iPhone 4s Battery Problems Persist, Despite Update

Apple's newest iPhone is highly popular, but its battery-life problem continues despite a system update intended to fix it.

On Thursday morning, Apple released iOS 5.0.1, designed specifically to resolve a bug that reportedly drains the iPhone 4S's battery at a too-rapid rate.

Unfortunately, some users remain unsatisfied, while others seem to feel the update has made the situation worse. (Source: computerworld.com)

Update Problems Prompt Hardware Fears

"After upgrading to 5.0.1 my iPhone is draining the battery even faster!" said Apple forum user.

Another, user says that after downloading and installing the update for his iPhone 4S, he watched his battery drain "10 percent in 40 minutes while doing nothing on the phone." The user went on to question whether or not the fault is software related, or in fact, hardware related. (Source: pcmag.com)

A number of users reported the update actually worsens their battery-usage situation. One forum visitor suggested a hard reset to the device; another visitor claimed the technique improved the new device's battery life. However, based on forum reports, this approach did not appear to work in all cases.

Other Apple iPhone users reported the update helped them get more battery life from their iPhone 4S handhelds.

"I know resetting doesn't change the iOS version, but it seems like it is working for me," said another user. "Two hours in, I am still at 100 percent."

Unfortunately for Apple, those experiencing problems with the update and the device seem far more likely to post on the forum than satisfied owners.

Apple Confirms iPhone Battery Problem, Continues to Investigate

iPhone battery life has been a hot topic of debate since October, shortly after the release of the iPhone 4S. According to some reports, Apple engineers contacted owners of the device early on to advise them they were investigating the problem.

Last week, Apple posted the following statement on its website:

"A small number of customers have reported lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices... We have found a few bugs that are affecting battery life and we will release a software update to address those in a few weeks."

It remains unclear what further steps Apple may take to address a problem that affects an unknown (though apparently considerable) number of iPhone users.