iOS 6.0.2 Causes Battery Drain for Some

Reports are beginning to emerge regarding a potential new issue with the iPhone 5, allegedly introduced by the latest software update from Cupertino. Tasked with fixing Wi-Fi woes, iOS 6.0.2 apparently impacts battery life in exchange.

Although the complaints are admittedly scarce, it’s good to let the word out early so that Apple can get coding their next iOS release.

Some customers on Apple Support Communities are downright furious at Apple for crippling their iPhone’s autonomy.

“I loaded IOS 6.0.2 yesterday. Unfortunately it only partially fixed my wifi issues (I already have several posts about my wifi issues). But, to my complete and utter frustration, it introduced a NEW ISSUE I was not having before -- it is absolutely draining my battery,” writes a user identified as atdguy.

“I can usually get through a day with about 75% of my battery power remaining. Today I've gone through 90% and I've done nothing special with it,” atdguy explains.

Another user chimes in to say, “Similar situation here. I didn't have any WIFI issues before 6.0.2 but I _did_ have battery drain concerns. In short, the update introduced WIFI issues _and_ made the battery drain issue worse.”

Reports regarding this potential issue with iOS 6.0.1 also cropped up on Twitter. Here’s one example, and here’s another.

In our own experience, battery life hasn’t been particularly worse under iOS 6.0.2 than it’s been under iOS 6.0.1 and iOS 6.0.

It’s worth noting that iPhones generally have a tendency to lose battery power pretty darn fast, and while some iOS versions do tax the Li-Ion cells more than others, the circumstances in which the drainage occurs are numerous and extremely debatable.

For what it’s worth, if you’re not experiencing any Wi-Fi issues with your iPhone 5, hold off the iOS 6.0.2 update until this situation gets sorted out.