I'm considering getting a new iPod and a new mobile phone. iPhone 4S sounds like a really attractive option, but it looks that iPhone 4S has serious battery issues. Some people are charging their iPhone 4S twice a day, according to articles on the web.
Are those issues are real? I'm a heavy iPod user and if those issues are real, then I don't think that I'm going to get the 4S.
I charge my iPhone 4S overnight each night, but I could probably get through multiple days if I was careful.
Currently, I'm not careful about battery life. I listen to podcasts on the train to work, make calls, surf the Internet on 3G and WiFi, and listen to streaming radio on WiFi pretty much all day at work. With all that, I get ~16 hours of battery life, which is much better than either my old 4th gen iPod touch or my Palm Prē.
Batteries can vary by model; the people who wrote the articles you mention probably just got crappy batteries. They should take their iPhones in to an Apple Store and Apple'll probably replace them, as the batteries are clearly defective.
I've had my iPhone 4S since launch day and I've had 1 instance where the battery started draining rapidly. The phone became slightly warm and lost its charge in half a day. Turns out it was a process (CommCenter to be exact) that was pegging the CPU at 90% use. This was obviously a bug I ran into, rebooting the phone solved it and it hasn't reoccurred since. This was right after iOS 5 was released so I imagine that bug is fixed by now (we're up to version 5.1) In ordinary use there's no reason you should have to recharge the iPhone twice a day. Personally, I'm very happy with the 4S and would buy it again.
I would not hesitate to get an iPhone 4S. I've had one since launch and battery life hasn't been a problem for me. I had an iPhone 4 before it and with both of them I've done a variety of things, many of which are definite battery drains. However, with both the 4 and 4S if I'm on a long trip and will need to use the phone all day long and into the night I'll try to plug it in during the day (while eating lunch possibly) to make sure I have enough charge. This isn't always necessary but it's me being conservative about battery use.
The iPhone 4S is a great phone: Siri is fantastic (when it works) and you'll enjoy the excellent camera and high resolution screen.
If you use the phone: calls, texts, apps, photos, etc., your battery life will last half a day and you will have to recharge it twice a day. Don't be fooled by the comments above. This will most likely not be the case for you! With that being said, the battery life issue should not be a reason to not purchase the phone! It is incredible and you will be happy with it regardless!
