Apple has been quick to acknowledge the fact that in some devices, the users have to go through the trouble of bearing with a poor battery life. The error, the makers say, is due to a minor glitch in their new operating system- iOS 5. They have promised to release a software update to fix this problem. The number of users affected, however, remains small.
This news broke out almost as soon as the device was launched in mid-October on internet forums. It wasn’t noticed much since the problem affected a very small number of customers. Although, when Apple discovered that a huge feed (now 209 pages) about this issue is present on their discussion page, where people were also talking about how to reduce the qualm, Apple sprung into action. The media, to an extent, blew it out of proportion; CNN also called it “the new death grip”.
When compared with iPhone 4, the iPhone 4S does seem to have a smaller battery life when both were run on iOS 5. In a test conducted by a tech website, the iPhone 4 gave 12 hours of video viewing, whereas iPhone 4S gave only 10 hours. The standby time was approximately the same. These tests, however, do not reflect the general traits of the phone, since the settings and preferences would differ. The internet has witnessed the emergence of many ‘how-to’s that recommend the complainants on possible solutions to the problem, based on editing the settings. They suggest turning off the Bluetooth, push notifications, Wireless Reminders and ‘Siri’ to lengthen battery life.
The suggestions are indeed workable, and some have been successful for iPhone users in general. However, they should not cut down to such an extent where they lose out on key features to have a greater battery life. However, as stated earlier, since Apple has noticed the complaint and promised proactive steps towards correction, it is a good sign for the users.
