Is this the problem with iPhone 4S battery life?

If your Usage time and Standby time are the same even when your phone is in sleep mode, there is something wrong. Most likely there appears to be a rogue app running in the background.

Few things you may want to check:

1. Mail. Sometimes after every update, your mail server can hang and continue to check the server. Deleting your mail account, rebooting and recreating the mail account seems fix the issue for some users.

2. Double click home button to bring up recently used app trays, hold the app for 3 seconds until a red circle with "-" appears and tap on it on all of your apps. This will close the app. If you have a systems moniter app, you should be able to tell what apps is running and what app isn't. It is a useful tool. I use this tool to free up memory spaces and check what apps are running.

In addition to number 2. Most app that supports multitasking usually should go into a frozen state. Meaning the app will freeze and shouldn't be running in the background. Only apps that would continue to run in the background is your navigation app and if you are actually using it.

3. Location service. If see an arrow next to the battery meter, then your location service is active and is running in the background. Check to see what app is still on. I know for the fact that if you set up a location reminder, the arrow will continue to stay there until you reach your location.

Also if you aren't using location service, best to keep this off.

If none the above fixes the issue then here are few suggestions that may work:

1. Settings > General > Reset (scroll all the way down) > Reset all Settings. This will reset your settings, it will not erase any contents. Some people find that this helped them fix the issue with the same usage and standby time.

2. Hold the home button and the power button for 10-15 seconds until apple logo appears (ignore red slider), this is a hard reset.

3. If #1 and #2 didn't do the trick then restoring your phone is the next option. Try set up as new phone and see if that helps.

Ah. One thing I may ask is how is it that your usage time is 50-60% greater than standby time? If I'm getting this right, your saying, usuage time 1 hour, standby time 30 minute? That indicate something is wrong.

Nicolo, I had the exact same problem (except my usage was 100% of my standby time)! It is not your fault. I took my phone in to Apple and they identified a corruption in the location programming that was causing my GPS to function constantly (without me being able to detect it).

They removed all of my software (after backing up the phone) and installed new software. The problem was solved. Very frustrating, and you think that they would have solved this issue with the update, but apparently not. Make an appointment at the Apple store and have them check the software on your phone.

I hope that helps.

I find it very unusual how your usage time is more than the standby time. I would then redownload the 5.0.1 on itunes (if you haven't) and restore from itunes and see what gives?

No, they didn't give me a new phone. But they did a full back-up, then uninstalled the software, then reinstalled the software and then restored my stuff. I would recommend that you let Apple do it, so they can test the software again immediately afterwards.

All these posts I see about background programs running and shutting down certain features are useless. It sounds like your problem is very much like mine was.

Nicolo, same here. But my battery went from 90% when I went to sleep to DEAD FLAT when I was LUCKILY woken up for work by my husband!!! NOT HAPPY!! I did the software upgrade. As they know, it didn't fix the problem.

But not waking me up for work - now THAT is NOT COOL Apple!!!

I began having exactly the same problem about five days ago and it just keeps getting worse. At this point I am getting a maximum of 6 hours standby time and this is not using the phone for anything whatsoever. I have done a hard reset, shut down every possible app. Deleted apps, etc. The only thing I haven't tried is restoring the phone but that is my next steop. The phone is absolutely worthless for now. Very disappointing. I spend too much money with this company to have these problems.

If you did the install yourself from the same computer that you used to activate your phone, then you may have just reinstalled the problematic software. At the Apple store, they run a diagnostic check on your software. If it shows corruption, then they remove it and replace it with software that they KNOW to have no corruption. They then can run another diagnostic on your phone to ensure that all is good.

I know that, for some, there are no Apple stores nearby and, even if one is nearby, you must make a Genius Bar appointment. But short of sending the phone back to Apple, I don't know of another way to solve the problem.

I hope that you live near an Apple store and that my answer is helpful to you.

I'm having the same troubles here. I did everything but the hard reset and the new phone itunes set up.

I've called the support with the express lane. They've called me back in 20 sec, but the call dropped. I was not even able to talk with the guy, only the recorded voice. sad.

Then I've called the regular support, and since I live far from the apple store, they offered to come pick the phone with a courier, to repair it or to replace it. it's pretty quick, but still 5 days without your phone. (for 29 euro they offered an option with a provisional phone provided by apple and delivered in 48h, with a deposit kept on your credit card...but what if you don't have any?)

Explaining to the girl this is a problem million of users are having and that I couldn't see the point of sending my phone back to apple, didn't resolve much.

...but thanks tobppump911 now I think I was wrong, and I think I could try to set up the appointment at the apple store. It will be a waste of my time, but I would do everything to make those 779 euros work properly...Hope you're right bppump!!!

I hope it works for you, too. I just got so tired of reading posts that told me that I shouldn't run half the programs that I paid for and I knew therer had to be a better way.

Good luck and let me know what happens. Ever since Apple took care of my phone, it has been smooth sailing (except that I still can't get Siri to do the stuff that the people in the commercials make look so easy).