Is it possible battery issues stem from the charger?

[ernbrdn]

I am noticing a trend more and more on my new 4s. Whenever I charge my phone overnight like I normally do the battery tends to drop quickly first thing in the morning, sometimes up to 20% in just an hour or so. However during my commute to work I plug my phone into my Griffing iTune rf transmitter to listen to audiobooks and podcasts and upon arriving to work my battery appears to be infinitely better. For example lose 20% checking email and Facebook in an hour or so compared to losing only 25% for 8 hours of audiobook listening streaming over Bluetooth to my Bluetooth headset. It is things like this that have me scratching my head.

 

[Pocobear]

Yes you may have a faulty charger. But, keep in mind that the phone will charge up to 100% and then turn the charge circuit off, until the charge drops to some value, which appears to vary from device to device, then will charge back up again to 100%. So, if you leave blue tooth, wifi, push and 3g on all the time, they will be draining the battery down during the time the charge circuit is turned off. As long as you don't need the iPhone while it's charging, put it in "Airport" mode. During the day turn off anything you don't need, such as wifi, 3G, push, location and blue tooth. My battery last 2 to 3 days with light to moderate usage.

 

[juelz203]

Well I've heard at the Verizon store it is DEFINATELY better to use a car charger than a wall charger. I seem to have the same problem. In the morning I have 100% then after my 2hour commute I'm at 60% AT BEST. This is with light surfing & constant music playing from iTunes. My iPod from 2005 runs laps around this 4S...

 

[styk]

Well I've heard at the Verizon store it is DEFINATELY better to use a car charger than a wall charger. I seem to have the same problem. In the morning I have 100% then after my 2hour commute I'm at 60% AT BEST. This is with light surfing & constant music playing from iTunes. My iPod from 2005 runs laps around this 4S...

I have to laugh every time I hear such a claim. What exactly was the reasoning behind that statement?

I have 32 years in electronics and can say with confidence that 5 volts produced from an AC source will be the same as a 5 volt source produced from a 12 volt DC source.

 

[Fausty82]

I have to laugh every time I hear such a claim. What exactly was the reasoning behind that statement?

I have 32 years in electronics and can say with confidence that 5 volts produced from an AC source will be the same as a 5 volt source produced from a 12 volt DC source.

Wait, are you saying that 5v = 5v, regardless of the source? Heresy, I say, pure heresy!

Besides, if a VZW store rep said it, you know it's a lie... because his lips were moving at the time.

 

[Timhewitt]

We all know that those little volties fall out at high speed. Just drive slower and you'll be fine.

 

[Cleveland]

Wait, are you saying that 5v = 5v, regardless of the source? Heresy, I say, pure heresy!

Besides, if a VZW store rep said it, you know it's a lie... because his lips were moving at the time.

LMAO !! How sadly true this statement is

 

[Pocobear]

Car charger puts out a little more current usually. And iPad charger (A/C) charges iPhone and iPod quicker than the iPhone/iPod charger, because, more available current.

 

[jerome g]

I have not noticed any difference in battery life using different chargers including the one included with the iPhone, iPad, ihome clock radio, logitech portable speaker.
I do have to say that battery life was ok with iOS 5.0(not as good as my iPhone 4, but close), but after the upgrade, it is worse.

 

[0pusX]

I have noticied similar results as the OP. I work nights, so I come home at 6am and plug in my phone when I go to bed. When I wake up its at 100% but with minutes of taking it off the charger its down to 99% or 98%. It seems to dropd 1% every few minutes after that. I will then plug the phone in during the evening (7pm or 8pm) before I go to work to "top it off" and then my phone lasts me all night dropping to maybe 60% with usage the whole time I am at work.

 

[grape8pe2]

Wait, are you saying that 5v = 5v, regardless of the source? Heresy, I say, pure heresy!

Besides, if a VZW store rep said it, you know it's a lie... because his lips were moving at the time.

While it's true that 5V = 5V, not all chargers are created equal. There are two main things the can effect the performance of a phone charger:

1) The conversion and tolerances to 5V. Standard USB specs allow the voltage to be between 4.75V and 5.25V. If a cheap charger does not meet these tolerances (either too high or too low) it could effect the charging performance and potentially harm your phone.

2) The current. A standard USB port (and many cheaper car chargers) only provide 500ma of of current. The supplied Apple iPhone charger provides 1.0A (1000ma) and the iPad charger provides 2.0A (2000ma). This will noticeably effect the charging time of your iPhone. Most Lithium Ion devices have a regulator the will limit the amount of current. My guess for the iPhone is that it limits current to 1.0A and anything higher is not used. Anything less than 1.0 amps will cause your phone to charger slower but will not harm your phone.

Hope this helps!

 

[styk]

Yes, that is correct and depending on the charger manufacturer, those tolerance at both ends could be seen. However, at the end of the charge, the iphone battery is still at 100% no matter if the voltage of the charger was 4.75 or 5.25 volts during the charging cycle. If the voltage is outside of the USB standards, then it depends on the iPhone charge control design whether it will charge or not. Li Ion batteries like many other battery technologies do not like to be over heated, it causes loss of capacity. So personally, I would prefer the slow charge over the fast charge.