iOS 17 draining battery of old iPhones
It’s only been three days since Apple released iOS 17 but iPhone users have started complaining about battery issues on Reddit and other social media platforms. The issue appears to affect mostly older iPhones but this is expected since OS upgrades are big in size and comes with several changes that require more processing power.
A Geekbench graph compiled by iAppleBytes shows a battery health progression from iPhone SE 2020 to iPhone 13 running iOS 15 to iOS 17. The chart shows battery life fluctuations with each major iOS update but it dips the most with iOS 17 especially on the older iPhones.

Since the update just released it would take about a week’s time for iPhones to adjust to the new changes, according to a report by Apple Insider. This has to do with Spotlight reindexing all the files on the iPhone for the new update that will not only slow down but hit the battery life too, the report added. It’s also normal to hear about battery life issues with every new iOS upgrade but if the problem persists for long then it’s something to be concerned about.
But when it comes to older iPhones, the battery drainage would be more, considering just the fact that the processor isn’t powerful enough to handle the new updates smoothly. Apple is known to provide software support even to older phones which is one major reason people stick to their iPhones for years. Even this time, the iOS 17 update is compatible with the iPhone XS that launched six years back.
iOS 17 compatible iPhones
Here’s a look at all the iPhones that are compatible with the iOS 17 update. The list includes iPhone 14 Pro Max, iPhone 14 Pro, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone SE 3rd Gen, iPhone 12 Pro Max, iPhone 12 Pro, iPhone 12, iPhone 12 mini, iPhone SE 2nd Gen, iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro, iPhone 11, iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS and iPhone XR.