Your iPhone could finally get something Android phones have had for years

iPhones could get a handy feature users will benefit from daily (Image: Apple/Getty)

Whether it’s how app icons look, the availability of home screen widgets, how notifications behave, security tools or customisation options, iOS and Android look and work more similar now than they’ve ever done.

A degree of copying goes on, even if neither side is willing to admit it. With iOS 18, Apple finally lets iPhone users place app icons anywhere on the home screen rather than forcing them to snap into a grid that goes from top to bottom. This is something Android has always had.

According to a new report, iPhones may be getting a handy feature soon that Android has also offered for several years. As spotted by 9to5Mac, iOS 18.2 could introduce a way for your iPhone to tell you how long it’ll take to charge your phone after you’ve plugged it in for a bit of juice.

This update has been spotted in the code of a beta version of iOS 18.2, which is currently available to developers as a preview version of the software. Beta versions are common and let app developers (as well as keen consumers) use an upcoming software version before it’s pushed out to everyone in order to check things are working and so Apple can fix potential bugs.

The new feature could be called ‘battery intelligence’, and although it has not yet been enabled, it’s thought this will calculate the estimated time it’ll take to charge the iPhone. If this information is eventually available for iPhone users, it will mirror the useful text many Android phones show when plugged in.

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When plugged in and charging, smartphones made by Samsung, Google and others show the time remaining to get to 100 percent on the lock screen. Usually at the bottom of the display, text appears to let you know long is left until you get to a full tank.

This can be handy if you need to know when you can disconnect your phone and run out the door for your night out. It’s also a good way to see if you’re connected to a compatible fast charger. Many Android phones have fast charging tech, but won’t achieve those high speeds unless you’re using the right kit. Most phones now have USB-C charging ports, and the phone will often tell you if it is fast charging or not.

Modern iPhones can charge a little faster than older models if you’re using the right charger. 9to5Mac reckons the new battery intelligence tool will give iPhone owners the option to see a notification with an estimated remaining charging time.

It’s only a small tweak, but one that we’d welcome on the iPhone. Apple’s smartphones are among the best you can buy, but it’s easy to argue that Android phones are more customisable and have more granular features on offer to those that want them. If iOS 18.2 introduces this small change, we’ll certainly be first in line to use it.