I have an iPhone 3G (note 3G). Recently, my battery life plummeted to about five-six hours. So I make an appointment with a Genius, who recommends a reset and turning off the 3G service. It’s a 3G phone, and Apple says to disable it to extend your battery life. Here’s the info straight from the Apple Web site:

“Turn off 3G: Using 3G cellular networks loads data faster, but may also decrease battery life, especially in areas with limited 3G coverage. To disable 3G, from the Home screen choose Settings > General > Network and set Enable 3G to Off. You will still be able to make and receive calls and access cellular data networks via EDGE or GPRS where available.”

What the hell is EDGE and GPRS? Are they better than 3G? Then why not call it the iPhone EDGE, for chrissakes. Apple also recommends turning off the Location Service (GPS) and WiFi. Might as well use a cheap phone, if that’s the case.

And to add insult to injury, they also suggest limiting the use of apps.

“Minimize use of third-party applications: Excessive use of applications such as games that prevent the screen from dimming or shutting off or applications that use location services can reduce battery life.”

They are running a TV commercial and print ads promoting apps. You’ve seen it: “There’s a app for that. Yep, there’s an app for just about everything,” and they show an iPhone loaded with apps.

Sometimes Apple Burns My Ass