Q: iPhone 4s Battery Life?

I'm not turning off all the  features, just the features I don't use.

Why would you use the System Services in Locations Services anyway? it's just sending data back to Apple, there is no benefit to using that!!

The only other feature I have turned off are Facebook notifications and the Stocks widget thing as it annoys me.

Everything else is on and I'm still at 52% battery left (well over a day since it's last charge), I don't think that is too bad really. Certainly better than the last 2 phones I had (HTC Desire and HTC Sensation). They never lasted more than about 18 hours before needing to be charged.

Again, do you think that a 41% decrease in battery life in 6 hours in standby mode is acceptable?

That's why I've mentioned switching things off that you don't use.

I must admit I don't think I've ever had battery drain that quickly, so it sounds like something could be running constantly in the background??

I have the same apps and the same settings on my iphone4 and that phone was on 98%, now granted the 4s have a faster processor, but come on. Since my battery drains so fast that means I won't get more than roughly 12 hours standby time, that's not acceptable.

maybe you have a dodgy handset then?

The battery standby time etc, aren't as good on the 4s as on the 4. That's going of the specs on various websites anyway, so I wouldn't expect the same battery performance.

12 hours isn't great admittedly, have you tried resetting the thing and starting again? I know it's a pain but might be worth trying. I've not done that with my iphone, but I had to reset my android phones various times as some apps would appear to keep hold of resources and permanently drain battery. Resetting worked on those, so no reason why it can't on iphone. It might be worth a try anyway?

I have had the almost identical expereince to Fabs. I got my first phone in October when it first became available in the UK. This was exchanged in less than a week owing to transmission quality issues. The replacement phone solved this problem - but the battery life was awful. Like others here I tried all the software updates and upgrades suggested to no effect what so ever. I had just about given up on things as there did not appear to be any common agreement as to whether is was a hardware software or combination of the two problem.

One day I thought what the **** and gave Vodafone (my provider) a call to see if they had any ideas. I spoke to a very helpful assistant who recognised the problem instantly and said that the only way to fix the problem was to get the phone replaced with a new one. I was sceptical about how this would help - but the CSR was adament that there was a fix and a replacement phone would solve the problem. Two days later the replacement phone arrived which I set up using the settings from the old phone on itunes. This phone also has a serial number beginiing with C39 although mine continues GQ - not GK

I now have very much improved battery life and the phantom usage problem has all but vanished. With WiFi, Bluetooth, Siri all on and exchange set to fetch every hour all I am losing is about 5% battery overnight. With normal business calls and some limited browsing during the day it will lose about 20% during a noraml work day. The only thing that still knocks the battery for 6 is a golf GPS app which uses GPS and data almost continually which will sap the battery by about 45% over a 4 1/2 hour round - but this is only to be expected.  Owning and using the phone now is a totally different experience and is a real pleasure.

I have no idea what has been done behind the scenes at Apple - but there definitely appears to be a hardware fix available which actually works. For all you people with battery issues its obviously now a case of getting your hands on a phone from the correct build - or maybe just avoiding the wrong one.

Mark_SRi wrote:

 

Ok quick update from me from a couple of days ago!

 

Phone was dying in less than 15hrs with little to no usage with all features turned OFF. A day old. I have taken back to the T-Mobile store and complained. They swapped the phone with no hassle in store.

 

The new phone i have has lasted nealry two day with all features turned ON. Much happier now.... feel as though the product is doing what it should be life wise.2% battery drain overnight compared to 44% on the other. Although this will be down to putting into Airplane mode of a night.

 

One gripe, T-Mobile didnt have another 32GB iPhone 4s in White, so had to take the black one, meaning both myself and partner both have the black!

I am glad you are happy now.  About the black phone...  I like it much better than the white, with the extra hold in the front.  You could always buy a white softgel case.  I find using the 4 or 4S without a case a very uncomfortable thing.  Too many edges, and the thing is rather like trying to hold a slimy fish.  EASY to drop.  At least with the cases, it has some protection if it slips out of your hand, which it is much less likely to do.  Softgel cases only cost a couple of bucks.

enx23 wrote:

 

@Jameson!

 

 

Jameson! wrote:

 

Another claim that you cannot substantiate....... 

Yes, I can! It is well known that the culprit is the Qualcomm chipset MDM6610 which is used only in iPhone 4s! This chipset is the first one to combine CDMA and GSM/UMTS capabilities and gives the unique feature of iPhone 4s being a "world-wide phone"!!! Also it is known that this the chipset which has the arcing and which produces the static noise when 3G (UMTS) networks are used with Cellular data. Being the first chipset of its kind to join these two capabilities might explain its "childhood diseases".

Then how come some phones have the problem, and others don't.  Carrier issues?  SIM cards?  I am on ATT in the US (GSM), and have no problem.  YES, the phone uses more power with on 3G and data, but then it is doing more.

Unshaven wrote:

 

I'm not sure this is entirely accurate.  I am on a 3G network and have cellular data enabled all the time.  I have not experienced the battery drain issue noted by many on this forum.  A few friends of mine (across Canada) also have the 4s and have not experienced the problems documented in this lengthy thread.  I'm not sure what the cause of the problem would be, but to say that phones operating on a true 3G network (and not 2G) are all affected is a fairly large assumption to make.  Again, I don't know what the actual problem might be.

Exactly what I was saying.  Some work just fine, and others seem to have problems.  I have YET to hear of anyone in my area having a problem with really bad battery life.  This is leading me to think there may be a problem with the carrier towers signals in some areas, or the 'provisioning' is faulty, causing the phone to have to work really hard to maintain a connection.  However, the static issue, and heat indicate a real hardware issue.  And, no, 80% of 4S phones don't have this problem.

Tompi86 wrote:

 

Hi Everyone!

 

i have bought an iPhone 4S 32GB. i have to charge the battery every night (after using 20-30hours: calling and 5-10/day internet)

i have turned off location services, wifi, 3g etc. what can i still do? during the night losts the battery 15% or more. (all apps off)

 

pls help!

Well, one thing is to read some of the more helpful articles available, and try their suggestions.  The other thing is to put the phone on the charger when you go to bed, and leave it there until you get up, so at least you start with a full charge.  This seems so painfully obvious to me, but many seem to not see the logic.

richard.smalley wrote:

 

I'm not turning off all the  features, just the features I don't use.

Why would you use the System Services in Locations Services anyway? it's just sending data back to Apple, there is no benefit to using that!!

 

The only other feature I have turned off are Facebook notifications and the Stocks widget thing as it annoys me.

 

Everything else is on and I'm still at 52% battery left (well over a day since it's last charge), I don't think that is too bad really. Certainly better than the last 2 phones I had (HTC Desire and HTC Sensation). They never lasted more than about 18 hours before needing to be charged.

My experience exactly.  I am not sure what kind of phones the main complainers had before, but my HTC Pure often ran down in as little as 8 hours, just sitting in my pocket.

rphunte42 wrote:

 

[...]And, no, 80% of 4S phones don't have this problem.

That may be, but however you put it, 100% are not "picking up where amazing left off" in terms of battery life, with or without everything turned off. And that's really a deal breaker. If no iPhone existed prior to this one, and Apple said it's 6-8-200hrs, that would be just fine, take it or leave it. But "amazing" was beyond that in terms of battery life. Anyways, I've made this point before...

And insofar as HTC phones and all are concerned, did you apply your conservation 101 tips, or did you settle for carrying a couple of 10-20$ battery replacements?

Seems to me it's been sometime you and this other guy tried an Android handset for wifi browsing, maybe time to try a newer handset to upgrade the comparison? Especially since no light user uses the phone for more than 1-2 hours a day, then I fail to see the difference between 9 or 10 hours... you guys charge it every night anyways as you often put it lollll

(source Anandtech)

Dickimuss wrote:

 

I have had the almost identical expereince to Fabs. I got my first phone in October when it first became available in the UK. This was exchanged in less than a week owing to transmission quality issues. The replacement phone solved this problem - but the battery life was awful. Like others here I tried all the software updates and upgrades suggested to no effect what so ever. I had just about given up on things as there did not appear to be any common agreement as to whether is was a hardware software or combination of the two problem.

 

One day I thought what the **** and gave Vodafone (my provider) a call to see if they had any ideas. I spoke to a very helpful assistant who recognised the problem instantly and said that the only way to fix the problem was to get the phone replaced with a new one. I was sceptical about how this would help - but the CSR was adament that there was a fix and a replacement phone would solve the problem. Two days later the replacement phone arrived which I set up using the settings from the old phone on itunes. This phone also has a serial number beginiing with C39 although mine continues GQ - not GK

 

I now have very much improved battery life and the phantom usage problem has all but vanished. With WiFi, Bluetooth, Siri all on and exchange set to fetch every hour all I am losing is about 5% battery overnight. With normal business calls and some limited browsing during the day it will lose about 20% during a noraml work day. The only thing that still knocks the battery for 6 is a golf GPS app which uses GPS and data almost continually which will sap the battery by about 45% over a 4 1/2 hour round - but this is only to be expected.  Owning and using the phone now is a totally different experience and is a real pleasure.

 

I have no idea what has been done behind the scenes at Apple - but there definitely appears to be a hardware fix available which actually works. For all you people with battery issues its obviously now a case of getting your hands on a phone from the correct build - or maybe just avoiding the wrong one.

Interesting.  Is Vodaphone also your wireless service provider?   Could it be that some of their early phones weren't properly provisioned in the beginning, and they found, and fixed, the problem?  BTW, 4.5 hours with GPS is really good.

@rphunte42, I was told to not charge the phone until it runs below 20% to increase it's life. Is this not true?

That's why I don't charge it every day.

Just to add to this very long discussion.  I've had my iPhone 4s for about ten days, and the battery life seems to be improving a little.  I have on the items that I use, like wi-fi, Bluetooth for most of the day as I use the phone in my car (but I turn it off when I get home), I fetch e-mail manually and I have the location services that I want turned on.  I turn the phone off at night, and charge it roughly every other day.  At the last count I had over 7 hours usage and just over 2 days standby on one full charge, and I think I'm happy with that.

I'm no expert, but I'd like to point out that this is not just a phone, but a mini computer! Nobody expects the battery of even the best netbook to last over a day with constant use!  Sure, our old phones that just made and received calls lasted a week between charges, but this is a totally different animal.