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i also would like to know proper charging techniques. i have a Galaxy S (1) for almost 2 years now. i can get a full day out of the battery sometimes because i manage the charge cycles efficiently. but i would like to know the best way to keep my S3 (when i get it) going strong. if it doesn't matter then ill leave it plugged in or docked all day!:p
 
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When you get any new phone you must first charge it to full.
Then drain it completely.
Repeat few more times this makes the battery reliable.

later on this can be done on a weekly or a monthly basis.
As it is not possible to risk draining the battery.
One may charge when it is below 10%. and do not disconnect till full charge.
 
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thats how ive always (tried) to treat my batteries. although with the S3 i do plan to buy the official S3 dock w/extra battery. eventually i will get one for my wife and we'll have 3 or maybe even 4 total batteries. i figure that will make it easy to fully charge and discharge the battery in use. first of all i need to get my phone and then i can start monitoring my usage! come on US Cellular!! (i may be the only one on here :D)
 
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When you get any new phone you must first charge it to full.
Then drain it completely.
Repeat few more times this makes the battery reliable.

later on this can be done on a weekly or a monthly basis.
As it is not possible to risk draining the battery.
One may charge when it is below 10%. and do not disconnect till full charge.

Sorry but no need to do that. THe newer batteries don't have memory issues (only digital sensor memory which doesnt affect the battery). Best practice is to top the battery up and dont let it discharge completely as it may damage it.
Just recharge normally and dont worry about it. In fact it may be better to top it up more often and with less charge than to do many deep full discharge and recharge.
 
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if i want to play google music during the day and i want to charge my phone while doing so is it ok to leave the screen on? i like the look of the album art and song info as it is playing. is the charger keeping up with the battery or will that damage my battery? i have done some research on li-ion batteries and it does mention not to let it get to low as it will cause strain and shorten the life.
 
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The only thing that might happen is that the battery and screen might get hot. Batteries getting very hot is not good though so I would watch that. It will lessen the battery life if it keeps getting too hot. Monitor the temp and if you think it is too hot then maybe switch the screen off.
The battery will take longer to charge with the phone working hard as well but I suspect you might not care if you are just sitting around listening to music
 
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thats how ive always (tried) to treat my batteries. although with the S3 i do plan to buy the official S3 dock w/extra battery.

Be informed when you buy the official Samsung dock.

The EDD-D200BEGSTA charges the phone while docked.
The ETC-CP1G6LGSTA only charges the battery, and is ONLY a stand for the phone (no charging dock).
I noticed this while looking at them the other night. I bought the first one off Amazon and saved $16.50.

And to the OP, I just charge mine every night. I've done this for my Droid X for the past 2 years and the battery is just now showing it's age. Two years life for a rechargeable is excellent IMO.
 
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There are many misconceptions and some differing views concerning how to treat li-ion batteries. There's a great article at lifehacker which I highly recommend to read, it explains the basics of li-ion batteries, which of course apply not only to smartphones but to laptops as well. Since I'm a new user I can't post links, but you can find the article if you Google lifehacker and the name "How Often Should I Charge My Gadget's Battery to Prolong Its Lifespan?"
 
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Be informed when you buy the official Samsung dock.

The EDD-D200BEGSTA charges the phone while docked.
The ETC-CP1G6LGSTA only charges the battery, and is ONLY a stand for the phone (no charging dock).
I noticed this while looking at them the other night. I bought the first one off Amazon and saved $16.50.

And to the OP, I just charge mine every night. I've done this for my Droid X for the past 2 years and the battery is just now showing it's age. Two years life for a rechargeable is excellent IMO.

Thanks for the heads-up about the docks, that is unfortunate that the one with the spare battery doesn't charge. What a pointless item. I'll be getting the one that does, for sure.

There are many misconceptions and some differing views concerning how to treat li-ion batteries. There's a great article at lifehacker which I highly recommend to read, it explains the basics of li-ion batteries, which of course apply not only to smartphones but to laptops as well. Since I'm a new user I can't post links, but you can find the article if you Google lifehacker and the name "How Often Should I Charge My Gadget's Battery to Prolong Its Lifespan?"

Thanks, I'm reading it now as this was exactly what I've been confused about :)
 
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Thanks Doit2it. I never really noticed that the spare one didn't charge. Looked on Amazon after I read your post and I can't find it though. Will keep looking! Lol. Still have (estimated) 3 weeks before I get my phone.

Here's where I found it on Amazon, or just search by the model number at Amazon. I ordered mine from Wireless Direct thru Amazon, but you can order direct from Amazon for 90 cents more. There is also an aftermarket brand out there that charges both phone and spare battery.

FYI - The desktop dock does put the phone in dock mode and can be used with some covers.
 
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Thanks Doit2it! Just ordered my dock :).. It will be here long before my phone. Lol. Btw what exactly does "dock mode" do?

It changes to a darker background and the clock intermittently moves on the screen (burn-in prevention?, not really an issue any more). Access to a few apps on the bottom (alarm, music, etc). Probably apps are customizable.


New question for the thread...

Does anyone know if the S3 records stereo audio when recording videos? I've checks the specs on the Samsung/USA and Verizon page, but no info there. Some of the video samples I've seen you can hear wind noise, etc. which may mean the noise cancellation mic is being used as a second channel. Can anyone confirm this?
 
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i have a couple questions. i have not received my S3 yet (us cellular) but feel like i know almost everything about it. lol. i am not familiar with Kies and was wandering if i should download it and learn about it ahead of time so that when i get my phone i can plug it in and get it ready to go? i have read that you can use Kies for setting up music but not sure if that is the better way to go or use Google Play music. also i am not sure how to back up contact info through Google account. any help is appreciated.
 
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