iOS 17.1 Beta: Liquid Glass Features Show Minimal Battery Impact in Initial Testing
Cupertino,CA – Early testing of iOS 17.1 beta reveals that enabling Liquid Glass-related visual adjustments – specifically Tinted mode, Reduced Clarity, and Reduced Motion – yields negligible differences in battery life on the iPhone 17 Pro Max, according to a recent independent analysis.The findings suggest users should prioritize established battery-saving methods like Low Power Mode and screen brightness adjustments rather than tweaking the new Liquid Glass settings for power efficiency.
The testing, conducted by a MacRumors reader and published today, aimed to quantify the battery impact of iOS 17’s Liquid Glass features, a new rendering engine designed to improve visual fluidity and responsiveness. The tester systematically cycled through four rounds of consistent app usage – TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Safari, and Maps – each lasting approximately 2.5 hours.
Here’s a breakdown of the test setup and results:
* Round 1 (Baseline - “Clear” mode): Starting at 80% battery, the iPhone ended at 70%.
* round 2 (tinted mode): Starting at 80%, the device finished at 69%.
* Round 3 (Tinted mode, Reduced transparency, Increased Contrast): Also starting at 80%, the phone concluded at 69%.
* Round 4 (Tinted mode,Reduced Transparency,Increased Contrast,Reduced Motion): Beginning at 80%,the iPhone ended at 70%.
While Rounds 2 and 3 showed a 1% difference in battery consumption, the tester noted this was within the margin of error given the limitations of percentage-based battery readings and minor content variations between tests.
A more granular look at battery drain across individual apps revealed slight fluctuations:
* round 1: TikTok (79%), YouTube (77%), Instagram (74%), Safari (72%), Maps (70%)
* Round 2: TikTok (78%), YouTube (75%), Instagram (72%), Safari (70%), Maps (69%)
* Round 3: TikTok (78%), youtube (76%), Instagram (73%), Safari (70%), Maps (69%)
* Round 4: TikTok (79%), Instagram (77%), YouTube (74%), Safari (72%), Maps (70%) – Note: Instagram and YouTube were accidentally swapped during this round, but the tester maintained the test’s integrity by not restarting.
The tester acknowledged the limited scope of the 2.5-hour testing period,suggesting that a full day of usage might reveal a slightly more pronounced effect.They also pointed out that many popular apps, like TikTok and Instagram, don’t heavily utilize Liquid Glass elements, potentially minimizing the impact of these settings.
Furthermore, the tester raised the possibility that older iPhone models with less processing power might experience a more notable battery drain when rendering Liquid Glass effects. They invited MacRumors readers with older iPhones to conduct similar tests to gather more complete data.
Conclusion: The initial findings indicate that on the iPhone 17 Pro Max,adjusting liquid Glass-related settings does not offer a meaningful enhancement in battery life. Customary battery-saving techniques – Low Power Mode, Dark Mode, and screen brightness reduction – remain the most effective strategies for extending battery runtime. The tester concludes there’s no compelling reason to enable Tinted mode or Reduce Transparency solely for battery conservation purposes.
