Podcast: Play in new window | Embed
Sonny asked: “I have an iPhone 5 and it usually dies sometime before it reaches “zero.” Usually between zero and 10%. I’ve heard it’s because using third party cords can mess up your battery and I wanted to know if that was true.”
Given that the iPhone 5 hasn’t been made in a few years, it’s likely that your battery is just getting old.
If that’s the case, you can replace it, but it will cost you a good percentage of what a new phone would cost, so look at your options and see if it makes sense. You can find batteries online, if you’re willing to do the swap yourself. That will save you some money, but it will require some work, those batteries are not meant to be user replaceable.
There is a chance that this is just being caused by a software glitch, if that’s the case, things may go back to normal if you restore the phone. It may be worth a try, no one likes to have to restore a phone, but no one likes spending money on a new battery that doesn’t fix the problem either, so it’s probably worth a try before you spend any money.
It is also possible that your iPhone 5 has a defective battery. Apple admitted to problems with the battery in some iPhone 5 devices that were sold in 2012 and 2013. They have a website set up where you can input your phone’s serial number to see whether you qualify for a free replacement battery. And we love free!