Cesar on the Zune team says his crew's wrapped up its battery life tests on the new Zunes 80, 8, and 4, and the results are somewhat disappointing, even compared to what was
previously posted on Amazon:
Zune 80
- Audio: up to 30 hours
- Video: up to 4 hours
Zune 8 and 4
- Audio: up to 24 hours
- Video: up to 4 hours
Not, it's not that terrible, but these tests were with wireless disabled (which isn't necessarily the most realistic method of testing), using 128Kbps WMA audio and 500Kbps WMV video. In other words, it's liable those numbers could go down even further when playing higher bitrate and/or non-Microsoft format files with wireless on and dormant most of the time. Bummer. We'll definitely let you know when we get ours and put it to the test.
[Thanks, Shawn and Daniel]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Canadian Bacon @ Oct 15th 2007 11:47PM
The Zune has a larger screen than the iPod classic and still does 4 hours of video and the exact same amount of audio. How is this a disappointment?
JohnTitor @ Oct 15th 2007 11:48PM
because most even PVPs (which is what the Zune claims to be)
can do better with even larger screens, higher res, and more colors
Benson Leung @ Oct 16th 2007 12:21AM
The iPod Touch has an even larger screen than all of the Zunes, and gets more battery life playing back video. What's your point?
W00ter @ Oct 16th 2007 12:26AM
Umm, please name me a single widely available PMP that has >=3" screen, same footprint/size, hdd, that can do more.
ariez84 @ Oct 16th 2007 12:29AM
So you mean a flash based player have more battery life than HDD based? IMPOSSIBLE!!!
Please compare the zune to the classic ipod, not the classic, or the macbook or the macbook pro.
JackOLantern @ Oct 16th 2007 12:29AM
Based on real world test the iPod Classic performs much better than Apples estimates and blows away the Zune...
iPod Classic 80GB gets 36 hours and 16 minutes audio and 6 hours and 46 minutes of video
iPod Classic 160GB gets 58hours and 14minutes audio and 9 hours and 28 minutes for of video
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/ipod-classic-nano-batteries-beat-apple-claims/11412
JohnTitor @ Oct 16th 2007 12:34AM
the Zune's not even 3" so I don't know how you want a larger screen to have the same footprint.
I don't even like iPods but I'll use the Touch as an example
JohnTitor @ Oct 16th 2007 12:35AM
woops messed up the wording (Zune 80 is 3.2") I meant it differently
Andrew @ Oct 16th 2007 12:37AM
its not a disspointment, engadget failed to note this performance is an improvement on the old zune and no worse than ipod, i smell bias
Al @ Oct 16th 2007 1:32AM
W00ter dude the Cowon A2(came out what 2 years ago) has a 4in screen and gets what 10 hours out of battery for the video and 18 hours for audio. Granted it maxes at 30gigs. Now you put a 60gig(or 80gig if you can get it to fit with the back case on), then what you loose 20-30mins? Big deal?
DAZA @ Oct 16th 2007 1:50AM
The iPod touch uses flash memory, duh, that's why it can get such good battery life. No moving parts obviously draws far less energy. Shame it's only 16GB eh?
Ricardo @ Oct 16th 2007 11:23AM
@ Bensom
the iTouch doesnt have a HDD to spin constantly for video playback.
I really want to see the battery life on a iTouch with a Hard Disk
JohnTitor @ Oct 15th 2007 11:47PM
"(which isn't necessarily the most realistic method of testing)"
As if the Zune's wifi is actually useful like other players?
John @ Oct 15th 2007 11:49PM
i never really saw the point of having the ability to play audio for a whole day, seeing as you should have an opportunity to charge it daily, but the video number still matters.
Benson Leung @ Oct 16th 2007 12:19AM
You've never traveled overseas, have you?
18 hours of flight time, 4 to 6 hours of layovers, plus the time it gets you to be processed, cab rides and all?
Players that get 30+ hours of playback time are made for travelers.
John @ Oct 16th 2007 12:22AM
18+ hours of flight time should (god willing) include some sleep time, although in my experience, as flight time increases the odds that some person who finds their child's screaming "adorable" being nearby increases as well.
kornchild2002 @ Oct 15th 2007 11:53PM
The numbers aren't bad but still, 5 hours should now be the bare minimum for video playback battery life on a single charge. The 3G iPod nano set the minimum when it was released as that small of a player should only be meant for the occasional video watching. Yes, the Zune's screen is a lot bigger than the 3G iPod nano or iPod classic but Microsoft should have used their thinking caps and realized that people would be inclined to watch more video on the Zune due to its larger screen. 4 hours really isn't enough to do much other than watch one feature film and still have about 15 hours of audio playback time.
alan @ Oct 16th 2007 12:23AM
I still haven't figured out the appeal of watching a feature-length movie on a screen smaller than my palm, apart from the novelty of it. My eyesight is bad enough from tv-sized screens. As for testing with the wi-fi off, who will bother to leave it on given the likelihood of encountering another zune user compared with the battery life trade-off? Doesn't seem too bad. Boo on no gapless playback though. Major disappointment.
Iain @ Oct 16th 2007 12:32AM
In the wild, who says you'll get 1 hour difference between them?
A large factor will be how well you look after the battery of your device. Plus, in the same way that it's been so helpfully pointed out in the article, while the Zune's figures may not hold up in the wild nor will the iPod's necessarily.
Also, why should 5 hours suddenly be the minimum just because the iPod has it?
Would you be saying the same thing is the circumstances were reversed? That the Zune had set the bar and the iPod had failed to measure up?
I'm not having a go, it's just there's always more than one way of looking at things...
Anyway, at the end of the day, if video is an important factor then neither the Zune nor the iPod should be your first port of call.
rawhead @ Oct 16th 2007 1:59AM
@lain
The Zune numbers in the article are numbers "in the wild" (i.e., hands-on numbers, not "official" numbers).
The iPod numbers here linked above:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/news/comments/ipod-classic-nano-batteries-beat-apple-claims/11412
are numbers "in the wild" (again, not "official") numbers.
So, in the wild, the difference is actually larger than 1 hr, but more like 2 hrs 45 minutes comparing the 80GB models. That's a disappointment if you ask me.
Iain @ Oct 16th 2007 7:50AM
Sorry, a bad turn of phrase.
By 'in the wild', I merely mean that if you go and buy a Zune or iPod off the shelf, you shouldn't expect the battery to necessarily match up to any of the reported performances.
Yes, 2 hours and 45 minutes is a big difference but, correct me if I'm wrong, Engadget (a pretty pro-iPod lot) are going by a different set of figures which aren't as positive as those posted on iLounge - so, clearly, not all iPods have such amazing battery life.
Alan Strangis @ Oct 16th 2007 10:24AM
Iain had it exactly right.
"Anyway, at the end of the day, if video is an important factor then neither the Zune nor the iPod should be your first port of call."
There are plenty of other players that offer more bang for the buck than either MS or Apple when it comes to video.
Paul @ Oct 15th 2007 11:59PM
Can we replace the batteries in the new Zunes? Because a lot of times, I'm sitting in class bored and need some movies/vids to watch :D
Charles Ray @ Oct 16th 2007 12:07AM
I understand Engadget's rabid need to support Apple and ruin everything Microsoft, but how about when Gizmodo posts the same shit earlier in the day and finds it positive, you try not to make it TOO obvious that you're the second most biased site in tech.
W00ter @ Oct 16th 2007 12:26AM
Damn, amen. Agreed. I love how the headline says "...only"
Iced_Eagle @ Oct 16th 2007 12:12AM
30 hours for audio is great! Even with WiFi on, I will still get good battery life more than likely (enough for me to go for a few hours with music, then come home for the night and charge). For me, video is less important than audio.
Simon P @ Oct 16th 2007 12:19AM
Yeah, let's be honest, 4 hours of pron is enough to kill most people......at least between 'recharges'
Louis @ Oct 16th 2007 12:27AM
I know there is a lot that goes into designing a device, but how can they be missing so bad everytime with the Zune. It actually is a well designed player with a much cleaner interface than the iPod. It has a few more features and their innovative "social" approach would be amazing if they became as ubiquitous as the iPod.
However, the continually miss the point. To take down the iPod, you need to look at comments on blogs like this. Take into consideration what the users want. Work on battery life (even at the expense of size, which really isn't that big of an issue to most people). Deliver easy to use software, or GASP! don't bundle software at all and allow it to work with other popular music management programs. Then 2 years down the road you can deliver a your own software.
Oh, and I'm tired of being locked into owning an iPod. How about you allow Mac users to sync? I would be happy to buy a Zune.
V3LOCIP3D3 @ Oct 16th 2007 5:17AM
Missed the point? I think you missed the bandwagon when people got sick of the iPod a couple of months after gen5 was released. Seriously, you go out of your way to post a comment, but couldn't bother to go out of your way and READ this biased article. Do your research, the zune has got it spot on. You get better features than any player out there (not just the overpraised ipod), and the same battery life as the ipod classic (give or take an hour, I could care less . . I have a life rather than listening to music for 32 hours straight, and watching 4 hours of video a day.) Why can't apple do that?
I think there should be more articles entitled: "Why can't the ipod ever catch up to the zune?" and "why are mac OS X sales so shitty?" or "Steve Jobbs has always been number 2, and that's turned him into sort of a prick."
cmonkey @ Oct 16th 2007 12:41AM
Actually, Engadget, you got it backwards. Lower bitrate (higher compression) audio typically takes more CPU time than higher bitrate (lower compression) audio. You are correct with video though.
Anyway, it's absolutely realistic to test it with wifi off. Who's going to sit around 'squirting' songs for hours on end. Wifi is realistically going to be used only when syncing and on the rare occasion of trading songs with other Zuners.
rickane58 @ Oct 16th 2007 1:38AM
actually, the higher bit-rates cause the harddrive to spin longer and more frequently, which is what causes the battery draw.
cmonkey @ Oct 16th 2007 1:43AM
Yea, I realized that just after posting, but the point is still valid for the Zune 4/8.
Dan Parmelee @ Oct 16th 2007 12:53AM
I think battery life is still respectable given the size. It's enough for a movie plus a few hours of music. Sounds perfect for a plane trip or short car ride.
Snitch @ Oct 16th 2007 12:53AM
here we go again with the dirty little secrets, i just hope that by the time they hit the shelves it wont be completly dead, although i admit i was dessapointed in the first Gen zune am thinking of getting the zune 2, but i have to tell you i will guard my reciept with my like in case apple decides to release a movie rental service for there ipods and kill the zune for good, although i dont own an ipod i heard that the turn around service is great 2 to 3 days max compare to six weeks microsoft theres alot of difference there
jessy @ Oct 16th 2007 2:21AM
everyday i wonder how steve jobs still has a job. i have not seen an ipod become at all creative. ever.
does marketing really sell bad products so easily? because man, i happen to remember when selling bad products kind of was frowned upon, anyone remember firestone with the ford SUV's? yea... thats how the ipod feels.
V3LOCIP3D3 @ Oct 16th 2007 5:29AM
That's one place where i give props to Steve Jobbs. He knows how stupid his customers are. Like any prick would, he takes advantage of it.
Apple: 10% innovation, 90% marketing to 15 year-olds (do you think that's too much credit?.)
Bogdan @ Oct 16th 2007 2:23AM
"only" 4 hours? It's not that bad, Engadget.
Stop that Apple fanboyism, would you?
Jeff Lewis @ Oct 16th 2007 2:30AM
There is kind of a weird mindset going on.
How many people expect go more than say... 20 hours without sleep? So.. if you have a good dock that charges, then how hard is it to stick the device in the dock when you sleep?
And then there are solutions like this one:
http://www.apc.com/resource/include/techspec_index.cfm?base_sku=UPB10
which lets you carry a small, light rechargable battery you can use on the road, although personally, I prefer devices with user replacable (and STANDARD) batteries so you can replace them when the battery dies completely after 1000 charges or so.
It's just not that complicated, kids.
mike @ Oct 16th 2007 3:13AM
lol....what a bunch of lamers here. A topic about Zune brings out all the Zune deciples bashing the iPhone and iPod´s for reasons they probably dont have a clue about. #tits...seriously dude.....stick your pibe in....i have owned 2 ipods still going strong on year 4 now. If you want the zune...go buy it....im sure your gonna love it......somehow or someway?.
Andrew @ Oct 16th 2007 3:24AM
Because theres no bashing of Zunes by iPod zealots is there.
jessy @ Oct 16th 2007 3:38AM
jealousy ensues.
Jubei @ Oct 16th 2007 3:48AM
Oh and don't forget. 320x240 ( stretched ). Not even 163 pixels per inch (classic) or 204 pixels per inch for nano. It just blows away the Zunes inferior screen.
Toru @ Oct 16th 2007 4:37AM
Yes, and my 30" 1080p tv looks far better at 30 feet away than your 50" 720p tv from the same distance. Just look at that pixel density!
Jerry Jones @ Oct 16th 2007 4:14AM
Can't we all just get along?
No?
Ok, Flame away then!
Louis @ Oct 16th 2007 10:15AM
Wow, I thought mac fans were overzealous. You are just a moron. Battery life has nothing to do with sitting there and listening to music for 30 hours. I want to know if I will have to remember to hook it up every night, because I do have a life and it doesn't center around making sure my gadgets are charged each morning.
I know it hurts for you to read, but I said I really LIKE the Zune, but it doesn't have Mac support and it has bad sync software for the PC.
But thanks for lambasting me for being a mac user instead of replying to my comment.
daddycool @ Oct 16th 2007 6:39AM
Whatever they say they are probably exaggerating. These things are still made by Toshiba right? They got me good with the battery life claims of my Gigabeat S60. Worst battery life ever. The thing loses charge when it's completely off. THat's what using CE on a MP3 player gets you. They won't get me again, Archos here I come!
Vince @ Oct 16th 2007 7:05AM
The new Zune does everything I need it to do, and it looks better then an ipod. SOLD!
Matt @ Oct 16th 2007 7:43AM
So, what we've established is...
1) Flash drive MP3/4 player have longer battery life when compared with HDD players.
2) Bigger screens look cool but are often lower resolution and take more power
3) Smaller screens with higher pixel density mean more detail, so they will look just as good as the large screens, as long as you hold them right in front of your face.
3) MP3/4 player manufacturers that are on their 5th or 6th generation of a product know more than those on their 2nd.
4) Ipod owners love Ipods, like to make digs at Zunes.
5) Ipod haters love Zunes, like to make digs at Ipods and argue with Ipod lovers until they are blue in the face.
6) Zune lovers are still waiting for one to live up to the hype.
7) Those of use who have sat on the fence and watched the MP3/4 world go by can see the pro's of both but are put off by the con's of both and will remain fence bound.
8) Everyone wants the moon on a stick! You want massive battery life but it has to weigh nothing ; or you want a huge screen but small enough to fit in your pocket.
How about everyone just puts their hands up and says one will be right for one person, the other will be right for another! If someone uses it most of the time for travelling on the train to work for 2 hours each day and charges it up every weeekend then the exact battery life isn't really going to matter.
For those who spend over 24 hours travelling, poor you! But interesting try the Zen Vision W - they have a removable lithium battery and you can buy spares... suck that Ipod and Zune!!!
Iain @ Oct 16th 2007 7:47AM
But what's a sane person doing here?
You just made my day - there's hope for (a tiny part of) humanity yet :D
Iain @ Oct 16th 2007 7:44AM
The original Zune had a larger screen than the 5/5.5G iPods but the same resolution and was pretty much universally recognised as being a superior display.
It's far from unreasonable that this one should be the same.