Battery life of iPhone 6

HarryT · 09-17-2015, 03:08 AM

I replaced my trusty 5-year-old iPhone 4 with an iPhone 6 three months ago and, although I'm very happy with the iPhone 6, I have noticed that I'm not getting as good a battery life as I did with the iPhone 4.

I recharge my phone once a day, and I typically find that, when I put it on to charge, the battery level is around 30%. With my iPhone 4, by comparison, the battery level would typically be about 50% when I recharged it.

My main use for the device is web browsing and email and, when I look at the battery usage figures at the time I recharge it, it typically shows a usage time of about 3.5h, with Safari being the app which has used most power (normally around 65%), Gmail around 15%, and everything else negligible.

Does this sound normal for an iPhone 6, or does anyone think that I may have a problem? I should probably add that I am using the latest version of iOS 8.

jswinden · 09-17-2015, 12:09 PM

I have the iPhone 6 Plus, so not an Apples to Apples comparison, or is it...

I had the iPhone 5 prior, and the 6+ does have way more battery life. Typically when I charge it at night it is around 80% or more charged after a full day of being on. I don't use it a lot, but I do have phone calls, look up stuff on it, etc. Even days when I talk for 3+ hours on the phone, the charge will indicate 60% or more. So it does really well at battery management. Granted the 6+ has a bigger battery than the 6. You might check cellular usage and permissions. If you have a lot of apps that like to phone home during down times, you can correct their attitudes and prevent this. If you run BT all day but rarely use it, turn it off. If you are around a WiFi network you can turn on the feature that allows you to make phone calls over WiFi rather than cellular radio, and that most likely saves battery and makes for better calls if your cellular coverage is spotty at home or work.

Penforhire · 09-17-2015, 01:06 PM

That sounds about right. I went from a 4 to a 6 and in general I'd say I get a little less life between charges. You can turn the brightness down and turn off some of the location services and such that drain stuff in the background.

When I travel I now always take a battery or 'power bank' with me. I have a smaller lipstick shaped one that fits in a pocket (one full recharge) and a larger rectangular one that can almost recharge my iPad (or more than two iPhones) but is a bit too big/heavy for a pocket, fine in my messenger bag.

pwalker8 · 09-17-2015, 03:10 PM

I believe that battery life was one of the big differences between the 6 plus and 6.

HarryT · 09-17-2015, 05:39 PM

Thanks for the reassurance that it's normal. It's not a problem - as long as I can use my phone all day on a charge (which I can) I'm happy.

My iPad Air 2 seems to run forever on a battery charge

. I can browse the web for an hour on it, and the battery level seems to fall about 5%. On my iPhone it would be more like 20%.

pwalker8 · 09-17-2015, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Thanks for the reassurance that it's normal. It's not a problem - as long as I can use my phone all day on a charge (which I can) I'm happy.

My iPad Air 2 seems to run forever on a battery charge

. I can browse the web for an hour on it, and the battery level seems to fall about 5%. On my iPhone it would be more like 20%.

A big reason that I use the mophie is that I like not having to worry about battery charge. Most days, the mophie still has a charge at the end of the day and I never need to touch the iPhone 6 plus battery.

The only time I've worried about charge was when I let my niece and nephew play games on my iPhone on a car trip. Those games can drain a battery like nothing I've seen.

kyteflyer · 09-17-2015, 11:33 PM

The other thing to be aware of is that if you *don't* use bluetooth, and even if you had it off last time round, it is always on by default on a new iOS install. I usually have my phone set to 3G as well, because where I am, most of the time, theres next to no 4G reception, and if the phone is constantly looking for it, theres more battery drain. I'd switch it to 2G if I could, but thats gone the way of the Dodo

Kai Winters · 09-19-2015, 01:08 PM

I have the 6+ and find battery life is great...as long as I have gone through all the apps, etc. and shut off everything I don't need/want running to prolong battery life. The defaults seem to be "torch mode" in TV lingo...everything is turned on and running at full blast.
I turn off all location services, wifi when not in use, blue tooth when not in use, dim brightness to medium, few notification services, etc.
I find that this dramatically improves battery usage...I can drain the battery pretty quickly when watching videos...youtube, etc...

Jack Torrance · 09-19-2015, 04:43 PM

I have a 6+ coming from a 5. With the 5 I had no issues going through the day and still having power left but never enough to go 2 days so for the most part it was on the charger everynight.

With the 6+ I can easily go 2 days and still not hit the 20% warning by the trade of being a much larger device.

I recall when I did the research before buying the phone the battery size vs usage they said the 5 and 6 were comparable but I imagine the 4 though it had a smaller battery had a smaller screen and fewer processing demands and would make sense it could last longer.

Either way I still have a spare lightning cord and 12v adapter in my pack so if something happens I can always power up. Over 1/2 the people at work have IPhones of one type or another so there is always a way to charge up.

Kai Winters · 09-20-2015, 11:09 PM

I too carry a cord and charger wall wart...just in case...though when connected to my car's audio system it also charges.

I've moved from the 4 to the 5 and now the 6+...I find the 6+ the best of them all though the 5 was great...my wife has the 5 after moving up from my 4 and says "it is a phone"...sigh

Jack Torrance · 09-21-2015, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kai Winters

I too carry a cord and charger wall wart...just in case...though when connected to my car's audio system it also charges.

I've moved from the 4 to the 5 and now the 6+...I find the 6+ the best of them all though the 5 was great...my wife has the 5 after moving up from my 4 and says "it is a phone"...sigh

Let her use your 6+ for a few days and you will never get it back.

Kai Winters · 09-21-2015, 11:13 PM

Ummm...not gonna happen...hehehe

BeeTee-Ess · 09-21-2015, 11:47 PM

Hello Harry...

I still have my iP4 and its replacement iP6 and my usage habits prarllel the ones you describe. I recharge both phones nightly.

I can confirm that the iP4 battery although now several years old, still lasts considerably longer than that of the iP6. Your percentages are near enough to mine as no matter.

So, from my experience, I think your iP6 sounds fine.

09-17-2015, 03:08 AM	#1
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Battery life of iPhone 6 I replaced my trusty 5-year-old iPhone 4 with an iPhone 6 three months ago and, although I'm very happy with the iPhone 6, I have noticed that I'm not getting as good a battery life as I did with the iPhone 4. I recharge my phone once a day, and I typically find that, when I put it on to charge, the battery level is around 30%. With my iPhone 4, by comparison, the battery level would typically be about 50% when I recharged it. My main use for the device is web browsing and email and, when I look at the battery usage figures at the time I recharge it, it typically shows a usage time of about 3.5h, with Safari being the app which has used most power (normally around 65%), Gmail around 15%, and everything else negligible. Does this sound normal for an iPhone 6, or does anyone think that I may have a problem? I should probably add that I am using the latest version of iOS 8. Last edited by HarryT; 09-17-2015 at 03:15 AM.

09-17-2015, 12:09 PM	#2
jswinden Nameless Being	I have the iPhone 6 Plus, so not an Apples to Apples comparison, or is it... I had the iPhone 5 prior, and the 6+ does have way more battery life. Typically when I charge it at night it is around 80% or more charged after a full day of being on. I don't use it a lot, but I do have phone calls, look up stuff on it, etc. Even days when I talk for 3+ hours on the phone, the charge will indicate 60% or more. So it does really well at battery management. Granted the 6+ has a bigger battery than the 6. You might check cellular usage and permissions. If you have a lot of apps that like to phone home during down times, you can correct their attitudes and prevent this. If you run BT all day but rarely use it, turn it off. If you are around a WiFi network you can turn on the feature that allows you to make phone calls over WiFi rather than cellular radio, and that most likely saves battery and makes for better calls if your cellular coverage is spotty at home or work. Last edited by jswinden; 09-17-2015 at 03:37 PM.

09-17-2015, 05:39 PM	#5
HarryT eBook Enthusiast Posts: 85,544 Karma: 93383043 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: UK Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6	Thanks for the reassurance that it's normal. It's not a problem - as long as I can use my phone all day on a charge (which I can) I'm happy. My iPad Air 2 seems to run forever on a battery charge . I can browse the web for an hour on it, and the battery level seems to fall about 5%. On my iPhone it would be more like 20%. Last edited by HarryT; 09-17-2015 at 05:57 PM.

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09-17-2015, 01:06 PM	#3
Penforhire Wizard Posts: 2,230 Karma: 7145404 Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: Southern California Device: Kindle Voyage & iPhone 7+	That sounds about right. I went from a 4 to a 6 and in general I'd say I get a little less life between charges. You can turn the brightness down and turn off some of the location services and such that drain stuff in the background. When I travel I now always take a battery or 'power bank' with me. I have a smaller lipstick shaped one that fits in a pocket (one full recharge) and a larger rectangular one that can almost recharge my iPad (or more than two iPhones) but is a bit too big/heavy for a pocket, fine in my messenger bag.

09-17-2015, 03:10 PM	#4
pwalker8 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 7,195 Karma: 70314280 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Atlanta, GA Device: iPad Pro, iPad mini, Kobo Aura, Amazon paperwhite, Sony PRS-T2	I believe that battery life was one of the big differences between the 6 plus and 6.

09-17-2015, 11:33 PM	#7
kyteflyer Wizard Posts: 1,841 Karma: 9547754 Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Newcastle, Australia Device: iPhone SE2020	The other thing to be aware of is that if you don't use bluetooth, and even if you had it off last time round, it is always on by default on a new iOS install. I usually have my phone set to 3G as well, because where I am, most of the time, theres next to no 4G reception, and if the phone is constantly looking for it, theres more battery drain. I'd switch it to 2G if I could, but thats gone the way of the Dodo

09-19-2015, 01:08 PM	#8
Kai Winters Lover of Books Posts: 218 Karma: 1073074 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern NY Device: iPhone 7+	I have the 6+ and find battery life is great...as long as I have gone through all the apps, etc. and shut off everything I don't need/want running to prolong battery life. The defaults seem to be "torch mode" in TV lingo...everything is turned on and running at full blast. I turn off all location services, wifi when not in use, blue tooth when not in use, dim brightness to medium, few notification services, etc. I find that this dramatically improves battery usage...I can drain the battery pretty quickly when watching videos...youtube, etc...

09-19-2015, 04:43 PM	#9
Jack Torrance “Here’s Johnny Posts: 185 Karma: 3863056 Join Date: Mar 2014 Location: Overlook Hotel Colorado Device: Kindle DXG - 9.7 iPad - iPhone 12PM - Macbook Pro	I have a 6+ coming from a 5. With the 5 I had no issues going through the day and still having power left but never enough to go 2 days so for the most part it was on the charger everynight. With the 6+ I can easily go 2 days and still not hit the 20% warning by the trade of being a much larger device. I recall when I did the research before buying the phone the battery size vs usage they said the 5 and 6 were comparable but I imagine the 4 though it had a smaller battery had a smaller screen and fewer processing demands and would make sense it could last longer. Either way I still have a spare lightning cord and 12v adapter in my pack so if something happens I can always power up. Over 1/2 the people at work have IPhones of one type or another so there is always a way to charge up.

09-20-2015, 11:09 PM	#10
Kai Winters Lover of Books Posts: 218 Karma: 1073074 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern NY Device: iPhone 7+	I too carry a cord and charger wall wart...just in case...though when connected to my car's audio system it also charges. I've moved from the 4 to the 5 and now the 6+...I find the 6+ the best of them all though the 5 was great...my wife has the 5 after moving up from my 4 and says "it is a phone"...sigh

09-21-2015, 11:13 PM	#12
Kai Winters Lover of Books Posts: 218 Karma: 1073074 Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Northern NY Device: iPhone 7+	Ummm...not gonna happen...hehehe

09-21-2015, 11:47 PM	#13
BeeTee-Ess Addict Posts: 306 Karma: 679580 Join Date: Dec 2011 Location: Brisbane, Australia Device: K3, K4NT, KPW2, Voyage, iP4, iP6, iPad Mini, HP TouchPad, Kobo Mini	Hello Harry... I still have my iP4 and its replacement iP6 and my usage habits prarllel the ones you describe. I recharge both phones nightly. I can confirm that the iP4 battery although now several years old, still lasts considerably longer than that of the iP6. Your percentages are near enough to mine as no matter. So, from my experience, I think your iP6 sounds fine.