Skip to main content

Apple begins investigation into iPhone 4S battery life

iphone-4-vs-4s
Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to a report from The Guardian, Apple engineers have started contacting vocal iPhone 4S owners that have been complaining about the rapidly draining iPhone 4S battery. During the initial iPhone 4S presentation earlier this month, Apple mentioned that standby time for the iPhone 4S battery was rated at about 200 hours or a bit over eight days. This is a large drop from the 300 hour standby time of the iPhone 4 and iPhone 3GS, likely due to the upgrades to the internal hardware within the iPhone 4S. One iPhone 4S user reported that standby mode was eating up approximately ten percent of the battery power each hour and eventually draining the battery by the end of the workday.

Recommended Videos

iPhone-4S-battery-lifeWhile Apple engineers haven’t specifically identified the problem yet, many iPhone 4S users have collectively pointed to location services as the main culprit for the drain on the battery. Specifically, the “Setting Time Zone” function within iOS 5 that corrects the Time Zone as a user travels to different areas of the world is constantly attempting to check the current Time Zone. iPhone 4S owners who identified this problem see the purple, location arrow icon beside the toggle setting within the menu. This means that the Time Zone has been checked within the last 24 hours. Users that have turned off the Time Zone feature, as well as many other location functions of the phone, have reported vastly improved battery life on the iPhone 4S as well as other iPhones that have upgraded to iOS 5.

The “Setting Time Zone” function can be located within Settings, moving into “Location Services”, scrolling down to “System Services” and sliding the toggle on “Setting Time Zone”. Apple engineers will likely adjust settings within the next iOS 5 update to modify how often location-based apps are automatically updated to allow for greater battery life for all iPhone 4S users.

Mike Flacy
By day, I'm the content and social media manager for High-Def Digest, Steve's Digicams and The CheckOut on Ben's Bargains…
iOS 18.4 bug is bringing old deleted apps back from the dead
iPhone 13 mini updating to iOS 18.4.

If you've seen an old app floating around on your phone that you could have sworn you got rid of months ago -- it's not just you. Users on Reddit and Apple's Community Support forum have been reporting ghost apps trying to reinstall on their phones after updating to iOS 18.4.

Spotted by MacRumors, it appears this bug has started causing old deleted apps to resurface over the past 24 hours. Most of the reports on Reddit seem to be focused on gaming apps such as Call of Duty, Squid Game, Asphalt Legends, and Cooking Mama, though there are a few other app types mentioned as well.

Read more
Apple iPhone owners urged to download new update now as a security must
An iPhone showing the Apple Password app.

The new iPhone software update, iOS 18.4, could be more critical than is being talked about when it comes to security.

While there are lots of new features added in the latest release, out yesterday, what's less talked about is the 62 security updates and fixes that roll out with this version. Some are quite serious.

Read more
Join this Boost Mobile giveaway for the chance to win an Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max and free service
boost mobile apple iphone 16 pro max giveaway march 2025 dt

Boost Mobile launched a giveaway for the Apple iPhone 16 Pro Max, with the winner also receiving a one-year plan with access to the service's 5G network. The giveaway runs from March 31 to April 30, so you have to hurry if you don't want to miss this chance to get Apple's latest flagship smartphone for free.

There's only going to be one winner for this Boost Mobile giveaway, but even though the odds aren't in your favor, there's no reason not to join. Send your entry right now so you don't forget, and good luck!
How to enter
Enter here to win an iPhone 16 and One Year Boost Mobile Service

Read more