There are two serious problems right now that are destroying iPhone battery life.
First, a problem with some batteries in the iPhone 6s are making them switch off despite supposedly having plenty of battery left.
And a bug in a recent iOS 10 update is also making iPhone batteries empty much faster than normal.
Apple has actually acknowledged the problem with iPhone 6s batteries. The company claims it only affects handsets sold between September and October 2015 (when it first launched), and is offering free battery replacements to people who bought iPhones in that timeframe. Affected users are seeing their phone switch off at random, even when the battery meter says they have plenty of charge left.
It's not clear exactly how many people are affected - Apple says it's only a "very small number," though anecdotally it seems to be relatively widespread.
But a Chinese government watchdog isn't happy with Apple's response on the issue so far. It claims that the issue is also affecting the iPhone 6, iPhone 6 Plus, and the iPhone 6s Plus, Quartz reports, despite Apple's assertions to the contrary.
An Apple spokesperson could not immediately provide Business Insider with clarification on these claims - and it's unclear how they relate to the second battery problem that is currently afflicting iPhone owners.
@tfadell @Roballpress @hblodget mine sometimes shut down at 60 or 70%, if I use Snapchat or any other apps that need a lot of resources...
- Aurelien Francois (@maurelien) December 1, 2016
Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
As an apparent software bug, this should be fixable with a future software update - but right now it's immensely frustrating for iPhone users. Some users are being forced to carry around external battery packs to keep their phones charged.
(Apple also did not comment on when a potential fix might arrive.)
It's happening to me every other day - especially while using any mapping app. Have to always carry an external battery to revive it. https://t.co/mH6pcsSK6p
- Tony Fadell (@tfadell) December 1, 2016
The iPhone 6s bug is more troubling, and necessitates a hardware fix. Apple gives instructions on how you can check if you're affected on its website, and how to return your phone if so.
Either one of these problems would be a real pain. Combined, they're a major headache for users - and Apple.