iPhone Battery Issues Persist With iOS 5.1

Published on 12-02-2011 04:57 PM

Apple’s first beta of iOS 5.1 which was issued to developers reportedly doesn’t address the battery problems which many users have experienced thus far. Michael Morgan of ABI Research spoke with the folks over at ArsTechnica about the battery problems which have been reported since the release of iOS 5. The problems which were first noted by existing iPhone users who updated their handset to iOS 5, were reportedly noticed by those who bought the iPhone 4S as well.

According to Morgan, although Apple has apparently been unable to solve the battery life issues for all users, an eventual software fix is still the most likely solution to the problem at hand. He mentioned that the folks over at ABI Research tore down the 4S and tested the major components including the new A5 processor. They came to the conclusion that nothing that was tested was significantly different from the iPhone 4 and that the power consumption was right where it was expected to be.

It should be noted here that the iOS 5.1 beta seeded to developers on Monday was only the first beta of the pre-release software and it is likely that Apple will try to address the issue in upcoming releases. The final debut of iOS 5.1 could very well turn out to resolve the battery issues being reported by some iPhone 4S and iPhone 4 users.

Apple previously released iOS 5.0.1 in November with hopes of an incremental update aimed to fix bugs affecting battery life on the iPhone. After installing the update, many users felt that iOS 5.0.1 failed to address the battery life problems they had been experiencing. The Cupertino giant issued a public statement admitting that there may be some issues still needing to be addressed shortly after the launch.

The difficulty in pinpointing a problem in software as complex as Apple’s iOS 5 was noted by Morgan. According to him, the difficulty in completely addressing the battery issues lies not only within the complexity of the software but also the variables involved with how users actually use their device. Features such as Notification Center, automatic updates, and iCloud all naturally drain the battery. Those of you who are still experiencing the issue will have to continue to be patient.

Source: ArsTechnica

_{This article was originally published in forum thread:
iPhone Battery Issues Persist With iOS 5.1
started by
Akshay Masand} _{View original post}

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48 Comments

Selwin Snape - 12-03-2011, 01:22 PM

Turned off 'raise to speak' in Siri and battery is MUCH BETTER AND LAST LONGER now. :-). I think everyone should try this. I have location and everything on.
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rabbit_ - 12-03-2011, 02:30 PM

It's nothing to do with software or hardware it's to do with the way your holding phone lmao
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davesnothere11 - 12-03-2011, 02:44 PM

My 4s gets unbelievably long battery life with heavy usage.

I'd wager big money the issue lies with quality control in the battery production. Too many sub par performing batteries made it into iPhone's which is why it's so hit or miss.
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Colby21 - 12-03-2011, 09:23 PM

Don't think it's a software problem, since my 3GS on 5.0 and 5.0.1 lasts a full day on a nights charge. Must be the hardware. That dual core is really killing it.

I know they're still running the A5 at 800mhz like the A4, but the A5 should be more efficient running each core in tandem at 800mhz.... I wonder if Apple is lowering the A5 from 800 to 750, 0r 700mhz to compensate for the battery loss. That would suck. Otherwise, i don't see how they can fix the battery issue without doing a recall. I remember in another article on here, someone found Siri to be an EXTREMELY low battery consumption feature. So it can't be that.
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rlowride - 12-04-2011, 06:07 AM

I had to upgrade my wife's 3GS. Hers is under warranty. But we can't get to a store immediately. So we had to borrow one. As soon as I had them both ( both 3GS) my wife noticed immediate difference in battery life. Hopefully when I get her new one, it will be better. Is there anyway to downgrade a 3GS?
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sephiroth726 - 12-04-2011, 04:42 PM

I think they're just trying to screw up our jailbreaks IMO
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-JailbreakeR- - 12-04-2011, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by sephiroth726

I think they're just trying to screw up our jailbreaks IMO

I doubt that completely. They have more on their plate than worrying about jail breakers right now.
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MYPHONEI - 12-05-2011, 10:30 PM

also the variables involved with how users actually use their device. Features such as Notification Center, automatic updates, and iCloud all naturally drain the battery.

Exactly why I hate all this notification crap
I do not need need to know a spam email has come in, I check Email during the day about every 1 to 2 hours manually and thats too much. I also do not use useless Vibrate, why? Because if it needs to be silent for me then I cannot talk anyway and that is what VM is for. Push is turned off, notifications for most apps turned off, Some of these Devs have notifications for useless reasons

Apple needs to decide how to be truthful and stop lying about issues like the real battery life of the phone when used with average number of apps that are on the internet every hour checking for updates.

Originally Posted by -JailbreakeR-

I doubt that completely. They have more on their plate than worrying about jail breakers right now.

Don't bet on it, Jail breaking is near the top of the list, this article is telling us that Apple does not believe there is a battery problem............ read between the lines
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