What's a reasonable battery discharge rate for an iPhone 6
that's powered on but in airplane mode with WiFi off?

I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite
a bit faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls
a percent every couple of minutes when used actively.

The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.
Maybe I got a dud? Is there a simple test?

Thanks for reading,

bob prohaska

On 2024-03-05 18:03, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
> What's a reasonable battery discharge rate for an iPhone 6
> that's powered on but in airplane mode with WiFi off?
>
> I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite
> a bit faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls
> a percent every couple of minutes when used actively.
>
> The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.
> Maybe I got a dud? Is there a simple test?
>
> Thanks for reading,
>
> bob prohaska

2% per day for 3 weeks would be 42%, so I'm not seeing that you
expectations are much different from reality.

On 2024-03-06, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
> What's a reasonable battery discharge rate for an iPhone 6
> that's powered on but in airplane mode with WiFi off?
>
> I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite
> a bit faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls
> a percent every couple of minutes when used actively.
>
> The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.
> Maybe I got a dud? Is there a simple test?

If the battery isn't genuine it often won't perform nearly as well as a
genuine battery. You get what you pay for, which is why I usually just
let Apple do it.

--
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JR

On 2024-03-05 21:03, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
> I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite
> a bit faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls
> a percent every couple of minutes when used actively.
>
> The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.
> Maybe I got a dud? Is there a simple test?

Not likely this is a problem - you can check the battery state under
settings, Battery | Battery Heath (Actually not sure the iOS v. in the
iPhone 6 supports this).

Review active apps, some run more than you would think.

For example I forgot to stop a recording app [Sensor Log], (gyro,
accelerometers, GPS, etc.) and it brought down the battery pretty quick.
Either stop it recording or kick out the app and that stops.

Otherwise, if in normal use it lasts more than a day, it's probably fine
(my iPhone 6 would go 2 - 3 days under my normal use; your normal use
may be different).

--
“Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.”
- John Maynard Keynes.

Alan Browne <bitbucket@blackhole.com> wrote:
> On 2024-03-05 21:03, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
>> I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite
>> a bit faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls
>> a percent every couple of minutes when used actively.
>>
>> The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.
>> Maybe I got a dud? Is there a simple test?
>
> Not likely this is a problem - you can check the battery state under
> settings, Battery | Battery Heath (Actually not sure the iOS v. in the
> iPhone 6 supports this).
>
> Review active apps, some run more than you would think.
>
> For example I forgot to stop a recording app [Sensor Log], (gyro,
> accelerometers, GPS, etc.) and it brought down the battery pretty quick.
> Either stop it recording or kick out the app and that stops.
>
> Otherwise, if in normal use it lasts more than a day, it's probably fine
> (my iPhone 6 would go 2 - 3 days under my normal use; your normal use
> may be different).

It seems to last several days at 100% and then abruptly plummet, with
no use by me.

It turns out there is a "battery health" option. It reports no "activity"
in the past five days, but two "battery usage" events, one reporting
nearly 50%, though of what isn't clear (green, could it be charging?).

I notice there's a "low power mode", but I thought turning on airplane
mode and turning off wifi would supercede that. Am I mistaken?

Thanks for tipping me off about the battery health feature, I'll watch
more closely in the future.

bob prohaska

On 2024-03-07, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>
> I notice there's a "low power mode", but I thought turning on airplane
> mode and turning off wifi would supercede that. Am I mistaken?

Yes, you are mistaken. Low Power Mode does more:

<https://support.apple.com/en-us/101604>

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
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JR

On 2024-03-07 10:48, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
> Alan Browne <bitbucket@blackhole.com> wrote:
>> On 2024-03-05 21:03, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
>>> I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite
>>> a bit faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls
>>> a percent every couple of minutes when used actively.
>>>
>>> The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.
>>> Maybe I got a dud? Is there a simple test?
>>
>> Not likely this is a problem - you can check the battery state under
>> settings, Battery | Battery Heath (Actually not sure the iOS v. in the
>> iPhone 6 supports this).
>>
>> Review active apps, some run more than you would think.
>>
>> For example I forgot to stop a recording app [Sensor Log], (gyro,
>> accelerometers, GPS, etc.) and it brought down the battery pretty quick.
>> Either stop it recording or kick out the app and that stops.
>>
>> Otherwise, if in normal use it lasts more than a day, it's probably fine
>> (my iPhone 6 would go 2 - 3 days under my normal use; your normal use
>> may be different).
>
> It seems to last several days at 100% and then abruptly plummet, with
> no use by me.
>
> It turns out there is a "battery health" option. It reports no "activity"
> in the past five days, but two "battery usage" events, one reporting
> nearly 50%, though of what isn't clear (green, could it be charging?).
>
> I notice there's a "low power mode", but I thought turning on airplane
> mode and turning off wifi would supercede that. Am I mistaken?

Two things...

Low power mode does a bunch of "little things" to reduce power draw.
CPU clock frequency is reduced, perhaps the display is dimmed, some
background tasks are run less often, etc. and so on.

Airplane mode should prevent the radios from transmitting (which
typically draws power) - so not a bad thing to do as the phone will not
respond to outside connection requests (mail push, message interchange,
etc. and so on).

>
> Thanks for tipping me off about the battery health feature, I'll watch
> more closely in the future.

the other "thing" of course is to re-start the phone, charge it up, use
it normally for a few days and see how it behaves.

--
“Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.”
- John Maynard Keynes.

Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
> On 2024-03-07, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>>
>> I notice there's a "low power mode", but I thought turning on airplane
>> mode and turning off wifi would supercede that. Am I mistaken?
>
> Yes, you are mistaken. Low Power Mode does more:
>
> <https://support.apple.com/en-us/101604>

I note that
"After you charge your iPhone or iPad to 80% or higher, Low Power Mode automatically turns off."

I wonder if low power mode can be persuaded to stay on. Remembering to turn it on
after each charging session is something likely to get fumbled eventually.

Thanks very much for the reference!

bob prohaska

On 2024-03-09, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
> Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
>> On 2024-03-07, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> I notice there's a "low power mode", but I thought turning on
>>> airplane mode and turning off wifi would supercede that. Am I
>>> mistaken?
>>
>> Yes, you are mistaken. Low Power Mode does more:
>>
>> <https://support.apple.com/en-us/101604>
>
> I note that "After you charge your iPhone or iPad to 80% or higher,
> Low Power Mode automatically turns off."
>
> I wonder if low power mode can be persuaded to stay on. Remembering to
> turn it on after each charging session is something likely to get
> fumbled eventually.

If that's what you want, sure:

<https://www.howtogeek.com/692199/how-to-keep-low-power-mode-enabled-permanently-on-your-iphone/>

Personally, I have no need to permanently limit myself in that way.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
> On 2024-03-09, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>> Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
>>> On 2024-03-07, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> I notice there's a "low power mode", but I thought turning on
>>>> airplane mode and turning off wifi would supercede that. Am I
>>>> mistaken?
>>>
>>> Yes, you are mistaken. Low Power Mode does more:
>>>
>>> <https://support.apple.com/en-us/101604>
>>
>> I note that "After you charge your iPhone or iPad to 80% or higher,
>> Low Power Mode automatically turns off."
>>
>> I wonder if low power mode can be persuaded to stay on. Remembering to
>> turn it on after each charging session is something likely to get
>> fumbled eventually.
>
> If that's what you want, sure:
>
> <https://www.howtogeek.com/692199/how-to-keep-low-power-mode-enabled-permanently-on-your-iphone/>
>
> Personally, I have no need to permanently limit myself in that way.
>
I agree, that doesn't seem like ideal behavior for a phone that's
carried for emergencies. Needing to call, under duress, and having
to re-configure the phone to place the call doesn't sound great.

Still, it's an interesting feature that I would never have
discovered if you hadn't told me.

Thanks for writing,

bob prohaska

On 3/5/2024 9:03 PM, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
> What's a reasonable battery discharge rate for an iPhone 6
> that's powered on but in airplane mode with WiFi off?
>
> I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite
> a bit faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls
> a percent every couple of minutes when used actively.
>
> The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.
> Maybe I got a dud? Is there a simple test?
>
> Thanks for reading,
>
> bob prohaska
>

My question is why carry a cell phone with its power on in this
condition? The only connection left is Bluetooth.

First turn off Bluetooth besides Airplane Mode.

Second go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and shut off
what you do not want running when ever the iPhone is powered on but off.

Then recheck battery usage over time before the drastic step of low
power at all times.

Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam> wrote:
>
> My question is why carry a cell phone with its power on in this
> condition? The only connection left is Bluetooth.
>

The phone is carried mostly for emergency outgoing calls.
Originally I tried keeping it turned off, but it kept powering
up and staying that way after charging. Turning it off was just
a nuisance. Making it stay powered off during charging seems
elusive, so I started asking about alternative stragegies.

In the end it looks like charging it and then turning it off
remains the path of least effort.

Thanks for everyone's help on a counterintuitive request!

bob prohaska

> First turn off Bluetooth besides Airplane Mode.
>
> Second go to Settings > General > Background App Refresh and shut off
> what you do not want running when ever the iPhone is powered on but off.
>
> Then recheck battery usage over time before the drastic step of low
> power at all times.
>

On 2024-03-06, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
> What's a reasonable battery discharge rate for an iPhone 6 that's
> powered on but in airplane mode with WiFi off?
>
> I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite a bit
> faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls a percent every
> couple of minutes when used actively.
>
> The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.

If it wasn't an Apple-authorized shop, you almost certainly got a cheap
and/or counterfeit battery replacement rather than a genuine battery
from Apple. Very often they don't perform nearly as well.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

On 2024-03-10 15:47, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
> Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam> wrote:
>>
>> My question is why carry a cell phone with its power on in this
>> condition? The only connection left is Bluetooth.
>>
>
> The phone is carried mostly for emergency outgoing calls.

Get a cheap flip phone?

> Originally I tried keeping it turned off, but it kept powering
> up and staying that way after charging. Turning it off was just
> a nuisance. Making it stay powered off during charging seems
> elusive, so I started asking about alternative stragegies.
>
> In the end it looks like charging it and then turning it off
> remains the path of least effort.

Charge to no more than 80% for this use case and re-charge if it falls
to 20 - 40%.

--
“Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.”
- John Maynard Keynes.

On 2024-03-10 18:26, Jolly Roger wrote:
> On 2024-03-06, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>> What's a reasonable battery discharge rate for an iPhone 6 that's
>> powered on but in airplane mode with WiFi off?
>>
>> I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite a bit
>> faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls a percent every
>> couple of minutes when used actively.
>>
>> The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.
>
> If it wasn't an Apple-authorized shop, you almost certainly got a cheap
> and/or counterfeit battery replacement rather than a genuine battery
> from Apple. Very often they don't perform nearly as well.

Very often batteries installed by specialty (non Apple approved! Gasp!)
are just as good as the original article.

A place near here does great business because they have a great
reputation for just such.

And I recently learned they now also do Apple Watch batteries which is
great news as my SO's Watch is getting on ...

--
“Markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent.”
- John Maynard Keynes.

On 2024-03-10, Alan Browne <bitbucket@blackhole.com> wrote:
> On 2024-03-10 18:26, Jolly Roger wrote:
>> On 2024-03-06, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>>> What's a reasonable battery discharge rate for an iPhone 6 that's
>>> powered on but in airplane mode with WiFi off?
>>>
>>> I expected one or two percent per day, but it seems quite a bit
>>> faster. After two or three weeks it's ~50% and falls a percent every
>>> couple of minutes when used actively.
>>>
>>> The battery is about six months old, replaced by a local shop.
>>
>> If it wasn't an Apple-authorized shop, you almost certainly got a
>> cheap and/or counterfeit battery replacement rather than a genuine
>> battery from Apple. Very often they don't perform nearly as well.
>
> Very often batteries installed by specialty (non Apple approved!
> Gasp!) are just as good as the original article.

As always: It depends.

One thing's for sure, getting it replaced at an Apple-authorized shop
definitely gets you an authentic battery.

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR

Alan Browne <bitbucket@blackhole.com> wrote:
> On 2024-03-10 15:47, bp@www.zefox.net wrote:
>> Zaidy036 <Zaidy036@air.isp.spam> wrote:
>>>
>>> My question is why carry a cell phone with its power on in this
>>> condition? The only connection left is Bluetooth.
>>>
>>
>> The phone is carried mostly for emergency outgoing calls.
>
> Get a cheap flip phone?
>
The iPhone was a hand-me-down for free. The battery cost
about $55 IIRC, after using a couple of years. The original
had started to swell.

>
> Charge to no more than 80% for this use case and re-charge if it falls
> to 20 - 40%.
>

Ok, I'll give that strategy a try.

Thanks for writing!

bob prohaska

Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
> On 2024-03-10, Alan Browne <bitbucket@blackhole.com> wrote:
>> On 2024-03-10 18:26, Jolly Roger wrote:
>>> On 2024-03-06, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>>>
>>> If it wasn't an Apple-authorized shop, you almost certainly got a
>>> cheap and/or counterfeit battery replacement rather than a genuine
>>> battery from Apple. Very often they don't perform nearly as well.
>>
>> Very often batteries installed by specialty (non Apple approved!
>> Gasp!) are just as good as the original article.
>

The shop that did the battery swap was suggested by the local AT&T
store. It's certainly possible I got a lousy battery. That's why I
asked about battery testing strategems.

> One thing's for sure, getting it replaced at an Apple-authorized shop
> definitely gets you an authentic battery.

For an iPhone6 does an Apple-authorized battery replacement make sense?

Thanks for writing!

bob prohaska

On 2024-03-13, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
> Jolly Roger <jollyroger@pobox.com> wrote:
>> On 2024-03-10, Alan Browne <bitbucket@blackhole.com> wrote:
>>> On 2024-03-10 18:26, Jolly Roger wrote:
>>>> On 2024-03-06, <bp@www.zefox.net> <bp@www.zefox.net> wrote:
>>>>
>>>> If it wasn't an Apple-authorized shop, you almost certainly got a
>>>> cheap and/or counterfeit battery replacement rather than a genuine
>>>> battery from Apple. Very often they don't perform nearly as well.
>>>
>>> Very often batteries installed by specialty (non Apple approved!
>>> Gasp!) are just as good as the original article.
>
> The shop that did the battery swap was suggested by the local AT&T
> store. It's certainly possible I got a lousy battery. That's why I
> asked about battery testing strategems.

The testing strategy is to simply pay attention to actual battery
performance and the Battery Health display on your device.

>> One thing's for sure, getting it replaced at an Apple-authorized shop
>> definitely gets you an authentic battery.
>
> For an iPhone6 does an Apple-authorized battery replacement make
> sense?

The only person who can answer that question is you. Apple tells you how
much a new battery costs right on their website:

<https://support.apple.com/iphone/repair/battery-replacement>

--
E-mail sent to this address may be devoured by my ravenous SPAM filter.
I often ignore posts from Google. Use a real news client instead.

JR