iPhone battery life after latest update

iPhone battery life after latest update

Author
Discussion

Dermot O'Logical

Original Poster:

2,824 posts

136 months

Thursday 18th January
quotequote all
I have an iPhone 11, because I don't see any benefit in replacing it at the moment, and last August I had the battery replaced by a "Genius" at the Apple Store in Southampton.

Usually, the battery lasts for at least two full days, and sometimes three, between charges. A few days ago, I received notification of an update (IOS 17.2.1), which was duly installed/

In the two days since the update, my battery has been discharging at a rapid rate - I charged the phone last evening, and first thing this morning it was down to 65%, without the phone being used at all. A look at the diagnosis of the apps using most power showed that Siri (which I've never used) is the most power-hungry, so I've turned it off - the battery is currently showing 35% charge, six hours after disabling Siri.

Battery health shows 99%.

So, prior to the latest software update, the (relatively new) battery would hold its charge for at least two days. Following the update, it can barely hold charge for 12 hours.

Just me, or is there a software glitch in the latest update?

eeLee

853 posts

87 months

Thursday 18th January
quotequote all
it can be that a post-update battery cycle could be not that great.
how is your health? I assume north of 90%?

Fitz666

657 posts

149 months

Thursday 18th January
quotequote all
I think you have found your benefit for a replacement now

Dermot O'Logical

Original Poster:

2,824 posts

136 months

Thursday 18th January
quotequote all
eeLee said:
it can be that a post-update battery cycle could be not that great.
how is your health? I assume north of 90%?
Battery health is 99%

Dermot O'Logical

Original Poster:

2,824 posts

136 months

Thursday 18th January
quotequote all
Fitz666 said:
I think you have found your benefit for a replacement now
There would only be a "benefit" to Apple.

Hence my question.

CAH706

2,008 posts

171 months

Thursday 18th January
quotequote all
I have the same phone and updated to the same software recently.

My battery health isn’t as good as yours but I’ve also noticed the battery running down far quicker since the update.

rdjohn

6,366 posts

202 months

Thursday 18th January
quotequote all
My concern is why are Apple batteries so bad?

I have a relatively cheap Moto G32 because I need a dual SIM tray. It can comfortably run for 5-days between charges. I am not a heavy user as I also have a laptop and iPad,

My wife’s iPhone SE and both our iPads need to be charged daily. It seems that Apple simply uses lightweight batteries so that they need replacing sooner, but they would obviously much prefer you just buy a new phone / iPad.

These are not cheap products, so it is disappointing that they build in obsolescence so readily.

the-norseman

13,352 posts

178 months

Saturday 20th January
quotequote all
The only Apple product I have is a work supplied iPhone XR. I got it new during lockdown.

Its only used for 2/3 calls a day (around 5 minutes each), and emails via Outlook. But if I unplug it from charge at the same time as my personal Android phone you can guarantee the iPhone will need charging first even though my Android phone has got Facebook,Instagram,Whatsapp etc running on it all day.

Looking at the specs though the XR is 2942mah at 100% vs Pixel 6 at 4614mah.

Edited by the-norseman on Saturday 20th January 07:14

Tony1963

5,318 posts

169 months

Saturday 20th January
quotequote all
rdjohn said:
My concern is why are Apple batteries so bad?

I have a relatively cheap Moto G32 because I need a dual SIM tray. It can comfortably run for 5-days between charges. I am not a heavy user as I also have a laptop and iPad,

My wife’s iPhone SE and both our iPads need to be charged daily. It seems that Apple simply uses lightweight batteries so that they need replacing sooner, but they would obviously much prefer you just buy a new phone / iPad.

These are not cheap products, so it is disappointing that they build in obsolescence so readily.
You’re not comparing like with like there, so your wife’s devices mean little.

My 12 Pro battery got replaced last October at 3 years old. I’m a very heavy user, and I regarded 3 years as ok.

If Apple really did want you to just buy a new iPhone, the battery replacement cost wouldn’t be so reasonable.

I’m on the Beta firmware programme. The latest version, released this week, seems ok, but I’m such a heavy user that I might not notice anything suspicious.

Griffith4ever

4,757 posts

42 months

Saturday 20th January
quotequote all
rdjohn said:
My concern is why are Apple batteries so bad?

I have a relatively cheap Moto G32 because I need a dual SIM tray. It can comfortably run for 5-days between charges. I am not a heavy user as I also have a laptop and iPad,

My wife’s iPhone SE and both our iPads need to be charged daily. It seems that Apple simply uses lightweight batteries so that they need replacing sooner, but they would obviously much prefer you just buy a new phone / iPad.

These are not cheap products, so it is disappointing that they build in obsolescence so readily.
I've noticed for years and years that if you see someone with a battery plugged into their phone, it'll bd an iPhone. All the people at the airport plugged into wall sockets? Iphones.l They very clearly sacrifice capacity over form factor. Never have I replaced an Android battery, but then I rarely keep one for over three years as they only cost me around £200 (Xaiomi mi note range).

James6112

5,392 posts

35 months

Saturday 20th January
quotequote all
Griffith4ever said:
rdjohn said:
My concern is why are Apple batteries so bad?

I have a relatively cheap Moto G32 because I need a dual SIM tray. It can comfortably run for 5-days between charges. I am not a heavy user as I also have a laptop and iPad,

My wife’s iPhone SE and both our iPads need to be charged daily. It seems that Apple simply uses lightweight batteries so that they need replacing sooner, but they would obviously much prefer you just buy a new phone / iPad.

These are not cheap products, so it is disappointing that they build in obsolescence so readily.
I've noticed for years and years that if you see someone with a battery plugged into their phone, it'll bd an iPhone. All the people at the airport plugged into wall sockets? Iphones.l They very clearly sacrifice capacity over form factor. Never have I replaced an Android battery, but then I rarely keep one for over three years as they only cost me around £200 (Xaiomi mi note range).
Your observation , not representative of the majority of users.

Frankthered

1,630 posts

187 months

Saturday 20th January
quotequote all
Dermot O'Logical said:
I have an iPhone 11, because I don't see any benefit in replacing it at the moment, and last August I had the battery replaced by a "Genius" at the Apple Store in Southampton.

Usually, the battery lasts for at least two full days, and sometimes three, between charges. A few days ago, I received notification of an update (IOS 17.2.1), which was duly installed/

In the two days since the update, my battery has been discharging at a rapid rate - I charged the phone last evening, and first thing this morning it was down to 65%, without the phone being used at all. A look at the diagnosis of the apps using most power showed that Siri (which I've never used) is the most power-hungry, so I've turned it off - the battery is currently showing 35% charge, six hours after disabling Siri.

Battery health shows 99%.

So, prior to the latest software update, the (relatively new) battery would hold its charge for at least two days. Following the update, it can barely hold charge for 12 hours.

Just me, or is there a software glitch in the latest update?
Hey OP, have you seen any improvement? One of the issues I have found with iOS updates in the past is that lots (all?) of the features tend to default to ON - as you have already noted with Siri.

It's worth checking through the settings on the phone to make sure that stuff like location services, background app updates etc. aren't on for every app on your phone, especially for the apps that you don't particularly use.

Another thing I have done in the past is turn off Bluetooth as I wasn't really using it at the time and that did help.

If those sort of things don't get you anywhere, then it may just be that the new features of the OS, while still functional on your phone, are taxing your processors and making them run more, thus using more power and shortening your battery life as a result.

Notwithstanding the discussion on whether the batteries that Apple use are rubbish or not, IME there does seem to come a point with older phones where the OS kills the battery even though Apple support the use of the OS on that generation of phone.


Griffith4ever

4,757 posts

42 months

Saturday 20th January
quotequote all
James6112 said:
Griffith4ever said:
rdjohn said:
My concern is why are Apple batteries so bad?

I have a relatively cheap Moto G32 because I need a dual SIM tray. It can comfortably run for 5-days between charges. I am not a heavy user as I also have a laptop and iPad,

My wife’s iPhone SE and both our iPads need to be charged daily. It seems that Apple simply uses lightweight batteries so that they need replacing sooner, but they would obviously much prefer you just buy a new phone / iPad.

These are not cheap products, so it is disappointing that they build in obsolescence so readily.
I've noticed for years and years that if you see someone with a battery plugged into their phone, it'll bd an iPhone. All the people at the airport plugged into wall sockets? Iphones.l They very clearly sacrifice capacity over form factor. Never have I replaced an Android battery, but then I rarely keep one for over three years as they only cost me around £200 (Xaiomi mi note range).
Your observation , not representative of the majority of users.
No, from my personal obs (and my Mrs) - for many years - all the ones in the puib with battery packs - iphone users. All the ones at the airport - same. I get the feeling that does represent iphone users , from my anecdotal experience.

Dermot O'Logical

Original Poster:

2,824 posts

136 months

Sunday 21st January
quotequote all
Frankthered said:
Hey OP, have you seen any improvement? One of the issues I have found with iOS updates in the past is that lots (all?) of the features tend to default to ON - as you have already noted with Siri.

It's worth checking through the settings on the phone to make sure that stuff like location services, background app updates etc. aren't on for every app on your phone, especially for the apps that you don't particularly use.

Another thing I have done in the past is turn off Bluetooth as I wasn't really using it at the time and that did help.

If those sort of things don't get you anywhere, then it may just be that the new features of the OS, while still functional on your phone, are taxing your processors and making them run more, thus using more power and shortening your battery life as a result.

Notwithstanding the discussion on whether the batteries that Apple use are rubbish or not, IME there does seem to come a point with older phones where the OS kills the battery even though Apple support the use of the OS on that generation of phone.

The battery life now seems to have improved, at the cost of having to reinstall lots of apps, which also meant changing several passwords, as Keychain doesn't seem to have been restored. However, the functions and apps which I use regularly are all functioning, so as far as I can tell, it's all good.

This thread was created to discuss a problem which occurred on an iPhone. Please resist the opportunity to extol the virtues of other phones, it's not helpful.

Thank you to those who understood the problem, and took the trouble to respond.

the-norseman

13,352 posts

178 months

Sunday 21st January
quotequote all
While discussing iOS and battery life can any iOS experts give me any advice on my work iPhone XR, had it new since about 2020, its only used for work so phone, text, teams, outlook. Doesn't leave the house, its now showing battery health 86%, seems to discharge quite quickly.

I noticed after about a years use that wifi hotspot was turned on, think I have disabled siri, bluetooth is off. Anything else I can disable that could be a battery drinker?

Tin Hat

1,396 posts

216 months

Sunday 21st January
quotequote all
Broadly on topic - The latest software update on my iPad has trashed the battery life

Griffith4ever

4,757 posts

42 months

Sunday 21st January
quotequote all
Dermot O'Logical said:
This thread was created to discuss a problem which occurred on an iPhone. Please resist the opportunity to extol the virtues of other phones, it's not helpful.

.
Sorry my friend but you don't get to control whats posted, that's not how it works. I have not "extolled the virtues of other phones", just pointed out that in general iphones are known for their limited battery capacity. They've even been successfully sued for slowing down phones with updates to extend under performing batteries. They have also had to patch updates due to excessive battery drain in the past.


Dermot O'Logical

Original Poster:

2,824 posts

136 months

Sunday 21st January
quotequote all
Griffith4ever said:
Dermot O'Logical said:
This thread was created to discuss a problem which occurred on an iPhone. Please resist the opportunity to extol the virtues of other phones, it's not helpful.

.
Sorry my friend but you don't get to control whats posted, that's not how it works. I have not "extolled the virtues of other phones", just pointed out that in general iphones are known for their limited battery capacity. They've even been successfully sued for slowing down phones with updates to extend under performing batteries. They have also had to patch updates due to excessive battery drain in the past.
It was not an attempt to "control" the thread, merely a polite request. In vain, it would appear.

Tony1963

5,318 posts

169 months

Sunday 21st January
quotequote all
First thing: out of the people on their phones at an airport, what was the percentage of iPhones to Android? (Not known)

Secondly, Apple were held to account for their behaviour, and it was years ago.

Thirdly, over the years I’ve seen reports of issues with non-Apple devices, and they somehow don’t ’hit The headlines’, nobody cares. Funny old world!


Ham_and_Jam

2,567 posts

104 months

Sunday 21st January
quotequote all
Griffith4ever said:
All the people at the airport plugged into wall sockets? Iphones.l
You’ve given me great game to play at the airport tomorrow morning - Android v iPhone chargers. I’ll get back with the results.

I’m sure it’ll pass a couple of hours waiting for my flight.