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By Kim Do-yeun A wave of complaints about battery life is rising from users of the iPhone 4S, Apple’s fifth-generation smartphone released on Oct. 14 in the U.S. It will be released on Nov. 11 in Korea and 14 other countries. Upon seeking help online, users discovered that they were not alone. The short standby time of the iPhone 4S was the source of much frustration on blogs and online forums. Many complained that their new phone’s battery hardly lasted 12 hours after being fully charged Complaints began in mid-October, immediately after the phone’s release, with a post on the official Apple support forum. More than 2,500 replies have been added by users worldwide. One post suggested disabling various functions on the phone as a solution, including wireless synchronization, location services for weather, iCloud backup and Twitter integration. Some had even tried lowering the brightness on the handset’s screen and disconnecting from WiFi and 3G networks. This stops users from enjoying all the features on their new phone. But despite these improvised remedies, many reported that their phones’ battery life seemed to drain without stop. Apple has not officially responded with a solution yet. Some customers who contacted the company’s support services were recommended to visit a store for a replacement phone. The issue, however, seems likely to be narrowed down to the new software, iOS 5, that is used on the iPhone 4S. Users of the iPhone 4 who have updated their phones with the iOS 5 have experienced the same battery drain problem, which suggests that the problem is not the battery itself. The tech blog iDownloadBlog, which is devoted to Apple products, suggested that the Setting Time Zone function may be a major culprit. The function tracks location during travel, and the web site said that this used up a considerable amount of battery power. Meanwhile, Apple said on its website that Korean customers will be able to pre-order the phone starting Friday. The iPhone 4S was one of the last products created during Apple founder Steve Jobs' lifetime. He died on Oct. 5. Apple sold more than 4 million iPhone 4S smartphones during the first three days of its launch in seven countries. Samsung Electronics Co., which has been staging global patent legal battles with Apple, filed motions to block sales of the iPhone 4S in four countries citing patent violations. Samsung's mobile president Shin Jong-kyun said the company is reviewing whether it will take a similar action to stop the sale of the new iPhone in Korea. The writer is a Korea Times intern / doyeun@gmail.com
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| doyeun@gmail.com |
