# Replaced battery on iPhone but it still dies quickly



## llaarraa (Mar 22, 2014)

I paid one of those small phone repair shops to replace my iPhone 4S battery and they did. I thought 
 it may be a bit dodgy, wasn't a professional type shop at all and the price was far cheaper than other places. But did it anyway.

It definitely improved but not much, and now it is back to where it was pretty much, lasting 4-5 hours (or less if I use it a lot).

If I went to a proper iphone shop and ask them to change the battery again would that improve it? I figure the guy who did it before might have put a 2nd hand battery in or something. In fact I am kinda hoping he did do a dodgy job because then I can get it fixed by going to a proper shop.

But my iphone is 2-3 years old and it may not just be the battery which determines the length of battery life.

So should I try again and get a proper place to replace the battery? Or is it dying quickly because my phone is old.


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## skyscraper101 (Mar 22, 2014)

Did you just update to 7.1? Lot of people reporting battery draining probs.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-erasing-contacts-disorienting-keyboards.html


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## weltweit (Mar 22, 2014)

My 4S ran the battery down fast when I first got it and I thought it was pretty unusable. I am used to Nokias where the battery lasts most of the week. Anyhow I had all the services on all the time. I don't need Bluetooth so I switched that off, got a significant battery life improvement. Then I realised when out and about I don't need Wi-Fi so I switched that off also, now I have much more decent battery life, lasts the day now.


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## Corax (Mar 22, 2014)

llaarraa said:


> I paid one of those small phone repair shops to replace my iPhone 4S battery


Wut? 

Is this an iPhone thing? Is the battery sealed in?


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## RedDragon (Mar 22, 2014)

Corax said:


> Wut?
> 
> Is this an iPhone thing? Is the battery sealed in?


Yep.

Although my ancient iPone4 is till holding it's charge without any deterioration in its performance or 7.1 update drainage. I'm hoping it will die later this year so I'll have a reasonable excuse to up date.


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## llaarraa (Mar 22, 2014)

skyscraper101 said:


> Did you just update to 7.1? Lot of people reporting battery draining probs.
> 
> http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-erasing-contacts-disorienting-keyboards.html


No I haven't updated yet and this has been a problem for quite a while.


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## llaarraa (Mar 22, 2014)

weltweit said:


> My 4S ran the battery down fast when I first got it and I thought it was pretty unusable. I am used to Nokias where the battery lasts most of the week. Anyhow I had all the services on all the time. I don't need Bluetooth so I switched that off, got a significant battery life improvement. Then I realised when out and about I don't need Wi-Fi so I switched that off also, now I have much more decent battery life, lasts the day now.


Im doing all those little things but its still never lasting a full day : ( 

I  know what you mean, iphone battery life is never good but this is much worse than it used to be.


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## weltweit (Mar 22, 2014)

llaarraa said:


> ... I  know what you mean, iphone battery life is never good but this is much worse than it used to be.


I wonder if they fitted a non apple battery.. perhaps it wasn't an OE item .. could be why it was cheap


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## 5t3IIa (Mar 22, 2014)

My 4 month old 4s drains if I use it for a full day. That's what iPhone do innit. Tap tap app app ^ding^ 20%.


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## weltweit (Mar 22, 2014)

I wonder how heavily you use your phone during a typical day?

Me I might take some photos, perhaps 10, make and take some calls, perhaps 5-10 and check my email 5 - 10 times perhaps sending some responses. Then sometimes I use google maps as a satnav.

Photographing and google maps seem to eat the battery more than the other things.


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## kittyP (Mar 22, 2014)

My Galaxy is done in about 3hrs if I'm using it a lot, quicker if I am like permanently on it. 

Smart phone battery life's are shite. 

You can get a portable charger / external battery thing for about 15 squids which I now permanently have on me.


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## llaarraa (Mar 22, 2014)

Sorry I should have mentioned that I hardly use my phone. In a typical day I might use it for a text or two, probably no calls. When I said use it a lot, I mean a couple of texts, maybe a 5 min phone call or two. Might check the internet quickly to google something, but I don't use maps or watch vids or anything coz I know it kills the battery so fast.

So hardly anything compared to other people. But my phone is 2 or 3 years old and others generally have newer phones. I know I can get a portable charger but unless there are lightweight, pocket size ones (don't think there are?) I wouldn't want to carry that around.

What I'm trying to figure out is if I went to a proper shop and they replaced the battery would that help? Is it definitely because the battery is crap, or could it be just because the phone is old?


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## peterkro (Mar 22, 2014)

Sounds like the battery replacement was a dud.If money is no object Apple will do it (takes a week) costs £55.An OEM battery is less than a tenner on Ebay and there are instructions on iFixit.I've never had a 4s but my 4 would last two or three days with my (minimal) use,you would expect the same with a new battery.


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## kittyP (Mar 22, 2014)

llaarraa said:
			
		

> Sorry I should have mentioned that I hardly use my phone. In a typical day I might use it for a text or two, probably no calls. When I said use it a lot, I mean a couple of texts, maybe a 5 min phone call or two. Might check the internet quickly to google something, but I don't use maps or watch vids or anything coz I know it kills the battery so fast.
> 
> So hardly anything compared to other people. But my phone is 2 or 3 years old and others generally have newer phones. I know I can get a portable charger but unless there are lightweight, pocket size ones (don't think there are?) I wouldn't want to carry that around.
> 
> What I'm trying to figure out is if I went to a proper shop and they replaced the battery would that help? Is it definitely because the battery is crap, or could it be just because the phone is old?



I have a lightweight cylinder one, about 3/4 of an inch in diameter and about 2.5 inches long.


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## weltweit (Mar 22, 2014)

llaarraa said:


> Sorry I should have mentioned that I hardly use my phone. In a typical day I might use it for a text or two, probably no calls. When I said use it a lot, I mean a couple of texts, maybe a 5 min phone call or two. Might check the internet quickly to google something, but I don't use maps or watch vids or anything coz I know it kills the battery so fast.
> 
> So hardly anything compared to other people. But my phone is 2 or 3 years old and others generally have newer phones. I know I can get a portable charger but unless there are lightweight, pocket size ones (don't think there are?) I wouldn't want to carry that around.
> 
> What I'm trying to figure out is if I went to a proper shop and they replaced the battery would that help? Is it definitely because the battery is crap, or could it be just because the phone is old?


Well if you are not using it much and are disabling Bluetooth and wifi when you are out, it should definitely last a day or somewhat more. I think it sounds like you were sold a dud battery, it is probably worth getting Apple to fit a proper one. I think that is what I would do.


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## Corax (Mar 22, 2014)

RedDragon said:


> Yep.
> 
> Although my ancient iPone4 is till holding it's charge without any deterioration in its performance or 7.1 update drainage. I'm hoping it will die later this year so I'll have a reasonable excuse to up date.


I'm even more pleased I went Android in that case.  Making a phone so that it's impossible for the user to do something as simple as replace the battery just seems wilfully stupid.  Even worse than HTC's new phones not taking an SD.


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## RedDragon (Mar 22, 2014)

Corax said:


> I'm even more pleased I went Android in that case.  Making a phone so that it's impossible for the user to do something as simple as replace the battery just seems wilfully stupid.  Even worse than HTC's new phones not taking an SD.


The point being in almost four years I haven't needed to replace it - although I can see the usefulness of being able to carry a fully-charged spare.


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## Hocus Eye. (Mar 22, 2014)

Corax said:


> I'm even more pleased I went Android in that case.  Making a phone so that it's impossible for the user to do something as simple as replace the battery just seems wilfully stupid.  Even worse than HTC's new phones not taking an SD.


I have an idea that the wired in battery of the iPhone saves space so the phone can be slimmer than it would otherwise be. That's their story anyway.

I knew someone who had a long-life battery in his iPhone; it meant that there was a large bulge on the replacement back that was fitted. I have only ever seen one of these once.

With my Android I sometimes carry my Maplin portable charger (£29, flat and pocketable).


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## tim (Mar 22, 2014)

llaarraa said:


> Sorry I should have mentioned that I hardly use my phone. In a typical day I might use it for a text or two, probably no calls. When I said use it a lot, I mean a couple of texts, maybe a 5 min phone call or two. Might check the internet quickly to google something, but I don't use maps or watch vids or anything coz I know it kills the battery so fast.
> 
> So hardly anything compared to other people. But my phone is 2 or 3 years old and others generally have newer phones. I know I can get a portable charger but unless there are lightweight, pocket size ones (don't think there are?) I wouldn't want to carry that around.
> ?



Why do you need an iPhone, then. Why not replace it with something more basic with a longer battery life.


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## llaarraa (Mar 23, 2014)

tim said:


> Why do you need an iPhone, then. Why not replace it with something more basic with a longer battery life.


That makese sense but nah. I think the iPhone is one of the best things I've ever bought. I used the Internet a fair bit more when the battery was new, maybe 1-2 hours a day while commuting but i didn't call or text more. And I used to take more photos and use maps. But I've still never been a heavy phone user.

It annoys me that I don't have a good reason for preferring iPhones but they are simply great imho. 

I don't even like the Samsung one that everyone loves much when I checked my friends out, and i expected to like it more. But I think that's probably more about what I'm used to.

Hmmm


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## llaarraa (Mar 23, 2014)

Actually i didn't mind the Samsung but thought id have to learn a bit to know it fully, its not as easy to do things. And I did prefer my iphone in comparison but I would probably consider it if Samsung has better battery life.


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## editor (Mar 23, 2014)

kittyP said:


> My Galaxy is done in about 3hrs if I'm using it a lot, quicker if I am like permanently on it.
> 
> Smart phone battery life's are shite.
> 
> You can get a portable charger / external battery thing for about 15 squids which I now permanently have on me.


You really should be getting as lot more out of it than that. Have you tried a new battery and maybe taking a close look at what you're running?


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## editor (Mar 23, 2014)

llaarraa said:


> Actually i didn't mind the Samsung but thought id have to learn a bit to know it fully, its not as easy to do things. And I did prefer my iphone in comparison but I would probably consider it if Samsung has better battery life.


The beauty of phones like the Samsung S4 is that you can get a load of cheap spare batteries (they cost like a fiver each) and a standalone charger and just keep some spare batteries in your coat pocket/bag etc.


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## Mojofilter (Mar 23, 2014)

weltweit said:


> I wonder if they fitted a non apple battery.. perhaps it wasn't an OE item .. could be why it was cheap



Almost certainly this.


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## Mojofilter (Mar 23, 2014)

editor said:


> You really should be getting as lot more out of it than that. Have you tried a new battery and maybe taking a close look at what you're running?



+1 

My HTC One always lasts a whole day even with heavy use.

Typically it's on about 30-40% at bed time and that's with about 40 minutes of a GPS running app, an hour or so of 3G audio streaming, several phone calls, texts and a days worth of  emails, social media and general web browsing.

You either need a new battery or there's something excessively draining it.


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## sim667 (Mar 24, 2014)

Try installing carat and see if you've got an app that's killing battery life.


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