iPhone 6s turning off at 10-20%

[metalchick719]

Hey there, @tcuprof -

Thanks for the reminder. I took it in, but they were out of batteries, so had to get in on the next shipment. My appointment is again this Wednesday to get it swapped out. When they called, they said the wait could be 2 hours, but it was a weekend, so I just made another appointment. Hopefully that helps!

If you're unsure of whether your battery is covered by the replacement program, you can check it [URL="https://www.apple.com/support/iphone6s-unexpectedshutdown/#mn_p]here[/URL].

So strange. According to the link you provided, my 6s is eligible for the replacement program. However, I've had absolutely none of the problems that others have been experiencing with sudden shutdowns. I've had my battery go down to 30% without issue recently. It's been lower than that before, of course, but I never had issues then, either.

 

[robertk328]

So strange. According to the link you provided, my 6s is eligible for the replacement program. However, I've had absolutely none of the problems that others have been experiencing with sudden shutdowns. I've had my battery go down to 30% without issue recently. It's been lower than that before, of course, but I never had issues then, either.

Mine didn't do it every time -- has happened a couple times and I have cycled it a few other times. Battery life is terrible since I started having issues.

 

[doogald]

Mine only happened once, and that was a few weeks ago. The phone just shut down, it wouldn't power on (it showed the "plug into power" graphic), and when I was able to plug it in and restart it, the battery was at 72%. It's been fine since, but I don't want that happening again.

 

[robertk328]

Mine only happened once, and that was a few weeks ago. The phone just shut down, it wouldn't power on (it showed the "plug into power" graphic), and when I was able to plug it in and restart it, the battery was at 72%. It's been fine since, but I don't want that happening again.

Yup, pretty much the same. Definitely weird!

 

[eyecrispy]

My daughter's is eligible. She says hers turns off a lot but she didn't want to tell me bc I'd probably just say it's bc she drops it all the time

Her appt is tonight.

 

[doogald]

Apple posted a detailed update about this issue on their Chinese web site yesterday, along with the news that the next iOS update will include a battery diagnostic reporting tool to see how batteries are responding, since there are phone that are outside the current September/October manufacturing date that are showing the problem (my sister's 6s Plus is doing this, and it's worse than my phone.)

I presume that this is coming with iOS 10.2. It may also explain why people are suddenly seeing worse battery performance with the latest beta versions of this update?

See https://support.apple.com/zh-cn/HT207414 (scroll down for English)

A Message from Apple about 
iPhone and Unexpected Shutdowns

Posted 06.12.2016

We work hard to offer our customers the best product, experience, and customer support. We believe this is why we have earned the highest customer satisfaction rating of any smartphone maker in China and around the world.

We take every customer concern very seriously, including the limited number of reports of unexpected shutdown with iPhones. We also want to thank the agencies for forwarding concerns to us and their engagement with us. Every time we encounter an issue, we investigate using a thorough process including analyzing these devices. We also look at diagnostic information from the broader set of customers who have opted in to our standard diagnostic data reporting. When we find something, we work to quickly provide our customers with a solution.

As a result of our investigation on this, we found that a small number of iPhone 6s devices made in September and October 2015 contained a battery component that was exposed to controlled ambient air longer than it should have been before being assembled into battery packs. Two weeks ago, we launched a worldwide program to replace affected batteries, free of charge. We again apologize for any customer inconvenience.

It's important to note, this is not a safety issue.

A small number of customers outside of the affected range have also reported an unexpected shutdown. Some of these shutdowns can occur under normal conditions in order for the iPhone to protect its electronics. In an effort to gather more information, we are including additional diagnostic capability in an iOS software update which will be available next week. This will allow us to gather information over the coming weeks which may potentially help us improve the algorithms used to manage battery performance and shutdown. If such improvements can be made, they will be delivered in future software updates.

Older message from the same site (notice was I bolded):

Posted 01.12.2016

We care deeply about our customers and take seriously concerns they have about their Apple products. After hearing reports from iPhone customers whose devices unexpectedly shut down, we thoroughly looked into these reports, and collected and analyzed devices.
We found that a small number of iPhone 6s devices made in September and October 2015 contained a battery component that was exposed to controlled ambient air longer than it should have been before being assembled into battery packs. As a result, these batteries degrade faster than a normal battery and cause unexpected shutdowns to occur. It's important to note, this is not a safety issue.

To help our customers who are experiencing this issue, we are replacing batteries in affected devices, free of charge. iPhone 6s owners can easily find out if their device is eligible by typing in their device’s serial number on the iPhone 6s Program for Unexpected Shutdown Issues web page. We apologize for any inconvenience this has caused customers.

We also want our customers to know that an iPhone is actually designed to shut down automatically under certain conditions, such as extremely cold temperature. To an iPhone user, some of those shutdowns might seem unexpected, but they are designed to protect the device’s electronics from low voltage.

We looked for any other factors that could cause an iPhone to shut down unexpectedly. After intensive investigations, no new factors have been identified. We will continue to monitor and analyze customer reports.

We encourage any customer who experiences an issue with an Apple product to visit an Apple Store or an Apple Authorized Service Provider, or to contact Apple Support.

 

[metalchick719]

Mine didn't do it every time -- has happened a couple times and I have cycled it a few other times. Battery life is terrible since I started having issues.

When did it start happening with your phone? I haven't ever experienced a single shutdown, and I've had my 6s since September 29, 2015.

 

[doogald]

My battery is at the Apple Store and my replacement appointment is tomorrow at 11:30 am. I'll let you know how it goes...

My phone was repaired successfully.

I asked some questions about this. I said that I had heard that there was a possibility that the phone would break during the repair, and that I would then receive a refurbished phone if that happened. The technician said that both were false. He said that there was a chance that *the battery* may be damaged when they try to install it, and if that happened, because the part was constrained, I would be offered a replacement device. However, he said that the replacement would not be refurbished, but would instead be a new device. He checked inventory and they had two in stock when I dropped off the phone. Since I have a 64 GB 6s and they do not offer that as new anymore, I didn't ask if they would give me a 128 GB device instead. Maybe that's what would have happened?

 

[doogald]

Oh, and the battery is shipped to Apple in a relatively discharged state. When I picked up the phone, it was at 23%.

 

[eyecrispy]

Brought my daughter's phone in tonight. Guy said they didn't have batteries in stock. You'd think that if they make a blanket announcement about these replacements, they'd up the stock of batteries in their stores to handle these. Now we have to wait at least a week before going back to get it fixed up. I hate going to the mall during the holiday season. Oh well.

 

[robertk328]

When did it start happening with your phone? I haven't ever experienced a single shutdown, and I've had my 6s since September 29, 2015.

About a month ago.

Got my battery replaced yesterday. Even with my appointment I was still in line for the replacement process. Took about an hour and will see how the battery response today. Hoping for the best!

 

[jkmasi]

After an online chat where the rep determined that my 6s was one of the affected units, I was given an appointment for battery replacement at the closest Apple Store, which is over an hour from where I live and work. When I got there (taking off work for the afternoon), the genius told me that they were out of batteries, so I would need to come back. I was very upset and told him that it wasn't reasonable for me to have to come all the way there only to find out that they couldn't perform the replacement - which was the whole point of the appointment. When I made the appointment with the chat rep, why doesn't that trigger some sort of stock check, or supply order? Anyway, after a lengthy consultation with the manager, they just replaced my phone. I am assuming it was a refurb, as it did not come out of a retail box, but I could be wrong. Maybe the phones they keep on hand for replacements are in different boxes (flat, white with black writing). Anyway, I left with working phone, so I am happy.

 

[metalchick719]

About a month ago.

Got my battery replaced yesterday. Even with my appointment I was still in line for the replacement process. Took about an hour and will see how the battery response today. Hoping for the best!

Good luck to you!

Hmm... I'm wondering if it's the iOS 10.1.1 update that's suddenly caused the iPhone 6s battery to go all wonky. Crazy!

 

[metalchick719]

After an online chat where the rep determined that my 6s was one of the affected units, I was given an appointment for battery replacement at the closest Apple Store, which is over an hour from where I live and work. When I got there (taking off work for the afternoon), the genius told me that they were out of batteries, so I would need to come back. I was very upset and told him that it wasn't reasonable for me to have to come all the way there only to find out that they couldn't perform the replacement - which was the whole point of the appointment. When I made the appointment with the chat rep, why doesn't that trigger some sort of stock check, or supply order? Anyway, after a lengthy consultation with the manager, they just replaced my phone. I am assuming it was a refurb, as it did not come out of a retail box, but I could be wrong. Maybe the phones they keep on hand for replacements are in different boxes (flat, white with black writing). Anyway, I left with working phone, so I am happy.

It's definitely a refurb. My boyfriend had a problem with his iPhone 5s in the summer of last year (repeated Blue Screen of Death) and brought it to the Apple Store. They couldn't fix the issue, so they gave him a replacement that was a refurb. I think they only give refurbs when your phone can't be fixed.

Did you actually experience a shutdown with your 6s? I just find it odd that mine came up on that form Apple has as being a model that's eligible for the battery replacement since I've never had a single problem (keeping my fingers crossed that my iPhone is an odd one out of the bunch, in that regard).

 

[robertk328]

If your phone isn't brand new, a refurb is fine. With a new battery your current phone is essentially a refurb without the inspection!

 

[robertk328]

So far my battery has been good.

 

[doogald]

After having the battery replaced a couple of days ago - my battery life is pretty much the same as it was before. It is a bit better, maybe 5% better at then end of the day, but it's also brand new vs. 14 months old.

 

[robertk328]

After having the battery replaced a couple of days ago - my battery life is pretty much the same as it was before. It is a bit better, maybe 5% better at then end of the day, but it's also brand new vs. 14 months old.

Mine's been somewhat better, depending on use. Could always be something else causing it. I'm wondering what the actual cause of the shutdowns is, besides just a bum battery.

 

[doogald]

Mine's been somewhat better, depending on use. Could always be something else causing it. I'm wondering what the actual cause of the shutdowns is, besides just a bum battery.

If you look at the link from my post number 26 up above (post 26) Apple seems to be saying that the phone is designed to shut down when it encounters low voltage from the battery in a variety of conditions (extreme cold is one of those conditions.) The fault in the battery must have caused intermittent low voltage so the phone would shut down.

 

[robertk328]

If you look at the link from my post number 26 up above (post 26) Apple seems to be saying that the phone is designed to shut down when it encounters low voltage from the battery in a variety of conditions (extreme cold is one of those conditions.) The fault in the battery must have caused intermittent low voltage so the phone would shut down.

OK cool, makes sense!