iPhone 3GS Battery

Question

iPhone 3GS Battery

Hello, okay, so, I've got a little question. I am a user of a iPhone 3GS which I bought used last year in fall. I think the battery drains too quickly and I was wondering if my battery has gotten bad. I checked on a program called "iBackupBot" where it said that my battery had 332 in cycle count, which apple has said that at around 400 cycles it will have like 80% of its original state. In design capacity it said 1200 like it should, but below that it said that full charge capacity only was 870. I am thinking of replacing the battery, but I'm not sure. I am a pretty heavy user and I always close the apps after I'm done using them. So, now to the question. Will buying a new battery notice or will it just be about the same, and also are you "suppose" to be able to leave some apps open without losing like a couple of percentage each minute? I don't want to have to panic and worry about the battery all the time. Thanks for any answers.

iPhone 3GS, iOS 6.1.3

Posted on Feb 4, 2014 9:18 AM

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Answer 1

Feb 4, 2014 9:24 AM in response to Jonathan Forsberg

You can take it into an Apple store for a free battery test/evaluation. If they say it is worn out, you can get a replacement right there. Apple does not actually replace the battery on yours. They exchange it for a factory refurbished unit (new screen, new battery) instead. Since they do not transfer content, make sure you have an iCloud or iTunes backup to restore from after the exchange. The battery service fee in the USA is $79.00, so for that you would get an effectively new iPhone 3Gs, not merely a new battery.

As to open apps, it depends on the app., but very, very few apps in iOS 6 can actually do anything if not in the foreground. They are idle in the background but will open faster than if opening from closed, but they are incapable of actually running in the background. Some exceptions include audio apps, which can play in the background.

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Answer 2

Feb 4, 2014 9:38 AM in response to Michael Black

Thanks for the answer. Well, I was planning on replacing the battery myself. I live in sweden and the closest apple store is about 328 miles away, so that isn't really an option. Do you think it would make a lot of difference if I replaced it? As stated in the IMEI it's from 2010, but I of course wouldn't know when the first owner bought it. I read somewhere that an iPhone can get about two years of use before it should be replaced. Since mine is now around four years old and the battery isn't the best I figures it would be time to replace it.

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Answer 3

KiltedTim

Level 10

195,951 points

Feb 4, 2014 9:46 AM in response to Jonathan Forsberg

We can NOT advise you on that. The iPhone is not considered user servicable at all and Apple does not sell iPhone parts.

Every documented case of an iPhone catching fire or exploding can be traced either to liquid damage or to a botched repair job by an unauthorized party, most often with faulty or damaged batteries.

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Answer 4

Feb 4, 2014 9:55 AM in response to Jonathan Forsberg

You can call Apple and arrange to do it via shipping. They take your credit card number, and then ship out the replacement unit to you. When you get it, you ship your old one back. The fee is the normal battery replacement fee plus shipping. It is pretty simple really - a single phone call to Apple will put the process in motion.

see http://support.apple.com/kb/index?page=servicefaq&geo=Sweden&product=iphone&loca le=sv_SE

To add to what KiltedTim already mentioned, beware that there is no official distribution system for iOS device OEM parts. None has ever existed since all repairs and refurbishment was traditionally done at the manufacturers factories in Asia. So any replacement battery you buy will be used, counterfiet or a knockoff gray market at best, and you really do not know just what you are getting or its quality.

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