Yesterday, Apple released the first update to iOS 5 to users, with the promise that it would solve those nagging issues regarding quick battery drain in the iPhone 4S. The update, iOS 5.0.1, was released to developers a little while back and garnered mostly positive reviews.
Now, after a day of iPhone users installing the update, we are getting some reaction concerning its efficacy. And it appears the the update has failed to solve many users’ battery woes.
There are multiple threads on the official Apple forums regarding the battery life situation in the iPhone 4S, and they have been hot since the release of iOS 5.0.1. Here are some of the posts about the update:
Upgraded to 5.0.1 this morning. Still draining at the exact same rate. Unplugged with a full charge 2 1/2 hours ago, and already down to 80% with light usage. Just lost 2% during a 15 minute shower. I see no difference at all.
Same here. Updated about 1.5 hours ago, battery has drained 20% since then with no usage! This is awful!
New update is no help at all. I opened the safari and lost 2 % just by opening the safari browser…This really *****
After the first few hours I thought my battery life had improved, but it appears it didn’t. I ended up returning my over priced $55 Otterbox case, and getting a 2100mah battery case for $10 more. THAT has solved the issue, as I am still running on the external battery a day later, with heavy use, bright screen and everything on. It’s ashame that had to be the solution, but it was either that or go through the hassle of returning the phone and paying the restocking fees.
Did the update last night fully charged my phone overnight and havent used it yet and down 10% in two hours.
Clearly, many users are seeing no improvement from the iOS update. The discussion on Twitter follows this trend:
@kessler
Ben KesslerYeah, 5.0.1 didn’t help my iPhone 4 battery problems at all. Off the charger for two hours and already down 25%.
48 minutes ago via HootSuite · powered by @socialditto
@drjongoodman
Jonathan GoodmanBattery life on new iPhone no better with patch 🙁 38 minutes ago via Twitter for iPhone · powered by @socialditto
@oubipaws
Nicholas MercerI’m not so sure 5.0.1 is helping my iPhone 4S’s battery; already down to 80% this morning after very little usage. 41 minutes ago via web · powered by @socialditto
To be fair, some users are reporting that the update did positively affect their battery life:
@crwhitesides
Christian WhitesidesMy iPhone 4S’s battery seems to be lasting longer. 46 minutes ago via Tweetbot for iPhone · powered by @socialditto
@soulja_de
Robert DabiiPhone 4S battery life definitely improved after updating. 45 minutes ago via Twitter for Mac · powered by @socialditto
Of course, some users might have been looking for a miracle and are simply holding their phone to too-high expectations. Many people underestimate the amount that they use their phones, and therefore overestimate how much battery life they should have at any particular moment.
But there seems to be a incredibly large sample of users that have seen no improvement with the update, which is a problem for Apple. The battery issues have plagued the iPhone 4S since day one, and many users seem to be getting incredibly frustrated.
Are you experiencing battery problems with your iPhone? Did you install the update? Did it help? Let us know in the comments.