iPhone users harangue Apple over battery life

Reports that Apple's iPhones are draining their batteries so fast that some users can't make it through a workday without recharging likely point to a problem in the new iPhone OS 3.0 software, an Apple hardware repair expert said Sunday.

"Users are reporting battery issues that it runs out very quickly," said Aaron Vronko, the CEO of Michigan-based Rapid Repair, a firm that fixes iPods and iPhones and sells parts for do-it-yourselfers. "It sounds like a problem with iPhone 3.0 [and having] some of its features turned on."

Vronko, who posted one of the first teardowns of the new iPhone 3GS on launch day, June 19, suspects that it's not the battery itself, which is nearly identical to the one found in the older iPhone 3G.

"I don't think it's a hardware issue," he said, "but some interaction within the software that's not quite working as intended. Something is really draining the battery." Another teardown, done by iFixit, noted that the iPhone 3GS's battery is just 6% more powerful than the battery in its predecessor.

Users started complaining about poor battery performance almost as soon as Apple offered iPhone 3.0, the software available for download June 17 for first-generation iPhones and second-generation iPhone 3Gs. The new iPhone 3GS relies on the same software.

"After updating to [iPhone] 3.0 the battery life is very short. It consumes 5%-10% an hour," claimed an original iPhone user identified as "ukfasthands" in a message posted on Apple's support forum June 17.

"I too have experienced severe battery depletion issues since updating to 3.0," echoed Donald Cowan in another message posted on Apple's support forum. "Normally get 5 days or so with my 1st Gen iPhone in standby, but now lucky to get through the day. From a communication point of view my iPhone is now a liability."

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