Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

iPhone 6+ Battery Issue - Common?

S

snarestud940

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Feb 3, 2012
517
28
Hey Everyone,

So my iPhone 6+ has been great! Got it about a month after launch and I just realized about two days ago that my phone makes a quick drastic jump down from 60 or 59%, down to 53%. Obviously, it isn't is BIG deal....but I like my phones to be awesome! lol.....I didn't notice this before the update to 8.3 or whatever it is.

is there anyway to check the condition of the battery? I used to use ibackupbot, but it no longer works.

Should I just let it go? What does everyone think?

I'm at 51% now and my usage is:

Usage: 5 Hours, 1 Minute
Standby: 8 Hours, 53 minutes

Is this good still?
 
Usage time depends on how you're using it.
I get 9.5-10 hours from my 6+. No games and no music.
The app 'Battery Doc' shows battery health/cycles info.
 
sunking101 said:
Usage time depends on how you're using it.
I get 9.5-10 hours from my 6+. No games and no music.
The app 'Battery Doc' shows battery health/cycles info.
Click to expand...

Does this look good?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3686.png
    IMG_3686.png
    208.4 KB · Views: 90
I expect that you have fully drained your battery until the phone switches off, and then charged it to 100% and left the charger on for a good 10 mins after it reaches 100%? This will calibrate your battery. Other than that I can't explain the problem. Even a rogue app wouldn't drain a battery by 7-10% instantaneously.
 
sunking101 said:
I expect that you have fully drained your battery until the phone switches off, and then charged it to 100% and left the charger on for a good 10 mins after it reaches 100%? This will calibrate your battery. Other than that I can't explain the problem. Even a rogue app wouldn't drain a battery by 7-10% instantaneously.
Click to expand...

Haven't done that in about a month.... Should I?
 
snarestud940 said:
Haven't done that in about a month.... Should I?
Click to expand...

Definitely. It might cure your problem.
Does your battery drop right down to 1% and stay there for 5-10 minutes before the phone switches off? I can web browse for a good 10 minutes at 1% before my phone dies.
 
sunking101 said:
Definitely. It might cure your problem.
Does your battery drop right down to 1% and stay there for 5-10 minutes before the phone switches off? I can web browse for a good 10 minutes at 1% before my phone dies.
Click to expand...

Haven't done it in a while. I've been at 42 for about 15 minutes now. Normally it switches off around 2 or 3 percent though
 
snarestud940 said:
Haven't done it in a while. I've been at 42 for about 15 minutes now. Normally it switches off around 2 or 3 percent though
Click to expand...

You definitely have calibration issues then. I suggest running your battery completely flat and then charging it to 100%. Do this for two consecutive charge cycles.
 
sunking101 said:
You definitely have calibration issues then. I suggest running your battery completely flat and then charging it to 100%. Do this for two consecutive charge cycles.
Click to expand...

Also, do not disturb the phone (i.e use it in any way) while it is charging. It just feels this would be more thorough and effective. Things might get wonky again if the phone is drawing power and receiving power at the same time when you are trying to calibrate it again. Not sure if it's actually the case but it just feels like it may be that way lol.
 
sunking101 said:
You definitely have calibration issues then. I suggest running your battery completely flat and then charging it to 100%. Do this for two consecutive charge cycles.
Click to expand...

Thanks man! Will try to run it down tonight!! I'm happy it isn't a big deal. Just have to calibrate it.

Should I leave it turned off for a while after it dies?
 
snarestud940 said:
Thanks man! Will try to run it down tonight!! I'm happy it isn't a big deal. Just have to calibrate it.

Should I leave it turned off for a while after it dies?
Click to expand...

I don't see the need to leave it turned off once it has auto shutdown. Just charge it straight up. It won't harm to do so but there won't be much further draining going on unless you left it alone for days...
 
snarestud940 said:
Thanks man! Will try to run it down tonight!! I'm happy it isn't a big deal. Just have to calibrate it.

Should I leave it turned off for a while after it dies?
Click to expand...

You don't need to do that. just run it down to 10% then charge it to 100%. that's enough to calibrate your battery.

As apple says 'Charge your Apple lithium-ion battery whenever you want. There’s no need to let it discharge 100% before recharging.' https://www.apple.com/batteries/why-lithium-ion/

if you want to prolong your battery lifespan, avoid to discharge 100%.
 
shoerofi said:
You don't need to do that. just run it down to 10% then charge it to 100%. that's enough to calibrate your battery.

As apple says 'Charge your Apple lithium-ion battery whenever you want. There’s no need to let it discharge 100% before recharging.' https://www.apple.com/batteries/why-lithium-ion/

if you want to prolong your battery lifespan, avoid to discharge 100%.
Click to expand...

10% doesn't calibrate it, it has to be to shutdown.
It is recommended to do this fairly frequently and I run my battery to 1% every single day, then drain it completely at least once a month. I have done this with my last three iPhones and all have had great battery health. Those who charge their batteries regularly when they are nowhere near empty are the ones who tend to have calibration issues.
 
sunking101 said:
10% doesn't calibrate it, it has to be to shutdown.
It is recommended to do this fairly frequently and I run my battery to 1% every single day, then drain it completely at least once a month. I have done this with my last three iPhones and all have had great battery health. Those who charge their batteries regularly when they are nowhere near empty are the ones who tend to have calibration issues.
Click to expand...

Sorry, correct me if i wrong. i just read this link http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries.
it says, the shorter the discharge, the longer the battery will last (the battery lifespan). but you do run your battery to 1% every single day...

and this for the calibraiton http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/battery_calibration
 
shoerofi said:
Sorry, correct me if i wrong. i just read this link http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries.
it says, the shorter the discharge, the longer the battery will last (the battery lifespan). but you do run your battery to 1% every single day...

and this for the calibraiton http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/battery_calibration
Click to expand...

I wasn't suggesting that you take it to 1% every day like I do, that was merely to show that I do the exact opposite of what the previous poster recommended and yet my iPhone batteries have always remained strong. They have kept a good MAh compared to new, and always switched off at 1%. It is recommended by many others to fully discharge the batteries at least once a month, not because the battery needs it but because the percentage meter of the phone needs it. There is IMO a lot of guff spoken about batteries. They are a cheap item to replace and yet mine always last many, many charge cycles and are still going strong when I finally retire the phones.

Ultimately, your iPhone has a battery calibration issue and draining the battery until the phone switches off is the cure for this. Even then you aren't fully draining the battery as they have a built-in protection system to prevent full drainage. It is impossible to damage them this way and if you think about it, a battery powered mobile phone is always likely to be drained. People want to eek the maximum they can from their batteries and having to charge them at 50% or whatever rubbish is suggested by some people is unworkable.

Anyway, that is my advice to you and it is how I operate my own phones (with zero issues).

*Edited to add:

Charging batteries regularly and much before they are fully discharged may well make the battery last longer (*although mine have always comfortably outlasted the life of the phone), but your issue is one of the iPhone battery percentage meter not functioning correctly. To fix this you need to fully discharge the battery. If your primary concern is the extended life of your $15 battery, then perhaps overly baby it, discharge it to no less than 50% and charge it as little as possible. #
 
Last edited:
sunking101 said:
I wasn't suggesting that you take it to 1% every day like I do, that was merely to show that I do the exact opposite of what the previous poster recommended and yet my iPhone batteries have always remained strong. They have kept a good MAh compared to new, and always switched off at 1%. It is recommended by many others to fully discharge the batteries at least once a month, not because the battery needs it but because the percentage meter of the phone needs it. There is IMO a lot of guff spoken about batteries. They are a cheap item to replace and yet mine always last many, many charge cycles and are still going strong when I finally retire the phones.

Ultimately, your iPhone has a battery calibration issue and draining the battery until the phone switches off is the cure for this. Even then you aren't fully draining the battery as they have a built-in protection system to prevent full drainage. It is impossible to damage them this way and if you think about it, a battery powered mobile phone is always likely to be drained. People want to eek the maximum they can from their batteries and having to charge them at 50% or whatever rubbish is suggested by some people is unworkable.

Anyway, that is my advice to you and it is how I operate my own phones (with zero issues).

*Edited to add:

Charging batteries regularly and much before they are fully discharged may well make the battery last longer (*although mine have always comfortably outlasted the life of the phone), but your issue is one of the iPhone battery percentage meter not functioning correctly. To fix this you need to fully discharge the battery. If your primary concern is the extended life of your $15 battery, then perhaps overly baby it, discharge it to no less than 50% and charge it as little as possible. #
Click to expand...

I rarely let my battery run down below 10% and i charged my battery more often to make it last longer, but when i check with battery doc, the apps says my battery have 90,9% max capacity from the original design capacity with 160 cycle cont. It doesn't make sense, because i did everything to make my battery healthy.

Maybe i should try you charging method to see how long my battery will last :D
 
shoerofi said:
I rarely let my battery run down below 10% and i charged my battery more often to make it last longer, but when i check with battery doc, the apps says my battery have 90,9% max capacity from the original design capacity with 160 cycle cont. It doesn't make sense, because i did everything to make my battery healthy.

Maybe i should try you charging method to see how long my battery will last :D
Click to expand...

I have always done it how I do it, not because I like to do the opposite of what people say but because it works out fine for me. I get the maximum usage time from my phone each charge cycle, my batteries last just as long as everyone elses' do, and I experience no strange percentage shifts or shutting off before 1%. Each to their own.☺️

The telling part for me is when you say that you charge your battery more often. If people charge at 30-50% every day and then leave the battery connected to the mains all night it goes without saying (to me) that you're increasing the usage of the battery....and therefore killing it quicker.
 
sunking101 said:
I have always done it how I do it, not because I like to do the opposite of what people say but because it works out fine for me. I get the maximum usage time from my phone each charge cycle, my batteries last just as long as everyone elses' do, and I experience no strange percentage shifts or shutting off before 1%. Each to their own.☺️
Click to expand...

Thank you then..

Appreciate it.
 
sunking101 said:
I have always done it how I do it, not because I like to do the opposite of what people say but because it works out fine for me. I get the maximum usage time from my phone each charge cycle, my batteries last just as long as everyone elses' do, and I experience no strange percentage shifts or shutting off before 1%. Each to their own.☺️

The telling part for me is when you say that you charge your battery more often. If people charge at 30-50% every day and then leave the battery connected to the mains all night it goes without saying (to me) that you're increasing the usage of the battery....and therefore killing it quicker.
Click to expand...

You guys have been such a great help! I let it die last night! I took two screen shots, one before it died, and one after it charge for about 6 hours. and then unplugged it.

I can see the max capacity went down both times. Is it still ok?
 

Attachments

  • IMG_3687.png
    IMG_3687.png
    205.1 KB · Views: 72
  • IMG_3688.png
    IMG_3688.png
    211.4 KB · Views: 72
My app says:

Total Load Cycles: 34
Current Capacity: 2160 (~75% charge)
Max Capacity: 3000
Cap left (compare to new): 105.1%

Battery Health approx (green).

I've had the phone for more than a few months. I keep it usually >=80% and on the charge cable for long periods of time at work (though never overnight).


To the Original Poster: Yes, having owned cellphones since the late 90s --- that battery % is never consistent from 100% to 0%. It'll fall faster sometimes and slower other times. I've learned that turning off Battery % in the status bar has had a huge impact on me enjoying my phone. Why? I have an OCD With %s. With the battery % off I'm able to use the phone and enjoy it without worrying about the % dropping.
 
snarestud940 said:
You guys have been such a great help! I let it die last night! I took two screen shots, one before it died, and one after it charge for about 6 hours. and then unplugged it.

I can see the max capacity went down both times. Is it still ok?
Click to expand...

Not sure about that. The app seems a little off since the last update. The 2700/2700 suggests that the battery is as good as new, which is should be with so few charge cycles.
 
sunking101 said:
Not sure about that. The app seems a little off since the last update. The 2700/2700 suggests that the battery is as good as new, which is should be with so few charge cycles.
Click to expand...

I thought the app maybe acting up. It didn't even add another cycle count. Is this normal?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back