The iPhone 16, while touted for its advanced features and capabilities, may not be the perfect phone for everyone. Many users are discovering significant battery drain issues since upgrading to iOS 18, leading to frustration and disappointment. Complaints have come on platforms like Reddit and Apple Support Communities, revealing that some iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro users are experiencing unexpected battery loss, even during light use.
Since the launch of iOS 18, several users have complained about battery life. Users say that their iPhones lose a substantial amount of battery power throughout the day, even without heavy usage. One user described how their iPhone 16 Pro’s battery dropped from 100% to nearly 60% halfway through the day, expressing frustration at the performance compared to their previous iPhone 15 Pro.
Another user, who upgraded from a 15 Pro Max, reported that their new iPhone 16 Pro Max provided only 50-60% of the battery life they experienced with the older model. Despite adjusting settings such as background refresh and refresh rate, the user found no improvement, stating that early background indexing should have already concluded.
Many reports highlight that battery drain is especially problematic in standby mode. Some users noted that their devices showed excessive background activity while idle. One user mentioned that after disabling the Always On Display (AOD) and limiting refresh rates, background activity decreased, but battery drain issues persisted. They observed an 11% drop in battery over just four hours while the phone was idle.
Other users echoed similar sentiments, with one noting that their phone dropped rapidly from 95% to 80% within just 20 minutes after being unplugged. Even when the phone is not in use, users have reported noticeable battery loss overnight, raising concerns about the overall efficiency of the new iOS.
Although battery issues are not uncommon with new iOS updates, the volume of complaints surrounding iOS 18 has been particularly high. Some users have attempted various troubleshooting methods, including disabling ProMotion, turning off background app refresh, and even resetting their devices. While a few have found success with updates like iOS 18.0.1 and the beta version of iOS 18.1, many others are still experiencing significant battery drain.
It remains unclear what exactly is causing these battery issues, but it seems that there may be an underlying bug in iOS 18 that Apple needs to address in future updates.
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