Latest iOS Updates are Killing iPhone Battery Performance

iPhone users are yet again being subject to downgraded battery performance following the most recent version update for iOS13

How do you know if this affects you? From the comments and feedback circulating in the iPhone user community, you will certainly know if you are affected.

Users are describing a severe drop in battery life performance, with many devices only being able to last a few hours on a fresh battery or dying on inconsistent percentages. In addition, many users are experiencing issues with their device feeling warm - or even hot - sometimes while the device is sitting on standby and not being used.

This problem was raised by iPhone users after the initial release of iOS13 back in June 2019, largely affecting the older model iPhones such as the iPhone 6, iPhone 6S, iPhone 7 and iPhone 8 ranges. Generally, subsequent iOS releases would seek to resolve these battery draining bugs - which the second and third iteration of iOS did appear to do. For a small period at least.

In June 2020, iOS 13.5.1 was released bringing with it one of the worst battery performance bugs we have seen from an Apple software release in a long while.

Many iPhone users would describe their battery performing perfectly one day, with a rapid deterioration of its performance seemingly overnight. 'Seemingly', may not be the best way to describe it, as the problem quite actually begins overnight after the update completes its installation.

How do you know if iOS is the problem?

This will depend on the manner in which the battery problem begins. Generally speaking, if the device has experienced a sudden decrease in performance, then it is likely that a software bug is at fault. Hardware faults with the battery itself generally occur as gradual degradation - so battery life slowly gets worse over a period of months.

The only way to know for sure is to swap your iPhone battery out for a new one. If you change your battery and still experience severe battery drain after the fact, then it is safe to assume the problem lies with the software of the device.

Can we do anything to fix this?

With every iOS software update release, there is hope that battery bugs like this one will be resolved. Early beta users of iOS 13.6 had reported some improvements in the battery life performance which appeared to be a promising sign.

You can now update to the latest version iOS (13.6). Despite some isolated reports of battery drain and connectivity problems (cellular/WiFi), the vast majority of upgraders have had no problems. This makes iOS 13.6 a good upgrade option for anyone who has been waiting for a stable iOS 13 release.

We do, however, recommend waiting some time before installing an update and researching the experience of other users before you do. If you have been affected, you already know how much of an impact an imperfect release can have on the performance of your device. There appears to be more and more users coming forward with battery drain issues on the iOS13.6 release as time progresses.

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By Dean Bader

Co-Founder, TechXS Australia