my mini's battery life makes me a bit worried

[mesmerized]

Dear All,

I got my Mini replaced after the first one turned out to be faulty. Apple has given me a new one but I'm a bit worried about its battery life. Naturally, I always try to do everything I can to make its lifespan longer, therefore, I use Battery Doctor regularly and I try to drain the battery to 0 once a month.

The problem is that once I charge the Mini to 100% the battery seems to be losing power quite quickly. I've just had a look at the stats and after using the Ipad for 1h45min the battery level droped to 91%. Mind you, I've been just using it to chat with some folks and check my email plus playing a a game for 5minutes (Zombiewood) I charged the Ipad yesterday, left it for the night with WiFi off and then started using it today just the way I've described.

Surprisingly, 100% usually hold for like 30minutes or even more and then 99%-91% drops quite quickly... Sometimes each percent drops every 5 minutes!

Is everything OK with my Mini? Should I get it replaced again? I've paid quite a lot for it (32GB, 3G, WiFi) so I'd like to make sure it's gonna last for at least 3 years...

I'd be grateful for some advice.

Thanks!

 

[dhewson777]

This usage sounds normal to me. Remember, the mini's battery is smaller thn a full size iPad.

 

[AQ_OC]

You use the mini for nearly two hours and lose 9%? Think about that for a second or two. Nothing is wrong with your iPad.

 

[scifan57]

You're getting significantly better than average battery life.

 

[Scottysize]

Sounds right to me. I don't think you have battery issues. The percentage is an average, so when you first take it off the charger, it takes a little while for the numbers to run then it can start giving accurate results.

 

[Kaykaykay]

Relax. Your battery life is good. If you're paranoid about battery life, get a backup external battery as a mental security blanket.

From my experience, battery life in iDevices is amazing. For comparison, I have many devices, including two Samsungs and two Kindle Fires. They get nowhere near the battery life of my iDevices, and I abuse them all equally, lol. My Samsung Galaxy Note 1 stopped charging beyond 98-99 percent after about a year, for example. Meanwhile, I used my original iPad 1 endlessly and its battery was still going strong after about two years of abuse, at which point I gave it away. It's now being abused by a family with several kids, and the battery is still working fine.

 

[mesmerized]

thanks guys

one more thing... is it ok to unplug the charger before the ipad hits 100%? for instance, is it ok to unplug it at 95%?

 

[scifan57]

thanks guys

one more thing... is it ok to unplug the charger before the ipad hits 100%? for instance, is it ok to unplug it at 95%?

You can safely unplug the charger at any time.

 

[mesmerized]

hi good people, sorry for beating a dead horse here but...


here's a report on my battery's current status:

22% of power left
usage 12h13min
standby: 1day4h

what do you think? does it look normal to you?

 

[scifan57]

hi good people, sorry for beating a dead horse here but...

here's a report on my battery's current status:

22% of power left
usage 12h13min
standby: 1day4h

what do you think? does it look normal to you?

Since Apple only promises up to 10 hours of battery life, you're doing fine. How are you using your iPad? Usage can have a large impact on battery life.

 

[mesmerized]

Since Apple only promises up to 10 hours of battery life, you're doing fine. How are you using your iPad? Usage can have a large impact on battery life.

thanks Scifan

well, here's what I've been using it for since the last recharge:

Skype video call (1,5h long)
Apple store browsing plus apps updating
Playing Zombiewood (a top down shooter)
Using forum apps
Taking pics
Instant messenger chats
A bit of web browsing
Google translate
Dictionaries
Checking email

 

[mesmerized]

Here is the newest report:


83%
Usage 3h59min
Standby 9h06min

Can you post yours?

 

[dhewson777]

Here is the newest report:

83%
Usage 3h59min
Standby 9h06min

Can you post yours?

Mine is currently at 85%
Usage 2h 1min
standby 5h 57min

Yours is very solid!

 

[mesmerized]

Mine is currently at 85%
Usage 2h 1min
standby 5h 57min

Yours is very solid!

Thanks for sharing the info dhewson!

Well, I just got shocked. A friend of mine has the following results:

Remaining power: 51%
Usage: 13h05min
Standby: 2d2h

How is that possible?

 

[dhewson777]

Thanks for sharing the info dhewson!

Well, I just got shocked. A friend of mine has the following results:

Remaining power: 51%
Usage: 13h05min
Standby: 2d2h

How is that possible?

That also a mini? The full size iPads have larger batteries, and generally last longer in my experience.

I guess if the actual usage in those 13hours is not using much actual processing power, then it is more than possible. Anything that is doing a lot of transmitting (data heavy) or video processing will chew the power quicker.