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andymac2210

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jul 18, 2011
228
0
So like almost everyone else my new iPhone 4s has suffered from poor battery life since I got it.

After trying numerous things I finally nailed it down to system services within location services.
I KNEW it had to be something location based that was eating up the battery, it couldn't be the cloud syncing since I turned that off, as I turned off everything else.
The problem is the status isn't always displayed (at least not by default).

Settings - location services - system services - at the bottom turn on status bar icon.

Now, you see a location arrow in the status bar and a purple one next to 'setting time zone', turn setting time zone off - your battery life is now normal again.

Enjoy. :)
 

thelookingglass

macrumors 68020
Apr 27, 2005
2,138
631
Actually, this IS the problem for many, including me. I've got two devices, an iPad and iPhone 4, updated to iOS 5. For whatever reason "setting time zone" never turns on on my iPhone. It's CONSTANTLY on on my iPad and sucking battery like crazy. I turned it off and now my iPad's battery lasts as long as it ever did. That was clearly the problem in my case.
 

JRoDDz

macrumors 68000
Jul 2, 2009
1,927
183
NYC
You can disable everything under System Services and your iPhone will still function normally. These are just there to track stuff and send back to Apple's database.
 

mcdj

macrumors G3
Jul 10, 2007
8,964
4,214
NYC
someone really needs to start a thread about the battery issue.

The only thing that's 100% guaranteed on the internet is that whenever someone says they guarantee something 100%, 99.9% of the time, they're wrong.

I 100% guarantee it.
 

BGTHEMOGUL

macrumors regular
Nov 12, 2010
249
1
You can disable everything under System Services and your iPhone will still function normally. These are just there to track stuff and send back to Apple's database.

Please explain. You're saying everything under System Services can be disabled and have no affect on the phone functionality? What about "Setting Time Zone" and "Traffic" for example? I would think those need to be "ON" when using maps or GPS for directions and or traveling and wanting the time zone to update automatically.
 

ET iPhone Home

macrumors 68040
Oct 5, 2011
3,823
529
Orange County, California USA
Actually, this IS the problem for many, including me. I've got two devices, an iPad and iPhone 4, updated to iOS 5. For whatever reason "setting time zone" never turns on on my iPhone. It's CONSTANTLY on on my iPad and sucking battery like crazy. I turned it off and now my iPad's battery lasts as long as it ever did. That was clearly the problem in my case.

Just out of curiosity, I understand battery gain, but what do you loose by turning "Setting Time Zone" OFF? What does it actually do? Is it linked to GPS or does it keep track of local time zone you/iPhone are in? Thanks.
 

whiskeyvol

macrumors regular
Mar 14, 2011
201
0
Just out of curiosity, I understand battery gain, but what do you loose by turning "Setting Time Zone" OFF? What does it actually do? Is it linked to GPS or does it keep track of local time zone you/iPhone are in? Thanks.

take an airplane in eastern time zone, arrives in pacific time zone. i would think by turning the setting off that your phone wouldn't recognize it's in a different time zone
 

BGTHEMOGUL

macrumors regular
Nov 12, 2010
249
1
take an airplane in eastern time zone, arrives in pacific time zone. i would think by turning the setting off that your phone wouldn't recognize it's in a different time zone

Right that's what I would assume also and for people like myself that travel often we need it to update automatically so the poster who wrote you can disable everything and it has no affect on functionality is incorrect.
 

thelookingglass

macrumors 68020
Apr 27, 2005
2,138
631
take an airplane in eastern time zone, arrives in pacific time zone. i would think by turning the setting off that your phone wouldn't recognize it's in a different time zone

I haven't tested this but I don't think that's right. iOS 4 could update timezone automatically based on your cell network. There's even a setting in Date & Time I believe that enables you to set timezone automatically.

I'm guessing this feature utilizes GPS to figure out your time zone of you don't have a cell signal. This appears to make sense because "setting time zone" has never once been turned on on my iPhone. But on my SIM-less 3G iPad, it's constantly on.
 

whiskeyvol

macrumors regular
Mar 14, 2011
201
0
I haven't tested this but I don't think that's right. iOS 4 could update timezone automatically based on your cell network. There's even a setting in Date & Time I believe that enables you to set timezone automatically.

I'm guessing this feature utilizes GPS to figure out your time zone of you don't have a cell signal. This appears to make sense because "setting time zone" has never once been turned on on my iPhone. But on my SIM-less 3G iPad, it's constantly on.

maybe it's for calendar/reminder events? i have no idea, just throwing ideas
 

MacDawg

Moderator emeritus
Mar 20, 2004
19,823
4,503
"Between the Hedges"
Mostly this is just speculation about how these location services work or their purpose

Without a definitive answer from Apple's documentation, we are just guessing
Some guesses seem logical, but that's all they are, guesses
 

BGTHEMOGUL

macrumors regular
Nov 12, 2010
249
1
Someone has to know what each of the "System Services" does specifically. A quick brief description of each would help a lot of people.
 

JRoDDz

macrumors 68000
Jul 2, 2009
1,927
183
NYC
Please explain. You're saying everything under System Services can be disabled and have no affect on the phone functionality? What about "Setting Time Zone" and "Traffic" for example? I would think those need to be "ON" when using maps or GPS for directions and or traveling and wanting the time zone to update automatically.

That is correct. Time zone is set by your Cellular carrier. Traffic still works if you disable the setting here. GPS still works. Try it for yourself.

These are only here to update Apple's crowd sourced databases of cell sites, wifi hotspots, traffic conditions etc.


Read it for yourself: http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4995?viewlocale=en_US Scroll down to the section under Crowd-sourced Wi-Fi and cellular Location Services
 

BGTHEMOGUL

macrumors regular
Nov 12, 2010
249
1
That is correct. Time zone is set by your Cellular carrier. Traffic still works if you disable the setting here. GPS still works. Try it for yourself.

These are only here to update Apple's crowd sourced databases of cell sites, wifi hotspots, traffic conditions etc.

Very interesting. Can anybody else confirm this as factual?

Just read the link you added. It shows the System Services in there but has no description of them anywhere.
 

ipoddin

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2004
1,118
178
Los Angeles
Right that's what I would assume also and for people like myself that travel often we need it to update automatically so the poster who wrote you can disable everything and it has no affect on functionality is incorrect.

Ok, I haven't left Los Angeles since I got the 4S. There's a gray arrow next to Setting Time Zone. It says on this page that a gray icon will appear next to an item that has used your location within the last 24 hours. So if I haven't left my time zone in the last 24 hours, why did the Time Zone setting need to use the GPS?
 

whiskeyvol

macrumors regular
Mar 14, 2011
201
0
JRoDDz - in your experience, have you been able to go between 3g and EDGE while having 'cell network search' OFF?
 

BGTHEMOGUL

macrumors regular
Nov 12, 2010
249
1
Ok, I haven't left Los Angeles since I got the 4S. There's a gray arrow next to Setting Time Zone. It says on this page that a gray icon will appear next to an item that has used your location within the last 24 hours. So if I haven't left my time zone in the last 24 hours, why did the Time Zone setting need to use the GPS?

This I couldn't answer. I'm trying to figure this out the same way everybody else is on what exactly these "System Services" do and actually are for.
 

whiskeyvol

macrumors regular
Mar 14, 2011
201
0
Ok, I haven't left Los Angeles since I got the 4S. There's a gray arrow next to Setting Time Zone. It says on this page that a gray icon will appear next to an item that has used your location within the last 24 hours. So if I haven't left my time zone in the last 24 hours, why did the Time Zone setting need to use the GPS?

did you reset or power off your phone? that's probably why
 

JRoDDz

macrumors 68000
Jul 2, 2009
1,927
183
NYC
JRoDDz - in your experience, have you been able to go between 3g and EDGE while having 'cell network search' OFF?

I'm in an area with very good 3G so I haven't seen it go into anything other than 3G in the 2 days I've changed the setting.

Edit: I am turning "Cell Network Search" back on due to my own paranoia at not exactly knowing what this particular setting does :)
 
Last edited:

ipoddin

macrumors 65816
Jan 6, 2004
1,118
178
Los Angeles
did you reset or power off your phone? that's probably why

Yes, I did do that yesterday. But I just turned off location services for Time Zone anyway. I believe time zones are automatically set by cellular towers anyway. Next time I travel, if time zone isn't updated, I'll turn it back on.
 

pdqgp

macrumors 68020
Mar 23, 2010
2,131
5,460
I know this. If I'm inside or At a function or doing something that I don't feel I am going to need location services, I just turn it off. So when I'm at work where I really just use my phone for email or calls, my battery stays strong by doing this.

I wish Siri could control settings through my voice commands. I would commonly use it to turn off wifi, location services and blue tooth.
 
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