14 DAY TRIAL // A limited number of iPhone 5s units are suffering from a manufacturing defect which causes the battery to charge slower than normal, or to hold a weaker charge. The Cupertino giant is replacing affected devices with new ones.
An Apple representative has confirmed to the New York Times that some iPhone 5s units are suffering from a design flaw that affects the battery.
Apple spokeswoman Teresa Brewer tells the newspaper, “We recently discovered a manufacturing issue affecting a very limited number of iPhone 5S devices that could cause the battery to take longer to charge or result in reduced battery life.”
Brewer added, “We are reaching out to customers with affected phones and will provide them with a replacement phone.”
The spokeswoman “implied” that only a few thousand units were affected.
Apparently, the problem doesn’t lie within the batteries themselves, but rather in the phone’s assembly. In other words, some machines on the manufacturing line need tweaking.
The iPhone 5s has a built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery which charges via USB (to a computer system or a power adapter). Apple doesn’t disclose a lot of specifications in the battery department, but it says the phone should offer up to 10 hours of talk time on 3G and up to 250 hours standby time.
The statement from Apple’s representative also seems to suggest that there’s no danger of batteries exploding or overheating. It’s just a matter of poor charge levels.
Apple hasn’t initiated any recall programs, which further indicates that the problem isn’t widespread. However, it isn’t clear whether you have to wait for Apple’s signal, or if you can just waltz into your local Apple store and demand a replacement iPhone.
After all, battery drain issues can be caused by any number of things, from design flaws to that pesky WhatsApp.