Apple revealed it will add a new battery health monitor and management tool in its forthcoming iOS update after being criticised for throttling performance to extend battery life.

In a rare preview, Apple explained iOS 11.3 will include new features which display battery health and service recommendations. Users will also be able to see if Apple’s power management feature is activated and have the option to turn it off. Apple said the battery health monitor will be available for iPhone 6 and up, while the power management tool will be available in the iPhone 6 to 7 Plus.

The changes come after Apple faced significant backlash for slowing performance in older iPhones without users’ knoweldge to extend battery life. Though Apple claimed the move was intended to improve user experience and subsequently apologised, it was hit with lawsuits and faced scrutiny from authorities and consumer groups in the US, France and China.

Other upgrades
Apple’s iOS 11.3 will also include a number of other updates including ARKit enhancements to enable better insertion of objects in real environments, the addition of a records section in a health app allowing providers to send records to a patient’s phone and implementation of an advanced mobile location feature which provides a caller’s whereabouts to emergency responders.

Apple said iOS 11.3 will be released in the coming months.