iOS Charging

We currently have three active iOS devices, an iPad Air, an iPhone 6 Plus, and an iPhone 6. The first two charge erratically, and are not noticeably more reliable when Apple wall adapters and Lightning cables are used than when third-party accessories are used.

I believe that Apple has significantly dropped its prices for iPhone 6 Plus battery replacements, but can anyone suggest what else we might try? TIA, Lawrence
 

chas_m

Well-Known Member
Lawrence Surges":2nw5opxz said:
We currently have three active iOS devices, an iPad Air, an iPhone 6 Plus, and an iPhone 6. The first two charge erratically, and are not noticeably more reliable when Apple wall adapters and Lightning cables are used than when third-party accessories are used.

Can you clarify what you mean by "erratically?"

I believe that Apple has significantly dropped its prices for iPhone 6 Plus battery replacements, but can anyone suggest what else we might try? TIA, Lawrence

It's not yet clear what the problem is, so it's not yet clear that replacing the battery would help (however, all three of those devices are between four and five years old, so battery replacement is certainly a possible solution). The battery degradation management software implemented by Apple in iOS 11 does not affect charging at all, only performance when the device is under load -- it slows down briefly rather than crashing.

You might use http://www.coconut-flavour.com/coconutbattery/ Coconut Battery on your Mac (free) and connect your devices and report back on what it says about the battery health of each device. Alan spoke of an app he trusts for measuring battery health directly on iOS devices called Battery Life by RBT Digital LLC, which you can find here: https://itunes.apple.com/ca/app/battery-life/id1080930585
 
Thanks, Chas. By erratically, I mean that sometimes they'll charge like nobody's business, and at other times, they'll gain very little charge, even if they're shut down. I appreciate your and Alan's suggested apps that I might try.

It isn't uncommon for the iPhone 6 Plus to spontaneously restart, either. (I don't mean when it's shut down, but when it's running.)
 
Recent reviews of the iOS app Battery Life weren't very positive, and since I have a MacBook Pro, I figured that the MacOS app coconutBattery would be the way to go for me.

The Phone 6 Plus battery has indeed degraded. I've had the phone since November 2014, and will investigate a battery replacement. Not only has its capacity dropped, but coconutBattery shows a state of charge 5% lower than the phone displays. My wife's airborne, but I'll be interested to see what the app reports when I connect her iPad Air tomorrow, for it's been in service almost twice as long.

Thanks again, Chas.
 
The iPad Air didn't want anything to do with my MBP (and thus, coconutBattery), so I installed Battery Life onto the iPad. Battery Life reports that the battery is at 84% of its design capacity, which I think is awesome after 6+ years of service. I'm not sure what we'll do, but I'll be able to make a better, more informed decision.
 

chas_m

Well-Known Member
Lawrence Surges":2imcr24d said:
It isn't uncommon for the iPhone 6 Plus to spontaneously restart, either. (I don't mean when it's shut down, but when it's running.)

Now that’s a sure sign that the battery needs replacing. IIRC London Drugs will do this for you for $35 using genuine Apple batteries, but there’s a catch: you need to stop by or phone them (or use the Apple Support app) to make a “reservation” for the repair, then they’ll call you when they have the battery in stock (and I’ve been told that will be a few weeks). Once contacted, you have seven days to go and have the repair done. Any of the LD locations around town should have more info, but IIRC it’s the one at Tillicum doing the repairs.
 
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