Following extensive testing, iLounge has found that the iPhone 5’s battery life often lags slightly behind its predecessor in certain areas. The iPhone 5 came up short of the 4S by a fractional amount of time in voice calling, FaceTime video calling, Wi-Fi data, and cellular data tests, although results notably varied based on the user’s proximity to LTE and 3G cellular towers, with weaker signals taking a great toll on the battery.
In 1080p video recording and playback, however, the iPhone 5 matched or slightly exceeded the battery life of the iPhone 4S as well as Apple’s own estimates, although the iPhone 4 still fared slightly better than both of the more recent models in the latter test. Audio playback fell short of Apple’s specs and the iPhone 4/4S, however.
In the end, the iPhone 5’s battery life doesn’t quite measure up to Apple’s claims, and is one of our main concerns with the new iPhone 5. Read our comprehensive review for more details on the iPhone 5.
