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What's your iPhone 3G battery like?

V

vitaminz

macrumors member
Original poster
Jan 14, 2010
99
0
Cardiff
My iPhone has push email setup, the brightness usually on on 50%, and Bluetooth is always off, and WiFi/3G on.

I charged it fully at 7.20am before I left for Uni. On the way, I listened to the iPod for about an hour, and had one check of Facebook using the app. When I go to my lecture room, I left it on sleep for an hour. A few minutes after waking the iPhone up, it warned me the battery was on 20%!

I've had this problem for a while now and it seems to be getting worse. I've tried recalibrating the battery, setting the iPhone up as a new phone, and not getting any apps apart from the included ones, yet still the same.

Just want to make sure that a 3 hour battery life isn't normal for an iPhone that was barely used in that time period? What do you guys get from yours?

Thanks
 
Do you have 3G on all the time? I know its an iphone 3G, but i only turn 3G on when I need to do something data intensive.
 
I turn my wifi off when I leave the house. Other than that, my use is pretty similar and I'll get to 5 PM before I lose charge.

Are you in areas with poor cell signal? I've found that if I have 1 or 2 bars of signal my battery drops FAST but if I have a nice, strong signal it lasts a lot longer. Is your class in an area where the network doesn't reach very well?

At any rate, try turning the wifi off (but no other changes) and see if that alone makes any difference.
 
Thanks for your replies, at my home and at Uni I have full 3G usually, and this only changes when I'm on the train home.

I'm having to charge it 3 times a day - I've got a friend who work at the Genius Bar and he was shocked when I told him the battery life I get, and that they'll probably replace it for me (it's still in warranty as I bought it in July). Another friend has a 3G (older than mine), and he has similar usage to me and he outlasts me by a huge amount.
 
My 3g is nearing a year and a half old now and I only have to charge it nightly or sometimes every day and a half. I listen to music on my commute to and from work (about an hour), sometimes play a game during the commute, and talk on the phone throughout the day (about 2 hours total at max), check and send email a lot, and the occasional texting. So I'd say that for a phone as young as yours there is definitely something wrong. Though, I keep WiFi off unless I am using it, and Bluetooth is always off.
 
spice weasel said:
My 3g is nearing a year and a half old now and I only have to charge it nightly or sometimes every day and a half. I listen to music on my commute to and from work (about an hour), sometimes play a game during the commute, and talk on the phone throughout the day (about 2 hours total at max), check and send email a lot, and the occasional texting. So I'd say that for a phone as young as yours there is definitely something wrong. Though, I keep WiFi off unless I am using it, and Bluetooth is always off.
Click to expand...

Thanks for your reply, WiFi is usually left on for me although I've tried turning it off and the difference isn't much. I probably do less than that (maybe listen to the iPod a bit more but I only talk for about 15 minutes, I'm not very popular :D)

Looks like a trip to the Genius Bar for me.
 
vitaminz said:
Thanks for your reply, WiFi is usually left on for me although I've tried turning it off and the difference isn't much. I probably do less than that (maybe listen to the iPod a bit more but I only talk for about 15 minutes, I'm not very popular :D)

Looks like a trip to the Genius Bar for me.
Click to expand...

Talking on the phone uses a lot more power then listening to music. I'm actually shocked how great the battery is while listening to music on my iPhone. A lot of internet usage/talking on the phone is what will kill your battery. If neither of those is the case with you then you need to go to the apple store.
 
I charge phone over night, leave for work at 8am (Wifi off, BT off, Push off, 3G on). I use the phone to play Pandora radio for a few hours, check emails, check news and do some texting. I don't have to charge my phone until I goto bed around 11pm
 
Location Services (GPS) is another battery killer, you might try turning that off if not using it...
 
Thanks for all your replies, well I guess I'll be taking it back for a replacement.

Another quick question (which is probably unlikely but worth a shot). If I get a replacement phone, do you think they would let me pay the £100 difference for a 16gb 3GS? Or would they only let me have the same product?
 
My daughter had battery issues with her 18 month old 3g over the Xmas. Screen was intermittently freezing. Sent back to Apple Tuesday and paid 90 odd euro for replacement battery. Got a replacement phone on Thursday morning by courier. Absolutely brilliant backup service as always from Apple
 
I only have WiFi and 3G turned on when I need them. 3G is a MASSIVE battery hog. If you leave 3G on during the day and listen to the iPod there is NO WAY your battery will last the day.
 
here is my phones battery life.

Jailbroken 3GS with a few sound and visual themes running (wifi blobs logo, apple loaders, 3G fireball)
and backgrounder was installed

  1. 3G USAGE: NONE
  2. PHONE CALLS: NONE
  3. TEXTING: NONE
  4. BLUETOOTH: ON
  5. YOUTUBE: 1 HOUR
  6. MUSIC: 46 MINUTES
  7. DICTIONARY USAGE: 30 MINUTES
  8. WEB SURFING 30 MINUTES
  9. VARIOUS APPILACTIONS: 1 HOUR
    THAT IS AN ESTIMATED USAGE

052wz.jpg
 
Acronym said:
here is my phones battery life.

Jailbroken 3GS with a few sound and visual themes running (wifi blobs logo, apple loaders, 3G fireball)
and backgrounder was installed

  1. 3G USAGE: NONE
  2. PHONE CALLS: NONE
  3. TEXTING: NONE
  4. BLUETOOTH: ON
  5. YOUTUBE: 1 HOUR
  6. MUSIC: 46 MINUTES
  7. DICTIONARY USAGE: 30 MINUTES
  8. WEB SURFING 30 MINUTES
  9. VARIOUS APPILACTIONS: 1 HOUR
    THAT IS AN ESTIMATED USAGE

052wz.jpg
Click to expand...

Damn, that's some pretty awesome battery life - I'm really shocked, especially with Backgrounder. Last night I fully charged it before sleep, and took it off charge for the night. When I woke up 8 hours later my battery was on 3% :(
 
I've had 2 3gs', first one went swimming, so I got another. The first one had better battery life, I could use it pretty heavily throughout the day and get 6 hours on one full charge, the new one is ok, but not quite as good, max I get is 5 hours, talking on the phone via 3g is the biggest battery drain, followed by games, I'd suggest any time you're going to be talking on the phone a lot you do it with edge, that will likely give you an extra hour of battery life that day. If you're getting 3 hours of light use you have a defective battery without doubt.

If the battery was capable of lasting a full day of heavy use it would be a small miracle, maybe unrealistic though.
 
vitaminz said:
Damn, that's some pretty awesome battery life - I'm really shocked, especially with Backgrounder. Last night I fully charged it before sleep, and took it off charge for the night. When I woke up 8 hours later my battery was on 3% :(
Click to expand...

backgrounder was installed but i only ever used it when i needed to.
 
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