LTE causing battery life problems

[pyroscott]

When 3G was first introduced, it seemed like battery life plummeted because 3G service was spotty and the phones were always trying to connect to 3G while they were already connected to 2G and voice. Now it seems that many LTE users are having troubles with LTE draining their batteries prematurely. 4G coverage has not developed fully and service is spotty. Unless the user wants to continually switch their 4G radio on and off, they face the decision of fast connection or battery life. Fast Phones, Dead Batteries points out that Android and windows phone manufacturers have the opportunity of offering LTE enabled handsets before Apple comes out with a LTE handset, but some buyers are shying away due to other buyer's complaints about spotty service and atrocious battery life. It will get better as more and more towers are converted to LTE, just like when 3G was rolled out. We will all have to suffer through it for now, or fall back on 3G speeds and shut off our LTE radio for now.

[S4GRU]

That is an interesting article. It's not something I had really considered when I think about how poor battery performance is with 4G devices.

 

I just moved to a new house last month. I'm much closer to a Sprint tower now. I now always have full bars with a -65dBm to -72dBm signal. I used to have a -91dBm to -96dBm signal. My battery life has improved about 30% to 40% with the move to a better signal. In standby, my E4GT will only use about a third of it's battery life in a full day. My work BlackBerry is even more dramatic than that. I last charged it up on Friday during the work day. Right now it still is at 75%.

 

When it comes to battery life, there is no substitute for a good strong signal. And 4G would be no exception to that.

 

Thanks for posting the article!

[Sgt. Slaughter]

You should wait and see the results of Qualcomm's new S4 based chips when they start being put in devices later this year. They have been able to embed the LTE modem directly on the die of the chip which according to them will help greatly with both battery life and also performance.

Currently no one else is offering this nor from what i've read has even planned to do this.

 

MWC coming up at the end of this month and then CTIA a little later after should have some devices with these chips in them and be able to give some better specs on battery life and such.

 

Signal is everything though too, esp with phones these days. lower signal typically results in lower speeds, which will also in turn make your device work longer to get the same amount of data/information.

[S4GRU]

You should wait and see the results of Qualcomm's new S4 based chips when they start being put in devices later this year. They have been able to embed the LTE modem directly on the die of the chip which according to them will help greatly with both battery life and also performance.

Currently no one else is offering this nor from what i've read has even planned to do this.

 

MWC coming up at the end of this month and then CTIA a little later after should have some devices with these chips in them and be able to give some better specs on battery life and such.

 

Signal is everything though too, esp with phones these days. lower signal typically results in lower speeds, which will also in turn make your device work longer to get the same amount of data/information.

 

I must be a major dork. Reading this got me really excited! Thanks for the post.

[Sgt. Slaughter]

Yeah they didn't give any real #'s for improvements expected but heres a link to one of the vid's they talk some about it along with some other stuff they are working on, on the side like facial recognition...

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/12/live-from-the-engadget-ces-stage-an-interview-with-qualcomm/

 

and another post about it.

 

http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/13/qualcomm-snapdragon-s4-msm8960-development-tablet-hands-on-vide/

[legion125]

The next leap will have to be battery performance, you can only squeeze so much efficiency out of a chip set unless we start talking Star Trek stuff which is a couple of centuries ahead. I read an article last year where GM and other companies are starting to squeeze battery makers to make improvements and R&D dollars are starting to flow, at least on the car battery side for hybrids. Now if the OEM's and carriers would start making some noise on their side.

[S4GRU]

The next leap will have to be battery performance, you can only squeeze so much efficiency out of a chip set unless we start talking Star Trek stuff which is a couple of centuries ahead. I read an article last year where GM and other companies are starting to squeeze battery makers to make improvements and R&D dollars are starting to flow, at least on the car battery side for hybrids. Now if the OEM's and carriers would start making some noise on their side.

 

Mirasol displays and nano battery technology will extend battery life in the average smartphone and tablet to days and weeks. Mirasol displays will be on the market in a big way very soon. Nano batteries are another 24 to 36 months.

[pyroscott]

Mirasol displays and nano battery technology will extend battery life in the average smartphone and tablet to days and weeks. Mirasol displays will be on the market in a big way very soon. Nano batteries are another 24 to 36 months.

 

I'm not overly optimistic that we will ever see more than a day or two as the phones are just going to get more powerful. If the mid-range devices adopt some of this tech, they might get some really good life.

[S4GRU]

 

I'm not overly optimistic that we will ever see more than a day or two as the phones are just going to get more powerful. If the mid-range devices adopt some of this tech' date=' they might get some really good life.[/quote']

 

If I could get 24 to 48 hours of heavy usage on a 4G smartphone, I'd be stoked. I wouldn't need more than that.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

[pyroscott]

 

If I could get 24 to 48 hours of heavy usage on a 4G smartphone, I'd be stoked. I wouldn't need more than that.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

very true

 

Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk

[Sgt. Slaughter]

If I could get 24 to 48 hours of heavy usage on a 4G smartphone, I'd be stoked. I wouldn't need more than that.

 

S4GRU is now mobile...posted via Forum Runner

 

Well when manufacturers start thinking a little more like how Moto did with the Razor Max you'll get closer to it. Can't tell you how much it boggles my mind that they continue to try to make phones so freaking thin but in the process still leave a "bump out" on the back for where the camera is and such. Make the back flush and battery bigger and that solves a good chunk of battery life...

[legion125]

The thinness craze does seem to be getting out of hand for some models, no matter how convenient it is for your pocket. Those phones could handle a bigger battery, but if we'll probably see a smaller camera one day that will make the phones even thinner.

[pyroscott]

Well when manufacturers start thinking a little more like how Moto did with the Razor Max you'll get closer to it. Can't tell you how much it boggles my mind that they continue to try to make phones so freaking thin but in the process still leave a "bump out" on the back for where the camera is and such. Make the back flush and battery bigger and that solves a good chunk of battery life...

I agree, not to mention there are always some battery-makers out there that manage to squeeze a higher capacity battery into the same size battery as the stock one. I would prefer that the camera is recessed instead of like the Evo 3D where the phone rests on the camera when it is not cased.

[S4GRU]

I agree on all this. Anything skinnier than the GSII series is gimmicky. Its not practical. And super thin phones are awkward to hold and type on.

 

Give me more battery capacity over ultra thinness. And the RAZR MAXX now proves what can be done with today's technology.

 

And since we all are looking at a battery life hit with LTE coming up, I want more battery!!!

 

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