Develop Bugs

What Do You Consider 'Good' Battery Life?

NOTE: Fourth Option Should Read 16-24 Hours of LIGHT Use!
I see a lot of people constantly talking about battery life on here and how they are disappointed by what they are seeing from ROMs, kernels, or the OTA release.
I'm interested to see exactly what sort of expectations people have on the lifetime of their phone.
I've been fairly cognizant of my phone's power consumption and have done a lot to ensure I understand how I use it and what effect that has on its life between charges.
I understand that a first generation phone with the largest screen, the fastest processor available, the most processor intensive camera, with animated wallpapers, synchronization to various web services, flash, and borderline experimental next-generation wireless connectivity that can tether to multiple devices. To have all that on a unit marginally larger than my old Palm Pre and roughly the same battery size (1150mAh stock) is going to come with some compromises.
I tend to overclock, ROM flash, and beat the snot out of my phone on a regular basis. Therefore, I have a super gigantic Seidio battery that I absolutely adore. I found that even before that, I was able to get my battery life under control if I controlled my phone properly, so I'm not sure what the problem is.
Did some people just get bad phones? Are some people just being unrealistic with their expectations? What goals do you think people should be setting for the lifetime of their phone between charges?
Its an honest question.

I used to get almost a week out of an old motorola flip style phone (v500 something).
Everything since then has been downhill.

I'm not under the false impression that these new phones are going to last as long as the older "dumb" phones, BUT.....Id like to be able to get through the day without charging my phone. I keep my screen about 40% brightness, I'm usually in an area with good reception, I only sync my Gmail, I've calibrated my battery, etc. The only real USE my phone gets is texting. I unplug my phone at 5am and its more than half gone by noon. Not real great IMO.

I think this will provide valuable insight as to expectations for this phone. Personally I have used smartphones since I can remember and I was bread to expect a nightly charge.

It may be unacceptable to some that we have to "mod" our phones to get reasonable battery life, but I really dont have too many complaints. Out of the box, the EVO is running a 1gz processor and powering a 4.3" display. Not to mention if you're running wifi and various apps. I think some people are just expecting too much from these phones. Look at laptops. When my dell was brand new, I could get 2-3 hours of steady use before it conked out. The battery life our phones are getting, modded or stock, isnt really that bad. If you're unwilling to do some research and easy mods or buy a spare $20 OEM battery off eBay please dont complain about it.

spiicytuna said:
I think this will provide valuable insight as to expectations for this phone. Personally I have used smartphones since I can remember and I was bread to expect a nightly charge.
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A nightly charge is acceptable. It's when you have to charge 2-3 times a day from moderate usage that is a little out of hand... Understandable that with heavier usage, more frequent charges would be needed.

Wat kernel is best for saving battery life.. i use CM6 NB
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Skeptron said:
Wat kernel is best for saving battery life.. i use CM6 NB
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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Off Topic.

I want to power a small village from my phone please

I want my phone to last a day. And call a typical day something like:
- l/2-1 hour talk
- 12-24 text messages
- 45 minutes - 2 hours web browsing
- 2 hours music
My iPhone 3GS would do this without a problem, my wife's iPhone 4 might do 2 days like this. The EVO just barely does this.
But.. I prefer the EVO for enough reasons I just dropped $10 for 2 extra batteries and a phone-less charger on ebay, and keep chargers in the car and at my desk, and get it plugged in for like 30 minutes somewhere during the day. I rarely use the backup batteries, but it is nice to have them.
Totally worth it for a bigger screen, 4G, more open OS.

laydros said:
I want my phone to last a day. And call a typical day something like:
- l/2-1 hour talk
- 12-24 text messages
- 45 minutes - 2 hours web browsing
- 2 hours music
My iPhone 3GS would do this without a problem, my wife's iPhone 4 might do 2 days like this. The EVO just barely does this.
But.. I prefer the EVO for enough reasons I just dropped $10 for 2 extra batteries and a phone-less charger on ebay, and keep chargers in the car and at my desk, and get it plugged in for like 30 minutes somewhere during the day. I rarely use the backup batteries, but it is nice to have them.
Totally worth it for a bigger screen, 4G, more open OS.
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This definitely sounds doable. If you aren't getting that out of your phone, I'd reccomend calling support. I'm going to assume your dedication has already lead you down your own troubleshooting path.

My standard was set with my BlackBerry: less than 5% discharge rate per hour under normal use, and I am happy.
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Sent from my HTC EVO 4G using Tapatalk Pro.

Seido 3000mAh battery?

I'm wanting to get one, but I can't find ANY reviews online for it. Has anyone used it before?

Anyone at all?

3000mAh is scam.......should be good for about 2400 max

Had one for about 2 months now. I get about 24 hours of very heavy usage. Internet, numerous phone calls, texts, slingbox over 3G, and using power amp for hours on end will usually have me recharging after 24 hours. I could probably use it longer, but I hate to run my battery all the way down.

aaconteh said:
Had one for about 2 months now. I get about 24 hours of very heavy usage. Internet, numerous phone calls, texts, slingbox over 3G, and using power amp for hours on end will usually have me recharging after 24 hours. I could probably use it longer, but I hate to run my battery all the way down.
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That sounds like it's exactly what I need! =O
How much battery life do you get out of normal usage?

aaconteh said:
Had one for about 2 months now. I get about 24 hours of very heavy usage. Internet, numerous phone calls, texts, slingbox over 3G, and using power amp for hours on end will usually have me recharging after 24 hours. I could probably use it longer, but I hate to run my battery all the way down.
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Sounds about the same i get with 3g all day
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

I have been considering an extended battery myself, but it seems all the higher quality brands (Japanese cells) are over $50. Not sure if I can justify such an expense over just having another regular battery to swap on the go.
If anyone finds a good deal on the brand name one, drop us a link.

reggiedls said:
Sounds about the same i get with 3g all day
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App
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I get about 40 to 48 hours with normal usage (few calls, data on, 3g on, push email, etc) I also have an ass of widgets on my homescreens that automatically update such as beautiful widgets, pure calendar, feedr, facebook, etc. Best phone accessory I have ever purchased.

aaconteh said:
I get about 40 to 48 hours with normal usage (few calls, data on, 3g on, push email, etc) I also have an ass of widgets on my homescreens that automatically update such as beautiful widgets, pure calendar, feedr, facebook, etc. Best phone accessory I have ever purchased.
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What rom are you on? Im on stock 2.2 and it seems i could get more out of the battery when i change the brightness settings to the lowest, but im working outdoors right now and need it all the way up. I noticed a huge difference in batt life coming from 2.1 with the same settings. Seems life froyo helped a bit
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Is this one that sticks out the back of the phone and needs a custom back cover so none of the regular cases work and your phone is twice as thick as stock??

nakagusukumike said:
Is this one that sticks out the back of the phone and needs a custom back cover so none of the regular cases work and your phone is twice as thick as stock??
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Most extended batteries are like that.
Fortunately, most people who buy extended batteries don't care how it looks, don't buy custom cases to begin with, and don't care about thickness.
I need more battery life. Running Bionix 1.3 right now, and I'm constantly using my phone from about 6AM to 10PM every day with no time to charge it in between, and it's typically near the 5% mark by the end of the day, which I can't risk for too much longer.

Unless you are gaming just get an extra 1650 mah battery it is much more convenient. i had one but the weight and bulkiness was not worth to me. They do give a decent amount of use though.....

oka1 said:
Unless you are gaming just get an extra 1650 mah battery it is much more convenient. i had one but the weight and bulkiness was not worth to me. They do give a decent amount of use though.....
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My friend has one for his Vibrant, and it might look bulky, but good god it can live long, I moderately use mine and it dies, he's using his the ENTIRE day and he's still got 35% of his battery left at the end of the school day...

Longcat14 said:
My friend has one for his Vibrant, and it might look bulky, but good god it can live long, I moderately use mine and it dies, he's using his the ENTIRE day and he's still got 35% of his battery left at the end of the school day...
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Yeaaah, I use mine a lot and it tends to die by 10 now, which means I"m getting about 16 hours of battery life. By all accounts, that's a good number, but it's just flat out not enough.

accessory geeks 3000mah
ag 3000mah gives me about 80% left after a 2 1/2 hours phone call which is pretty darn good, wich the phone call was with the screen off the whole time.

Seidio 3500 mah extended battery.

I have a few pretty crazy results on this battery so far. I've had it for about a week. I did not condition it. And this battery will last 16 hours of very heavy usage. I mean like wifi, data, GPS, full brightness, YouTube videos, Netflix movie, and web browsing. Very heavy usage as you can see. This battery delivers you from your crap stock battery. I love the incestment I put into this, and I think it was the best $70 dollars I've ever spent. Final thoughts; great battery, every Evo user should get it.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I purchased one as well I get better hours over the weekend. During the week when I use it heavy I get about 7-9 hours
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I bought 2 of the cheapy Ebay batteries about 6 months ago and never had much great life out of them. I decided to buy this one about 2 weeks ago and it really hasn't been that much difference.. I've conditioned it and done everything I can to make it last longer but it still drops almost 10 percent within the first 20 minutes just like the rest of em. Granted I'm running the 3.0 sense now and they do tend to use more battery but I honestly thought I would of seen better results.. I would probably spend the $25 to get the 2 batteries again vs. the $60 I spent for this one. But one phone is never the same as the next so you can't really take what anyone elses experience was to heart to much..

Well your kernel and rom combination can make the difference.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

wher did you buy it?

Anyone who doesn't get tremendous time out of this is doing something wrong. I've had mine for months and run EVERYTHING on all of the time. 4G, wifi, GPS, bluetooth, 3G all day. I sit at my desk where i barely get 4g so I know that makes it go worse than normal and I get thru a day EASILY. Some days I can go almost 2 full days with everything on. If I turn off stuff I'm not using, I could easily get thru 2 or 3 full days.

I have it as well...it's amazing a the best investment besides a cls. 10 card I have made. Heard horror stories about knock offs. Seidio has their **** together

i bought the cheapie amazon 3500ma battery and its great, true it drops to 86% in the first 10 minutes but i think thats just cuz the software doesnt know its twice normal size. ive conditioned it when i got it.. i gotta say it was a great buy.. also made my white evo look like an oreo. i pretty much use my phone for texting n heavy gaming and it lasts ateast 12 hours.

luciferii said:
i bought the cheapie amazon 3500ma battery and its great, true it drops to 86% in the first 10 minutes but i think thats just cuz the software doesnt know its twice normal size. ive conditioned it when i got it.. i gotta say it was a great buy.. also made my white evo look like an oreo. i pretty much use my phone for texting n heavy gaming and it lasts ateast 12 hours.
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Unless u are on an SBC style kernel it will drop regardless. When I was on a stock kernel mine would drop to 93-95% then be solid.

im using stock cm7 kernel, whats a good kernel to use with that? im new to the evo and phones in general.

You could try savaged zen 2.2.1 cfs. Or tiamat 4.0.5. Really just depends on how ur phone handles it. Trial and error. Always wipe cache and dalvik before each kernel flash.

stkiswr said:
You could try savaged zen 2.2.1 cfs. Or tiamat 4.0.5. Really just depends on how ur phone handles it. Trial and error. Always wipe cache and dalvik before each kernel flash.
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ive ran android for about a year on my nook color.. just never a phone. thanks for tellin me the kernels.. i went with tiamat. i found that if you boot into cwm goto advanced and clear battery stats it shows the proper battery info.

do these batteries fit the ebay battery covers?

Laza Zcell NFC 3800 mah Battery

I ordered one of these batteries on Thursday and it arrived on Saturday. It shipped from Indiana and I am in Chicago so your shipping times may vary. It was $19.99 on Amazon and I did not buy the case although I still might.
I have been running AllStars V5 since the day after it went up.
Day one:
Decent packaging definitely something I could see at a store. The battery itself is heavy, heavier I think than two stock batteries. The back cover is solid plastic with a rubberized coating on it. It still slips around on a table but feels very good in my hand. The extra bulk of the battery and case make my phone easier to grip and combined with the weight makes the phone feel much more substantial almost more well built. I was a little worried about the speaker as the back sits about centimeter further away from the speaker than the old one did, but the new cover has a sort of resonator chamber built in to direct the sound to the speaker grill. I might be imagining it but the internal speaker sounds a little better with the new cover. I do feel that the rubberized coating is going to wear off over time but we will see.
Installed battery at on one in the afternoon. Came with 76% charge. Used it normally the first day and at about 3 am it still had over 40% charge. Ran it down the rest of the way playing angry birds and using a flashlight app. Total time 16 Hours 6 Minutes. Quite awesome.
Day Two:
Pulled the phone off the charger at 2 PM with 100% charge. Set screen to always stay on and used phone to stream music over WiFi using a combination of Pandora, Songza and Google Music. Phone remained this way until 10:30 PM when I got off work. Phone still had 50% charge. Once home I ran the battery down the rest of the way using a flashlight app. Total run time 12 hours 57 Minutes. Equally awesome.
Days three and Four:
Pulled phone off charger at 1 PM. A few short calls some texts about an hours worth of streaming music. Nothing crazy. 65% as of 11:26PM. I am not going to charge it untill it dies.
Total run time 1 Day 13 Hours 58 minutes. Light usage as I was busy upgrading my MacBook to Mountain Lion & Windows 8 and my PC to Windows 8.
Day 5:
Phone died while I was sleeping and I was only able to charge it for a few hours before work. It is currently sitting at 45 %. I am planning on seeing if this gets me through the work day without any more charging.
Update:
I've fallen into the habit of charging my phone every other night. I really do not use my phone too terribly heavily. Anyhow last night was a charge night. Today I only got 12 hours of use. By use I mean pandora for the 7 hours of work and travel too and from work and some browsing of flip board here and there. If it fails again we will see how this companies RMA service is.

Do u have any real life pics of ur phone with battery on. Also i guess u gonna be caseless
I was looking at the case and it does really not protect that good. If u look at front screen shot u can see the silver from the top of phone and the bottom. But i will order the battery

I have this battery as well with the standard back and I have been thinking about a case but as of right now its been a pleasure to use. When I had the nexus extended battery I was worried about battery life. Last year my family and I too a family trip 3 states south from where we live and on that journey my phone roamed the majority of the time killing my battery life. With this battery, if we have to make that trip again then I feel confident that it will survive the trip with easy. I am a heavy user with all my radios on all the time and I get around 12 hours with 33% left average so I would recommend this battery pack its worth the money
Sent from my Nexus 7 using xda app-developers app

I have this battery too. It has worked well for me. I no longer have to charge twice a day.
There was also a case available on ebay which isnt very good but offers some protection for the phone. I have been unable to find any alternatives.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using Tapatalk 2

How does the ratio of on time compare to screen time with all your test?

[Q] Battery Case

Has anyone got a decent case with a battery in it?
as the nexus 5 does seem to have a not too good battery life.
(considering this device)

Seriously? I'm getting 14 to 16 hours with 6+ hours screen on time. It's not bad if you ask me.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

I agree. I'm getting better battery life than any phone I have owned, without rooting and messing with cpu governors, or adding an unwieldy 3000+ mah aftermarket battery.
Sent from my Nexus 5 using xda app-developers app

wow
from what I'v heard in reviews its not great, was about 5 reviews.
hmmm, Ill look into that a bit more
also geekphone.com is showing a not too great battery life

No, your not wrong, the phone is going to have less talk time than some of its larger battery packing competitors given the same use, physics works as they say. I'm on the lookout myself but have yet to see anything.

It could could be a software and hardware thing, as samsung does take a big dump on android. Pure android and especially 4.4 theoretically should have a lower power consumption.
how long does it generally last when mid-heavily used?

I can't comment on battery life, but I can tell you you won't be seeing a battery case. Only 2 products sell enough to make it a reasonable expense to develop: The newest iPhone, and the newest Galaxy S.

Zurginator said:
I can't comment on battery life, but I can tell you you won't be seeing a battery case. Only 2 products sell enough to make it a reasonable expense to develop: The newest iPhone, and the newest Galaxy S.
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I disagree, my DHD had quite a few and it didn't have that many sales (probably less than nexus 5 in a month or so)

I'm getting much better battery life than any previous phones I've had. I can squeeze about two full days out of it with about 3-4 hours of screen on time. If I use it a lot (6+ hours screen on) or do battery heavy tasks (play a lot of games, talk on the phone a lot), then it still lasts a full day (from wake up to sleep). Unless you absolutely abhor charging your phone every night, I don't think it's worth the unnecessary bulk of a battery case.

dyno0919 said:
I'm getting much better battery life than any previous phones I've had. I can squeeze about two full days out of it with about 3-4 hours of screen on time. If I use it a lot (6+ hours screen on) or do battery heavy tasks (play a lot of games, talk on the phone a lot), then it still lasts a full day (from wake up to sleep). Unless you absolutely abhor charging your phone every night, I don't think it's worth the unnecessary bulk of a battery case.
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Is this on stock? I understand that diff configs will have diff results. When I go to bed, I usually have about 40% left with 15 hours run time about and 1 hour of screen time. This is with two gmail accounts syncing, facebook and everything on. It's not bad but nowhere near 6 hours of screen time. Especially if I play a game like Asphalt 8. The battery drops like crazy. Not complaining, but I would love to have 6 hours of screen time.

I contacted Mophie to see if they had plans to make a case for the N5. I just got a pretty generic email back but looked like they would be working on something for the N5.

PsychDrummer said:
Is this on stock? I understand that diff configs will have diff results. When I go to bed, I usually have about 40% left with 15 hours run time about and 1 hour of screen time. This is with two gmail accounts syncing, facebook and everything on. It's not bad but nowhere near 6 hours of screen time. Especially if I play a game like Asphalt 8. The battery drops like crazy. Not complaining, but I would love to have 6 hours of screen time.
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I didn't make it clear enough in my post, but when I said 6 hours of screen on time or battery heavy tasks, I meant one or the other but not both. If I play games or do a lot of battery heavy tasks,t hen it doesn't last anywhere near two days. I might get 6 hours screen on time if I don't play any games, make no phone calls for the day (which is odd, I do admit), and mostly browse the internet, text, view pictures, check facebook, things of that nature. On average, I get anywhere between 2-4 hours screen on time with usually an hour of gaming, mostly texting, browsing, and other small stuff like that. It usually lasts me 2 days. It's not fantastic battery life, but definitely better than my S3 and my Atrix before that.
EDIT: I didn't use my phone much at all today. I've got about 10 minutes of phone calls and an hour of screen on time, 13 hours total, and I'm sitting at 72%. You might want to check what is using the most battery in your battery settings or download an alternate app. Screen is typically using 2 to 3 times more than the next thing under it (which for me is WiFi).