Apple Has Figured Out What's Causing The iPhone 6s Battery Problem

Just last month, Apple launched a battery replacement program for some Chinese iPhone 6s users who experienced unexpected shutdowns. This Tuesday, the tech giant published a press release explaining what caused the battery issue by citing a manufacturing problem.

“We found that a small number of iPhone 6S devices made in September and October 2015 contained a battery component that was exposed to controlled ambient air longer than it should have been before being assembled into battery packs,” Apple stated in its press release. “As a result, these batteries degrade faster than a normal battery and cause unexpected shutdowns to occur. It's important to note, this is not a safety issue.”

In simpler terms, the batteries for some iPhone 6s models were overexposed to air, possibly being left out in the open in a manufacturing warehouse for a long period of time, as explained by ArsTechnica. It remains unclear how many iPhone 6s models are affected by this battery problem. As of writing, it appears that iPhone 6s Plus models are not affected by this issue.

Unfortunately, Apple also said on its press release that some owners of the iPhone 6s that were manufactured later than October 2015 have also been experiencing the same battery issue. The tech giant isn’t issuing another battery replacement program for those specific models yet as the company will still be assessing if this is in fact the same type of manufacturing problem.

Apple said that it will be rolling out an iOS update next week that includes “additional diagnostic capability,” which will allow the company to sufficiently diagnose what’s causing any battery issues. The company says that the update will allow them to collect data in the coming weeks which could possibly improve their algorithms in managing battery performance on iPhones.

If Apple does indeed see improvements, the company plans to simply continue rolling out software updates to curb any more battery problems. This version of the software is believed to be iOS 10.2, which is currently in beta for developers.