battery life
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Editorial: Thin laptops are the new mainstream, but what about battery life?
Bandwagons, trains and Tranes. Can't say that these three have a heck of a lot in common in most regards, but one thing's for sure: trying to stop this trio would be a Herculean task. And so it goes with laptops -- once upon a time, it was good enough to have something that resembled a portable tower, but these days, the ability to even see the chassis at all feels like a negative. I exaggerate, of course, but the proverbial race in the laptop world is hardly about price; it's about thinness. Intel's unstoppable quest to plaster the Ultrabook term as far and wide as possible has led to a change in the way consumers are viewing portable machines, and Apple's devilishly thin MacBook Air certainly played a role, too. What we're left with is a very curious priority list, and I'm wondering if too many OEMs have stopped to wonder if the "obvious" is indeed the "right." I'll be the first to confess that I love the look of thin. Samsung's Series 9 and Acer's Aspire S5 might just be two of the sexiest machines to ever be built, and Dell's original Adamo was primarily of interest due to one thing: its jaw-droppingly thin frame. But there's some saying about putting form before function that seems to apply here, particularly when keying in on battery life. I've no doubt that the marketing and research teams for PC makers far and wide understand the realities of the market place, and perhaps the average consumer really doesn't need more than four to six hours of life on a single charge. Five years ago, squeezing that much life from machines under an inch thick would've required some sort of wizardry that exists only in a rarely visited corner of West Hollywood. But today, I'm a dreamer. And I'm dreaming of a laptop with "all day battery life" -- something that could be screamed from the rooftops, and honestly, something that could probably be accomplished tomorrow if our laptop options weren't on such a diet.
Samsung Galaxy S III battery tested by GSMArena, lasts as long as your tablet
Samsung made much ado over the Galaxy S III's 2,100mAh battery, but we've been wondering whether or not that power pack was a major perk or just a necessity to offset that hefty Exynos 4 Quad. One of what looks to be a growing number of escaped pre-release devices was put through the ringer in battery tests and came out looking spic-and-span: it lasted for just over 10 hours for video and voice, or long enough to make even a tablet like the new iPad or Transformer Prime break a sweat. Web browsing wasn't quite so hot, though, which at a bit over five hours was well behind the seven hours of an iPhone 4S. Don't expect the seemingly infinite battery of the Droid RAZR Maxx, and don't be surprised if final devices handle differently, but those with the international Galaxy S III should make it through at least a few interminable meetings watching their favorite reruns... not that we'd condone such a thing.
ASUS PadFone's real world battery life: 14.1 hours of 3G browsing in laptop mode (video)
Since the official launch at MWC, ASUS has been mum on how many hours its upcoming PadFone can stay on the treadmill for, but earlier today, we spotted an official promotional video -- which has since been removed from ASUS's YouTube channel -- that mentioned 16 hours of battery for the phone itself, 63 for tablet mode and 102 for laptop mode. Something smells funny here so we pinged ASUS, and guess what? Those turned out to be just continuous talk time over 2G, so perhaps said video clip was pulled to be re-edited. Conveniently, ASUS was also kind enough to share some very realistic battery life figures from the lab. With the corresponding screen set to 137 nits (about half the brightness), you get the following for phone mode, tablet mode and laptop mode, respectively: 2.6 hours, 10.7 hours and 17 hours of continuous WiFi browsing; and 2.1 hours, 8.9 hours and 14.1 hours of continuous 3G browsing. Just as promised before, the PadFone Station (the tablet) and the PadFone Station Dock (the keyboard) do seem to pump up the battery by about five-fold and nine-fold max, respectively. Now sure, these may make the 1,520mAh battery inside the phone look feeble and silly, but do bear in mind that these aren't the "up to" numbers. As always, stay tuned for our own tests whenever the PadFone finally lands on our doorstep. Update: A new version of said walkthrough video is online, now with a clarification at the top left corner in the battery life segment. Check it out after the break. [Thanks, Ex14]
iPad 2's new 32nm A5 processor improves battery life
If you're in the market for a new iPad 2, pay attention! As Chipworkds reported last month, Apple's put an updated 32nm A5 processor into the new Apple TV and the iPad 2. More specifically, the iPad 2.4. Compared to the previous 45nm A5 chip found in the iPad 2, the new chip comes in almost 42% smaller. And now AnandTech has the scores to prove that the new, smaller chip is much more efficient than its predecessor, particularly in the battery department. Apparently you can expect to see an 18% improvement when playing video, 15.8% improvement when web browsing and 29% improvement when playing power hungry games compared to the old iPad 2. How can you get your hands on one of these iPad 2.4s? Well, reports say they're rather thin on the ground right now. And unfortunately, the only way to tell if you've got one is by turning it on and peering at the system information. So, you'll either have to take your chances or wait for the new stock to fully replace the old. [Via The Verge]
Buying an iPad 2? Here's the rarer, more efficient specimen you need to (somehow) track down
Not all iPads are made equal, even if they're all packaged and branded identically. There's a major new mutation within the 2nd generation tablet and it brings significantly better battery life. Specifically, the fourth and latest production model of the iPad 2 (known as iPad2,4) has not only a lower price tag ($399) but also a new 32nm processor, which is significantly smaller and more efficient than those in previous iPad 2s (which had 45nm chips and an older transistor design). According to AnandTech, this results in an overall 16 percent increase in battery life during web browsing and as much as a 30 percent boost when playing games. Obviously that's worth having, but how can you tell if a boxed-up iPad 2 has the new processor before taking it to the checkout? Here's the downer: you can't. Until retailers' inventories naturally flood with the updated type, the only way to tell is by switching the slate on and running a utility like GeekBench -- and perhaps there'll be circumstances where you can give that a go on the shop floor. Alternatively, if third-party sellers discover that their stock is the iPad2,4, they could pull off a Darwinian win-win by marketing that fact to buyers.
HTC pats itself on the back for the One X's battery life, has plenty of help
If you're a smartphone fan (of course you are, if you're not then you're almost certainly in the wrong place, can we ask how you even got here?) then you've almost certainly been bitten by the bug of a battery that just doesn't last long enough, the normal side effect of a data hungry lifestyle. HTC says it feels your pain however, and thinks it's done quite a bit to lick the issue with its latest flagship phone, the HTC One X. In reports consistent with our experience with the dual-core AT&T iteration, a blog post on the company's site notes several others that have tested it out and come away impressed with the battery life it shows. While our tests with the quad-core global version left something to be desired HTC says the One bests the old Sensation by as much as 147 percent when it comes to talk time, and 39 percent in video playback, while Anandtech had glowing recommendations for both versions. So, are you as impressed with HTC's engineering, or are you still pining for a larger RAZR Maxx-style battery bump?
Nokia's Lumia 800 firmware update juices handsets, banishes battery issues
Still holding out on Nokia to squash any lingering battery bugs lurking inside your Lumia 800's beautiful shell? For some of you, today's your lucky day, as Espoo's just released a fresh batch of bits, which bring "significant improvements in battery performance and power management." We've seen version 1600.2487.8107 make the rounds once before, but previously when it was a Vodafone-branded variant -- which you may recall WPCentral discovered was responsible for an impressive 3x improvement (!) in battery life. Enhancements to audio are present in the build as well, with the company tweaking bass for "better voice quality" and your music enjoyment. Those ready to update should peep the Zune desktop software, although Nokia cautions not everyone will will get updated today, as coordinating across multiple carriers in different markets is like "herding sheep," resulting in a multi-stage rollout in the coming four weeks. More details, including a video on how to update, await at the source.
New iPad can be used as Verizon LTE hotspot for over 24 hours
Anandtech took a closer look at the new iPad's 42.5 Wh battery and discovered the battery is fantastic for those using the device as a mobile hotspot. In a series of tests, they ran the Verizon WiFi+4G iPad from a full charge down to zero with the screen off. Total time was an impressive 25.3 hours on a single charge. Overall, the battery performs as expected. The retina-equipped iPad has a run time that's slightly less than the iPad 2, and you'll get an hour less juice on LTE than WiFi. [Via The Verge]
New iPad battery has 70% more capacity
With 4G LTE connectivity, a Retina display, and a powerful Apple A5X system-on-a-chip under the hood, the new iPad needs a lot of power. According to a post at ZDNet, the source of all that energy is a whopping 11,666 mAh battery -- 70% greater capacity than the battery in the iPad 2. What's amazing about this news is that Apple increased the battery capacity without drastically increasing either the size or the weight of the batteries. As ZDNet notes, this "suggests that Apple has managed to increase significantly the power density of the Li-ion cells that it uses." If that's true, it means that the next-generation iPhone (no way am I going to refer to it as the iPhone 5 after what Apple pulled on Wednesday...) could presumably have much better battery life than the iPhone 4S with little or no increase in weight or size, assuming that the device uses the same Retina display and adds 4G LTE. Hats off to Apple's battery labs and to the manufacturers of this nice little power plant. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to see the little gray slabs of energy in iFixit's upcoming iPad (Early 2012) teardown.
Nokia Lumia 800 update reportedly triples battery life
Earlier this week in Refresh Roundup, we wrote of a Vodafone-branded update for the Lumia 800 with a designation of 1600.2487.8107.12070. Among the enhancements, the new software version was said to provide longer battery life -- a welcome improvement, no doubt -- but we could've never guessed the significance of the gain. The folks at WPCentral recently forced the update onto their own phones and, get this, they assert the new software has nearly tripled(!) their battery life. While our heads are still spinning at the assertion, they claim the improvements are in part due to better management of the screen's brightness and cite an approximate discharge of 70mA when idle. Meanwhile, reports in the forums of xda-developers claim that battery drain is in the neighborhood of 80mA and 90mA when idle -- not quite as stunning, but still a huge improvement in comparison to the approximate 150mA discharge with the previous version. While your mileage may vary, this latest update could prove to be a true godsend for Lumia 800 owners.
Nokia clarifies battery update on Lumia 800, promises audio / camera fixes soon
Nokia already came clean about the Lumia 800 battery bug, but evidently that just wasn't enough to appease the masses. A community manager in the outfit's own forums has just responded to pages upon pages of comments regarding the most recent update, partly to (re)set the record straight regarding the battery, and partly to address more fixes that are just around the bend. The latest update (1600.2483.8106.11500) was meant to "enhance standby time as well as to bring an improvement to the issue reported by some customers in December," and according to Nokia, said update does indeed address those problems. However, folks that still have concerns regarding audio and camera settings aren't being ignored; those quirks will be worked out in "a series of future updates." Eager to learn more? The full reply is embedded just after the break.
Motorola planning 24-hour Droid RAZR Maxx longevity event for February 6th?
Motorola's own website has pointed to a January 26th launch for the long-awaited Droid RAZR Maxx, but it looks like February 6th is the date to really pay attention to. With battery life becoming an even more serious concern due to the proliferation of life-sucking 4G networks, it's become obvious that companies are finally placing those longevity statistics atop their priority list. Samsung itself has already promised to significantly improve battery life in its phones during 2012, and we're now hearing from a trusted source that Moto will be streaming a pretty unorthodox event in order to put its own RAZR Maxx to the test. We're told to expect a 24-hour marathon event, streamed out to the gaping masses, where the aforesaid handset will be powered on and presumably used for a full day -- it's like a David Blaine trick, but for phones. Might as well pencil in 2/6 if you're eager to see if this might actually meet your long-term demands.[Thanks, Anonymous]
Samsung commits to improve smartphone battery life in 2012
Sure, we all love having the latest and greatest smartphone from the likes of Samsung, but the power consumption driven by larger displays, LTE, and more use is making it increasingly harder to get through the day. Samsung's vice president of product innovation, Kevin Packingham, said in an interview with CNET that Korea's darling has set the lofty goal that smartphones coming out this year last an entire day under average to moderately heavy use. Samsung's plans include beefing up batteries, but it also intends to look at improving energy efficiency by tweaking the various radios -- LTE, WiFi -- to make them a little less greedy. Motorola has already seemingly caught this wave with the RAZR MAXX -- a slightly chubbier Motorola RAZR -- which is essentially the same set as the RAZR but with enough juice so you can use it instead of spending your day looking for an outlet to charge it. Unfortunately, things could get sticky as the definition of "moderately heavy use" is a pretty tough thing to pin down. Would you put up with a huskier phone to get you through the day or is a slim set more important? Feel free to chime in with your comments below.
SpareOne cellphone claims 15-year battery life, we go hands-on
Xpal Power (owners partners of Energizer and PowerSkin) has leveraged its battery-tech know-how into the SpareOne, a cellphone that can maintain its charge for up to 15 years on just a single AA battery. It's designed to be used for sponsorship, hotel use and (most importantly) emergencies, to throw into your trunk and forget about until you need to contact roadside assistance. Now at CES we've had a chance to get our mitts on the device to see what it's like in the flesh plastic. If you're just a little bit curious, why not join us for a short trip?
SpareOne: a cellphone that can run for 15 years
If your car's broken down, nursing your smartphone's short battery life can be a real nightmare when waiting for rescue. Of course, that might not be much of a problem if Xpal Power (the company behind Energizer and PowerSkin) has anything to do with it. It's developed the SpareOne, a super-cheap phone that runs from a single AA Battery and will reputedly maintain its charge for up to fifteen years. The dual-band GSM phone is designed for emergencies, transmitting its location alongside its call ID, or as a loaner phone for big corporate events. You'll get an Energizer AA battery and a microSIM in the bundle which will set you back $49.99 when it arrives at some point this quarter. At that price, we can imagine throwing a few in the trunk for breakdowns, when we're doing our Bear Grylls routine, or during the Robopocalypse.
Thoughts on an LTE iPhone
A lot of Apple fans are sure that the next iPhone will support the true 4G LTE networks now being deployed by major cellular carriers. Apple has repeatedly said that the iPhone will get LTE when battery life is not an issue, but the Houston Chronicle's Dwight Silverman notes that if the 4G Android devices hitting the market are any indication, that could be a while. How bad is that battery life? Bad enough that in Engadget's testing of the device, they noted "Using Google Navigation with LTE enabled? The battery drained so fast our in-car charger couldn't keep up, leaving us unsure of which exit to take off the 101." Other LTE devices also seem to have similar issues, so it's not just the Galaxy Nexus to blame. Sure, the speeds that LTE networks provide are tempting. Silverman's own testing in the Houston, Texas area shows broadband-like download speeds in the range of 30 - 45 Mbps (Megabits per second), while uploads are commonly in the 15-16 Mbps range. But when streaming a Netflix movie draws down the battery by 50 percent in 30 minutes, it's obvious that those speeds come at a price. Silverman notes that he's "not optimistic" that Apple could get iPhone 4 / 4S-like battery life, even with newer-generation chipsets and an operating system tuned for battery longevity. He also hopes "that any LTE phone Apple offers will come with a setting that turns it off and allows users to drop back to 3G when battery life is more important than raw speed." What do you think? Would you be willing to trade battery life for raw speed? Leave your comments below.
Researchers put smartphones on a power diet, drastically improve battery life
Nokia's Asha handsets already use browser compression to reduce data costs and power consumption for customers in the developing world, but the company's Finnish neighbours over at Aalto University have taken a totally different approach. By using a network proxy to squash traffic into bursts rather than a constant bit rate, and by forcing a smartphone's modem into idle mode between each burst, the researchers claim they can cut 3G power consumption by 74 percent. Now, we're fortunate enough to be surrounded by power outlets over here, but even we could use some of that.
Nokia promises software updates to fix Lumia 800 battery woes
We experienced occasional battery and charging problems when reviewing the Lumia 800, and it looks like others have had issues too. In fact, it's become a sufficiently (un)popular topic on Nokia's support forums to encourage the company to post up a reply, confirming that two software fixes are in the works. The first will target power efficiency and arrive in early December, while the second will follow in January and hopefully improve charging. Only a minority of users are affected, we're told, so it's lucky for them that they're vocal.
Poll: Have you noticed battery improvements after updating to iOS 5.0.1?
Yesterday, Apple pushed out iOS 5.0.1, just about four weeks after releasing iOS 5 to the masses. Among the reported fixes: battery life improvements, following a confirmed bug in the initial release. We're hearing reports that battery life remains an issue for some iPhone 4S owners, however, and that it's been reduced even further for others. We want to hear about your experience, though, so let us know what's up in the poll below, and jump past the break to join other iPhone owners in the comments.%Poll-70860%
Apple confirms iOS 5 bugs causing battery drain, promises a fix 'in a few weeks'
Anecdotal reports have been pouring in since iOS 5 landed that battery life had suddenly dropped off on some people's iPhones. A full 15-percent of you who responded to our poll reported suffering from the issue. Now Apple has officially confirmed that several bugs are negatively affecting battery life. In a statement given to All Things D the Cupertino company acknowledged the problem and said it would "release a software update to address those [bugs] in a few weeks." In recent days the complaints in both the Apple forums and our own tips box have reached a deafening volume but, sadly, Apple isn't offering any temporary work arounds or advice for those constantly attached to a charger. So there you go folks -- Apple is working on it. You're the patient type, right? Update: Well, iOS 5.0.1 Beta, which includes the aforementioned bug fixes, just landed for devs. So Apple isn't just working on it, they've fixed it... theoretically. Lets hope this test run is a bit shorter than expected.
