Over the years, as Apple accumulated a large fan-following, every iOS release episode brought a major problem or two. This is not new. The problems, however, intensified when users upgraded to iOS 6.0 firmware — WiFi connection disabled automatically, iPhone’s battery drained abruptly, poor signals were common, cellular data consumption became unbearable, and so on.
The never-ending list of issues were fixed with the release of iOS 6.0.1 firmware — only partially though. But for some users, iOS 6.0.1 didn’t fix anything at all. The WiFi bug survived, forcing Apple to release another update aimed at fixing this problem.
Soiling their hands once again, Apple released iOS 6.0.2 firmware. This new firmware fixed some of the major connectivity problems, but it also presented us with yet another problem related to iDevice’s battery.
Poor Battery Life on iPhone 5 and iPad mini
After upgrading to iOS 6.0.2 firmware, owners of iPhone 5 and iPad mini reported battery problems. The battery life was so bad that their devices didn’t even last a day, despite charging to the maximum percentage possible.
Some users started doing a complete restore via iTunes with no luck — it’s a fairly time-consuming process for first-timers. Rebooting both iPhone 5 and iPad mini didn’t change anything. So what can you do?
To say there’s a “magical” solution is probably misleading. The short battery life is caused through iOS 6.0.2 firmware, and there’s very little you can do to fix it. You can, however, downgrade to iOS 6.0.1 firmware, but there’s a trade off: you have to deal with these set of problems on iOS 6.0.1.
As is the case with every other gadgets these days, there’s always a room for improving and optimizing your iDevice’s battery. For instance, you can use your device until the battery is completely drained and then do a full recharge. This helps keep the battery fresh and can actually help the battery maintain its charge for a longer period of time over the lifespan of the battery.
As this “battery drainage” issue is wired into the OS, you have to wait for the next firmware release. News is that Apple is already working on iOS 6.1 — developers can download iOS 6.1 beta 4 firmware — and the stable version will be out by the end of January. That’s almost a month of waiting. That said, for now, here are a couple of links you may want to follow to increase your iPhone 5 and iPad mini’s battery life:
- 8 Ways to Maximize Battery Life of iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch – Exclusive tips from Philips on how to improve the performance of your iDevice.
- Battery Tips from Apple for Your iPhone — Common sense tips on how to optimize iPhone’s setting for better battery life.
- Battery Tips from Apple for Your iPad — Common sense tips on how to optimize iPad’s setting for better battery life.
- iOS 6.0.2 battery fix — A thread in the Apple forum where a user was able to apply a combination of settings to help improve his iPhone’s battery life. Worth a read.
How bad is your iDevice’s battery? And what are you doing to overcome this issue? Let us know through the comment section below!
