iPhone XR Why does Apple not make a phone for power users?

[BigMcGuire]

I don't get it... With my usage my Xs Max easily lasts 3 days. I don't do social media but I do read on my phone and do a few calls a day with lots of iMessage.

During my many work flights last year (several overseas) my 10,000 mAh Anker battery kept my phone at 100% the entire time with ease - it would have lasted without the battery but I like having a backup just incase the hotel plugs don't work well.

I have never been for want for battery ever since my 6s+ and I've watched 4+ hours of downloaded Netflix videos on my iPhone before (8+) on a flight to DC. Again, the 10,000 mAh battery kept the phone at max.


I started off as an Android fan - HTC MyTouch, Droid 1 - rooted the **** out of that thing and spent a lot of time on droidforums as a kid. HTC Thunderbolt was horrible - that and Verizon was locking boot loaders, so I went to the Note 3 as my last real Android device - loved it, participated in the $20k+ bounty to unlock the boot loader and ... moved to iPhone. Now that I'm all growed up I use iPhones because I don't have time to deal with forced adware, horrible battery life, and the android experience. --- I've made sure to try Nexus 6, Pixel 1, S10 phones just to make sure I'm up to date with what I'm missing.

It is my experience that even with Android phones today, battery life is not consistent. Just leaving my phone sit, it is a crapshoot as to whether or not it'll last a few days or be completely drained when I come back to pick it up. This is specifically in relation to Samsung devices that I've used.

People who swoon for Android devices and claim battery life is why - hey, whatever works for them, but definitely not my experience. I get 3+ days on my Xs Max ... consistently.... all the time - and have on my 6s+, 8+, and now Xs Max.


Edit: Yeah, if you're in low reception area - only saving grace is wifi with wifi calling. I have max reception at work but at home I have 1-2 bars, but wifi calling has made the drain 0. If I use the phone in low reception, battery life suffers significantly.

 

[AustinIllini]

^^Not only this, but Android gets significantly worse as you go along. Anyone who doesn't believe in OS rot on Android hasn't used one long enough.

 

[Pakaku]

That’s what a forum is, a place to express your opinions with like minded people. It seems you don’t understand what I said, so I will refrain from being rude to you and getting banned. Just because this is an Apple website doesn’t mean no one can be critical of them. It’s a FACT that Apple uses the smallest batteries of any top tier phone. The biggest battery apple has ever put into a phone is nearly 2000mah smaller than the one found in multiple cheap android phones. Samsung and OnePlus batteries are around 4000mah, while Apple barely hits 3000mah. Like it or not, it’s a fact. The smaller 6s/7/8 are nearly unusable for heavy users if they are not near an outlet or invest in a battery pack they may not want. Healthy criticism can bring change if enough people get behind it. My guess is the average person would trade a little bit of thickness for several more hours of usage from their phone.

I was never arguing that Apple could not change their phones and offer something with more battery space in a potential future phone, but I am saying that you already have alternative solutions that cater to your proposed problem in the meantime. And as a so-called professional, I don't see why the solution doesn't work for you

I don't understand why you think a person who needs more battery life would not want something like a battery case. There's a market for them so that tells me they must be reasonably popular with other people, whether out of desire or out of necessity. In your case it sounds like you have a bit of pride to swallow, to be perfectly honest

 

[tonybarnaby]

I was never arguing that Apple could not change their phones and offer something with more battery space in a potential future phone, but I am saying that you already have alternative solutions that cater to your proposed problem in the meantime. And as a so-called professional, I don't see why the solution doesn't work for you

I don't understand why you think a person who needs more battery life would not want something like a battery case. There's a market for them so that tells me they must be reasonably popular with other people, whether out of desire or out of necessity. In your case it sounds like you have a bit of pride to swallow, to be perfectly honest

The apple smart battery case is nice, but the capacity is low and it will prevent some people from being able to then fit their phone in their pocket.

My main point is to look at the size of the 7+/8+/xr/max. Android phones that are the same size as them are easily able to fit 4100-5000mah batteries. I prefer iOS and want to stay on iOS. My 8+ doesn’t offer a smart battery case. I could get an xr and a battery case, but that would make it way bigger than if apple gave it 4100mah from the factory like the equally sized galaxy s10+. The s10+ 5g is able to fit 4500mah. So why not apple?

 

[BigMcGuire]

The apple smart battery case is nice, but the capacity is low and it will prevent some people from being able to then fit their phone in their pocket.

My main point is to look at the size of the 7+/8+/xr/max. Android phones that are the same size as them are easily able to fit 4100-5000mah batteries. I prefer iOS and want to stay on iOS. My 8+ doesn’t offer a smart battery case. I could get an xr and a battery case, but that would make it way bigger than if apple gave it 4100mah from the factory like the equally sized galaxy s10+. The s10+ 5g is able to fit 4500mah. So why not apple?

I don't think Apple and Samsung use the same battery supplier. I say this from my personal experience observations. My Note 3's OEM battery lost 50% of its capacity in less than 6 months. I replaced it with an Anker replacement on Amazon (back in the days you could swap out batteries) - but it is my experience that these batteries don't last nearly as long as iPhone batteries.

I've watched the capacity of my iPhone batteries over the 2 years of ownership I've had --- they retain almost all of their capacity after 1.5-2 years and 230+ cycles. I sell my phones after 2 years.


Now I'm not saying Samsung's batteries are crap. Samsung has a bigger battery because it has to. Android OS is designed for many different pieces of hardware - not optimized for one set of hardware like iOS. Even though Android has solved a lot of its JIT issues in the past, it still is not perfect (not saying iOS is).

I imagine more than anything it comes down to weight. A 4500 mAh battery in an iPhone XS Max would make it heavier than sin with the metal components Apple uses (In Jonny Ive's eyes).

Replace all metal with plastic and cheaper materials - like some Android manufacturers - and you could probably fit a much larger battery in there.

 

[tonybarnaby]

I don't think Apple and Samsung use the same battery supplier. I say this from my personal experience observations. My Note 3's OEM battery lost 50% of its capacity in less than 6 months. I replaced it with an Anker replacement on Amazon (back in the days you could swap out batteries) - but it is my experience that these batteries don't last nearly as long as iPhone batteries.

I've watched the capacity of my iPhone batteries over the 2 years of ownership I've had --- they retain almost all of their capacity after 1.5-2 years and 230+ cycles. I sell my phones after 2 years.


Now I'm not saying Samsung's batteries are crap. Samsung has a bigger battery because it has to. Android OS is designed for many different pieces of hardware - not optimized for one set of hardware like iOS. Even though Android has solved a lot of its JIT issues in the past, it still is not perfect (not saying iOS is).

I imagine more than anything it comes down to weight. A 4500 mAh battery in an iPhone XS Max would make it heavier than sin with the metal components Apple uses (In Jonny Ive's eyes).

Replace all metal with plastic and cheaper materials - like some Android manufacturers - and you could probably fit a much larger battery in there.

Samsung started using better batteries in the s8. They claim that they will retain 95% after ~2 years or so of normal usage.

The galaxy s10 5g is a big, heavy phone and it can fit 4500mah. I like my 8+, but it just can not make it through a 16 hour work day for me and that’s unfortunate.

 

[solarguy17]

Samsung started using better batteries in the s8. They claim that they will retain 95% after ~2 years or so of normal usage.

The galaxy s10 5g is a big, heavy phone and it can fit 4500mah. I like my 8+, but it just can not make it through a 16 hour work day for me and that’s unfortunate.

Sounds like you should just switch permanently to an Android phone. But the XR, XS, and XS Max have more then enough battery life for most users, including power users. Obviously, you are an outlier, but they aren’t going to make phones for the 0.1% that want a specific thing. Plus they take the chance of creating a Note 7 disaster.

 

[AustinIllini]

Sounds like you should just switch permanently to an Android phone. But the XR, XS, and XS Max have more then enough battery life for most users, including power users. Obviously, you are an outlier, but they aren’t going to make phones for the 0.1% that want a specific thing. Plus they take the chance of creating a Note 7 disaster.

They also have the best processor on the market, allowing Apple to manage thermals more aggressively for maximum battery performance.

OP is just trying to get a rise out of us. There is no better "power user" phone than iPhone XR, IMHO. The battery lasts forever.

 

[tonybarnaby]

They also have the best processor on the market, allowing Apple to manage thermals more aggressively for maximum battery performance.

OP is just trying to get a rise out of us. There is no better "power user" phone than iPhone XR, IMHO. The battery lasts forever.

[doublepost=1558909066][/doublepost]

The iPhone XR endurance rating is just average. Standby drain is top notch, but if someone was to sit down and use their phone from 100-0, apple has no answer compared to Android phones. As I have said before, I enjoy my iPhone more than any Android phone I’ve used. But look at all these phones above that last longer than the Xr. There are more, but I figured only showing the first 2 pages would suffice.

A lot of people reply how their phone lasts them 2 days and that’s all they need. There is obviously a market for phones that have great longevity. The xr is just plain lacking when it comes down to it. I don’t want to have a secondary Android anymore, but Apple just doesn’t make a phone that allows me to live charger-free like Android does.

 

[AustinIllini]

View attachment 839107 View attachment 839108 View attachment 839109
[doublepost=1558909066][/doublepost]

The iPhone XR endurance rating is just average. Standby drain is top notch, but if someone was to sit down and use their phone from 100-0, apple has no answer compared to Android phones. As I have said before, I enjoy my iPhone more than any Android phone I’ve used. But look at all these phones above that last longer than the Xr. There are more, but I figured only showing the first 2 pages would suffice.

A lot of people reply how their phone lasts them 2 days and that’s all they need. There is obviously a market for phones that have great longevity. The xr is just plain lacking when it comes down to it. I don’t want to have a secondary Android anymore, but Apple just doesn’t make a phone that allows me to live charger-free like Android does.

Then get an Android phone.

 

[tonybarnaby]

Then get an Android phone.

I already have one of each. I don’t want to have an Android phone. I want an iPhone that can last as long as my android phone does. Is it that hard to understand? I prefer iOS, but it doesn’t work for me as well at work on my 16 hour days.

 

[AustinIllini]

I already have one of each. I don’t want to have an Android phone. I want an iPhone that can last as long as my android phone does. Is it that hard to understand? I prefer iOS, but it doesn’t work for me as well at work on my 16 hour days.

Put a battery case on it

 

[tonybarnaby]

Put a battery case on it

I’d happily buy a smart battery case for my 8+, but there isn’t one. Worst case I’ll buy the next xr and a smart battery case.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I love the thin-ness of my phone. I personally much prefer an external battery - I've got 4 of them (love batteries, they're a huge hobby of mine). I read a lot so having a super thick heavy phone is a no go for me. Anker batteries can be a lot cheaper than a smart case as well. Just fyi.

 

[tonybarnaby]

I love the thin-ness of my phone. I personally much prefer an external battery - I've got 4 of them (love batteries, they're a huge hobby of mine). I read a lot so having a super thick heavy phone is a no go for me. Anker batteries can be a lot cheaper than a smart case as well. Just fyi.

I have a 10000mah portable battery. I guess I’m at the point now I don’t want battery cases or cables or chargers. It pains me that Apple doesn’t make a phone that can even compete with the plethora of choices android has. I’m a longtime android user who prefers iOS after getting my first iPhone (8+), but it’s just a shame that the best Apple has to offer isn’t even in the same galaxy as the longest lasting Android phones. I know there will never be an iPhone that can compete with it, just frustrating to me because iOS is so much easier to use for my work style.

 

[bambooshots]

They make a battery case for those true “power users” as described in your post.

For everyone else, the iPhones as they come see good enough.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I have a 10000mah portable battery. I guess I’m at the point now I don’t want battery cases or cables or chargers. It pains me that Apple doesn’t make a phone that can even compete with the plethora of choices android has. I’m a longtime android user who prefers iOS after getting my first iPhone (8+), but it’s just a shame that the best Apple has to offer isn’t even in the same galaxy as the longest lasting Android phones. I know there will never be an iPhone that can compete with it, just frustrating to me because iOS is so much easier to use for my work style.

That statement sounds incredibly one sided and very trollish. I think I see where you're going with all this.

What's funny is, S10 owners can't even come close to my battery life in real world usage - at least the few that I've talked to (they were nice enough to let me use their phone too). The end of the day they're at 20% and I'm sitting at 80+%. It's a shame Samsung can't produce something as good as Apple even though they have such larger batteries - it's actually frustrating to me because Apple won't continue to create longer lasting phones with such limited competition.

 

[tonybarnaby]

That statement sounds incredibly one sided and very trollish. I think I see where you're going with all this.

What's funny is, S10 owners can't even come close to my battery life in real world usage - at least the few that I've talked to (they were nice enough to let me use their phone too). The end of the day they're at 20% and I'm sitting at 80+%. It's a shame Samsung can't produce something as good as Apple even though they have such larger batteries - it's actually frustrating to me because Apple won't continue to create longer lasting phones with such limited competition.

I’m not a troll at all. You can check my post history if you think I’m trying to stir the pot.

The gsmarena breakdown I posted doesn’t lie. The iPhone XR isn’t even in the top 50 longest lasting phones ever. That’s not me saying “apple sux android #1!!”. If your phone works for you that’s all that matters. For my usage, no iPhone can make it through a 16 hour day for ME. I wish it could, as I have never found an android phone that is as easy to type on or read a bunch of text on as my 8+. I love it, but it just does not last my whole day at work, while multiple android phones I have had can easily do so. I don’t want to rely on an android phone anymore, that’s my main point.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I’m not a troll at all. You can check my post history if you think I’m trying to stir the pot.

The gsmarena breakdown I posted doesn’t lie. The iPhone XR isn’t even in the top 50 longest lasting phones ever. That’s not me saying “apple sux android #1!!”. If your phone works for you that’s all that matters. For my usage, no iPhone can make it through a 16 hour day for ME. I wish it could, as I have never found an android phone that is as easy to type on or read a bunch of text on as my 8+. I love it, but it just does not last my whole day at work, while multiple android phones I have had can easily do so. I don’t want to rely on an android phone anymore, that’s my main point.

Well, I'll give you that - I do wish the iPhone had a larger battery but only because I'm a battery nut ... I've got 4 Anker external batteries in my house. And I want to buy a few more. I get 3 days of usage out of my Xs MAX before I have to charge it too so I can't really justify more Anker batteries. <cough rubs nose cough>

Apologies for the troll comment - just that in my real world experience with the Pixel 1 and the S10 - setting the phone down resulted in a crapshoot if it would be drained in a day or so. It was really frustrating to set the phone down and expect it to be at X charge only to see it drained. My iPhones never have this problem - one big reason why I'm with them - that and I'm pretty anti Google these days.

When I do go on field trips and to events where heavy phone usage occurs, or on work trips - it is Android users begging for my chargers and batteries way before I need them.

Is it possible your 8+ has a bad battery? Got a Mac to hook it up to coconutBattery? Just curious.
[doublepost=1558924480][/doublepost]I guess I'm lucky to work at a desk. My Xs Max lasts forever because I hardly use it for more than texting, calls, and some reading. I'm texting and doing 90% of what I do on my iPad or my MacBook.


I'm a firm believer in simplicity. I think Apple is on the edge of offering too many products and needs to start specializing more.

 

[tonybarnaby]

Well, I'll give you that - I do wish the iPhone had a larger battery but only because I'm a battery nut ... I've got 4 Anker external batteries in my house. And I want to buy a few more. I get 3 days of usage out of my Xs MAX before I have to charge it too so I can't really justify more Anker batteries. <cough rubs nose cough>

Apologies for the troll comment - just that in my real world experience with the Pixel 1 and the S10 - setting the phone down resulted in a crapshoot if it would be drained in a day or so. It was really frustrating to set the phone down and expect it to be at X charge only to see it drained. My iPhones never have this problem - one big reason why I'm with them - that and I'm pretty anti Google these days.

Is it possible your 8+ has a bad battery? Got a Mac to hook it up to coconutBattery? Just curious.
[doublepost=1558924480][/doublepost]I guess I'm lucky to work at a desk. My Xs Max lasts forever because I hardly use it for more than texting, calls, and some reading. I'm texting and doing 90% of what I do on my iPad or my MacBook.


I'm a firm believer in simplicity. I think Apple is on the edge of offering too many products and needs to start specializing more.

I’m also a battery rube. Nothing is wrong with my phone, I’ve had 3 different 8+ and they all perform the same. A 5.5” lcd screen with a ~2700mah battery isn’t going to last that long in terms of usage. I could leave it on my dresser for 24 hours and only lose a few %, which is something no android has ever been able to do. But when you use your phone intensely, the small battery becomes very apparent. A 4100mah iPhone would be on another level. A light user could probably go 5 days on a charge. Just frustrating knowing apple has all the pieces in place except for a large battery. They own android in standby, efficiency, and everything else except for the size of the battery is woefully small. The android I use is about the size of the xr (6.2”) and has a 720p screen with a 5000mah battery. An hour of Reddit uses about 4%. I need that in an iPhone and I know it’ll never happen.

 

[BigMcGuire]

I’m also a battery rube. ---- I need that in an iPhone and I know it’ll never happen.

Sadly, this is true - I don't think Apple will ever do that. I'd gladly take more battery if it was an option even though I don't need it. One can definitely dream (I do).

I'm really hoping that in 2-3 years there is a huge battery breakthrough. I'm going to be keeping my Xs Max for at least 2-3 years. Kinda tired of paying this much for something I don't use all that much (but need).

Thanks for the chat and I wish you the best - here's to hoping there is a breakthrough - for both of us.

 

[bushman4]

IPhone for power users.....point we’ll taken

Apparently apple is involved in so many projects that they decided to let the 2019 iPhone come out with the same style and minimal changes. So while customers aren’t updating their iPhones we’ll have to see what happens next

 

[Tsepz]

Apple is so set in their ways that power users have been left in the dark since the original iPhone. People will immediately talk about the “amazing” battery life of the XR, but in the big picture the XR total usage time from 100 until dead isn’t that great.

I’ve been working more than normal lately, so that means my 8+ hasn’t made it through the day. Due to the nature of my work, I don’t like to bring a charger to work with me. I have terrible reception, so that adds to the battery drain issues I face. My Android phones are the only ones that can make it a full 16 hour work day (17 hours if you factor in driving to and from work)

The XR gets a bit more than the 8+ from what I have seen, but why is apple so enamored with making thin phones. 75% of people probably think I’m being dumb, but there are a good number of people who won’t even consider an iPhone because they don’t last long enough. I much prefer my iPhone to my Android phone at the moment, but the android phone lasts twice as long on a single charge, and that’s very important to me.

I don’t play Pokémon go or any other gps game, but iPhones also struggle with those games due to sometimes laughably short use times. Apple dominates when it comes to standby drain, but they use such small batteries it’s inevitable they lag far behind android phones. Many people won’t even consider leaving apple, so they are left to just take what they are given.

It’s a shame that the best Apple has to offer (XR) would just be considered good in the Android world. I wish Apple would make a “pro” version of their phones and go all out. Make the normal Max phone their usual 3100mah or so, then charge an extra bit of money and give power users a phone with 4500mah. They would sell a boatload of them.

Glad I am not the only one feeling like this. My Huawei P30 Pro absolutely demolishes my iPhone XS Max in heavy usage battery life. I can literally sit on that P30 all day and still get home with about 65% battery. While the iPhone XS Max will have about 35-40% at best with less usage.

It is now almost 12PM at work, my iPhone is at 65%, typically my P30 would be at about 85-90% right now.

Using the iPhone in Low Power Mode with Spark Mail is the best combination I have found,you get Push email despite being in LP Mode and still get decent battery life.

I am absolutely loving how the iPhone integrates with everything else I use, how slick the UI is, how fast and reliable the Notifications are for all my email and of course how well optimized apps are for iOS, but iPhone battery life is decent at best and comparable to my old Samsung Galaxy Note8, it can just about get me through a day.

 

[44267547]

I love the thin-ness of my phone. I personally much prefer an external battery - I've got 4 of them (love batteries, they're a huge hobby of mine). I read a lot so having a super thick heavy phone is a no go for me. Anker batteries can be a lot cheaper than a smart case as well. Just fyi.

Anker is clutch. I use this small ‘lipstick style (3350 mAh) charger’ when flying to charge my iPhone/AirPods, and it’s absolutely amazing. Not also does it just charge the phone, but its fairly high-quality materials and the Anker Charger charges in very little time. Outstanding products.

 

[FFR]

I need to also use my phone, so airplane mode doesn't help me. My 5000mah Android phone can make it.

Don’t think apple is going to offer a 5000mah phone.
Guess your going to have to stick with android.