Apple acknowledges iPhone battery problem

— -- Apple concedes there's a problem with the new iPhone battery life after all—a snag that apparently extends to other devices running the new iOS 5 mobile operating system software. In a statement, Apple says "a small number of customers have reported lower than expected battery life on iOS 5 devices. We have found a few bugs that are affecting battery life and we will release a software update to address those in a few weeks."

Apple didn't reveal the nature of the bugs or go into any other specifics. Last Friday, the Guardian reported that Apple engineers contacted iPhone 4S owners seeking an answer to the battery issue.

The company's statement follows a rash of complaints from customers complaining about battery woes in various online Apple forums. As previously reported by USA TODAY, some users said they've lost as much as 15% of the battery an hour, even when the phone is not in active use. Apple touted great battery life for the iPhone 4S—up to 8 hours of 3G talk time--when it introduced the new phone last month.