our needs.

We have two iPhone SE 2020 models bought new on Nov 1 2021. Only this summer did both batteries fall below 80% health. That's nearly five years for batteries of much smaller capacity than the one in your iPhone 16 ( a meager 1821 mAh v. yours at 3561 mAh). And the phones still work.

Will this last me another 2 years..

That depends on your usage patterns and how the battery is managed. There is no way we can answer that.

See if this helps: Save battery life with Power Modes on iPhone - Apple Support

Varye wrote:

I have a 2 year old iPhone 16. Battery health is normal. Will this last me another 2 years or should I get an iPhone 18 now?

Remember that you also usually have the option of just replacing the battery, which is much cheaper than buying a new phone.

One thing I would note is that the older your phone is, the less trade-in value it will have. So if you're looking for a "reason" to buy a new phone, that would be the one I would use.