Apple Confirms Battery Life Issues With iOS 5, Software Update Coming

iPhone4s 3upv2 Photo Siri Sprgbd PIPHApple issued a statement to The Loop's Jim Dalrymple about customer complaints of poor battery life with the new iPhone 4S and iOS 5:

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.”

There have been a litany of complaints about iPhone 4S and iOS 5 battery life ever since their release last month. A number of solutions have been proposed by the community for this problem, including turning off Time Zone detection, Bluetooth and others.

Apple has already seeded developers with a 5.0.1 beta that is said to address the issue.

Popular Stories

iOS 26

iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone

Tuesday February 3, 2026 7:47 am PST by
We are still waiting for the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate to come out, so the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week or two away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April. Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far. iOS 26.3 iPhone to Android Transfer Tool iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
Aston Martin CarPlay Ultra Screen

Apple's CarPlay Ultra to Expand to These Vehicle Brands Later This Year

Sunday February 1, 2026 10:08 am PST by
Last year, Apple launched CarPlay Ultra, the long-awaited next-generation version of its CarPlay software system for vehicles. Nearly nine months later, CarPlay Ultra is still limited to Aston Martin's latest luxury vehicles, but that should change fairly soon. In May 2025, Apple said many other vehicle brands planned to offer CarPlay Ultra, including Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis. In his Powe...
Apple Logo Black

Apple's Next Launch is 'Imminent'

Sunday February 1, 2026 12:31 pm PST by
The calendar has turned to February, and a new report indicates that Apple's next product launch is "imminent," in the form of new MacBook Pro models. "All signs point to an imminent launch of next-generation MacBook Pros that retain the current form factor but deliver faster chips," Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said on Sunday. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated...
Apple MacBook Pro M4 hero

New MacBook Pros Reportedly Launching Alongside macOS 26.3

Sunday February 1, 2026 5:42 am PST by
Apple is planning to launch new MacBook Pro models with M5 Pro and M5 Max chips alongside macOS 26.3, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "Apple's faster MacBook Pros are planned for the macOS 26.3 release cycle," wrote Gurman, in his Power On newsletter today. "I'm told the new models — code-named J714 and J716 — are slated for the macOS 26.3 software cycle, which runs from...
iOS 26 Home Feature

Apple Gives Final Warning to Home App Users

Tuesday February 3, 2026 8:55 am PST by
In 2022, Apple introduced a new Apple Home architecture that is "more reliable and efficient," and the deadline to upgrade and avoid issues is fast approaching. In an email this week, Apple gave customers a final reminder to upgrade their Home app by February 10, 2026. Apple says users who do not upgrade may experience issues with accessories and automations, or lose access to their smart...

Top Rated Comments

arn Avatar
186 months ago
How can it only be "a small number of customers" when all the 4S' run identical software? :confused:

Serious question.

Are you suggesting that every bug in all software affects 100% of customers?

Of course not. Despite being same software, certain behavior depends on certain conditions.

arn
Score: 25 Votes (Like | Disagree)
daneoni Avatar
186 months ago
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."

That line gets me every time.
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coder12 Avatar
186 months ago
<sarcasm>I wish HTC would fix the bug on my Diamond that makes my battery die fast all the time.

...I think the bug was called "windows mobile 6.5" or something... hmm..</sarcasm>
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
odedia Avatar
186 months ago
This is not specific to the 4S, it's all iPhones.

Clearly, this is a software issue. I had it since Beta 1. Beta 6 fixed it, Beta 7 was bad once again.
Score: 12 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mcgroarty Avatar
186 months ago
We've seen the issue on a couple iPhone 4 phones as well. I haven't seen any indication that it's an iPhone 4S fix, but rather a general iOS 5 fix.
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Bubba Satori Avatar
186 months ago
Oh my god my battery is at 20% instead of 25% at the end of the day! What am I going to do!

Really .... It's a non issue for me. I have never ran out of battery power on my iPhone 4 or 4s. I plug it in every night and life is good.

Nothing to see here. Move along, move along, move along.

Wow, really incredible.
It's all about you, nobody else matters.
"Move along, move along, move along."
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)