Apple has resolved the battery problems that have recently plagued many users of the company’s newest mobile operating system, iOS 5.
According to the company, iPhone 4S users are supposed to be receiving up to eight hours of talk time, up to six hours of time surfing the Web when connected to 3G networks, and up to 200 hours of standby time.
However, many iPhone 4S users filed complaints on Apple’s support site in recent weeks, writing that their phones were only lasting a few hours with minimal use before shutting down. On Nov. 2, Apple acknowledged that there were bugs that had been affecting the battery life on both the new iPhone 4S and on other devices that have iOS 5 installed on them.
In order to fix the issue, Apple has released iOS 5.0.1, an update to the current operating system. The update is available for instant download on Internet-connected Apple devices. Users can go to the Settings menu under Software Updates in order to install the new operating system.
Junior mechanical engineering major Keaton Pavier said that any time a new piece of technology has some type of flaw, it will always have at least a small negative effect on the company. However, Pavier believes that the effect in this situation will be negligible.
“Apple has always been unbelievably quick to address these types of issues,” Pavier said. “They take no time to get on top of things whenever there is a problem, which is why their products continue to be so successful.”
Pavier added that Apple faced a similar situation when the antenna on the original iPhone 4 was giving users problems. However, Apple fixed that as well. “Apple has always put a huge emphasis on battery life and consuming power, and if this continued to be a problem, they would probably recall the phones,” he said.
Junior marketing and supply chain management major Seth Backer does not think that this issue will have an impact on consumers’ decisions about buying the iPhone 4S because it is normal for new products to have glitches. However, Backer believes that Apple has created a bigger problem for itself by releasing the iPhone 4S and not the iPhone 5, which many people were expecting.
“The more important problem here is not the issues with battery life,” Backer said. “What’s most frustrating to many people, including myself, is that Apple released a new iPhone that really isn’t that different than it’s predecessor, and this was incredibly disappointing to a lot of consumers.”
Nevertheless, demand for the iPhone 4S continues to be strong a month after its release, despite a Nov. 9 report by Taiwanese technology news source DigiTimes that Apple is reducing production of the device because of component shortages and lessening demand.
Still, even though this report turned out to be false, Apple’s stock has taken a hit recently, as shares fell 2.5 percent Nov. 10, closing at $385.22.