iPhone battery life issues may continue to vex users—even post iOS 5.1

Does anyone test things anymore? 

Apple recently acknowledged that some iPhone 4S users aren't getting the battery life they should and released an iOS update intended to fix those problems. However, the effectiveness of the fix appears to vary widely, with some Ars readers reporting improvements while others claim battery life got worse. Apple released the first beta of iOS 5.1 to developers on Monday, which is expected to include additional battery life fixes, but early reports suggest it offers no reprieve from the problem.

We spoke to a couple analysts to try and understand what might be the root cause of the problem, and why Apple has had such a hard time fixing it. It turns out, the answer isn't very simple because smartphones aren't simple devices.

As smartphones take on more and more useful features, how we use than can have a major effect on battery life. "I'm not seeing an issue myself," Gartner analyst Michael Gartenberg told Ars, "except there are more features I use on a regular basis which do affect battery life. As with all devices, what features you use extensively will affect battery life." 

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