iPad mini iPad Mini 4 Battery Usage Question

[Buadhai]

I have an iPad mini 4. The battery was replaced (with a non-Apple battery) about six months ago. Lately I've notice what seems to be excessive battery usage for a relatively new battery. I have disabled Background App Refresh for all but a few apps, turned of Notifications for most apps and have left Location Services on for only a few apps.

I recently checked it with Coconut Battery and was surprised to see that it shows only one battery cycle.

I charged it overnight. When I went out this morning I removed it from the charger without logging in and left it asleep on my desk. When I got back 80 minutes later the battery was at 82% even though it was asleep the entire time.

Any ideas?

Screenshots attached:

 

[AutomaticApple]

(with a non-Apple battery)

Are you sure that it isn't a dangerous knock off battery?

 

[Buadhai]

It probably is. I live in Thailand where knock-offs are a part of daily life.

But consider this. I had an iPhone 6s. The original battery (presumably a genuine Apple battery) lasted a little over a year. I got a genuine Apple battery replacement under Apple's battery replacement program. It lasted just a year. I replaced that with a knock-off LeePlus battery. The knock-off lasted about two years.

 

[akash.nu]

It probably is. I live in Thailand where knock-offs are a part of daily life.

But consider this. I had an iPhone 6s. The original battery (presumably a genuine Apple battery) lasted a little over a year. I got a genuine Apple battery replacement under Apple's battery replacement program. It lasted just a year. I replaced that with a knock-off LeePlus battery. The knock-off lasted about two years.

I mean if it’s a knock off battery then you can’t really go with anything as there’s no baseline to compare against.

I’m actually surprised an original Apple battery lasted just a year. What was the reason for you to change the original one and how often did you have to charge your iPhone??

 

[Buadhai]

I was also surprised at the poor battery life of the 6s, no matter what battery was in it. I'm not a heavy user. I don't make or answer telephone calls. I send a few text messages per day. I mostly take photos and upload a few to IG or FB. I do most of my stuff (web browsing, email, magazine, newspaper and book reading) on the iPad. I generally charge my devices once a day, overnight. Since the iPad started acting up I have to charge it once or twice again during the day.

I now have an Xr instead of the 6s and am very much impressed with the excellent battery life. Since the iPad craps out so much I am doing more reading on the Xr than I did with the 6s. I'm convinced that there was either a design flaw with the 6s or the one I got had something wrong with it. But, when Apple replaced the battery under that special replacement program they insisted nothing was wrong with the phone. Still, the battery they installed only lasted just over a year. It was a genuine Apple battery. I saw it when the shop I took it to replaced it.

 

[ericwn]

With third party batteries you’ll always be guessing what the issue is now. It might come down to another battery replacement.

I agree, strange that the phone had these issues so quickly.

 

[Buadhai]

Right. Unfortunately, finding a place to replace the battery is not too easy just now. I'm gonna have to live with it for a while.

I think Apple knew that the 6s and similar phones did a horrible job of power management. That's why they instituted the battery replacement program. Unfortunately, the cheap replacement battery did nothing to improve the power management situation, so the replacement batteries didn't last any longer than the original.

I have just ordered a Kindle on which I'll do my book reading until I can do something about the iPad. I have been a dedicated Apple customer since 1984. This is the first time I've purchased a non-Apple product to use on a regular basis. That's a sad commentary on the quality of Apple products.

 

[ericwn]

A kindle can be a great device for distraction free reading. Just keep in mind that the backlight there uses some power too. But for most novels material ereaders are great reading devices. Enjoy!

 

[akash.nu]

A kindle can be a great device for distraction free reading. Just keep in mind that the backlight there uses some power too. But for most novels material ereaders are great reading devices. Enjoy!

I bought a paperwhite a few years back thinking I’ll get into reading more. I think I’ve read a couple at most and since then it’s gathering dust. I’ve been trying so much to get into more reading but it never works out being a consistent thing.

 

[ericwn]

I bought a paperwhite a few years back thinking I’ll get into reading more. I think I’ve read a couple at most and since then it’s gathering dust. I’ve been trying so much to get into more reading but it never works out being a consistent thing.

I know how that feels and can relate. I used to travel a lot by plane and the e-readers were excellent for those periods.
Now with kids at home I just don’t have that much time to spend focussed on reading. It really comes down to taking the time when possible.

 

[rui no onna]

I bought a paperwhite a few years back thinking I’ll get into reading more. I think I’ve read a couple at most and since then it’s gathering dust. I’ve been trying so much to get into more reading but it never works out being a consistent thing.

If you're not a heavy reader to begin with, a piece of tech isn't really gonna change that.

 

[akash.nu]

If you're not a heavy reader to begin with, a piece of tech isn't really gonna change that.

I used to be a heavy reader in my younger days but since then life happened and in my current situation it’s almost impossible for me to just sit there and read.

 

[ericwn]

I used to be a heavy reader in my younger days but since then life happened and in my current situation it’s almost impossible for me to just sit there and read.

I know it’s not a direct replacement but have you tried audiobooks? I use them almost daily - it’s also helpful for me as it keeps my native language around me while I live in English speaking surroundings.

OP, sorry for the off topic!

 

[akash.nu]

I know it’s not a direct replacement but have you tried audiobooks? I use them almost daily - it’s also helpful for me as it keeps my native language around me while I live in English speaking surroundings.

OP, sorry for the off topic!

Ah yes I normally listen to audio books or podcasts while I’m on the way to work but these days I’ve been working from home so even that’s not happening. tough life.

 

[minimo3]

We have a 1 year old iPad mini 4 purchased from Apple. Battery life has never been anywhere close to the 10 hours. It can go around 6-7 hours before it dies. Usage is mostly safari, email, messages and YouTube. The other iPads around the house including a 5 year old iPad mini 2 all last between 9-10 hours. I’ve brought it into the Apple store twice and they said it’s normal. So I take that to mean the mini 4 just has poorer battery life overall.

 

[ericg301]

per apple, ipad batteries are not replaceable. they are "sealed." if you send an ipad to apple for a battery replacement, like i'm about to do with a 5 year old mini 4, they don't actually replace the battery, they replace the whole unit.