iPhone XS Why are iPhone batteries so bad?

[Risco]

I love everything about Apple but their battery life is shockingly bad. Are the batteries much smaller than equivalent Android phones? Or is this more a software issue?

When I had an iPhone 4 it would last up to 4 days! My iPhone XS needs charging daily...

 

[Nozuka]

I usually have worse battery life with Android Phones, so i can't really agree with this.

But probably depends how you use the phone.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

On the other hand, my iphone 4 battery was terrible.

 

[Juicy Box]

I have never used an Android phone, but I have also notice that the battery life of my iPhones have gotten worse over the past few years.

I miss the days that I could go days without charging.

I wonder if the addition of the Apple Watch has caused my SE1's battery to die quicker.

 

[mnsportsgeek]

I have never used an Android phone, but I have also notice that the battery life of my iPhones have gotten worse over the past few years.

I miss the days that I could go days without charging.

I wonder if the addition of the Apple Watch has caused my SE1's battery to die quicker.

Batteries lose charge capacity over time. Age has caused your SE1's battery to die quicker.

 

[Juicy Box]

Batteries lose charge capacity over time. Age has caused your SE1's battery to die quicker.

I completely understand this, and it is not what I am referring to.

I am talking about a iPhone SE1 that was only a few months old with 100% battery capacity not lasting nearly as on a long on a single charge as an old iPhone SE1 with 87% battery capacity.

 

[XeonFurr]

In the same boat, battery on my xs, after a year, same settings/iOS version/use pattern is more than cut in half.
Battery health 87%.
I don’t understand if it’s iOS or the battery.
From 5h on screen to 2h 20m.

 

[shakopeemn]

In the same boat, battery on my xs, after a year, same settings/iOS version/use pattern is more than cut in half.
Battery health 87%.
I don’t understand if it’s iOS or the battery.
From 5h on screen to 2h 20m.

This message is a little later.... Although Apple doesn’t say to replace battery at 87, I believe when you go into the 80s, the battery needs to be replaced.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I have found batteries in Apple products to be vastly superior to competition devices whether it be laptops, tablets, watches, and phones.

The only way I could get my iPhone 4 to last 4 days was to not use it at all. Remember, phone screens were tiny back then so people weren't consuming as much on them as we do now. I'm a light user and even my phone usage now is FAR more than it was with my iPhone 4.

I remember going from Android to iPhone (the iPhone 4 was my first iPhone) - and going, wow I can actually use this to do things without the phone dying in 4 hours (HTC Thunderbolt).

 

[LFC2020]

Hmmm no issues here, iPhone has the best stand by battery life and real world battery life in the business.

 

[MisterSavage]

I thought the 11 Pro was a huge jump in battery life. I don't even think about it any more.

 

[eyoungren]

I love everything about Apple but their battery life is shockingly bad. Are the batteries much smaller than equivalent Android phones? Or is this more a software issue?

When I had an iPhone 4 it would last up to 4 days! My iPhone XS needs charging daily...

No idea. What do you do with your phone beyond calls, texts, email and light web browsing? Use it as a substitute computer and DVD player? If so, yeah, you're going to lose battery.

My 6s+ though. 5.5 years later, normal use and two summers of riding around in 110º Phoenix heat with no A/C and windows that couldn't be rolled down. Extreme heat kills batteries.

 

[eyoungren]

I remember going from Android to iPhone (the iPhone 4 was my first iPhone) - and going, wow I can actually use this to do things without the phone dying in 4 hours (HTC Thunderbolt).

We got out first smartphones in 2009 (HTC Touch Pro). I can recall being confused as to why the battery only lasted a day with normal use. But we were coming from old tank flip phones that were mostly used for phone calls.

When I went to the iPhone 5 in 2012 I was very happy I could go to bed with 80% charge or more, even when using it like normal.

For me, if the iPhone lasts a day with normal use (not media, games or streaming) I'm happy.

 

[Apple_Robert]

No idea. What do you do with your phone beyond calls, texts, email and light web browsing? Use it as a substitute computer and DVD player? If so, yeah, you're going to lose battery.

My 6s+ though. 5.5 years later, normal use and two summers of riding around in 110º Phoenix heat with no A/C and windows that couldn't be rolled down. Extreme heat kills batteries.

View attachment 1725271

That is great battery life.

 

[eyoungren]

That is great battery life.

Yeah, this phone has been spectacular for me. It's never needed any service by Apple and that battery is the original. I've been very happy with this 6s+.

 

[jagolden]

I had an XS Max and battery life was great. Could take photos all day with some editing and it would hold up till the next morning (that also included listening to music/book through an 8 hr night).

My 11 Pro Max is pretty much the same way.

My only suggestion is to check all your setting carefully. Something’s eating it up.

 

[marcg868]

IPhone 11 here had it since June last year. Took my phone off charge yesterday at 0650 it’s now at 45% with 4.5 hours screen on time.
my partners Galaxy S20 took off charge this Morning is on 34% same screen on time.
My old S9 took off charge at 0650 was on 20% by 1400 with 3 hours screen on time. So I’m more than happy with the iPhone battery life. Upgrading to a 12pm in June.

 

[DevinNj]

Just the standby time by alone is leaps and bounds over any Android phone I've ever had. I used to have to put my Androids in airplane mode at night to minimize the loss. My 11 Pro Max is great in that regard, maybe 2% overnight if that.

 

[black_knight]

No idea. What do you do with your phone beyond calls, texts, email and light web browsing? Use it as a substitute computer and DVD player? If so, yeah, you're going to lose battery.

My 6s+ though. 5.5 years later, normal use and two summers of riding around in 110º Phoenix heat with no A/C and windows that couldn't be rolled down. Extreme heat kills batteries.

View attachment 1725271

How in the heck were you able to function without the windows being open? That sort of thing kills infants and pets...

 

[TechLord]

iPhone batteries are very good considering the relatively low mAh batteries they contain. 12 series phones are matching androids with 1000s more mAh. Imagine a pro max model with 5000 mAh. Not to mention standby time.

 

[eyoungren]

How in the heck were you able to function without the windows being open? That sort of thing kills infants and pets...

The first summer I had to do that I lived 15 minutes away from work. Work was about five minutes from shopping. So, in the morning and evening it was tolerable for that amount of time. During lunch I could get where I was going and back without sweating too much.

The second summer though, I had a new job that was 45 minutes away. I had to show up in the early morning so not bad. But I left at 2pm so it was murder at that point. I froze a water bottle at work and by the time I got home had drunk it all.

I eventually changed my shift so that I started work at noon and left at 10pm, 4 days a week. Going to work without it being too hot and then leaving after the sun was down. With no traffic either way I got to work and home faster as well.

At a certain point though you reach an equilibrium where you aren't going to get any hotter. It's kind of like the inverse of being in an ice bath. Eventually it gets warm and you're okay.

There was one point though where I think it very nearly could have killed me. One of those 120º days I think.

 

[black_knight]

The first summer I had to do that I lived 15 minutes away from work. Work was about five minutes from shopping. So, in the morning and evening it was tolerable for that amount of time. During lunch I could get where I was going and back without sweating too much.

The second summer though, I had a new job that was 45 minutes away. I had to show up in the early morning so not bad. But I left at 2pm so it was murder at that point. I froze a water bottle at work and by the time I got home had drunk it all.

I eventually changed my shift so that I started work at noon and left at 10pm, 4 days a week. Going to work without it being too hot and then leaving after the sun was down. With no traffic either way I got to work and home faster as well.

At a certain point though you reach an equilibrium where you aren't going to get any hotter. It's kind of like the inverse of being in an ice bath. Eventually it gets warm and you're okay.

There was one point though where I think it very nearly could have killed me. One of those 120º days I think.

Geez man!!!! That’s insane!!! I live in Phoenix area and I know exactly how it is here in the summer lol. Warrior mentality you have there!!

 

[Vegas33139]

I've had a mixture of Android and iPhones over the years - but over the last 5 years it's been iPhones all the way. Although I'm not a heavy user, I continues to be impressed by iPhone batteries. My new iPhone 12 pro max will last for 4 days with about 25% left.

 

[eyoungren]

Geez man!!!! That’s insane!!! I live in Phoenix area and I know exactly how it is here in the summer lol. Warrior mentality you have there!!

Thanks. You do what you have to though. The alternative is forcing the windows down and not being able to get them back up again. Which means my car is open to thieves (and the elements) everywhere I go. It's an old car, but it's been stolen before and that's when the windows worked. I was lucky to get it back.

My wife, who at the time was picking my kids up from school, drives the car with A/C. 😉

PS: My iPhone 6s+ rarely, if ever, reached thermal shut down. My Android though, mostly did.

 

[Bro KV]

The first summer I had to do that I lived 15 minutes away from work. Work was about five minutes from shopping. So, in the morning and evening it was tolerable for that amount of time. During lunch I could get where I was going and back without sweating too much.

The second summer though, I had a new job that was 45 minutes away. I had to show up in the early morning so not bad. But I left at 2pm so it was murder at that point. I froze a water bottle at work and by the time I got home had drunk it all.

I eventually changed my shift so that I started work at noon and left at 10pm, 4 days a week. Going to work without it being too hot and then leaving after the sun was down. With no traffic either way I got to work and home faster as well.

At a certain point though you reach an equilibrium where you aren't going to get any hotter. It's kind of like the inverse of being in an ice bath. Eventually it gets warm and you're okay.

There was one point though where I think it very nearly could have killed me. One of those 120º days I think.

That’s nuts man!! I live in San Tan Valley and work in Tolleson and get off at 3:30pm. Couldn’t imagine no AC.