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Scarface.

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 Kinst,

    Kinst Kinst Nov 28, 2011 8:06 AM in response to danicus007
    Level 1 (75 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 8:06 AM in response to danicus007

    I'm also bought my one 11/11/11... As some said here, and they are completely right, all attempt to found particular application or "magic sequence" of actions which is able to make everybody happy... Those attempts are useless and some times are just stupid. It's obvious that the reason somewhere deep in system services. The only practical thing of all discussin here is if some tech from Apple reading this and trying to put together all things with a knowlege of deep processes.

     

    I have the battery usage about 3-5% overnoght. And it's always 3-5% - using push or not, active GPS (reminder based on location) or not, all the same.

  • by Dcabral17,

    Dcabral17 Dcabral17 Nov 28, 2011 8:16 AM in response to Scarface.
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 8:16 AM in response to Scarface.

    This is stupid we have to basically turn our phone into a basic phone in order to use it?? This phone is not cheap I bought a iPhone it's supposed to work using everything that it comes with I'm tired of charging my phone at night and during the day it's bull crap something needs to be done ASAP

  • by xabbess,

    xabbess xabbess Nov 28, 2011 9:33 AM in response to 1AppleADayNoWay
    Level 1 (79 points)
    iPhone
    Nov 28, 2011 9:33 AM in response to 1AppleADayNoWay

    You kindly responded to a post by me where I listed my battery drainage.......and said that doing it in that way had been basically a waste of time.  I just wanted to say here that my phone is finally behaving much better. (Not due to wasting time!) I had done nearly all the tweaks and workarounds with settings that I had read about.  I drained and recharged the phone for a second time....and finally turned off Wifi.  After beginning at a 100% charge around 5pm yesterday, it is still at only 93% this morning at 9:30...16.5 hours later.  I haven't used the phone and usage shows very very low compared to before and standby time has risen considerablly.

     

    I don't want to jinx myself with being pleased prematurely about all this, but felt the need to let someone know that things have improved for me....and through this reply, say thanks to everyone who contributed all the thoughts and ideas that I tried out.

  • by Nogueda,

    Nogueda Nogueda Nov 28, 2011 9:36 AM in response to Dcabral17
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 9:36 AM in response to Dcabral17

    totally agree with you! my ipod 1st gen last longer and I bought it almost 4 years ago.

  • by 1AppleADayNoWay,

    1AppleADayNoWay 1AppleADayNoWay Nov 28, 2011 9:47 AM in response to xabbess
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 9:47 AM in response to xabbess

    xabbess wrote:

     

    [...]  I drained and recharged the phone for a second time....and finally turned off Wifi.  After beginning at a 100% charge around 5pm yesterday, it is still at only 93% this morning at 9:30...16.5 hours later.  I haven't used the phone and usage shows very very low compared to before and standby time has risen considerablly.

    [...]

    "Burning in" the battery and turning off things that you don't readily use is good practice. I personally believe Apple was very aggressive in terms of factory settings, and wanted to show off their device with all the bells and whistles. I believe everything should be turned off intially, so as to minimize problem vectors, especially with stuff that goes on while the phone is unattended i.e. syncs, cloud etc. Whether it's related to that, some peculiar home network config(equipment) or the calibration of the battery, what's important is that you get more out of it!

     

    Good luck!

  • by AdamBernstein,

    AdamBernstein AdamBernstein Nov 28, 2011 9:57 AM in response to Scarface.
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 9:57 AM in response to Scarface.

    I've tried everything and was about to give up until...

     

    ... I noticed the purple GPS arrow at the top of the screen. Wondering why it was displayed I closed all apps, but it persisted. I'd already turned many elements of Location Services off except Compass Calibration yet was still losing some 8-10% per hour. I turned off Compass Calibration which was displaying the purple arrow (under Location Services > System Services) and hey presto, I'm down to a more acceptable loss of 4-5% per hour.

     

    Not as good as the iPhone 4, but a start.

  • by Kinst,

    Kinst Kinst Nov 28, 2011 10:04 AM in response to AdamBernstein
    Level 1 (75 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 10:04 AM in response to AdamBernstein

    That's strange behavior. Compass calibration works only when commapss launched. The only apps which holds GPS on (even "unloaded" are) timezone and reminder location based... My device doesn't show the arrow if those set to off.

    More than that - tonight I had a notification using location so GPS was on - and battery shows as usual about 5% per 9 hours...

    So... Wait for Apple to come.

  • by cleoisis,

    cleoisis cleoisis Nov 28, 2011 10:17 AM in response to buxbuster
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 10:17 AM in response to buxbuster

    With you getting such great battery life, when do you charge?  Do you fully discharge your battery before charging again or do you charge whenever you want?

     

    Do you find that if you fully discharge your battery you tend to get better battery life?

     

    It's been 2 weeks since I purchased my 4S and I have only charged when the battery is completely drained.  I have gotten great battery life.  I turn off everything that is not necessary for me like "push", 3G (i'm always in a wi-fi zone), background apps, location services, etc.  BUT I do keep Siri (raise to speak) on at all time.

     

    So, currently my phone has 11% battery left with usage at 6 hours, 15 minutes and standby at 2 days, 14 hours.

     

    Do you think I have been able to get these stats because I let it fully drain before charging?

     

     

    Thanks.

  • by AdamBernstein,

    AdamBernstein AdamBernstein Nov 28, 2011 10:22 AM in response to Kinst
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 10:22 AM in response to Kinst

    Yes, it is indeed strange. But as I said, all apps were closed down (and none on the face of it should have been using the compass). Prior to turning off the compass I was losing 8-10%, now it's nearer 5%.

  • by Jameson!,

    Jameson! Jameson! Nov 28, 2011 10:41 AM in response to AdamBernstein
    Level 1 (40 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 10:41 AM in response to AdamBernstein

    From day one, I have refused to "turn off" the functionality that drove me to buy my 4s in the first place.   Instead of toying with settings non-stop, I have left everthing on while carefully observing how the phone acts.   I charge every night, using Battery Doctor Pro.

     

    Observations after several steady weeks of this are:

    The battery drain problem only manifiests itself for me, when NOT connected to Wifi.   When connected to my home or office wifi network, there is no battery drain issue for me, even with EVERYTHING except lift to activate Siri on.

     

    I get ~~2% per hour or less drain when connected to either wifi system.

     

    However, during my one hour each way commute, I will lose a minimum of 5% and often slightly more.  

     

    On Thanksgiving Day, we were at relatives' house with no Wifi and a marginal AT&T signal.   I could watch the battery level drop at an alarming rate and barely made it through 7 hours there, leaving with 19% remaining.   By the time I got home, I was at 11% and back on my home wifi, I easily lasted the rest of the evening.

     

    So, it's my opinion that this issue points right back at the way iOS5 manages cellular signals, when location based and notification services, as well as iCloud, are turned on.

     

    Received on Day one - 64gb AT&T with the SIM Card from my previous iPhone 4.   Everything ON except for lift to activate Siri.   Push ON for Exchange Mail (work) and Yahoo Mail with Fetch on for Gmail.  iOS 5.01

  • by tarcicio,

    tarcicio tarcicio Nov 28, 2011 10:45 AM in response to Jameson!
    Level 1 (10 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 10:45 AM in response to Jameson!

    Anyone know when new firmware launching? ie 5.02 update

  • by owh786,

    owh786 owh786 Nov 28, 2011 11:18 AM in response to xabbess
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 11:18 AM in response to xabbess

    yes, but when you start using it does the odd percentage drop quicker than the even percentage?

    thats whats happening on my phone.

    on mine, it stays on 100% for 16 mins whilst browsing over wifi and then drops to 99%.

    It stays on 99% for about 2 minutes and then goes to 98%, which it stays on for about 6 minutes, and this process is repeated.

    This is my 2nd 4S and the same problem persists.

  • by owh786,

    owh786 owh786 Nov 28, 2011 11:35 AM in response to cleoisis
    Level 1 (5 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 11:35 AM in response to cleoisis

    WOW!!! those are some amazing stats!!! I'm on my second 4S now and I still cant get battery that good!!!

    Although, since I have gotten my second one, i'm scared of letting it get below 50% because the battery life fluctuates so badly compared to my 4. I could get 4 days out of my iphone 4 and not even a day out of this!!!

  • by Jameson!,

    Jameson! Jameson! Nov 28, 2011 11:44 AM in response to owh786
    Level 1 (40 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 11:44 AM in response to owh786

    You've lost me.   If your phone drops 2% in 8 minutes WHILE BROWSING, that translates into about 6 hours of continuous browsing before dead.   That's great performance!   What's the problem?

    owh786 wrote:

     

    yes, but when you start using it does the odd percentage drop quicker than the even percentage?

    thats whats happening on my phone.

    on mine, it stays on 100% for 16 mins whilst browsing over wifi and then drops to 99%.

    It stays on 99% for about 2 minutes and then goes to 98%, which it stays on for about 6 minutes, and this process is repeated.

    This is my 2nd 4S and the same problem persists.

  • by BBWC1986,

    BBWC1986 BBWC1986 Nov 28, 2011 11:46 AM in response to Jameson!
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 28, 2011 11:46 AM in response to Jameson!

    A friend of mine once told me that, if you have a weak signal, it is worse for battery life.  This is because the phone will use more battery power to boost the phone's reception ability.  I would tend to agree, as I used to work in the basement floor of a building, and my phone's charge would last less than half of a day.

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