In spite of Apple’s claims that the iPhone 3GS boasts “longer battery life”, some users are complaining that the new handset actually has less battery life than the previous model.
Per The Apple Core and a recent iFixIt teardown, the company noticed the the 3GS battery is 6% larger than the iPhone 3G battery, leading many to suspect that iPhone OS 3.0 may be the culprit.
ComputerWorld followed up on this by noting that users have been reporting worse battery life on all iPhones since the day the iPhone OS 3.0 was released:
“After updating to [iPhone] 3.0 the battery life is very short. It consumes 5%-10% an hour,” claimed an original iPhone user identified as “ukfasthands” in a message posted on Apple’s support forum June 17.
If you’re afflicted you’ll most likely have to wait until Apple releases iPhone OS 3.1, or if we’re lucky, some battery improvement could come with the security update that’s been promised for the end of July. In the mean time, try implementing some of the following iPhone battery savings tips, including:
1. Minimize use of location services
2. Turn off push notifications
3. Fetch new data less frequently
4. Turn off push mail
5. Auto-check fewer email accounts
6. Minimize use of third-party applications
7. Turn off Wi-Fi
8. Turn off Bluetooth
9. Use Airplane Mode in low- or no-coverage areas
10. Adjust brightness
11. Turn off EQ
12. Turn off 3G
5 replies on “iPhone 3GS Users Noticing Poor Battery Life on Handset”
in other words, try not to actually use your iphone.
i just bought the new iphone (didn't have a previous model) and am frustrated by the low battery life. hopefully OS 3.1 will help. does anyone know when that's expected to be released?
in other words, try not to actually use your iphone.
i just bought the new iphone (didn't have a previous model) and am frustrated by the low battery life. hopefully OS 3.1 will help. does anyone know when that's expected to be released?
This is a great list of suggestions. But while we're mentioning these, it's worth noting that another great way to reduce battery consumption is to use Airplane Mode at all times…or just stop using the phone, or simply turn it off entirely forever and use it as a paper weight.
Seriously, I'm being facetious, but turning off all the things you mention is crippling the phone's functionality beyond an acceptable level. One of the features of the 3.0 OS that I like, for example, is “Find My iPhone.” Naturally, this is a feature that requires push.
If anyone here agrees that turning off 3G is a solution to battery life, I have a very nice condition original 2G iPhone I'll make you a great deal on.
Why not just power the whole thing off?
The biggest user of battery life under OS 3.0 is the 'Find My Mac' feature. I turned it on once I updated to 3.0 only to find my battery life reduced dramatically. Once I turned this one feature off, I actually think I am getting marginally better battery life under 3.0 on my IPhone 3G.