While major motor shows in Europe and the United States are being forced to downsize or change their format, those in China continue to expand.

With 1,451 vehicles on display, including 181 world premieres, the 2026 Beijing International Automotive Exhibition 2026 (also known as Auto China 2026) has become the largest auto show in history—and that’s in terms of both exhibition space and the number of vehicles on display.

This fact itself reflects a shift in the center of gravity of the automotive industry, but that’s not all. A much larger structural transformation is actually taking place in China today.

Previously, the focus was on low-priced electric vehicle models, but now price is no longer the primary point of competition. At the show, not only were there many high-end EVs and large SUVs from Chinese manufacturers equipped with advanced driver-assistance technologies and AI functions, but these technologies are also rapidly spreading to the lower price range.

Chinese manufacturers’ cars offer many technologically impressive features. Lidar sensors, which use lasers for advanced driver assistance, are now even being incorporated into EVs costing less than 100,000 yuan (approximately $14,500). Models featuring “drive-by-wire” technology, which replaces mechanical steering connections and hydraulic brake lines with electrical signals, are appearing prominently. Even Toyota’s local models are using Huawei’s powertrains and smart cockpit OS.

The simplistic dichotomy of “cheap Chinese cars versus high-end European cars” no longer holds weight. While staying competitive in the low-price market, Chinese manufacturers are also gaining leadership in areas such as AI, driver-assistance systems, in-car chips, smart cockpits, and high-performance EVs.

These 19 particularly noteworthy models from the 2026 Beijing Motor Show best embody this evolution.

XPeng GX

Courtesy of Xpeng

There is a fundamental difference between a car designed for autonomous driving and an existing car that’s had autonomous driving technology added to it. XPeng Motors’ GX is the former, a model in which sensors, computing infrastructure, and AI models with Level 4 autonomous driving in mind were designed first, then built into a new SUV bound for the commercial market.

Equipped with up to four proprietary AI chips, it boasts a total computing power of 3,000 tera operations per second—approximately 12 times the 254 TOPS that a single Nvidia Orin is capable of. The latest AI model in the vehicle can recognize spoken commands as well as the images captured by car’s cameras, and it can understanding and adapt to the current driving conditions.

Volkswagen has adopted XPeng’s AI chip and driver-assistance technology in its EVs, meaning XPeng is no longer just an EV manufacturer. It’s becoming a platform provider supplying the brains behind autonomous driving to Europe’s largest automaker. The price is 399,800 yuan (approximately $58,000).

from the bad-to-worse dept

Ah, Denuvo. It’s been several years since we checked in on this once vaunted DRM tool that billed itself as undefeatable. The end of PC gaming piracy was said to be at hand, at least for any title using Denuvo. Then, predictably, the cracking community saw the target the company had put on its own tool and got to work. They were first able to crack games using Denuvo in months, which turned into weeks, which turned into days, which eventually turned into it being cracked essentially on a game’s launch day.

So, how’s it been going for Denuvo since? Well, it’s essentially been rendered completely useless at this point.

As recently reported by Tom’s Hardware, on April 27, a large Reddit thread tracking which games using Denvuo DRM still needed to be cracked or bypassed officially hit zero. (This list tracks games that don’t require an online server connection, not MMORPGs and other games that do.)  What that means, effectively, is that according to Denuvo modders and hackers, the DRM tech is no longer able to stop pirates from downloading and installing games for free. This milestone for hackers is largely thanks to the MKDev collective and modder DenuvOwO. It was these people who created the hypervisor-based bypass (HVB) that installs a kernel-level driver to bypass Denuvo’s DRM checks.

Technically, Denuvo is still in the game, but it isn’t functioning as it should, and pirates can play without paying. And there is already some evidence that bypassing Denuvo has led to performance improvements in titles like Resident Evil Requiem, which might push some people to use the bypass even if they bought the game legally. We saw this in a previous Resident Evil game when hackers bypassed Denuvo in 2021.

This is always the life cycle of DRM in video games. Whatever audacious claims a DRM company might want to make early on with its product, the technology is eventually defeated to one degree or another and all that is left are the byproducts of the DRM that serve to do nothing other than annoy legitimate customers of a video game. If the technology is so intrusively bad that even legit buyers of a game want to crack it out of their games, and the pirates are completely unencumbered by it as well, then it’s a wonder why anyone would bother including it in their games to begin with.

DRM is pretty much always bad. The desire to protect a game from pirates is understandable, but ultimately pointless. There is almost never enough benefit in terms of generating more sales by trying to fight piracy to be worth pissing off your actual paying customers. And tactics such as what publisher 2K has decided to do in the wake of Denuvo’s complete failure aren’t any better.

2K Games has apparently begun adding 14-day online check-ins to some of its PC games. The check-in has apparently been added to NBA 2K25, NBA 2K26, and Marvel’s Midnight Suns. These games now reportedly use a “fixed offline authorization token” that expires after two weeks. Once that happens, the game will not be playable until you connect to the internet and let the game ping Denvuo to get a new token. Pirat Nation and hackers are claiming this new countdown isn’t properly disclosed on the games’ Steam Store page or in each title’s respective EULA.

I’ll just add that pushing this new requirement out via an update to existing purchases is also a problem. Customers bought these games with the understanding of how they would work or not when offline. 2K suddenly changing the product in a meaningful way after it had already been purchased is a flatly anti-consumer move.

And I have no doubt that this online check requirement will be defeated by the same folks who defeated Denuvo. This arms race continues, but it shouldn’t. Why not focus on making great games and connecting with your paying customers to give them reasons to actually pay instead?

Filed Under: check ins, denuvo, drm, video games

Companies: 2k, denuvo

Quordle was one of the original Wordle alternatives and is still going strong now more than 1,400 games later. It offers a genuine challenge, though, so read on if you need some Quordle hints today – or scroll down further for the answers.

Enjoy playing word games? You can also check out my NYT Connections today and NYT Strands today pages for hints and answers for those puzzles, while Marc’s Wordle today column covers the original viral word game.

SOUNDPEATS has spent the past 16 years churning out wireless earbuds at a pace that would make most budget brands tap out, and the new Air6 HS aims squarely at a segment that usually disappoints. Most earbuds under $50 are the kind of last-minute “grab something at Wawa before the road trip” purchase; good enough to survive a commute, or to hand off to the kid who just launched your Apple AirPods out the car window. The Air6 HS tries to flip that script, combining all-day comfort, extended battery life, and support for hi-res and spatial audio at a price below $40.

All-Day Wearing Comfort

With so many wireless earbud options available, choosing the right pair comes down to a few core factors that matter regardless of price.

Comfort and fit should come first. If an earbud does not sit securely or becomes uncomfortable over time, it will not get much use. Sound quality follows, along with battery life, call performance, and connection stability. Features like spatial audio or advanced codecs can add value, but they are secondary to the basics that determine how the earbuds perform day to day.

With that in mind, SOUNDPEATS says the Air6 HS was developed using ergonomic data from more than 10,000 ear canal samples. Each earbud weighs just 4 grams, which helps reduce pressure during longer listening sessions.

The semi in-ear design splits the difference between traditional in-ear tips and open ear designs. It sits more securely than open earbuds and offers a more consistent seal, which can improve perceived sound quality and reduce how much audio leaks out in quieter environments like an office. At the same time, it avoids the plugged feeling that some listeners experience with fully sealed in-ear tips.

Driver Design & Tuning 

On the inside, the Air6 HS uses a 13mm dynamic driver with a PU biological composite diaphragm and a triple magnetic circuit. That combination is intended to deliver a balanced presentation with a focus on natural vocals, rather than pushing any one part of the frequency range too far forward.

That matters, because a lot of affordable earbuds tend to lean on boosted bass or elevated treble to create the impression of detail or impact. It can sound exciting at first, but it often becomes fatiguing over time. The approach here appears more restrained, aiming for a sound that holds up over longer listening sessions without the sharp edges that can creep into budget tuning.

For those who want to adjust things further, the SOUNDPEATS app on Android and iOS includes Dynamic EQ settings that allow some control over bass and overall tonal balance.

Hi-Res Audio Support and Spatial Audio

The Air6 HS carries Hi-Res Audio certification and supports LDAC for Android devices, allowing higher bitrate wireless playback without moving away from its lightweight, semi in ear design.

It supports SBC, AAC, and LDAC codecs, covering the most common use cases, but there is no support for aptX HD or aptX Lossless. For most users, that will not be a deal breaker, but it is worth noting for those already invested in Qualcomm based devices.

Spatial audio support is also included, adding a wider sense of space for movies and streaming content, rather than focusing strictly on music playback.

Battery Life That Keeps Up with Daily Use

The Air6 HS is rated for up to 9 hours of listening on a single charge, with the charging case extending total playback to around 45 hours. When time is limited, a quick 10 minute charge can provide up to 3 hours of playback, which is useful for getting through a commute or a few calls without needing a full recharge.

Bluetooth Connectivity, Call Quality, and Water Resistance

The Air6 HS incorporates Bluetooth 6.0 for stable, efficient wireless performance, including Bluetooth Multipoint connectivity.  This enables simultaneous pairing with two devices, allowing users to move between phone calls and laptop audio without needing to manually reconnect; a convenient feature for multitaskers and on-the-go commuters who don’t want to annoy the boss.

The Air6 HS uses a four microphone array with dual mic ENC processing to improve call clarity. That is not something you usually see at this price, and it should help voices come through more clearly in calls and virtual meetings, even in less than ideal environments.

SOUNDPEATS also gives the Air6 HS an IPX5 water-resistance rating, which is enough for sweat and light rain during workouts or daily use. That makes them a reasonable option for the gym, but they are not designed for full water exposure. Dropping them in a pool or the ocean is still a quick way to end the conversation.

Comparison

The Bottom Line 

The Air6 HS stands out by delivering a balanced feature set at a price where most earbuds cut corners. You get a large driver, LDAC support, a comfortable semi in-ear fit, and strong battery life for under $40, which is not common.

There are tradeoffs. The semi in-ear design means no active noise cancellation, and features like Dolby Atmos, head tracking, or advanced gaming modes are not part of the package.

This is aimed at everyday listeners who want something comfortable, reliable, and better than the usual budget options. It is not trying to replace higher end models, but it does offer a more complete experience than most wireless earbuds in this price range.

Price & Availability

The SOUNDPEATS Air6 HS are available now for $39.99 at Amazon.

Related Reading:

Cramming for finals is bad enough without the platform you use to do your schoolwork suddenly shutting down. Unfortunately for countless students across the US, that’s exactly what they faced on Thursday after Canvas went into “maintenance mode” following a ransomware attack on education tech firm Instructure. Hackers using the name ShinyHunters claimed responsibility for the breach, and experts say the chaos they caused shows how far these actors will go to extort their victims.

Did you know that Google Chrome includes an automatic download of the Gemini Nano AI model? If not, you wouldn’t be alone. People who use Google’s wildly popular browser realized this week that Gemini Nano has been taking up 4 GB of space on their desktops since 2024, sparking annoyance and concerns over privacy. Fortunately, you can disable the AI model—but not without losing some helpful security features. Obviously, you can also just download a different browser for free.

Researchers this week revealed that thousands of vibe coded apps were left exposed on the open internet, revealing sensitive corporate and personal data. The security failings are a reminder: Just because you can vibe code something doesn’t necessarily mean you should.

The Department of Homeland Security subpoenaed Google in an attempt to obtain the location data and account activity of a Canadian man who criticized US immigration enforcement tactics following the killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis early this year. The American Civil Liberties Union this week filed a complaint against DHS on behalf of the man, who has not visited the US in more than 10 years.

Scammers, low-level hackers, and other cybercriminals have joined the ranks of humanity yearning to be free of AI slop, according to new research. Meta, meanwhile, is sprucing up its age-verification tech after a study found that kids are tricking online age checks using simple techniques—including one child hero who circumvented online age verification by drawing on a fake mustache. Finally, we detailed Russia’s effort to create a local competitor to Starlink satellite internet service—with all the privacy and security concerns that entails.

And there’s more. Each week, we round up the security and privacy news we didn’t cover in depth ourselves. Click the headlines to read the full stories. And stay safe out there.

Most people hope that the 200-pound robot with blades in their backyard cannot be easily hacked. Unfortunately for the owners of Yarbo, a $5,000 lawn mower robot that can also work as a leaf blower, snowblower, and edger, that was not the case. The Verge reports that a security researcher found numerous vulnerabilities in the lawn bots that could allow hackers to remotely take over the machines (including their camera feeds,) as well as extract owners’ email addresses, Wi-Fi passwords, and home locations.

After a Yarbo spokesperson told The Verge that the robots’ “diagnostic environment is not publicly accessible,” the reporter and researcher demonstrated the security flaws and their potential consequences by nearly running over the reporter with a hijacked robot. The company has since reported that they are developing a fix to at least one of the flaws the researcher identified.

Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta has pulled support for end-to-end encrypted messages on Instagram, backtracking on its plans to protect people’s privacy by providing messaging the company could not snoop on. The company stopped offering encryption on Instagram on May 8, making it easier than before for the firm to technically access DMs.

After spending years building out the encryption systems needed to secure its chat apps, Meta said in 2023 that it had rolled out default encryption for Messenger. It also said it was introducing an opt-in version for Instagram, which it had planned would eventually become the default setting. However, that day never arrived with Meta deciding in March this year that not enough people had opted-in and it would remove the option to encrypt Instagram chats. The U-turn has infuriated privacy and security experts who fear the rollback could damage end-to-end encryption efforts around the world.

The Trump administration unveiled a new counterterrorism strategy, which President Donald Trump describes as a “return to common sense and Peace through Strength” in a foreword included in the document. The three biggest types of terror groups, according to the document, are cartels, Islamist terror groups, and “violent left wing extremists,” which the memo says includes anarchists and anti-fascists and have ideologies that are “anti-American” and “radically pro-transgender.”

The memo promises, “We will use all the tools constitutionally available to us to map them at home, identify their membership, map their ties to international organizations like Antifa, and use law enforcement tools to cripple them operationally before they can maim or kill the innocent.”

Good morning! Let’s play Connections, the NYT’s clever word game that challenges you to group answers in various categories. It can be tough, so read on if you need Connections hints.

What should you do once you’ve finished? Why, play some more word games of course. I’ve also got daily Strands hints and answers and Quordle hints and answers articles if you need help for those too, while Marc’s Wordle today page covers the original viral word game.

When to watch West Ham vs. Arsenal

• Sunday, May 10, at 11:30 a.m. ET (8:30 a.m. PT).

Where to watch

• West Ham vs. Arsenal will air in the US on USA Network.

See at Sling TV

Watch the Premier League on USA Network from $46 a month

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Two teams, both in need of a win for very different reasons, meet on Sunday in this tantalizing all-London match-up, as relegation-threatened West Ham hosts table-topping Arsenal in the English Premier League. 

Man City’s slip-up against Everton on Monday handed the advantage to the Gunners in the title race. An impressive double remains in the cards for Arsenal after it reached the UEFA Champions League final in midweek with a 2-1 aggregate win over Atlético Madrid.

West Ham, meanwhile, took a step closer to the trapdoor last weekend, with its demoralizing 3-0 defeat away at Brentford. That was compounded by relegation rival Tottenham picking up an unexpected win against Aston Villa, pushing the Hammers back into the drop zone. 

West Ham takes on Arsenal on Sunday, May 10, at the London Stadium, with kickoff set for 4:30 p.m. BST. That makes it an 11:30 a.m. ET or 8:30 a.m. PT start in the US and Canada, and a 1:30 a.m. AEST kickoff in Australia in the early hours of Monday morning. 

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How to watch West Ham vs. Arsenal in the US without cable

Sunday’s crucial clash at the London Stadium will be broadcast on USA Network, which you can access with a live TV streaming service like Sling TV, or a pricier option such as YouTube TV or DirecTV’s MySports package. 

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The Sling TV Blue plan comes with USA Network, making it a great option for those who want to watch Premier League action. It costs $46 a month and includes more than 40 channels, including sports channels ESPN and FS1. Read our Sling TV review.

How to watch the Premier League 2025-26 with a VPN

If you’re traveling abroad and want to keep up with Premier League action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming.

It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds, and can also be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, adding an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security. 

However, some streaming services may have policies that restrict VPN use to access region-specific content. If you’re considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform’s terms of service to ensure compliance.

If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider’s installation instructions to ensure you’re connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verify whether your streaming subscription allows VPN use.

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Livestream West Ham vs. Arsenal in the UK 

This Sunday afternoon clash is exclusive to Sky Sports and will be shown on its Sky Sports Main Event channel. If you already have Sky Sports as part of your TV package, you can stream the game via its Sky Go app. Cord-cutters will want to set up a Now account and a Now Sports membership to stream the game. 

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Sky’s standalone streaming service Now offers access to Sky Sports channels with a Now Sports membership. You can get a day of access for £15 or sign up to a monthly plan from £35 a month right now.

Livestream West Ham vs. Arsenal in Canada 

If you want to livestream English Premier League games in Canada this season, you’ll need to subscribe to Fubo. The service has secured exclusive rights to the Premier League and is broadcasting all 380 matches live. 

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Fubo is the go-to destination for Canadians looking to watch the EPL, with exclusive streaming rights to every match. It currently costs CA$27 for the first month, then CA$31.50 per month thereafter.

Livestream West Ham vs. Arsenal in Australia 

Livestreaming rights for the EPL are now with Stan Sport, which is showing all 380 matches live, including this game.

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Stan Sport will set you back AU$20 a month (on top of a Stan subscription, which starts at AU$12). It’s also worth noting that the streaming service is currently offering a seven-day free trial.

A subscription will also give you access to Premier League, Champions League and Europa League action, as well as international rugby and Formula E.

Your iPhone 14 won’t charge — and the cause is almost always one of four things: a damaged or non-certified cable, debris packed into the Lightning port, a software glitch stopping the charging process, or a battery that needs replacing. All of these are diagnosable at home. This guide walks through each fix in the order most likely to solve the problem first, so you’re not replacing hardware you don’t need to replace.

These steps apply to iPhone 14, iPhone 14 Plus, iPhone 14 Pro, and iPhone 14 Pro Max.

Quick Take: Start with the cable and port — the majority of iPhone 14 charging failures trace back to a faulty cable, a dirty port, or a low-wattage power source. Clean the port with a dry toothbrush before assuming anything is broken. If the hardware checks out, a force restart fixes most software-related charging blocks. If your phone charges fine but stops at 80%, that is Optimized Battery Charging doing its job — not a fault.

Before You Start: Rule Out These Two Things

Two scenarios look like charging failures but are not faults at all.

The first is Optimized Battery Charging. If your iPhone 14 consistently stops charging at around 80% overnight, that is a deliberate iOS feature — not a glitch. Apple’s Optimized Battery Charging holds the charge at 80% and finishes charging to 100% just before your typical wake-up time, based on your learned daily routine. It is designed to reduce battery aging. If you want to verify this is happening, go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging and check whether the feature is toggled on. It is enabled by default.

The second is a deeply drained battery. If the screen shows nothing at all when you plug in, that does not mean charging has failed. A battery at absolute zero charge may take 5–15 minutes before showing any indicator on screen. Give it at least 15 minutes before drawing any conclusions.

Step 1: Check the Cable, Adapter, and Power Source

This is where roughly half of all charging problems start. Inspect the Lightning cable for fraying near either end — the strain relief (the plastic collar where the cable meets the connector) is the most common failure point. A cable that looks intact from the outside can have broken internal wires from repeated bending. If you have another cable available, swap it in and test.

If you see the alert “This accessory is not certified” or “may not be supported” when you plug in, your cable either lacks MFi certification (Made for iPhone, Apple’s licensing standard for accessories) or the cable’s internal chip has failed. Non-certified cables trigger this alert by design and will often charge intermittently or not at all. Replace the cable with an Apple original or an MFi-certified third-party cable before trying anything else.

For the power source: plug directly into a wall outlet using an Apple or MFi-certified USB power adapter. USB ports on computers, keyboards, and older USB hubs frequently deliver too little current to reliably charge an iPhone 14. Apple’s official guidance specifies using a wall power outlet and checking for firm connections at every point in the chain — cable to phone, cable to adapter, adapter to wall.

Step 2: Clean the Lightning Port

Compacted lint and debris inside the Lightning port is one of the most underestimated causes of iPhone charging problems, and it is almost always invisible until you look closely with a light. Over time — particularly if you carry your phone in a pocket or bag — fibers accumulate at the back of the port and physically prevent the cable connector from seating fully. The cable appears to plug in, but the electrical contact is poor or absent.

Power off the iPhone before cleaning. Then, using a flashlight, inspect the interior of the port. If you see compacted gray or brown material at the back, clean it out as follows, per iFixit’s port cleaning guide:

1. Insert the head of a dry, soft-bristled toothbrush into the port.
2. Rotate the brush gently in small circles to break up compacted debris.
3. Use a can of compressed air (dust blower) to blow loosened debris out — hold the can upright to avoid propellant spray.
4. Repeat the brush pass if debris remains.
5. Plug in the cable and check for the charging icon.

Do not use metal tools — toothpicks, pins, or SIM ejectors — inside the port. The Lightning pins are fragile, and a single bent pin means a port replacement. A dry toothbrush removes the vast majority of debris without any risk of damage.

Step 3: Force Restart the iPhone

A software crash or a frozen charging process can make a working charger appear to do nothing. A force restart clears this state without deleting any data and takes about 20 seconds.

1. Quickly press and release the Volume Up button.
2. Quickly press and release the Volume Down button.
3. Press and hold the Side button until the Apple logo appears — then release.

Keep the phone plugged into the charger while you do this. When the Apple logo appears, release the Side button and allow the phone to finish booting. Once it has restarted, check whether the charging icon appears in the status bar.

One common mistake: releasing the Side button when the “slide to power off” screen appears. That is not the restart — keep holding through it. The Apple logo comes after, and the full sequence can take up to 20 seconds.

Step 4: Update iOS

iOS bugs occasionally interfere with charging behavior, and some have been resolved in point releases. If you have been delaying an update, this is a good reason to install it. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available update. You do not need a full charge to initiate an update — connect to Wi-Fi, plug in, and let it run.

If your phone cannot charge enough to update over the air, you can initiate a software update through Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) by connecting via Lightning cable. This method does not require a minimum battery level and will attempt to update rather than erase.

Step 5: Check Battery Health

A severely degraded battery can cause unpredictable charging behavior — the iPhone may refuse to charge past a certain point, charge very slowly, or drop charge percentage immediately after unplugging. To check battery health on iPhone 14: go to Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging.

The “Maximum Capacity” figure shows how much charge your battery holds relative to when it was new. Apple’s battery health guidance indicates that a battery at 80% or below warrants replacement. At that level, the phone will also begin displaying a message recommending service. A degraded battery is not a charging fault per se — the charger is doing its job — but the battery cannot accept and hold a full charge anymore, which reads like a charging problem to the user.

If the reading is above 80% and all other steps have been completed, the battery itself is not the cause of your charging issue.

Step 6: Try Wireless Charging as a Diagnostic

If you have a Qi-compatible wireless charger or a MagSafe charger available, try charging wirelessly. The iPhone 14 supports Qi wireless charging at up to 7.5W and MagSafe at up to 15W. If the phone charges wirelessly but not via Lightning cable, you have isolated the problem to the Lightning port or the cable — not the battery or software.

A few things to check if wireless charging also fails: the phone must be centered over the charging coil on the pad, as misalignment breaks the connection. A thick case, metal case, or a case with a magnetic wallet attachment can interfere with power transfer — remove the case and retry. If the iPhone is hot (warm to the touch), iOS will reduce or pause charging until the device cools. Move it away from direct heat or sunlight and wait a few minutes before placing it on the pad again.

When to Stop DIY and Book a Repair

If you have worked through all six steps and the iPhone 14 still won’t charge, the problem is almost certainly hardware — a damaged Lightning port, a failed charging IC (the internal chip that manages charging), or a battery that is too degraded to accept current. None of these are DIY-fixable without specialized tools and components.

Your options at this point:

• Apple Store or Apple Authorized Service Provider: Apple’s service and repair page lets you book a Genius Bar appointment or mail-in repair. Out-of-warranty battery replacement for iPhone 14 is listed at $99 (USD) through Apple — verify current pricing when booking, as this can change. If the port is damaged, Apple will assess whether it is repairable or requires a device replacement.
• Independent repair shop: A legitimate alternative for port replacement and battery swaps at lower cost. Battery replacement at third-party shops typically runs less than Apple’s rate. Using an independent shop will not affect an already-expired warranty, but it will void any remaining warranty coverage. Ask whether the shop uses OEM-equivalent batteries and whether they provide a warranty on the repair itself.
• AppleCare+: If you have an active AppleCare+ plan, battery service is covered at no additional cost when battery health is below 80%. Check your coverage status at Settings > General > VPN & Device Management or at appleid.apple.com before booking a paid repair.

One scenario that is not worth attempting DIY: liquid damage to the port. If the iPhone was exposed to water and corrosion has formed inside the Lightning port, forcing a cable in risks shorting internal contacts. Let a technician assess and clean it before attempting to charge.

Key Takeaways

• Most iPhone 14 charging failures are caused by a faulty cable, debris in the Lightning port, or a low-power source — fix these before assuming the battery or hardware is at fault.
• Stopping at 80% is Optimized Battery Charging working correctly, not a malfunction. Check Settings > Battery > Battery Health & Charging to confirm and disable it if needed.
• A force restart with the cable plugged in clears software-related charging blocks in seconds, with no data loss.
• If wired charging fails but wireless works, the fault is isolated to the Lightning port or cable — not the battery.
• If all DIY steps fail, book a repair through Apple or an authorized provider rather than continuing to troubleshoot. Hardware faults do not resolve themselves and can worsen with repeated charging attempts on a damaged port.

Frequently Asked Questions