iPhone Battery Issues Persist With iOS 5.1

[Akshay Masand]

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

[jrrtps]

Hey!! I have a Solution, do not turn on your Iphone...

[TheOrioles33]

This is seriously bizarre. I never had an issue. My friend at work had an issue and the last update fixed it. Others continue to have issues. Stranger than strange!

[CByrdie]

They need to address the memory leak issues! My phone loses so much memory causing a reboot! That or an untethered jailbreak will do!

[CCNPJediHacker]

It's totally a hardware problem, I'm syncing to everything possible and I get 7 hours usage within 16 hours off charge, this phone has EPIC battery life, especially compared with android phones. I used to have a sgs2 and I used to get max 4 hours usage out of 12 off charge. It's definitely dodgy batteries;( HTC have them all the time;(

[Jj2345]

I know how apple can fix this problem,get a damn bigger stronger battery
That means they also must get a wider iPhone to accommodate the bigger battery :-)

[Drakul71]

I have a 4s and it's a phenomenal phone. Apple did well with this one. However the battery life is beyond absurd. After charging all night, when I unplug it at 7am it's down to 20% by 1pm. And for the most part it's used for sending/receiving email through Exchange during the week. I've managed to get noticeable improvements by letting it completely discharge to 0% and charging it full before using it. I also turned off some location services I didn't need to be running. But the bottom line, on iOS 5.0 it's battery is sub-par. Need to carry charger cables for when I'm driving and to USB charge it when at work.

[maddawg05]

It's totally a hardware problem, I'm syncing to everything possible and I get 7 hours usage within 16 hours off charge, this phone has EPIC battery life, especially compared with android phones. I used to have a sgs2 and I used to get max 4 hours usage out of 12 off charge. It's definitely dodgy batteries;( HTC have them all the time;(

I'm with you. Maybe it's not a software problem. After 2 iOS updates?

[Zeal]

mine works fine

[Mbob486]

I found my battery would only last about half the day. My usage and standby were only two minutes apart. Found out my phone was sending diag info to apple every 5 min or so

Wow that sucked
Fixed now

[CCNPJediHacker]

I'm with you. Maybe it's not a software problem. After 2 iOS updates?

Yep that's true bro, we have to start looking at these iPhones with dodgy battery as being hardware inefficient. The two updates have increased battery life for me, but it was already fantastic, 5.1 has added another 10 percent, but I'm totally sure that any phone that loses 10 or more percent an hour has a faulty battery. This is in no way software related. Average length for a normal ios5.1 b1 iphone4s battery life should be around 6/7 hours usage per 16/18 on. Time to take the phones back for an exchange guys;(

[spooneditr]

I think it has to do with location services, icloud and what not.. Glad I'm still on 4.3.3...

[CCNPJediHacker]

I think it has to do with location services, icloud and what not.. Glad I'm still on 4.3.3...

How can it be? I'm using iCloud Skype, locations are all set to on, Facebook, imap push to two email accounts and use iCloud backup, and I get the stats above...

I think it has to do with location services, icloud and what not.. Glad I'm still on 4.3.3...

Another theory is that it could be radio drain, I can only see this sort of drain being caused by a radio bug, but if it was in one surely it would be in all?

[mmaboi21]

It could very well be a hardware problem with the battery. If users are all getting mixed results then it's something to do with YOUR physical phone. All the 4S's have iOS 5.0/5.0.1 and if the problem is not solved with the update then it has to be something hardware related.

[jose060789]

I am so glad I didn't buy the iPhone 4S and kept my iPhone 4!

[Selwin Snape]

Battery life on iOS has affected iPhone 4 and 3GS as well, so it must be software issue.

[Striknine]

I was having battery drain problems on my 4S on 5.0.1. Drained much faster than my ip4 on 4.3.3.
I took it into the apple store and they replaced the battery for me within 15 minutes.
Now it's almost the same as my old iPhone 4. No problems now.
If your phone is not under warranty it will cost you $79.00. Luckily mine was only a month old.

If your having problems take it into the Apple retail store and tell them to fix it. At the very least you will get a new battery.

[Selwin Snape]

I bought my 4S from eBay. Am I able to speak to an apple rep and have them replace the battery? There is no close apple store here.

[NetMage]

Surely every 4s is under warranty.

[Selwin Snape]

Okay, awesome. I bought my 4S brand new sealed. So I know it was not tampered with or anything. I'll give apple a call later. I can ship it to them and have it replaced I presume? Instead of going in store.