iPhone Batteriness

Ok, so I grabbed a new 3GS iPhone on day one of its release, switching from a 4gb original iPhone. Obviously I am very pleased with the general speed of the 3GS. I love that the performance of my already owned apps has dramatically increased in speed. Having 3G has also been a more-than-welcome network speed increase as well. iPhone OS 3.0 has brought the phone up to par with all smart phones by adding a ton of great additions to functionality. (cut and paste is FANTASTICALLY implemented.) So what is my number one complaint about the 3GS?

Just like most of you out there, the number one complaint I have thus far is battery life. My original iPhone’s battery lasted me all day on moderate to heavy use. I wouldn’t have to charge the battery until I came home from my 8 to 10 hour work days, which seemed like a problem to me at the time. I was excited to think that my 3GS would outlast the original iPhone. I mean, Apple did indeed tout greater battery life at the WWDC Keynote address, right? Well I am here to state that they were so so very wrong as far as I am concerned. I now leave for work in the am, with the same amount of use and I have to recharge the battery at about 1pm, as it is half-way spent by then. I have noticed that after the half-way mark, the battery drains rapidly from then on. Half-way spent by 1pm?! That is better battery life? Even with location services, 3G and wifi turned off on my 3GS, my girlfriend’s 3G iPhone with all network and location services on, still outlasts my 3GS. This, my friends, is a sad statement about the new 3GS’ battery life.

However, my girlfriend’s 3G is getting less battery time then it did before updating it to 3.0. Does this suggest that Apple failed to optimize the performance of the new iPhone OS? At first I was convinced I had a malfunctioning iPhone, it just seemed wrong how fast the battery would run dry. All posted specs on the 3GS seemed to point to a longer battery life. Those who have cracked open the phone have reported that the battery is 6% larger physically than the 3G’s battery. Which would suggest that it would have a greater life span. I was convinced that my 3GS was a lemon, not an Apple. Matter of fact I am still uncertain what the real case is. Another oddity is that the performance of my girlfriend’s 3G, with iPhone 3.0 running, has become more sluggish then before the software update. Which may be a signal that the culprit is indeed iPhone OS 3.0 not being properly optimized.

Now, I fully understand that it is a new OS and a new piece of hardware, and they have bugs to work out. Apple, more than most computer companies, is very fast at releasing updates and bug fixes. As I understand iPhone OS 3.1 has been seeded to developers already, which backs my belief that they are working on fixes. I am pinning much hope that they are indeed going to address this battery catastrophe in OS 3.1. I do hope that I am not let down by the mothership.

So, my questions to you are:

Do you have a 3GS? Are you experiencing horrifying battery life? Do you think it’s the phone or the OS? Are you hoping for a remedy with OS 3.1 too? What are us rabid iPhone owners to do??

Let me know your thoughts please…

Thank you in advance! DandyMac is off to save Mac users from their troubles.