Did Apple's iOS Update Worsen iPhone 4S Battery Problems?

Barry Levine, <a href='http://www.newsfactor.com'>newsfactor.com</a>

Has Apple worsened the reported battery problems of its iPhone 4S? An update of its iOS 5 software on Thursday is resulting in complaints about battery issues -- even by some users who previously had no problems.

The version 5.0.1 update, delivered wirelessly, was supposed to correct bugs that caused the battery drain issues for some users, as well as fixing a bug affecting iCloud documents, adding multitasking gestures to the first iPad, and improving voice recognition for users in Australia who use dictation.

Wirelessly Delivered

One user, echoing the sentiments of many on the Apple Support Forums, wrote that "I seem to be losing battery life significantly after upgrading to iOS 5.0.1!!! Both my iPod4 and iPhone4. Before, I never noticed a problem. I even restarted my phone right after installing."

Another user said that, "after upgrading to 5.0.1, my iPhone is draining the battery even faster." A user named Healy79 said that, "after installing 5.0.1 I charged it up fully before going to bed and after 7 hours just sitting there lost 79 percent, and have lost further 5 percent while logging in and typing this."

Implicit in the battery brouhaha is the memory of Apple's Antennagate, following the release of the iPhone 4.

The reports of signal strength issues with the iPhone 4 began piling up shortly after its release. Apple had been suggesting that the signal-strength issue, which occurred when a user placed a hand or finger near the antenna on the lower left side of the device, was largely an optical illusion caused by faulty software that mistakenly showed more bars "than it should for a given signal strength."

The turning point was when Consumer Reports magazine wrote that it could not recommend the device because of those issues. The non-profit organization also said that "it's the company's responsibility to provide the fix -- at no extra cost to consumers."

Better Response Now?

Consumer Reports found that a piece of duct tape or "other thick, non-conducive material over the antenna gap" fixed the problem. Its engineers tested three different iPhone 4s purchased at three separate retailers in the New York area, as well as the iPhone 3GS and the Palm Pre, also on AT&T. The other phones did not have the same problem.

In a hastily-called press conference following the Consumer Reports' evaluation, Apple CEO Steve Jobs said it would offer a free bumper case to every iPhone 4 customer, a refund for any case already purchased, or a full refund for the return of an undamaged iPhone 4.

Avi Greengart, an analyst with industry research firm Current Analysis, said that he updated three of his devices with the new iOS 5.0.1, and actually saw "battery life better than before."

Greengart noted that, in contrast to Apple's dilly-dallying during Antennagate, the company has responded quickly this time to the reports of battery life problems, including releasing an iOS version that they thought would correct the issue.