Battery

Poll: How is your iPhone battery on iOS 6?

Oliver Haslam ∙ September 24, 2012

It's a fairly simple question isn't it? But if you remember the furor that surrounded the release of iOS 5 and the subsequent battery-gate shenanigans, you'll know only too well what software can do to a phone's battery.

Back in the ill-tempered days of iOS 5, we covered the situation extensively and even offered a spot of advice that seemed to help a great many people. Today though, we want to know how iOS 6 is treating you all, and whether Apple may finally have gotten the iPhone's battery to last like it did pre-iOS 5.

So, let's begin...

‘LowPowerBanner’ removes obtrusive low battery alerts in favor of banner notifications

Jeff Benjamin ∙ February 24, 2012

I can't be the only one that thinks it's weird that Apple's still using those focus stealing low battery alerts, can I? I mean, doesn't it seem like Apple would have preferred to use iOS 5's new banner notifications instead?

Well, apparently I'm not the only one who feels that way, because a new tweak has been released in Cydia named LowPowerBanner, and it does just that...

iOS Battery Update: iOS 5.1 Beta 3

Oliver Haslam ∙ January 16, 2012

A week after the release of iOS 5.1 beta 3 the biggest question that seems to be getting asked repeatedly is one that we have become accustomed to ever since the release of iOS 5, back in October. Yes, you guessed it – is the battery life any better yet?

We have been talking about battery life in iOS quite a bit since the issue first reared its ugly head, and we've discovered that it isn't just an iPhone 4S issue, but rather something Apple changed in iOS 5. Since then the company has issued a full update in iOS 5.0.1 and a series of iOS 5.1 betas, but has the latest improved things any? Can we expect to get back to iOS 4.x-levels of battery life?

Well, no, not really...

A Gallon of Gas Can Charge an iPhone Once a Day For 20 Years

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 23, 2011

It may seem something of a departure from the usual iDB content, but just bare with us for a second.

According to Bill Colton, a VP at ExxonMobil, just one gallon of the company's gas has the power to charge an iPhone once per day for a whopping twenty years. That's a lot of charges.

While it is highly unlikely that Apple's next iPhone charger will come with a tank instead of a plug, Colton's point is well received – there's a fair bit of power in that thar gasoline...

Bad Battery Life Issues Remain in iOS 5.1

Oliver Haslam ∙ December 2, 2011

Despite selling iPhones like they're going out of fashion, it's not been all unicorns and rainbows for Apple's big releases recently. Some of the company's top software outings have suffered a bloody nose as of late, with iCloud and iOS experiencing more than a few hiccups.

Released alongside the iPhone 4S, iOS 5 has taken an aging mobile operating system and added some much needed bells and whistles. The software also fixes some of the long-standing issues that iPhone owners have been complaining about for far too long.

One thing that iOS 5 has introduced is not entirely welcome, and that's a very real battery life problem...

Are New Bugs Joining the iPhone 4S Battery Drain Issues in iOS 5.0.1?

Alex Heath ∙ Updated January 24, 2016

Apple recently released iOS 5.0.1 to the public in an attempt to fix the battery life issues that have been plaguing iPhone 4S owners on iOS 5.0. Prior to releasing 5.0.1 to the public, Apple seeded two developer betas of the software.

While iOS 5.0.1 was intended to fix poor battery performance on particularly the iPhone 4S, Apple released a statement after the fact saying that, "We continue to investigate a few remaining issues." Now, it seems that a new host of bugs have joined the mix for many users on iOS 5.0.1.

Apple Confirms iOS 5.0.1 May Not Have Fixed All Battery Issues

Cody Lee ∙ November 11, 2011

After months of beta testing, Apple released iOS 5 to the masses on October 12th. The update was one of the biggest ever for Apple's mobile operating system, bringing in over 200 new features. But unfortunately, they didn't come without a price.

Almost immediately after the new software was released, users began complaining of poor battery performance. Apple responded to the complaints with iOS 5.0.1, an update that was supposed to fix the highly-publicized battery bugs...

iOS 5.0.1 Not Helping Improve Battery Life

Oliver Haslam ∙ November 11, 2011

When Apple dropped iOS 5.0.1 yesterday, the hope amongst many was that it may help to fix the battery issue that was introduced with iOS 5.0.

It is becoming apparent that iOS 5.0.1 may not have actually fixed the battery bug we told you about before, with our own location-based fix still appearing to be the best way of saving precious battery life...

Apple Releases iOS 5.0.1 to the Public

Cody Lee ∙ November 10, 2011

After multiple developer betas, and a series of customer tests, Apple has finally released iOS 5.0.1 to the masses. The update comes just under a month after Apple released iOS 5.0, which included over 200 new features.

Unfortunately, iOS 5 brought with it serious battery problems. And after weeks of complaints, Apple gave an official statement last week that confirmed both the presence of the bugs and the existence of a fix...

Apple Confirms iOS 5 Battery Issues, Releases iOS 5.0.1 to Developers With Fix

Cody Lee ∙ November 2, 2011

Since Apple released iOS 5 and its latest handset with the new software pre-installed to the public, customers have been complaining about poor battery life. It appears that something in the iOS update has directly affected battery performance.

Other than a few rumors of its engineers contacting customers regarding their complaints, Apple has been relatively silent on the matter... until now. AllThingsD has just received an official statement from the company confirming the problem...

This Tip Could Cure Your iPhone 4S Battery

Oliver Haslam ∙ October 28, 2011

As someone who has been lucky enough to spend the last few months testing iOS 5 in various beta stages, it has to be said that the version we're all currently enjoying has come a long way since the early days.

When Apple released the iOS 5 GM not that long ago, I instantly noticed that my iPhone 4's battery life was lasting roughly half of what it was before. A coincidence, I thought. It'll sort itself out, I presumed. After getting the iPhone 4S, the problem persisted. Twitter and forums on the web over lit up with similar problems, and a few fixes were suggested, mostly to no avail.

There may be light at the end of the tunnel. Switching one little toggle in iOS 5's Settings app may hold the key to curing your iPhone 4S battery...

2 New Notification Center Widgets: BatteryCenter and MusicCenter

Cody Lee ∙ Updated June 13, 2016

Jailbreak developers have been on a roll over the past two weeks, releasing several custom widgets for the new Notification Center in iOS 5. From the looks of things, it doesn't appear that the community plans on slowing down anytime soon.

Programmer Aaron Wright has recently released not one, but two jailbreak tweaks for Apple's iOS 5 beta software. Jailbroken folks on iOS 5 are more than welcome to try out the 2 new widgets, which are available for free from the developer's repo...