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Q: iPhone 4s Battery Life?

My iPhone 4s battery seems terrible! Almost equivalent to my 3GS and it's terrible battery life. When I got my iPhone yesterday and restored from backup I noticed nothing really changed with minimal usage and standby! Is this normal or should I consider setting it up as a new phone because maybe something is running in the background that's causing it to drop a percentage every few minutes under light usage? Input would be great!

Posted on Oct 15, 2011 7:14 AM

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Q: iPhone 4s Battery Life?

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  • by davidch,

    davidch davidch Nov 27, 2011 4:49 PM in response to mac2112
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 4:49 PM in response to mac2112

    mac2112 wrote:

     

    Really, that's good?

     

    Not according to what the specs are. And my wife has an iphone 4, and it gets much better milage than this 4S

     

    my wife has a 4S also and she i getting similar performance.  note, that when we first got the phones not long after release we both had standby drain of of 2-4% and hr or more.  after resetting all the settings, fully dicharging the battery completely and then fully recharging the battery overnight, the improvement was dramatic and we both see about 0.5% an hr in standby.  we have an older 3GS and an iPad 2 that have seen similar results.  i assisted many other users including ones with just 4 modesl and have gotten very similar results in most cases (but not all).  it also seems to slowly get better over time.

  • by mac2112,

    mac2112 mac2112 Nov 27, 2011 5:11 PM in response to davidch
    Level 1 (4 points)
    iPhone
    Nov 27, 2011 5:11 PM in response to davidch

    i have a 3gs, and it was great. The 4 is also pretty good. This 4s, which is my second, since I returned the first one the first week I had it, is a disappointment. The battery seems to drain 1% every time I do something, or turn it on. This needs to be fixed...

  • by MailmanDave,

    MailmanDave MailmanDave Nov 27, 2011 5:17 PM in response to laurafrompleasanton
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 5:17 PM in response to laurafrompleasanton

    I am not even getting close to this performance, nor are many others as can be seen from this message thread. It is such a GREAT phone (iphone 4S) with all of the apps, but battery life seems to be the big "con" for now.

  • by Telim,

    Telim Telim Nov 27, 2011 6:05 PM in response to Telim
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 6:05 PM in response to Telim

    Just an update from my earlier post this morning. My usage is logged now at 3 Hours, 38 minutes and Standby at 21 Hours, 23 minutes. Battery life is at 54% with the same settings as I posted.

  • by beachbum66,

    beachbum66 beachbum66 Nov 27, 2011 6:33 PM in response to adala
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 6:33 PM in response to adala

    I am losing all my battery power after about 12 hours of very little use.  I am not a tech guy and do not want to spend hours resetting, re-synching, and whatever.  I just want a the phone to function the way it is advertised.

    Do I have to find an Apple Store and go see a Genius? (I live in a city where there is no Apple Store).

    The product is great but I don't want to have to remember to plug the **** thing in every 12 hours. 

    What is the solution?  The upgrade made it worse, btw, just like everybody else said.

  • by chazzmichaelmichaels,

    chazzmichaelmichaels chazzmichaelmichaels Nov 27, 2011 6:47 PM in response to buxbuster
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 6:47 PM in response to buxbuster

    here is what i did. I turned off iCloud. I completely deleted my account. I erased all email accounts and DID NOT re-install. I also turned off wifi (I only turn it on when I need it). I have had my iPhone 4S on all day since 12 and I am only at 80%

     

    Usage 2 hours.

    Standby 7 hours 6 min.

    .....

    This works.

    I will now activate iCloud once a week to back up until Apple allows the ability to create a backup schedule so that it is not constanty syncing.

    I also have location services turned off for everything accept siri and maps. and i remove all apps from the multitasking bar when i am done using them.

  • by SHADYZZ,

    SHADYZZ SHADYZZ Nov 27, 2011 6:49 PM in response to 1AppleADayNoWay
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 6:49 PM in response to 1AppleADayNoWay

    Again, as I said before, I stand CORRECT and you're DEAD WRONG. As I said a long time back, this will NOT be fixed by users, and it HASN'T! Users won't be satisfied with not being able to use their device to it's fullest without burning out the battery and they AREN'T!

     

    So I want to thank you, because the fact that you're STILL here on here multiple times daily, as I see, it hasn't been fixed by you or for you from someone else, either. So again, I AM RIGHT!

     

    The problem with people like you is that you take FACTS and make it about you, probably because you have no self-esteem. It has NOTHING to do with you, so get over yourself.

     

    By the way, you're dead wrong, Apple designs software AND hardware in many cases, and they must work in CONJUNCTION with one-another. I'll say it again, you CLEARLY haven't a clue about software or hardware development.

     

    Again, thank you for proving my point weeks ago! I love when someone doesn't even realize that they're proving me right and at the same time, go out of their way to argue about it and prove themselves to be even lower! LOVE IT!

  • by chazzmichaelmichaels,

    chazzmichaelmichaels chazzmichaelmichaels Nov 27, 2011 7:14 PM in response to SHADYZZ
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 7:14 PM in response to SHADYZZ

         Ok, lets just relax and realize that we are talking about a phone; so lets not get carried away. People use this thread for help until the issues are fixed. We get that it's supposed to work, but it's not so we're dealing with it the best we can, and are trying to alleviate these (hopefully) temporary "symptoms".

         Get your childish tirade off this thread and puff out your chest elsewhere. I hope to God you're a kid becuase you are embarrassing yourself with your bickering and immaturity.

  • by SHADYZZ,

    SHADYZZ SHADYZZ Nov 27, 2011 7:41 PM in response to chazzmichaelmichaels
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 7:41 PM in response to chazzmichaelmichaels

    I am relaxed, don't know how in the world you could possibly think otherwise since you can neither see nor hear me. Regardless, it's not my fault that all I posted a while back that WE wouldn't be able to fix this, that we're just wasting time. He responded in attack to my post, so your judgment of me on this issue is haphazard and obtuse, at best..

     

    So this has nothing to do with you, and the fact that you decided to stick your nose into it and call us both names exemplifies the fact that you are no better, in-fact you're worse, than you accuse us of being.

     

    And again, I'm still correct, not one person here can or will fix the issue, it's up to Apple, so sit back and wait for it rather than run around in circles like a chicken with your head cutt off, getting frustrated over something you can't do a thing about.

     

    Get back to work, no wonder America's productivity has dropped, if people spent as much time working as they did wasting time, in over 430 pages of "Hey all this works" — "Oh wait, no it doesn't"... trying to fix something they'll never be able to, we'd be much better off.

  • by Paco from Mexico City,

    Paco from Mexico City Paco from Mexico City Nov 27, 2011 8:19 PM in response to Chris Mearing
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 8:19 PM in response to Chris Mearing

    I did the same thing

  • by chazzmichaelmichaels,

    chazzmichaelmichaels chazzmichaelmichaels Nov 27, 2011 8:22 PM in response to SHADYZZ
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 8:22 PM in response to SHADYZZ

         I didn't "stick my nose" into anything. This is public, get over yourself. It it has everything to do with me because I'm trying to use this thread (just like many many others) and I don't need it clogged with your idiocy. I know what you said: we can't fix the problem. We aren't trying to, we're just trying to do the best we can to deal with it. I commented because while I'm looking for insight into a temporary solution, I don't like seeing some ridiculous rant about how right you are and about how someone proved your point for you. And how you "just love when someone doesn't even realize that they're proving [you] right and at the same time, go out of their way to argue about it."

         You sound like a child. Stop reprimanding us for trying to improve our situation until a real fix comes out. And stop claiming that you're right. It gets old after the first couple of times. You've tried to prove your point, now act like an adult and stop whining and just leave it alone.

         And I didn't call two of you names. I called you names.

    Have a nice life.

  • by chazzmichaelmichaels,

    chazzmichaelmichaels chazzmichaelmichaels Nov 27, 2011 8:23 PM in response to Paco from Mexico City
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 8:23 PM in response to Paco from Mexico City

    did it work for you?

  • by SHADYZZ,

    SHADYZZ SHADYZZ Nov 27, 2011 8:50 PM in response to chazzmichaelmichaels
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 8:50 PM in response to chazzmichaelmichaels

    #1: YOU chose to answer to a discussion between HE and I, so therefore YOU DID stick your nose in, YOU had the choice to either ignore it or go on and read it, YOU CHOSE the latter.

     

    #2: YOU referred to HE and I, therefore you called US names.

     

    #3: I sholdn't even have to explain this to a 2 year old because he/she would just get it, but I do to you.

     

    LIke I already said to you, get over yourself, this isn't about me, you or anyone else, it's about FACTS, the fact is that all these people have been banging their heads against a wall trying to fix something they will NOT be able to fix.

     

    Grow up.

  • by ScottyDoo,

    ScottyDoo ScottyDoo Nov 27, 2011 9:52 PM in response to Scarface.
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 9:52 PM in response to Scarface.

    Fed up with this phone.

     

    Mine drops 10% every hour now.

     

    88% at 11.40

     

    76% when I went into apple store to moan at 12.40 - Told me to be patient and turn bluetooth off.

     

    Now its 13.50 and its on 66%

     

    I'm almost annoyed.

  • by zSkeptic,

    zSkeptic zSkeptic Nov 27, 2011 9:57 PM in response to zSkeptic
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 27, 2011 9:57 PM in response to zSkeptic

    My phone started with 10% - 12% per hour battery usage in stand-by when I first received it about 3-1/2 weeks ago.  After 2 restores, several hard and soft resets, 5 battery drains to zero and numerous changes with the settings, my battery performance has greatly improved.  Today, my phone set-up has the following turned off:

     

    • Siri Raise to Speak
    • All location system services
    • Most notifications except texts, phone, reminders, calendar
    • Push (set to fetch every 30 minutes)
    • iCloud

     

    A couple of days ago, I let my phone sit idle with the above set-up for 24 hours with no usage.  Here is what I saw:

     

    • Overnight, the battery went from 100% to 97% in about an 8 hour period.  The phone showed 7 minutes of usage for this period.
    • Immediately after waking the phone to look at the display, the battery lost another percent and then another 2% within the next hour or two.  I believe the battery indicator was just trying to normalize and ended being at about 94% in a 12 hour period.
    • In the next several hours it dropped anywhere from 1% to 1.5% per hour.  I did nothing except wake up the phone to look at the display.
    • The battery was at 75% at 24 hours.  This averages close to 1% per hour drain in stand-by. 

     

    Here are a few additional observations:

     

    • At work during the weekday, my phone will use 2% to 3% per hour in stand-by. I believe this is caused by a combination of heavy email traffic and being connected to the 3G network.  My work email is through MS Exchange and I have it set to fetch every 30 minutes.  My email volume ranges from 80 to 150 emails per day.
    • On 2 different occassions, I set my phone to airplane mode and came close to the .5% drain per hour in stand-by.  This leads me to believe that my battery is functioning correctly and that when I am connected to a network there are processes in the background that increase battery usage.  Many people have suggested that the phone is very inefficient with exchange.
    • I took a 2 day trip this weekend and accessed the internet extensively during my trip.  The battery drained rapidly - maybe 15% to 20% per hour.  However this would be normal with 3G usage compounded with other processes.  I believe the phone spec is 16% per hour for 3G.
    • I have seen a couple of apps continue to run in the background after they were closed.  This was evident through a processor/memory monitor and in the case of my traffic app, the location services indicator remained on after the app was closed.  This would be a situation where a reset or battery drain would kill the rogue process.
    • As other people have pointed out, the battery indicator is by no means a precision meter.  In the past, I have read that it is very difficult to produce a cost effective way to accurately measure battery capacity.

     

    Although my phone does not appear to have the same battery capacity as what others have posted, I believe that it is operating within spec. Like many Smart Phones, the iPhone eats up a lot of juice with 3G usage and I think most of the battery problems are related to settings, OS bugs, app bugs, inaccurate battery meter, inefficient antenna design and unrealistic user expectations.  I can live with my current battery performance.   I have a car charger, a charger at my work and I also own a 1500 mAh and 7000 mAh external battery for travel and situations where I will not have access to a power source for long periods.

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