You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

💡 Did you know?

⏺ If you can't accept iCloud Terms and Conditions... Learn more >

⏺ If you don't see your iCloud notes in the Notes app... Learn more >

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

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

Reply
12,787 replies

May 26, 2012 4:38 AM in response to 1AppleADayNoWay

Your point is well-taken, but can we extend this dialogue a bit further?


My little experiment was designed to determine what would happen if I took some responsibility for managing the iPhone 4s's battery instead of just turning everything on and leaving it on. In a post on page 799, I described what I did to "fix" my phone. Its performance quickly improved. I decided to see how far I could extend battery life by, again, taking responsibility for it instead of just getting on here and ******** about it. For anyone really serious about getting better performance, the information on that is all in this thread. Few are reading any of it.


My battery percentage is now at 16% and my usage is 4.5 hours with 8 days of standby. Is that "power usage", or even "normal" usage? Of course not. However, during these 8 days, I have never felt deprived or failed to use the phone when I wanted to.


Is it "normal usage" to turn everything on, location services, WiFi, etc, and leave all this operating when the phone is not being used? You could leave your car running all night long in the garage to save wear and tear on the starter, but wouldn't that be a tad expensive in gas?


I played golf for four hours yesterday. I didn't need WiFi because I left the phone at home. It was on my desk so I didn't need location services to find out where it was. I wasn't going to be using a network so that went off too. I didn't want it to bother anyone with beeping so I turned on Airplane Mode. All these things can be done in ten seconds or less. Don't we have a responsibility to do something about managing the battery usage before we all get on here and complain about it?


Now that I've pretty much completed my experiment, I'll start using the phone normally. For me, however, that won't mean leaving everything on, forgetting about the phone and battery, and then complaining about its short life. When you go to the Apple Store to complain about your phone, do you turn off your automobile's engine?


We are all free to use the phone the way we want to. There are, however, things we can do to manage the phone's battery better. We don't have to do those things, but we can. Failing that, we can get on here and complain.

May 26, 2012 8:21 AM in response to ace43

ace43 wrote:



Is it "normal usage" to turn everything on, location services, WiFi, etc, and leave all this operating when the phone is not being used?

One doesn't "turn everything on". It is on be default and yes, it is "normal" to leave them at the default settings.

I've never heard of anyone "normally" turning all settings off when they are not using those settings.


From this page -> http://www.apple.com/iphone/battery.html

(look at the text I underlined)


"Talk Time

Testing conducted by Apple in September 2011 using preproduction iPhone 4S units and software, on both GSM and CDMA carrier networks. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network; the Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks was turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary."

Standby Time

Testing conducted by Apple in September 2011 using preproduction iPhone 4S units and software, on both GSM and CDMA carrier networks. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network; the Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks was turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary.

Internet Use over 3G

Testing conducted by Apple in September 2011 using preproduction iPhone 4S units and software, on both GSM and CDMA carrier networks. Internet over 3G tests were conducted over a 3G network using a dedicated web server. iPhone 4S browsed snapshot versions of 20 popular web pages and received mail once an hour. All settings were default except: The Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, 3G connectivity, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary.

Internet Use over Wi-Fi

Testing conducted by Apple in September 2011 using preproduction iPhone 4S units and software, on both GSM and CDMA carrier networks. Internet over Wi-Fi tests were conducted using a dedicated web server. iPhone 4S browsed snapshot versions of 20 popular web pages and received mail once an hour. All settings were default except: the Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off; WPA2 encryption was enabled. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, Wi-Fi connectivity, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary.

Video Playback

Testing conducted by Apple in September 2011 using preproduction iPhone 4S units and software, on both GSM and CDMA carrier networks. Video content consisted of a repeated 2-hour 23-minute movie purchased from the iTunes Store. All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network; the Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary.

Audio Playback

Testing conducted by Apple in September 2011 using preproduction iPhone 4S units and software, on both GSM and CDMA carrier networks. The playlist consisted of 358 unique audio tracks, a combination of content imported from CDs using iTunes (128-Kbps AAC encoding) and content purchased from the iTunes Store (256-Kbps AAC encoding). All settings were default except: Wi-Fi was associated with a network; the Wi-Fi feature Ask to Join Networks and Auto-Brightness were turned off. Battery life depends on the cellular network, location, signal strength, feature configuration, usage, and many other factors. Battery tests are conducted using specific iPhone units; actual results may vary."

May 26, 2012 1:20 PM in response to 1AppleADayNoWay

1AppleADayNoWay wrote:


User uploaded file

My wife bought the 4S when it came out in october of last year. From the outset it was acknowledged that a conditionning technique was required to preserve the battery life so it was agreed the phone would remain mostly off all day, in its original packaging. In certain extraordinary situations, such as the need to ascertain usage and standby and take a screenshot, or activate airplane mode, usage would be possible. On a few select occasions she went as far as going "cellular" but rapidly came back to her senses. The results look promising, as that 5% should allow her to get through the summer before charging her phone for the first time - I hope we won't panic when this happens - I wonder if we'll feel sad about the device dying like that? In other news there may yet be a relationship between handset usage and battery life...

1AppleADayNoWay wrote:


User uploaded file

My wife bought the 4S when it came out in october of last year. From the outset it was acknowledged that a conditionning technique was required to preserve the battery life so it was agreed the phone would remain mostly off all day, in its original packaging. In certain extraordinary situations, such as the need to ascertain usage and standby and take a screenshot, or activate airplane mode, usage would be possible. On a few select occasions she went as far as going "cellular" but rapidly came back to her senses. The results look promising, as that 5% should allow her to get through the summer before charging her phone for the first time - I hope we won't panic when this happens - I wonder if we'll feel sad about the device dying like that? In other news there may yet be a relationship between handset usage and battery life...

You think? I suppose if it is just a 'conversation piece', this usage is ok. However, I kind of doubt that one can get 55 hours of ANY kind of usage from a 4S and have any battery power left.

May 27, 2012 1:30 PM in response to ace43

I hear you. It's just despite you being methodical with your experiment, it is nevertheless entirely flawed, unless you maintain your actual configuration throughout i.e. empty phone. The fix you refer to is basically a soft reset or a variation thereof, with a full discharge/recharge. When you buy the phone, it seems out of the box the battery is not properly conditioned, for reasons that are beyond my understanding (software most likely), or some glitch is eventually triggered and is temporarily alleviated with a reset so most likely you did not fix anything... you just enabled your phone to behave normally. Then, in some other posts I think you explained you have no apps at all, no mail, nothing. If you plan on adding data, in the form of apps, mail, music and whatever, or using location and cloud based functions, or being on the move with your 3G connection, then you will never be able to repeat your experiment. Because the phone "leaks" energy from what we could coin "automatic usage" i.e. when your phone does processing, be it processor wise or radio wise, with the data and/or location. Of course, if you only use the phone actively i.e. when you want to make a call and such, and turn it off or use airplane mode as soon as you're done, you can stretch the standby time. But such a phone is made to notify you of what's happening in this world i.e. social networks, mail, specific purpose apps. Of course you're free to use the phone as you see fit, it's just if you wanted a phone with the best call quality and reception and nothing else, then there were many other options where you just don't need to manage anything for the battery to yield results such as yours - for instance my 50$ Nokia C1-01. Good luck!

May 28, 2012 6:18 PM in response to 1AppleADayNoWay

"Then, in some other posts I think you explained you have no apps at all, no mail, nothing."


My phone is loaded with apps, always has been, with plenty of music, videos, and Gmail as well.

The experiment didn't feel "entirely flawed" because I wasn't trying to replicate anything, just find out

whether the battery usage was subject to management.


I live in a small town, and my office is a half mile from my home. The Country Club is only an eighth of a

mile away and the local grocery store is a mile away. I'm pretty confident that I can get to work, play golf

and get to the grocery and back without needing GPS, so I turn 'location services' off most days. Also, if I

get lost someday between the 7th and 8th holes, I guess I can always turn on 'location services' and get my

bearings. That only takes about 5 seconds, and I can go ahead and locate the bar at the same time. Once I get

a couple drinks in me, I'll probably turn 'location services' off again because I can walk home from there, albeit somewhat unsteadily.


Heck, I might even listen to a little music on the way home, something really trendy and low on battery usage.

May 28, 2012 8:45 PM in response to ace43


ace43 wrote:


"Then, in some other posts I think you explained you have no apps at all, no mail, nothing."


My phone is loaded with apps, always has been, with plenty of music, videos, and Gmail as well. The experiment didn't feel "entirely flawed" because I wasn't trying to replicate anything, just find out whether the battery usage was subject to management.


I live in a small town, and my office is a half mile from my home. The Country Club is only an eighth of a mile away and the local grocery store is a mile away. I'm pretty confident that I can get to work, play golf and get to the grocery and back without needing GPS, so I turn 'location services' off most days. Also, if I get lost someday between the 7th and 8th holes, I guess I can always turn on 'location services' and get my bearings. That only takes about 5 seconds, and I can go ahead and locate the bar at the same time. Once I get a couple drinks in me, I'll probably turn 'location services' off again because I can walk home from there, albeit somewhat unsteadily.


Heck, I might even listen to a little music on the way home, something really trendy and low on battery usage.



At first I though you were being as ironic as me, but there's nothing "wrong" with your usage really. It's just extremely light and certainly not on par with a more typical use which would not allow someone to drive the battery performance beyond a day and some, including some hours of calling, texting, casual gaming and internet access. What you refer to as "management" is actually "micro-management" of the connectivity of the handset. You cannot get notifications, streaming etc. in real time using the phone like that... and you may not want/need to. Personally I think there's lots of room for improvement with iOS if you need to help the OS do its job by managing its radios etc. In the end I think you proved that your handset is most likely not defective and that's a good thing! By the way, feature phones can also play music, take pictures, etc. Looking forward to seeing more of your usage stats! Good luck!

May 29, 2012 5:38 AM in response to 1AppleADayNoWay

This thread has become a CONTEST to see who can get the longest battery life by NOT using their phone, or its options & features. It's really not the issue at hand.


The reason this thread was started way back in the fall, was because actually using the phone in a normal manner, makes it difficult to get through the workday for many people! That's where this thread needs to focus......

May 29, 2012 5:45 AM in response to 1AppleADayNoWay

That "usage" was just to see what would result if I "micro-managed" the battery. That is not my normal usage at all, although I am still not a "power use". I've heard about feature phones playing music and taking pictures too and all I can say is 'What will they think of next?"


Here's a blacksnake in my backyard I thought was battery-worthy. Enjoy!


User uploaded file

May 29, 2012 7:17 AM in response to Scarface.

After posting a few days ago, I still had terrible battery experience after resetting ect. (iPhone 4, not a 4s) I usually put my phone on it's dock every night to recharge, but instead I let it run out, left a program running by mistake and when I looked at my phone it was down to 1%, quickly died and shut down shortly thereafter.


So I did a full recharge from this point. Since I don't believe in not using my phone I've been using it regularly since the full recharge. The only thing I am doing is that whenever I use a program I take note of the task bar to see what extra icons appear when something runs. For me the GPS icon (purple arrow) was almost always on. I did turn this feature off for a lot of the programs that I really don't care if they know where I am. (Asteroids, I'm sure will work just fine without knowing my exact lat/long.) The other one is the play icon (Green Triangle) and of course Bluetooth. I have for the most part left Bluetooth on but made sure to clear any other icons out of the task bar.


I am now at three days with normal usage and am now just down to 24%, it's almost noon local time on day three. My experience is thus, use your phone as per normal but keep an eye on what icon pops up in the task bar and especially which ones stay on even when you exit the screen. I did go though and shut off location services on my dumb programs that don't need it, a lot of games or silly apps. I'm hoping this keeps up.


Cheers

-Jon

May 29, 2012 1:52 PM in response to thebignewf

thebignewf wrote:


After posting a few days ago, I still had terrible battery experience after resetting ect. (iPhone 4, not a 4s) I usually put my phone on it's dock every night to recharge, but instead I let it run out, left a program running by mistake and when I looked at my phone it was down to 1%, quickly died and shut down shortly thereafter.


So I did a full recharge from this point. Since I don't believe in not using my phone I've been using it regularly since the full recharge. The only thing I am doing is that whenever I use a program I take note of the task bar to see what extra icons appear when something runs. For me the GPS icon (purple arrow) was almost always on. I did turn this feature off for a lot of the programs that I really don't care if they know where I am. (Asteroids, I'm sure will work just fine without knowing my exact lat/long.) The other one is the play icon (Green Triangle) and of course Bluetooth. I have for the most part left Bluetooth on but made sure to clear any other icons out of the task bar.


I am now at three days with normal usage and am now just down to 24%, it's almost noon local time on day three. My experience is thus, use your phone as per normal but keep an eye on what icon pops up in the task bar and especially which ones stay on even when you exit the screen. I did go though and shut off location services on my dumb programs that don't need it, a lot of games or silly apps. I'm hoping this keeps up.


Cheers

-Jon

Yes some functions do turn on other apps, such as Siri calling Safari if it needs information from the internet to answer a question. Also, some Siri functions such as "remind me to call mom when I get home." require access to the GPS so that it can determine when to remind you. It appears to check each minute, which means if you do that in the morning, on the way to work, it will check the GPS location MANY times during the day (there are better ways for Apple to do this). Turning off such unneeded apps when you finish a function should save some battery power. As for leaving Bluetooth on, the version 4 in the 4S is supposed to be much more frugal of battery power than older versions which could suck the life out of a feature phone battery in a few hours.

iPhone 4s Battery Life?

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.