Q: iPhone 4s Battery Life?

Interesting observation. I have one as well. I do not really have battery issues and all is well except...... each morning I can check my phone (actually throughout the night) and its at 100% up until as late as 6:30 or so.  I plug in at night to charge so its still plugged in. Then If I check maybe 7:15  its dropped to 95% -97% while plugged in.  I finally have just decided to unplug and replug when I wake up then by time out of shower and ready its back to 100%. Anyway today I decided to look deeper . I have installed the System Status app a few weeks back. It has a system log function on it. So this am when I saw I had dropped to 95% i opened it and emailed myself the log to review today. What I noticed was pretty constant around  2:00 the phone is going nuts over time setting. (see below small example of the log, it goes on long while) I have the Time zone in system settings turned off but the automatic set is still on. Wondering if this could equate to the phantom usage folks are seeing? I am fine the rest of day it appears. Like I said the only time I see that kind of drain is early morning  while still plugged in and after I unplug all is well. I have turned off auto time set and will see tomorrow am if there is any difference

Jan 24, 2012 5:34:09 AM - timed [414] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Not

setting time zone to America/New_York from CDMA

Jan 24, 2012 5:31:08 AM - timed [413] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Not

setting system time to 01/24/2012 10:31:09 from CDMA because time is

unchanged

Jan 24, 2012 5:30:58 AM - timed [413] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Want

active time in 41.44hrs. Need active time in 124.77hrs.

Jan 24, 2012 5:30:55 AM - timed [413] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Received network time zone "CDMA" with 349093856.00 -300 DST in 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:30:55 AM - timed [413] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Searching in DST time zone map for offset -300 and MCC 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:30:55 AM - timed [413] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: DST

active (0) doesn't match for America/Chicago (given offset -300, dst

1, mcc 310, time 349093856.00)

Jan 24, 2012 5:30:55 AM - timed [413] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Searching in NO DST time zone map for offset -300 and MCC 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:30:55 AM - timed [413] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Received timezone "America/New_York" from "CDMA"

Jan 24, 2012 5:30:55 AM - timed [413] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Not

setting time zone to America/New_York from CDMA

Jan 24, 2012 5:29:41 AM - timed [412] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Not

setting system time to 01/24/2012 10:29:42 from CDMA because time is

unchanged

Jan 24, 2012 5:29:31 AM - timed [412] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Want

active time in 41.46hrs. Need active time in 124.80hrs.

Jan 24, 2012 5:29:28 AM - timed [412] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Received network time zone "CDMA" with 349093769.00 -300 NO DST in 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:29:28 AM - timed [412] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Searching in NO DST time zone map for offset -300 and MCC 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:29:28 AM - timed [412] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Received timezone "America/New_York" from "CDMA"

Jan 24, 2012 5:29:28 AM - timed [412] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Not

setting time zone to America/New_York from CDMA

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:43 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Not

setting system time to 01/24/2012 10:27:44 from CDMA because time is

unchanged

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:33 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Want

active time in 41.49hrs. Need active time in 124.83hrs.

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:32 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Received network time zone "CDMA" with 349093653.00 -300 DST in 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:32 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Searching in DST time zone map for offset -300 and MCC 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:32 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: DST

active (0) doesn't match for America/Chicago (given offset -300, dst

1, mcc 310, time 349093653.00)

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:32 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Searching in NO DST time zone map for offset -300 and MCC 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:32 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Received timezone "America/New_York" from "CDMA"

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:32 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Not

setting time zone to America/New_York from CDMA

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:30 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Received network time zone "CDMA" with 349093651.00 -300 NO DST in 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:30 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Searching in NO DST time zone map for offset -300 and MCC 310

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:30 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Received timezone "America/New_York" from "CDMA"

Jan 24, 2012 5:27:30 AM - timed [411] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime: Not

setting time zone to America/New_York from CDMA

Jan 24, 2012 5:17:26 AM - timed [410] (Notice): (Note ) CoreTime:

Received network time zone "CDMA" with 349093047.00 -300 DST in 310

@EdiMC

Take a look at my post from earlier today. Over the last few weeks I have been experimenting and found that my Phantom Usage was low to non-existent when then phone is in my pocket. When on my desk or on my bedside locker at night it can be quite high. It makes me sound like a 'nut job' but I assure you I am not.

BTW I would think the opposite due to low signal strength while in your pocket. I would expect higher drain then trying to lock on a signal better. Maybe thats the battery fix for the folks who have it, get a jeans pocket to carry the phone around in.

@sbailey4

Which System Status app are you using. I have looked for one with logging capabilites but haven't found a decent one. I would like to use the one you mentioned.

FYI, I have Time zone in system settings turned off and the automatic set off also.

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/system-status-device-activity/id401457165?mt=8

There is a free version you can try. Its missing some of the functionallity. Paid one seems to be pretty thorough. Only thing I wish were better is the battery meter in in 5% increments. Otherwise pretty nice app , And you can free memory with it on demand. Not sure how bad thats needed with iOS but........... It was $2.99 then dropped to .99  now appears to be $1.99. I  was able to get it when it was .99!  Pretty informative app.

LOL - press the quote button near the smiley button...

EdiMC wrote:

 

P.S. How on earth do I do a quote???? lol

rphunte42 wrote:

 

If you turn Bluetooth on, it will poll the Bluetooth frequencies looking for a device to pair with.  This takes rather more power than NOT doing that polling.  On my previous phone, just leaving Bluetooth turned on when not needed would shorten my battery life by 30% or more.  Since I only use Bluetooth in the car on long trips, I keep it turned off.  Just like I keep lights turned off in my house when I am not in that room, and shut off my car engine when I am not actually USING it.

This is 'conservation 101'.

Your rigid thinking baffles me. Let me sum it up to you : off < on < on & active. What's so hard to understand there? The second aspect is that in some cases with this phone: on = on&active. Thirdly, specifications and PR don't imply that complicated maintenance has to be done and the non-geek user base doesn't have the skills to do it, and if they have the skills, then they're not given the proper tools in the OS (system monitor and proper logging facilities). Sure the battery page gives some hints, but they don't say to shut down iCloud or Siri or use the Gmail app for more efficiency, or that if you're a business user, Exchange might be a bit too much for the device to handle (maybe they could license a bit of WP7's code to solve that I guess). Fourth is that in some cases, there is no "off" setting i.e. 3G i.e. using 2G instead. Fifth is that they have to rethink the process by which apps can kill an OS release - have you ever seen an app killing a laptop battery through a desktop OS because it's not "optimized" for it - further sandboxing is required??? Sixth is that expecting the user base to not restore from a prior device is nothing short of a terrible blunder - you're expected to do that, especially if you're an Apple lover and have had prior devices - but here many have been rewarded with issues. So in the end this is not a seamless experience - it is not an Apple experience... Your lights on analogy is pure sophism and it was undone yesterday - conservation has to do with brightness settings and top UI switches, not intricate patterns which require sophisticated knowledge and such.

Hey all, Interesting topic. As everyone here I got my iPhone 4S like 2 weeks ago, an upgrade of my old iPhone 3GS, and again...as everyone here I was really disappointed of the battery life of it....Im sure that my iPhone 3GS had better battery life as it so I came here, read some posts, make my investigation and well, With some changes in settings now I can enjoy a very very good battery performance in a normal day. When I back home, like 8 - 10 hours of being outside, the battery was in 54%, I listened music, took pictures, tweet, facebook, and browsing. So.. what I noticed, what I changed?..

My apologize of my english ahaha...

First of all...I have an iPhone 4S 5.0.1 16 Gb, I compared the battery life with my old iPhone 3GS

What I noticed:

As you know...the iPhone 4S has new features but are the iOS 5 features in part who causes the poor battery life in the iPhone 4S. Then I thought, why my iPhone 3GS, with iOS5 works better that my iPhone 4S...and the answer is easy....the iPhone 3GS has the option to turn of the 3G and the iPhone 4S doesn't.

iOS5 has some intertesting features who destroy the battery life...and if you think...they're not really necesary:

• Weather upgrade by location: Make the iPhone use the GPS all the time, if you have WiFi on, use it too, and of course the network signal for triangulation (WiFi too).
• The famous "remind me to grab the gift when I get home" use the GPS on all the time too, and the WiFi, and the Network...same as the weather.
• Push Notifications of all....for example...on facebook...mail, etc etc...
• The Weird Diagnostic & Usage Data...
• Siri : Who use lots of features, GPS, WiFi(if it's on), google maps, browsing, etc.
• iCloud...who use all the WiFi spots for upload pictures and stuff..
• and Welll...something I must be forgetting for sure...

So What I did:

• I configured well my location services....as someone said time ago...I dont really care if Angry Birds knows where I am.
• I turned of the Weather Upgrade by location...Im always in the same city lol...
• I don't use the "remind me when I get home" because I know the hour when I will be in my house...so I put the reminder to this hour.
• I configured turned off the push notification...and I use fetch data in 30 min. I turn off some for example...facebook notifications...I just get noticed of inbox and wall posts....I dont really care about the cityville requests lol
• I still use iCloud and Siri.
• I turned of the Diagnostic & Usage Data.

So....

I HOPE that the new upgread of the iOS5 include the 3G switch ....Is most probable according some websites I readed...

Now I have 5 hours of  standby 2,5 hours of usage and 90% of battery

Bye!

Because you like analogies, you can imagine this:

An assembly containing a 11W fluocompact bulb and a 100W standard incandescant, triggered by a specific pattern from 8 different switches, which you don't know in advance. There is a defect in the first bulb which makes it use 100W instead of eleven, and sometimes it'll short the assembly.The second lightbulb works correctly but consumes 100W even when it's off. One time out of two, when both bulbs are lit, a third one turns on in another room. The assembly is delivered preinstalled and turned on.

Now what's your take on conservation 101?  Good luck.

bright raven wrote:

 

[...]I know how crazy this sounds and I have been reluctant to make this post but for me there is a definite correlation.

 

I went back to build 9A405 and have verified that the phantom usuage is there constantly (regardless of where the phone is) but when I load 9A406 it seems that I only get phantom usage when the phone is not in my pocket.

 

[...]

Sanity alert lolllll.

More seriously, as someone pointed out, it could be you're inhibiting the signal when it's in your pocket, which in turn inhibits some power consuming process.

My theory is more in tune with the past... "in your pocket" is the way Apple wanted you to hold the phone for better reception. You're the 3rd antenna!!! So a solution to phantom usage may be that when people sleep, they could plug the headphones and tie the end to their wrist... to keep the battery in leash!

Great,Great At last I have found the solution to my and your iPhone 4s 8-15% an hour drainage to make it almost 0.334% an hour in my case!!!!!!

I have found the best issue to the problem of double digit battery Drainage (even on standby) drainage on the iPhone 4s iOS

5.0.1

Here are the steps (I have personally tried them and they really work)

1. Connect iPhone to pc/Mac iTunes.

2. Backup phone (right click then backup).

3. Unplug phone from computer.

4. Do a hard/factory reset (erase all settings and everything).

5. Go through initial setup steps like language and region.

6. Enable everything u need except raise to speak, Bluetooth and sending diagnostics info to apple.

7. Connect back to computer and restore phone in iTunes (right click then restore).

8. Turn off phone with spinning wheel.

9. Completely recharge iPhone.

In my personal experience this reduces drainage from 8-15% an hour to 0.334% (in my case)

I have tested the drainage by leaving it overnight on standby from 100%, the. I woke up to a Magnificat 97%!!!!

GOOD LUCK

I just wanted to share my results. I WISH it was like this for the whole day! I don't know what happened to my iPhone last night! I used WiFi for just about 11 minutes (Safari), set alarm (4 alarms actually, takes me time to wake up), and the phone stayed on for 3 minutes (doing nothing). So I'd say the total usage time is 15 minutes (16 max.). Now this is some sexy a$$ results! 7 hours standby and still on 100%.

Message was edited by: AliAR - minor punctuation/grammar corrections.

I have music and contacts on my phone so its not "empty" as some of you say it is.

AliAR wrote:

 

[...]Now this is some sexy a$$ results! 7 hours standby and still on 100%.

 

This is not happening. It's simply called an inaccurate and non linear battery indicator... Plus "sexy" is what you see when you take your eyes away from the device to see that girl/boy passing in front of you. There is nothing sexy about those smartphones, even less so about their usage statistics. My opinion. Anyways.

Good luck!

bright raven wrote:

 

@EdiMC

 

Take a look at my post from earlier today. Over the last few weeks I have been experimenting and found that my Phantom Usage was low to non-existent when then phone is in my pocket. When on my desk or on my bedside locker at night it can be quite high. It makes me sound like a 'nut job' but I assure you I am not.

Is this because the phone is warmer than usual, more upright, or in the dark?  Can you think of any other logical cause for this observed phenomena?  Or maybe it just gets LONESOME, and is looking for company....  Grin.