How big a battery is big enough?

estubby · Aug 22, 2013

The Maxx and the Ultra got me thinking: How big of a battery is big enough? The Maxx claims 48 hours talk time and the Ultra claims 28 hours. I'm wondering, isn't 28 hours of talk (13 days of standby) enough?

Most of us just need the phone to make it through one day of HEAVY use with juice to spare. At night we crawl into bed and plop our phones on their chargers. When we awake in the morning we are rested and ready, and our phones, likewise, are energized and ready.

I'm sure there are individuals that NEED a big honking battery... maybe hardcore backpackers or other travelers with no access to outlets for weeks at a time. But, in general, for the masses, shouldn't 28 hours be perfect?

To clarify the turmoil of my inner debate: I know there are more differences between the Maxx and the Ultra, and this isn't necessarily a question of Maxx vs Ultra. This is more of general question about how much battery is enough when shopping for phones.

speede541 · Aug 22, 2013

Talk time? What's that?

Just kidding... I hear what you're saying. I think the answer is in the form of a question: can a phone have to much thickness?

Because I think the real answer is a phone should have as much battery as can be crammed into a shell that you want to live with. Is the Maxx too fat? Is it possible the Ultra is too thin?

I got through my days just fine with my Galaxy Nexus and a charger in the car 99% of the time. But those long days where I was out for a long time, in areas of spotty coverage, or where I was snapping and uploading pics or making calls... well you see where I'm going with it.

I'll bet there are days I can burn through the Ultra's battery, and even days where I can deplete the Maxx.

So if I can cram a bigger battery into a phone and not be offended by its size, why wouldn't I?

estubby · Aug 23, 2013

speede541 said:
So if I can cram a bigger battery into a phone and not be offended by its size, why wouldn't I?

Cost could be a potential deterrent in choosing a phone with a larger battery over a smaller battery. But, since I ignored the whole size issue that comes with a larger battery, ignoring cost is fair.

I have a Samsung Droid Charge and it lives up to its namesake, as in "Charge as often as possible." Like you pointed out, between the charger in my car, the charger at work, and the charger next to my bed, my phone stays juiced. I live in a world of outlets and usb ports; a charge is always an arm's length away.

Constantly charging my Charge is doable, but it's still a bummer. I've been left high and dry at the most inopportune times. I'd be happy with a battery that lasts a whole day, given my typical phone usage. The idea of a phone that might last 2 or 3 days blows my mind.

Compared to my Charge, the Ultra is the Maxx. Compared to my Charge, the Maxx is --like-- a winged narwale.

speede541 · Aug 23, 2013

Yeah, cost is a valid point.

The hundred dollar price premium of the Maxx over the Ultra is split between the extra milliamp hours and 16 gigs of memory, but is also excessive profit.

I'd bet the Ultra would be great for me and my day to day routine, but it's those non-routine days where I'll be appreciative of the cord-freedom of the Maxx.

eraursls1984 · Aug 23, 2013

estubby said:
Most of us just need the phone to make it through one day of HEAVY use with juice to spare.

There is not a phone currently available that will make it through a day of heavy use. I Had a RAZR MAXX, and now have a Note 2, neither would last longer than 8 hours of heavy usage. The RAZR MAXX HD, and new MAXX may have slightly better battery life, but still not enough for true heavy use.

People have different definitions of heavy usage. I see some people claiming 2 days of heavy use on phones that I can only get 2 days of light use on.

Rxpert83 · Aug 23, 2013

If I'm using it constantly,I get about 10%/hour of screen on time with my s3.

And I have to push myself to use the phone for 3-4 hours in a day.

That's not heavy use for most, but I don't know how you guys use your phone that much

jhawkkw · Aug 23, 2013

My usage varies so much day to day depending on what I'm doing. Some days I'll barely tough my phone and I'll only lose about 10-20 % of the battery throughout the whole day. Other days, I'll be using it heavily and it won't last long enough without needing a charger. I had a Gnex and many people complained about bad battery life. You were then faced with one of three options: Use multiple batteries, Use a bigger battery that increased the thickness of the phone, or deal with it. How the phone looks matters very little to me, so I opted for the big battery. I would make that choice again with my Nexus 4 if I was give a choice.

mistermojorizi · Aug 24, 2013

it's not 48 hours of talk time, it's 48 hours of "average use." Regardless, your argument is that we only need enough battery to last 1 day, and not any more. Problem with that is how do you define 1 day of use (how long of a day, what kind of use)? How close to 0% battery life are you willing to get at the end of the day (i don't want the phone shutting off right before i put it on the charger)? Also, do you mean 1 day when the phone is new or 1 day when the phone is close to 2 years old and you're about to upgrade (because batteries degrade quite a bit after 1 year)?

See what i'm getting at? It's like the boyscouts, better to be prepared for various contingencies. I think that 2 days claimed battery of "average use" whatever that is, is probably the *minimum* you'd need to be prepared for just 1 long day (think 8 am for work till 2 am for partying), of frequent playing games, bluetooth, gps, navigation, towards the end of the phones lifecycle (when the battery has substantially degraded).

I mean, my gnex was enough for me for 1 day, most of the time. I don't think i ever saw 3 hours of screen time. I had to buy a new extended battery after 1 year. I had to always be keeping an eye on battery. Limiting full use of the phones features and towards the end of the day thinking about "can i afford the battery to do X?" and "do i really want to push it to 0% or save some juice for emergencies?"

radzer0 · Aug 25, 2013

mistermojorizi said:
it's not 48 hours of talk time, it's 48 hours of "average use." Regardless, your argument is that we only need enough battery to last 1 day, and not any more. Problem with that is how do you define 1 day of use (how long of a day, what kind of use)? How close to 0% battery life are you willing to get at the end of the day (i don't want the phone shutting off right before i put it on the charger)? Also, do you mean 1 day when the phone is new or 1 day when the phone is close to 2 years old and you're about to upgrade (because batteries degrade quite a bit after 1 year)?

See what i'm getting at? It's like the boyscouts, better to be prepared for various contingencies. I think that 2 days claimed battery of "average use" whatever that is, is probably the *minimum* you'd need to be prepared for just 1 long day (think 8 am for work till 2 am for partying), of frequent playing games, bluetooth, gps, navigation, towards the end of the phones lifecycle (when the battery has substantially degraded).

I mean, my gnex was enough for me for 1 day, most of the time. I don't think i ever saw 3 hours of screen time. I had to buy a new extended battery after 1 year. I had to always be keeping an eye on battery. Limiting full use of the phones features and towards the end of the day thinking about "can i afford the battery to do X?" and "do i really want to push it to 0% or save some juice for emergencies?"

With 60% of that usage time counted as screen off bluetooth music streaming.

I think the battery itself in the new maxx is big enough. Now we just need to work on power savings on the actual phones. Screen is where we need to work on getting the newest technology now.

How big a battery is big enough?

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