Comments on: This was supposed to be the “How could I have been so wrong about the iPhone post”

By: Patrick Kelleher

Patrick Kelleher — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 08:11:06 +0000

I have the exact same experience. I have my iPhone plugged into my laptop all the time as the battery is so shocking. I’ve found that the push email kills the battery – how ever that’s why I bought the damn thing so why would I turn it off.

I think another big problem is that people use their iPhones a lot more than they’d have use previous phones (did you listen to music on your previous phone) so it’s a lose lose situation regarding the battery life.

By: Jackie Danicki

Jackie Danicki — Sun, 11 Oct 2009 04:41:42 +0000

Not to stir, Pat, but I’ve had an iPhone 3GS for a week now and have had no issues with the battery as you report – and I use it like a fiend. Again, sounds like you got a dud device. Did it fall off the back of a lorry? Del Boy doesn’t have a distribution deal with Cupertino, you know.

By: mike

mike — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 19:28:15 +0000

My gues is that it is the screen that is killing the battery life.
With my E90 with a new battery, i can get 1.5-2 days with various apps running over 3G constantly *IF* I only use the low resoultion external screen (it’s QVGA), once i start using the hifgher resolution internal screen (800×352) a lot, that drops to about a full day.

By: David Jackson

David Jackson — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 10:23:02 +0000

Its not a crap battery, its actually a very good battery. The problem is the amount of power the phones uses. It seems your phone is faulty, i’m a heavy user and its lasts a fully day, not great but not too bad. I’m in the compromise boat, I think its a small price to pay. I have yet to see a phone thats half way close to the slickness of the iPhone. If i got a phone with a long battery life i’d be compromising on features and ease of use.

By: Barrie Canning

Barrie Canning — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 22:36:13 +0000

I only just checked back here now and see my comment about iPeople being happy to compromise on battery life seems to have lit the touch paper.

Should point out I don’t have an iPhone. I trialled one for my employer – albeit 3G not 3GS – and rejected it as a business device for a Blackberry Bold – which I still use and like. Battery life and email client were main reasons.

However, Apple have sold a shedload of the things. I don’t think it’s unreasonable to assume that a good deal of their customers seem happy to compromise regards battery life. I wasn’t willing to make that compromise myself and the comment wasn’t made in defence of Apple.

By: Paul Hardman

Paul Hardman — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 19:44:49 +0000

Pat, an experiment for you. If you put a “home” network sim in your 3GS, be it any of the irish networks, do you get better battery life? I just wonder if the phone is continually searching for Maxroam’s home network, and this is affecting the battery life?

Ps not an apple fan boy, the iPhone has a number of “features” which make me want to hop it off the nearest wall but I still have great respect for what apple have done in their field…

By: Joe Scanlon

Joe Scanlon — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 18:36:20 +0000

The major hard-on I had for the iPhone is now a mere semi.
It’s flawed and overly protected by excuses. It needs major competition. I’m also sick of people coming to me with their touch phones and commenting “It’s just like the iPhone except…”
Hopefully the 360 range of phones will actually compete. I for one am ready to move on now.

By: PhoneBoy

PhoneBoy — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:53:18 +0000

There was one day (after installing a bunch of apps) where my battery experience on my 3GS was like yours: 4 hours tops. A power cycle seemed to fix it. Semi-regular power cycles don’t hurt. I don’t do push email, I only refresh hourly, I don’t need email on my phone the moment it comes in I do turn off 3G only because I drop calls at home like mad if I don’t.

Note that the Nokia E71 doesn’t fare any better for me, except maybe in battery life. However, it’s difficult to do an apples to apples comparison since I use both phones differently.

By: Damien Mulley

Damien Mulley — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:46:39 +0000

Wow, I think I just lost some braincells reading the comments here. Congrats on getting the YouTube crowd Pat!

By: Nigel Walsh

Nigel Walsh — Sat, 26 Sep 2009 16:35:35 +0000

Im with you Pat, they even fixed contacts etc with OS3.0. So thats that. But I cant nor wont forgive them for making me carry a plug, or extra battery pack everywhere I go.. Back to my trusty blackberry for now, but iPhone – you are close – very close…