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iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life

By | July 7, 2009, 8:40am PDT

Summary: The LA Times dubbed it iDrain, iPhone 3GS users are calling it a royal pain. Despite Apple’s claims that the iPhone 3GS comes with “longer battery life” users are complaining that its new vunder-handset actually has less battery life than with the previous model. iFixIt noted in its recent teardown that the iPhone 3GS battery is six [...]

Push Notification 20% Hit on Battery Life?The LA Times dubbed it iDrain, iPhone 3GS users are calling it a royal pain.

Despite Apple’s claims that the iPhone 3GS comes with “longer battery life” users are complaining that its new vunder-handset actually has less battery life than with the previous model.

iFixIt noted in its recent teardown that the iPhone 3GS battery is six percent larger than the iPhone 3G battery, leading many to suspect that iPhone OS 3.0 may be the culprit.

Apple promises improved battery life with the 3GS. The battery is listed as 3.7V and 4.51 Whr. This comes out to 1219 mAh, compared to 1150 mAh on the 3G. That’s only a 6% increase.

ComputerWorld notes that users have been reporting worse battery life on all iPhones since the day the iPhone OS 3.0 was released:

Users started complaining about poor battery performance almost as soon as Apple offered iPhone 3.0, the software available for download June 17 for first-generation iPhones and second-generation iPhone 3Gs. The new iPhone 3GS relies on the same software.

“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.

A colleague recently complained that during a four-hour flight in airplane mode his iPhone 3GS battery dropped from 85 to 27 percent while composing 17 emails and recording a two-minute video. Another potential culprit is the iPhone’s recently activated push notication feature. Scott Forstall claimed that push would cause a 20 percent drop in battery life.

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 my and Apple’s 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

How is your battery life with the iPhone 3GS? Chime in in the TalkBack below.

Photo: The iPhone Blog

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Topics

Apple iPhone, Battery, iPhone 3GS, Smart Phones, Engineering, Consumer Electronics, Personal Technology, Jason D. O'Grady

Jason O'Grady is a journalist and author specializing in mobile technology. He has published six books on Apple and mobile gadgets and his PowerPage blog has been publishing for over 15 years.

Disclosure

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady is the creator and editor of O'Grady's PowerPage, which has been publishing mobile technology news since 1995. He maintains an advertising relationship with the following legacy advertisers on the PowerPage:

  • Amazon Associates
  • Google Adsense
  • Tekserve

    • Advertising on the PowerPage is brokered by a third-party agency (BackBeat Media) and he recuses himself from these negotiations.

Biography

Jason D. O'Grady

Jason D. O'Grady developed an affinity for Apple computers after using the original Lisa, and this affinity turned into a bona-fide obsession when he got the original 128 KB Macintosh in 1984.

He started writing one of the first Web sites about Apple (O'Grady's PowerPage) in 1995 and is considered to be one of the fathers of blogging. He has been a frequent speaker at the Macworld Expo conference and a member of the conference faculty. He also co-founded the first dedicated PowerBook User Group (PPUG) in the United States.

After winning a major legal battle with Apple in 2006, he set the precedent that independent journalists are entitled to the same protections under the First Amendment as members of the mainstream media.

O'Grady is the author of The Nexus One Pocket Guide, The Droid Pocket Guide, The Google Phone Pocket Guide, and The Garmin nuvi Pocket Guide (Peachpit Press), the author of Corporations That Changed the World: Apple Inc. (Greenwood Press), and a contributor to The Mac Bible (Peachpit Press). In addition, he has contributed to numerous Mac publications over the years, including MacWEEK, Macworld, and MacPower (Japan).

When he's not writing about Apple for ZDNet at The Apple Core, he enjoys spending time with his family in New Jersey.

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RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 10th Oct
Exceptional Weblog web page I just like the lay out alongside the cheap authentic nfl jersey coloring scheme could it be most likely to receive a duplicate of this concept?
View in thread
0 Votes
+ -
Are not most of the items listed
GuidingLight 7th Jul 2009
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

The very reason why people purchased the iPhone in the first place?
0 Votes
+ -
Ditto...
tonyhunterajh 7th Jul 2009
Why buy something for all those cool features just to turn them off? May as well have bought a cheapie phone instead!
0 Votes
+ -
I feel really disappointed....
spamkill 7th Jul 2009
I have to say I'm really disappointed with my
first experience with Apple.

I decided to buy an iPhone 3GS and was going to
buy a MacbookAir after having used the
iPhone(3G) and MBA of a friend of mine.

I was very enthusiastic about the speed and the
features of the iPhone, and the MBA.
But once I received the iPhone and started to
use it, I soon realised something was wrong
with the battery. I immediately contacted T-
Mobile here in Germany where I live, and they
admitted that there were "issues" with the new
iPhone. I then contacted Apple that denied
there was such a "spread" problem over the
battery performance, however they took the
iPhone under the Repair process.
With regards to the MBA I just read a review on
macworld.com about the odd performances of the
new versions. It seems the 2.1Ghz+SSD version
is slightly slower (when tested with the same
benchmark sw) than its predecessor at
1.8Ghz+SSD, even if Apple advertise it as
faster. Now I am considering to take the
Macbook Pro 13".
Maybe I was unlucky, but even appreciating the
evident pros of having Apple products, I have
to say that these issues have cooled down my
initial enthusiasm.
Ciao.
0 Votes
+ -
3GS could be better, don't get a MBA
firejeep508 9th Jul 2009
I was one of the people that got my iPhone 3GS on launch day. Overall, I have been happy with it. I do have to say that having to turn off so many of the "features" in order to have it last the whole day is quite disappointing. I have a strange phenomenon going on in regards to 3G being on or off. At my office, my battery drains very quickly if 3G is on, even though my phone shows 5 bars of service. At my home, my phone makes it through the day fairly well with 3G being on, also with 5 bars of service. It seems that the there is a difference in data signal quality that is not displayed on the device, only phone signal quality is shown.

To spamkill, don't get a MacBook Air. They are neat and trendy and all, but way overpriced. You will be much happier with the 13" MacBook Pro. You'll have a real ethernet port, a built in optical drive, and you'll have Firewire. All for less money than you'd spend on the Air. By the time you add all of the accessories you would need to make the Air as capable as the Macbook Pro, you will be carrying around many bits and pieces and it will all weigh more than just getting a 13" Pro.
0 Votes
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Office drain
oncall 9th Jul 2009
Definitely noticed that. Where I work I used to get upset my iPhone would be less than 50% after a normal work day. I spoke with my friends who all told me they cannot even leave their cell phones on (they have regular cell phones) at work because they will be completely drained before the end of the day. Yesterday I ran without 3G (wifi on, bluetooth off, push off, location services on) which didn't work anyway inside the building and noticed 2 things: 1) Edge actually did work though not great and 2) despite using the phone a lot I still had 68% battery at the end of the day.

Today after 15 minutes usage including 2 phone calls and 3hr 15 min standby my iPhone 3GS still has 97% power.

Now I know some will howl at me turning off services but hey, services cost power, even unused services, turn them off if you don't need them.

IMHO it would help if apple made a "power saver" app, you push it and it kills all non-essential services as predefined by the user. Push it again for "full power" mode.
0 Votes
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MBA
foulkes52 9th Jul 2009
Definetely go with the pro! Fastr and the conectivity issues with it's very limited
USB and other outlets make it a frustrating device. If your using final cut or pro
tools you would need at times two drives to move and work with gigabite
files..no ports! Also the video chip is much better and faster on the pro. In
Berlin I know turning off wifi until you need it dramaticly improves bat life on the
iPhone! You have such dense wifi there that is free that you can do very well
without a network with Skype! My son is there now and we have great
comunication with his skype touch!
0 Votes
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i agree
lostarchitect 7th Jul 2009
my 3GS has worse battery life than my original iphone did.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
spamkill 7th Jul 2009
I think Apple should fix this issue asap...
0 Votes
+ -
RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
bluejay999 7th Jul 2009
Let's take it a notch up. Why not stop using the device altogether?
0 Votes
+ -
huh?
lostarchitect 7th Jul 2009
because the battery is a little short? that doesn't make much sense. i still like the phone, and i haven't used up a full charge in a day yet. it just uses more than my old one did.
0 Votes
+ -
I wasn't so lucky...
spamkill 7th Jul 2009
taking it with me in the morning around 8.30am
fully charged, I was coming back home with the
iPhone switched off since 4pm...with a moderate
use of email, web surfing, google maps, and phone
calls.
Yes, the phone is great, really impressing but...I
am not so enthusiastic anymore...
Hope Apple finds a fix..
0 Votes
+ -
RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
vicorly 7th Jul 2009
I used to have the original 8 GB iPhone and "upgraded" to
the new 3GS the day they came out.

My battery experience has been awful. Yesterday I was on a
4 hour flight from Chicago to San Diego in *airplane mode*
Composed 17 emails, 2 minutes of video recording, and
the battery went from 85% to 27%.

From some of the 10 "battery saving" suggestions above,
we should:

Minimize use of location services
Turn off push notifications
Turn off push mail
Minimize use of third-party applications
Turn off 3G

(In other words, revert to iPhone OS 1.x???)

AND

Fetch new data less frequently
Turn off Wi-Fi
Turn off Bluetooth
Use Airplane Mode in low- or no-coverage areas

In other words, Apple wants me to use my iPhone 3GS as
an iPod and nothing more.

Gee, Thanks.
0 Votes
+ -
So let me get this straight. LOL...LOL...ROTFLMAO!
IT_Guy_z Updated - 7th Jul 2009
You turn OFF most of the features you bought the iPhone for in the first place...so the battery doesn't crap out on you.

So just why did you buy this piece of cutting edge technology?

Oh yea...now I remember...for all of the features...that you just had to turn off to make the battery last.

Now, if only the users could carry around a USER REPLACABLE battery to use, when the one inside the phone goes south on you. Wouldn't that be a novel approach.

P.T. Barnum sure had you iPhone users pegged.

Shrewd investment kids. sad
0 Votes
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Everyone relax!
c_lakhani@... 7th Jul 2009
There is no doubt that there are some performance issues
with the new iPhone 3.0 OS. But like anything new, early
adopters will have to deal with kinks that will eventually be
worked out.

The fact is the battery is physically larger, so know that the
issues present are software related and thus fixable
through updates.

Remember iPhone 2.0? 2.0.1 was released just a few
weeks later to fix initial problems. In fact, they've already
released OS 3.1 to beta testers so it's probably just around
the corner.

Everyone relax.
0 Votes
+ -
This is a pretty lame excuse.
IT_Guy_z 7th Jul 2009
M$ released Vista without adequate testing, and rightfully so, people were up in arms over that dog.

But when Apple does the SAME THING...we should just relax?

I don't think so sport.
0 Votes
+ -
This is why I almost always wait a couple of months
xXSpeedzXx Updated - 7th Jul 2009
before buying the new products of any consumer electronic.

Xbox 360 Red Ring of Death and Graphic card overheating
iPhone 3g the iBrick when it 1st came out
iPhone 3gs Battery Life
PS2 DVD playback

This is the problem when people need to be the first to own something.
0 Votes
+ -
Relax, sport.
c_lakhani@... 7th Jul 2009
It's not an excuse. I don't work for Apple to make excuses for them. It's
an explanation and considering that you're an "IT Guy" I would expect
you to understand this as being a problem with ALL new technology
products, whether they're made by Apple, Intel, Microsoft, Google, Sony,
etc.

I'm not saying it's good or that it's right, I'm just saying it's the nature of
the beast. If you don't like it, don't buy new technology - wait a few
months for the launch bugs to be ironed out and then buy. And this has
and will happen to any major technology release, hardware or software.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
bmgoodman 7th Jul 2009
If only they had made one with a user-swappable battery, these issues could largely go away by carrying a spare.... I wonder how long the battery lasts with the phone turned OFF? wink
0 Votes
+ -
battery testing for all smartphones
bannedfromzdnetagain 7th Jul 2009
it would be really interesting to see some comparison between
all the state of the art smartphones currently available. zdnet
coudn't you conduct the big smartphone battery test?

it would be really nice to put everything in perspective. maybe
the iphone batterylife is amazing for what the device does all
the time, maybe it's poor. maybe the pre has spectacular
batterylife? we don't know, all we have is anecdotal evidence.
come on zdnet brings us the facts.
0 Votes
+ -
Good idea
spamkill 7th Jul 2009
it's a good idea....or we could create an online
poll somewhere on a web service...
0 Votes
+ -
So you are saying that Apple made the next version of its product WORSE
markbn 7th Jul 2009
in terms of battery life and its users should be
grateful because in comparison other do not offer
the same battery life?

Sheesh, that must be the lamest excuse I have ever
heard
0 Votes
+ -
Contributr
Yep, the battery is a major weak link
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes 7th Jul 2009
... my daughter bought a 32GB 3G S and took it back three days later for that exact reason. She's a heavy user but doesn't have a way to top up the battery during the day.
0 Votes
+ -
So, your daughter is a weirdo
markbn Updated - 7th Jul 2009
Or that's what Apple crapologists tell us every time
somebody dares to criticize the shortcomings of
Apple's product. "Replaceable battery???? Who needs
that crap? Please stop with your doomsday scenarios
because iPhone battery's life is perfect for
99.999999999999999999% users. If it's not for you,
then you are a weirdo"

There you go, welcome your daughter to the weirdo
club of non-Apple worshippers
0 Votes
+ -
Well...
oncall 7th Jul 2009
I wouldn't call anyone a weirdo. However, as a journalist, maybe AKH would do us the favor of expounding. I mean, just how much was his daughter using her iPhone? Probably a whole lot huh? I can't blame her, it's a very nice product. A few years ago folks would have laughed at anyone who even suggested people would be regularly using their phones enough to wipe the battery in a single day. Amazing when you think about it. Apple is literally redefining what "acceptable battery life" is because folks are using their product so damn much.

Maybe, as a techie himself, he might have suggested she buy one of the small portable USB power packs that are barely larger than a spare battery. Or maybe one of those cases that double as a second battery. Of course one may say "hey but that will make the phone larger" well yes but so will making the internal battery larger and/or removable so what's the difference? I mean, if you want more power the thing is going to get larger OR you're going to have to carry more stuff.
0 Votes
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I don't think you want to put anymore heat....
dunn@... 8th Jul 2009
I don't think you want to put anymore heat on the back of the iPhone 3GS. As it is it gets hot enough and getting it any warmer by placing another battery against that back surface may cause the internal battery to burst.
Plus it may void your warranty beside blowing a hole in your pants pocket while flames shoot out. I know that is something I want to avoid...OUCH!
0 Votes
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It is great for me...
bubbatex 7th Jul 2009
I had a HTC Touch Pro and a Palm Pre - my 3GS will last 50% longer than either of those devices did with the same usage patterns. The 3GS is the best smartphone I have owned as far as battery life goes. Maybe I am lucky - or maybe the 850mHz nework is better than the EVDO rev A network where I live??
0 Votes
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If I had a dollar....
oncall 7th Jul 2009
For every time folks on these discussion boards predicted doom for the iPhone and Macbook pro lines not having user-swappable batteries. They never seem to tire of being wrong.

Indeed this issue would completely go away if folks were to buy one of the many pocket-sized aftermarket USB power packs that are already available, I've even seen them at my local grocery store. It's a fair trade off IMHO, I almost never need extra juice and even then only when I travel. I'd rather have a smaller phone than user-swappable batteries, but that's just me.

Of course AKH commented above that his daughter is a heavy user of the iPhone, and we don't know what that means exactly but the battery was insufficient for her. IMHO it's a testament to the utility of such a device, people are using it, a lot. Well, not just a lot but a WHOLE LOT, and that's going to tax any battery Apple can put into it. I mean, people always say "well I never had trouble with brand-x phone running dead on me" but did they really use it as much?
0 Votes
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Maybe as consumers, we should
Economister 7th Jul 2009
let the manufacturers know that we will be reluctant to purchase their products if they do not get together and agree on a few standard sizes/formats of easily user replaceable batteries for small mobile devices.

It seems to me to be totally unacceptable that a mobile device cannot be made to last a full day of heavy usage. I understand the size/weight/cost issues, but they can be resolved by simply popping out the dead battery and inserting a fresh one.

If I am not mistaken, in Europe they recently got together and agreed on standard charger formats. The next step should be a no-brainer.
0 Votes
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Lamepologists to the front, please...
Scrat 8th Jul 2009
Apple and Jason's remedy to the iPhone battery fiasco:
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

Why not the whole way:
1. Turn off iPhone.
2. Return to store citing crappy battery.
3. Purchase a superior product from a "real" mobile phone manufacturer, not a Mickey Mouse computer manufacturer that decides what you want and how you will use it.
0 Votes
+ -
In defense of the Iphone
jerepjohnson@... 8th Jul 2009
I have at the 3GS for two weeks and the biggest problem is not the battery - I get about 2-3 days of use without recharging. The mill around the Iphone's neck has nothing to do with Apple but with AT&T's terrible network.
0 Votes
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it's the push technology
rhon@... 8th Jul 2009
I already figured out by the first generation iphone that
automatically checking for emails, especially when you
have numerous email accounts will screw your battery
within a matter of hours. While having a fully charged first
generation iphone on standbye just before going to bed,
not making one single call, it is drained to 25-30% in the
early morning. Nothing improved with the 3G and I expect
the same is valid for 3Gs. The automatic push notification
is the one and only culprit, the 20% drop makes only sense
when you have a few email accounts.
0 Votes
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RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
rowinms 9th Jul 2009
there are 12 numbers to make the battery long lasting, if that
is the case, why use iPHONE?
0 Votes
+ -
Energy Vampires
oncall 9th Jul 2009
All these background services cost energy. Like I said above 3G doesn't work in my office, the signal is just good enough to turn on the 3G but not enough to actually send data, yet it is on sucking down the battery regardless. Bluetooth that I maybe use 2 times a month, if that, same deal. You don't have to turn EVERYTHING off, that's stupid, but I'll wager there are very few that need ALL those services even part time.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
blowoutz@... 27th Jul 2009
I have owned over 30 cellphones many of them smartphones from Nokia, HTC, Samsung, and Apple. The Iphone 3GS is definitely a pig on battery life. Whats the point of the idiotic recommendations above?? Heres my recommendation. IF we have to shut off the features lets just go out and buy a Tin Can and some Wire!!! That should cut into Apples Bottom line
0 Votes
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RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
Mexidogs 10th Aug 2009
Agreed, What's the point of shutting down all of the reasons that we have an iPhone to conserve battery power. Mine sems to be getting worse after a month of use. F&*king useless!!
0 Votes
+ -
RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
nmercer3 16th Aug 2009
terrible!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ive had mine for 2 days...took 1 10 minute call today and my battery only lasted about 6 hours...went back to at&t today bc I thought something was wrong considering it only had 5% battery left and I didnt use it all day... - they were rude and said this was "normal" for a phone that "does so much", but then changed all of my settings to save battery life (so they turned off all of the things that i bought it for)...soooooo disappointed!!!
0 Votes
+ -
RE: iPhone 3GS users complain of poor battery life
jackson1984-24316069205748857739440257893812 10th Oct
Exceptional Weblog web page I just like the lay out alongside the cheap authentic nfl jersey coloring scheme could it be most likely to receive a duplicate of this concept?

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