iPhone 7 battery drain
Discussion
'Evening.
Son's iPhone 7, three and a half years old has suddenly decided to empty the battery rather more quickly than it should.
Apparently it also freezes a lot.
I'm a complete Apple numpty, is there anything that he can check. I'm wondering about programmes running in the background but no idea how to look.
Thanks in advance to save me from a 14 year olds ranting....
Son's iPhone 7, three and a half years old has suddenly decided to empty the battery rather more quickly than it should.
Apparently it also freezes a lot.
I'm a complete Apple numpty, is there anything that he can check. I'm wondering about programmes running in the background but no idea how to look.
Thanks in advance to save me from a 14 year olds ranting....
Three and a half years is quite a long time for a phone, he’s done quite well to make it last this long.
Things you can check -
In Settings > Battery you’ll see Battery Health, check max capacity and peak performance capability.
In the battery section you can also see which apps are using the most battery. It may be he has installed a battery hungry app recently.
Location Services used by apps can be a drain. Check Privacy > Location Services to see what’s using it and turn it off if you can.
Finally, Apple can replace the battery for £50.
Things you can check -
In Settings > Battery you’ll see Battery Health, check max capacity and peak performance capability.
In the battery section you can also see which apps are using the most battery. It may be he has installed a battery hungry app recently.
Location Services used by apps can be a drain. Check Privacy > Location Services to see what’s using it and turn it off if you can.
Finally, Apple can replace the battery for £50.
As above, 3.5 years is ancient for a phone, and especially for the battery in the phone. I usually get 2 years maximum out of an iPhone and then it either needs replaced or the battery replaced.
I find when I get to about 18-20 months the battery starts to degrade quite a bit and I get a flat battery by mid afternoon most days. (I'm a fairly heavy phone user though for work etc)
As its a 7 its quite old, so my advice would be to sell it, and put the money towards a new iPhone.
If it was something newer like an 8 or XR then I would suggest paying the £50 to have Apple replace the battery and get another 12 months or so out of it.
I find when I get to about 18-20 months the battery starts to degrade quite a bit and I get a flat battery by mid afternoon most days. (I'm a fairly heavy phone user though for work etc)
As its a 7 its quite old, so my advice would be to sell it, and put the money towards a new iPhone.
If it was something newer like an 8 or XR then I would suggest paying the £50 to have Apple replace the battery and get another 12 months or so out of it.
Thanks for the responses
Battery:
Max Capacity - 82%
Peak Perf - Normal
Most hungry was Home & Lock Screen as he's downloaded another APP - Wizards Unite a Harry Potter game
Location set to "one when using certain APPS, like maps etc as I understand it.
28.6GB of 32GB used.
Can't see if there are programmes running in the background apparently?
Nearest Apple store is over 2 hours/70 mile away in Glasgow.
Battery:
Max Capacity - 82%
Peak Perf - Normal
Most hungry was Home & Lock Screen as he's downloaded another APP - Wizards Unite a Harry Potter game
Location set to "one when using certain APPS, like maps etc as I understand it.
28.6GB of 32GB used.
Can't see if there are programmes running in the background apparently?
Nearest Apple store is over 2 hours/70 mile away in Glasgow.
Skyedriver said:
Thanks for the responses
Battery:
Max Capacity - 82%
Peak Perf - Normal
Most hungry was Home & Lock Screen as he's downloaded another APP - Wizards Unite a Harry Potter game
Location set to "one when using certain APPS, like maps etc as I understand it.
28.6GB of 32GB used.
Can't see if there are programmes running in the background apparently?
Nearest Apple store is over 2 hours/70 mile away in Glasgow.
82% is utterly fuX0red. My 6s was on 80% and would do stuff like going from half full to “off” during a 5 minute call.Battery:
Max Capacity - 82%
Peak Perf - Normal
Most hungry was Home & Lock Screen as he's downloaded another APP - Wizards Unite a Harry Potter game
Location set to "one when using certain APPS, like maps etc as I understand it.
28.6GB of 32GB used.
Can't see if there are programmes running in the background apparently?
Nearest Apple store is over 2 hours/70 mile away in Glasgow.
Skyedriver said:
Thanks for the responses
Battery:
Max Capacity - 82%
Peak Perf - Normal
Most hungry was Home & Lock Screen as he's downloaded another APP - Wizards Unite a Harry Potter game
Location set to "one when using certain APPS, like maps etc as I understand it.
28.6GB of 32GB used.
Can't see if there are programmes running in the background apparently?
Nearest Apple store is over 2 hours/70 mile away in Glasgow.
Battery is totally knackered.Battery:
Max Capacity - 82%
Peak Perf - Normal
Most hungry was Home & Lock Screen as he's downloaded another APP - Wizards Unite a Harry Potter game
Location set to "one when using certain APPS, like maps etc as I understand it.
28.6GB of 32GB used.
Can't see if there are programmes running in the background apparently?
Nearest Apple store is over 2 hours/70 mile away in Glasgow.
Sell the phone and put the money towards a new one.
Thanks again.
Here's, hopefully a couple of screen shots of today. There's quite a lot of use in the latest app, the home screen bit is when it was downloading.
The phone was bought at 2 years old and has been well used as you can imagine, by a 14 year old lad. Just difficult to accept the expense of buying another phone already. My old Sony android thing was a lot cheaper, is a lot older and gives me grief sometimes but I live with it.
Is it worth a new battery in this one?
£50 for another year or 18 months. Get him a new phone, you know he's going to drop it or worse......
Here's, hopefully a couple of screen shots of today. There's quite a lot of use in the latest app, the home screen bit is when it was downloading.
The phone was bought at 2 years old and has been well used as you can imagine, by a 14 year old lad. Just difficult to accept the expense of buying another phone already. My old Sony android thing was a lot cheaper, is a lot older and gives me grief sometimes but I live with it.
Is it worth a new battery in this one?
£50 for another year or 18 months. Get him a new phone, you know he's going to drop it or worse......
Skyedriver said:
Ah ha.
Just discovered, 10 hours on Saturday, playing a game, now deleted....
So that's why he was reluctant to let us actually see the phone.
Doesn't totally explain the rapid drop today but Usage today partly the deleting of some apps, games?, and the downloading of the new one.
Whilst playing games for hours is going to deplete the battery fast, there’s no getting away from the fact that with 82% battery capacity, it’s at the end of its life, and will be providing a severely reduced usage time between charges and doing other weird stuff like dropping from 20% to empty in minutes.Just discovered, 10 hours on Saturday, playing a game, now deleted....
So that's why he was reluctant to let us actually see the phone.
Doesn't totally explain the rapid drop today but Usage today partly the deleting of some apps, games?, and the downloading of the new one.
It needs the battery replaced without doubt.
You can change the battery at Apple and probably get another 12-18 months as already mentioned.
How long these phones last is down to how you use them.
If you use them ‘as a phone’ like my wife does, which is to make the occasional call and text, and the battery lasts 2 days on each charge. At that rate you are only charging them every 2 days and the battery will probably last 3 years or so performing acceptably.
If you hammer your phone like I do (lots of calls, messages, emails, internet use) and your phone battery is flat by the end of every day then you can expect it to last a maximum of 2 years before you notice degradation in the performance and ultimately requiring a new battery or new phone.
I have an iPhone XR fitted with a £120 Apple battery case which basically doubles the battery life, just to ensure I never actually run out of power during a long day
Even with the XR’s ‘good’ battery life, I was sick of being out somewhere at 9 or 10pm and finding I had 3% battery left and still needed to call my wife to say the train was late or reply to an email etc
rxe said:
82% is utterly fuX0red. My 6s was on 80% and would do stuff like going from half full to “off” during a 5 minute call.
That doesn't happen on my 7 with its 67% battery, it does do weird things like go from 30% to 1% when it's locked and in my pocket for 30 minutes but will then be perfectly usable for the internet, etc. for another hour at 1%.Yes, I am waiting for the 12 to come out to upgrade as ManMaths tells me it's better to upgrade than just swap the battery
FunkyNige said:
That doesn't happen on my 7 with its 67% battery, it does do weird things like go from 30% to 1% when it's locked and in my pocket for 30 minutes but will then be perfectly usable for the internet, etc. for another hour at 1%.
Yes, I am waiting for the 12 to come out to upgrade as ManMaths tells me it's better to upgrade than just swap the battery
67% Yes, I am waiting for the 12 to come out to upgrade as ManMaths tells me it's better to upgrade than just swap the battery
I have a sim-only tariff and I change my iPhone every two years.
I find two years is pretty much the lifespan for battery life and also optimum for selling the handset on. I usually still get a pretty decent price for a 2 year old iPhone so I just sell them on and put the money towards a new one.
Upgrading every 12 months is the biggest money loser in iPhone depreciation, and after 2 years the phone begins to crash in value and in battery life.
Honestly, a 7S isn't worth taking to Apple to change the battery. I would only do this with a newer model in case it has to go back to Apple for any other issues.
My 6S was draining in one day whilst in my car while I was in the (Prison) office. Especially in the winter when it's cold. It was on 82% as well.
Take it to any high st phone repairer, I got mine replaced last December for £25. It is still on 100% now. The phone will still be good for years, your only concern will be memory after that, with all the updates taking up more space!
My 6S was draining in one day whilst in my car while I was in the (Prison) office. Especially in the winter when it's cold. It was on 82% as well.
Take it to any high st phone repairer, I got mine replaced last December for £25. It is still on 100% now. The phone will still be good for years, your only concern will be memory after that, with all the updates taking up more space!
Lord Marylebone said:
Whilst playing games for hours is going to deplete the battery fast, there’s no getting away from the fact that with 82% battery capacity, it’s at the end of its life, and will be providing a severely reduced usage time between charges and doing other weird stuff like dropping from 20% to empty in minutes.
It needs the battery replaced without doubt.
You can change the battery at Apple and probably get another 12-18 months as already mentioned.
How long these phones last is down to how you use them.
If you use them ‘as a phone’ like my wife does, which is to make the occasional call and text, and the battery lasts 2 days on each charge. At that rate you are only charging them every 2 days and the battery will probably last 3 years or so performing acceptably.
If you hammer your phone like I do (lots of calls, messages, emails, internet use) and your phone battery is flat by the end of every day then you can expect it to last a maximum of 2 years before you notice degradation in the performance and ultimately requiring a new battery or new phone.
I have an iPhone XR fitted with a £120 Apple battery case which basically doubles the battery life, just to ensure I never actually run out of power during a long day
Even with the XR’s ‘good’ battery life, I was sick of being out somewhere at 9 or 10pm and finding I had 3% battery left and still needed to call my wife to say the train was late or reply to an email etc
I'm the same type of user as your wife. I turn off wifi, data, location and bluetooth when not needed and charge the phone once a week, if she did the same I'm sure she'd get more than two days out of the battery. It needs the battery replaced without doubt.
You can change the battery at Apple and probably get another 12-18 months as already mentioned.
How long these phones last is down to how you use them.
If you use them ‘as a phone’ like my wife does, which is to make the occasional call and text, and the battery lasts 2 days on each charge. At that rate you are only charging them every 2 days and the battery will probably last 3 years or so performing acceptably.
If you hammer your phone like I do (lots of calls, messages, emails, internet use) and your phone battery is flat by the end of every day then you can expect it to last a maximum of 2 years before you notice degradation in the performance and ultimately requiring a new battery or new phone.
I have an iPhone XR fitted with a £120 Apple battery case which basically doubles the battery life, just to ensure I never actually run out of power during a long day
Even with the XR’s ‘good’ battery life, I was sick of being out somewhere at 9 or 10pm and finding I had 3% battery left and still needed to call my wife to say the train was late or reply to an email etc
Fastchas said:
Honestly, a 7S isn't worth taking to Apple to change the battery. I would only do this with a newer model in case it has to go back to Apple for any other issues.
Why not, it will get done properly at Apple and decent price: £49 for a 7S. Bargain to give it another couple of year life.https://support.apple.com/en-gb/iphone/repair/serv...
As Lord Marylebone, my wife has an identical 7 to my son and the battery also says 82%. Hers lasts all day without fail, she does a few texts, couple of emails and watches a half hour video update every day with loads of battery to spare. It's the 14 years old son, the phone is never out of his hand, gets used for school sometimes, games at lunchtime, on the bus home, after homework. I know he's pushing for an update, no doubt his mates have newer ones. You know what will happen, he'll have it 5 minutes and he'll break it... Actually there's a thing, he'll need a new case and new screen protector as newer ones are even bigger than the 7.
mygoldfishbowl said:
I'm the same type of user as your wife. I turn off wifi, data, location and bluetooth when not needed and charge the phone once a week, if she did the same I'm sure she'd get more than two days out of the battery.
Leaving Bluetooth on all the time is a necessity as she has an Apple Watch which wouldn't work without being connected to her phone all the time and also, when she gets in her car it automatically connects to the handsfree system via bluetooth. Also, being connected to WiFi while at home and at work saves the phone from chewing through her included monthly contract data.
I'm the same, whichever of our vehicles I get in, the car connects automatically via Bluetooth. Also the audio systems in our vehicles stream our music/playlists from out phones as well. You get in the car and it continues streaming the music you were last listening to when you were last in the car and so on.
So yes, you could shave some battery usage off by not having bluetooth or wifi on, but it isn't practical for most people as phones are so integrated into cars/home etc.
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