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iPhone 5 vs. iPhone 4S: Battery Life



According to iPhone 5 tech specs, the 6th generation iPhone offers improved battery life compared to iPhone 4S - Apple's 5th generation, but when it comes to real world testing it may not be completely accurate.
Folks at iLounge have just published an extensive battery comparison of Apple's new iPhone and iPhone 4S, which reveals that iPhone 5 battery life is worse than iPhone 4S in most departments.
Here's a look at the battery life of iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S:
iPhone 5 Battery Life
LTE or 3G Internet Data:
  • Apple claims:
    • iPhone 5: Up to 8 hours
    • iPhone 4S: Up to 6 hours
  • Actual:
    • AT&T iPhone 4S: 5 hours and 54 minutes
    • Verizon iPhone 4S: 5 hours and 53 minutes
    • AT&T iPhone 5: 4 hours and 44 minutes
    • Verizon iPhone 5: 5 hours and 15 minutes
Wi-Fi Data:
  • Apple claims:
    • iPhone 5: Up to 10 hours
    • iPhone 4S: Up to 9 hours
  • Actual:
    • iPhone 5: 6 hours and 24 minutes (with Cellular antenna turned on), 8 hours and 26 minutes (with Cellular antenna turned off)
    • iPhone 4S: 8 hours and 30 minutes
Voice Calling:
  • Apple claims:
    • iPhone 5: Up to 8 hours
    • iPhone 4S: Up to 8 hours
  • Actual:
    • AT&T iPhone 4S: 7 hours and 16 minutes
    • Verizon iPhone 4S: 8 hours and 27 minutes
    • AT&T iPhone 5: 6 hours and 15 minutes
    • Verizon iPhone 5: 6 hours and 6 minutes
Video Playback:
  • Apple claims:
    • iPhone 4S: Up to 10 hours
    • iPhone 5: Up to 10 hours
  • Actual:
    • iPhone 4S: 10 hours and 32 minutes
    • iPhone 5: 11 hours and 7 minutes
Audio Playback:
  • Apple claims:
    • iPhone 4S: Up to 40 hours
    • iPhone 5: Up to 40 hours
  • Actual:
    • iPhone 4S: 41 hours and 20 minutes
    • iPhone 5: 37 hours and 3 minutes
FaceTime Calling:
  • Actual:
    • iPhone 4S: 3 hours and 15 minutes
    • iPhone 5: 3 hours and 2 minute
1080p Video Recording:
  • Actual:
    • iPhone 4S: 2 hours and 20 minutes
    • iPhone 5: 2 hours and 30 minutes
Recharging:
  • Actual  (recharging a completely dead iPhone 5 from a 1-Amp power source):
    • iPhone 5: 2 hours and 17 minutes
iLounge concludes:
As much as we’d love to be able to say that the iPhone 5 is an “all day” phone, it’s still not: just like most of its predecessors, Apple prioritized new thinness and speed over battery life. Consequently, it’s advisable to keep a charging cable nearby, lest you find yourself out of juice at or before 5pm. This isn’t terribly different from the iPhone 4S, and your mileage will vary depending on local cell tower strength, but it was certainly disappointing for us—battery life is certainly one of the two biggest issues with the iPhone 5.
Because of the iPhone 5’s tendency to run low on juice just when the night’s getting started, heavy users and frequent travelers will once again find themselves in need of spare battery packs and chargers.
Surprised by these test results? Let us know your experience in the comments.


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