Develop Bugs

[Q] Is an extended battery / second battery a must?

So, my OG Droid was acting up and my upgrade wasn't due until late july so I decided to purchase a Droid X.
While, I don't have the phone yet, and it is used I was debating whether or not a second battery is necessary as I will have a car charger from my original droid. But, at the same time I have had a second battery with most of my phones for years. But, then again I will most likely be replacing this phone by Sept/Oct the absolute latest.

You might be able to get by on just one battery. It seems the DroidX has one of the best battery lives for Android phones. If you do buy another battery, I would suggest the extended battery. It adds only 1mm to the back of the phone and it gave me around 4-5 hours more battery life than the standard battery. Then you can always have the standard battery on backup if you need some extra juice at the end of the day.

thanks for the tip

On Rubix Focused I can get 24 hours of battery life with heavy use! I have been thinking of getting an extended battery though. It would just be convenient

I have an extended battery and carry the standard battery that came with the DX in my car just in case i ever need to swap..no biggie, convenient.

Hey, I used the BH6X from Motorola and gave me superb life. I got more that 20 hrs (using juice defender) from it. Im now reviewing the 3800mAh that I got off eBay on the X2 forums, you're welcomed to come by since this battery is for both x's. I didnt want to start a whole new thread here in the X forums.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=17751410#post17751410

it really depends how heavily your using your phone and what for
I have 2 Motorola BH5X Standard 1500mAh Batteries I keep on me for backup at all times, which, ever since my sister-in-laws wedding and a trip to disneyland has become the standard for me.
Turns out taking a butt load of pictures and helping my wife manage the people at a wedding required a total of 3 batteries for my phone
Meanwhile, taking a lots of pix at Disneyland with no readily available outlets for my external charger also made 3 batteries the perfect number, especially after recording those late night light shows.
On a regular day though I can stretch out a single battery if I have an outlet for charging nearby or 2 batteries without a charger.
and yeah, I don't restrict data either so that does a number on my charge.

I get around 30 hours on the standard battery but I work from home, doesn't get two hours of streaming use on the way to and from work anymore. When I was driving two hours I would charge it every afternoon on the way home depending on the previous nights use. I also picked up a xoom so I use the phone a lot less now.
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

kafreeman said:
I get around 30 hours on the standard battery
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I am LUCKY to get 7 hours... I had to get a 2nd battery!

I ended up buying a second battery from Amazon for like 5 dollars and a cheap charger for the battery. Anytime I know I'm going to be out for awhile I take the extra battery. It has saved me a bunch of times.

If you're playing games or streaming movies a lot then I would def get one. With moderate use, I get at least 12 hours on mine

I would advice to replace a factory battery with an extended battery.
This one for instance is 3600mAh Extended Battery by Mugen, at least twice the capacity compared to factory battery. Reliable brand as well.
http://www.mugen-power-batteries.co...y-for-motorola-droid-x-with-battery-door.html

I would recommend one if you use your x constantly more than 4 hours in a single use.
Sent from my DROIDX using xda premium

Battery Life Doesn't Matter

(Personal opinion here, of course.)
I don't care about battery life. The battery on the Galaxy Nexus is removable. When my phone is dead, I swap out my battery for another one. Two batteries gets me through ANY day, regardless of usage patterns. Batteries are small and fit in men's and women's pockets easily. They fit in glove boxes, desk drawers, etc. They're portable, lightweight, compact, etc. You can take them almost anywhere.
I purchased the Samsung battery charger kit and haven't looked back. Instead of charging my phone and feeling tethered to my charger all day, I use my phone however I want and swap batteries in/out as I need to, and I only charge my phone overnight while sleeping now. The rest of the time, I only charge my batteries through the charging kit.
All these threads on battery calibration, battery life, etc. just seem unwarranted to me. I'm used to toting a charger around with me, so now I just bring my battery kit (usually it sits in my car, not needed) and if my battery dies, I swap in a fresh one and charge the spare with the kit. This way, I can have my phone on me all the time without worry. If I have no nearby electric outlet I can still take along the extra battery and charge both batteries later. I actually have 3 batteries, if I need them (I can't imagine ever using all 3 in a day).
I don't even use the extended battery. Why fatten up my phone, even if only by a little, if I don't need to do so?
This is food for thought, that's all. Does anyone else just use spare batteries and no longer worry (or even obsess, as I used to do with my Thunderbolt) over squeezing out every drop of battery life? To me, life is easier and better this way.
There's a name for the feeling of not being tethered to your charger all day. I call it freedom. It's awesome.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I see where you are coming from.. What do you think of the battery cover? Is it difficult to work with when swapping batteries and will it last with such frequent use? How do you make sure that your spare battery is always ready (I guess you must be in the habit of always putting it on a charger)?

The battery cover is easy to remove. I ordered two spares when I ordered my battery kit (door covers are only $3 each) in case they wear out over time, which I doubt will happen. Many days I don't even swap batteries, as my phone typically lasts 10-12 hours on the regular battery anyway. I do charge my phone in the car (why not? my phone would just sit there otherwise) which is ~30-45 minutes a day, enough for an extra 20% charge mid-day which helps my battery hit the 10+ hour mark. And if it doesn't, I just swap for a new battery.
The spare is always ready because I always keep it in the charger kit so I can grab it when I'm in need. The kit has a light which turns green when the spare battery is charged to 100%. The light is red otherwise. It's quite handy.
At night I plug in both my phone and the charger kit using the Y cable charger that comes with the kit (allows 2 devices to charge simultaneously on one charger). In the morning, I have my phone and spare, both ready to go.
May I also say, I've impressed a few of my iPhone-using friends with my spare charger kit. They always say "I wish I could do that, but I don't have a removable battery." I lol every time (silently to myself...)
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I completely agree. That and who is really not near a charger ever all day? Maybe a few but hey that's what changeable batteries is for.
I see nothing wrong with improving what we have with calibration and optimization though...

Lol sounds like you are super jaded from using a thunderbolt.
IMHO your logic is flawed. Why not get good battery life on one or two batteries rather than mediocre battery life on two batteries.
You shouldn't have to carry around two batts just to get usability out of our device. Two batteries is for when you demand extra from your device.
Like when I went to New York I carried two batteries for my BB9700. Not because it was a battery hog but because I was GPSing and texting all day and didn't want to be stranded with a dead battery. I ended up using both batteries several times skipping charging both of them one night.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
edit: I get great battery life on this phone btw. I love it and am very happy with its performance.

I do the same thing. Have the extra battery with wall charger and just throw the spare in my pocket if I go anywhere. Like the OP stated I would much rather swap out the battery (if/when needed) and be able to use my phone like I want than worry about trying to conserve it all day.
I haven't had any problems with the battery cover and even if it did I can buy a new one from VZW for $3.25 with my discount ($4.99 retail) so it is a nonissue.
I honestly don't know why so few people do this. And I very rarely even end up using the spare battery, I just like knowing I have it if needed.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

Lithoss said:
I completely agree. That and who is really not near a charger ever all day? Maybe a few but hey that's what changeable batteries is for.
I see nothing wrong with improving what we have with calibration and optimization though...
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Agreed. I read that stuff to be informed, but no longer out of a crazy desire to extend my battery life because I can't live without doing otherwise. It's a nice change.
Again, I'm not saying anyone else has to or should do this. But it makes so much sense to me, and I like to share what works for me to help others who are looking for other options regarding battery life.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

sishgupta said:
Lol sounds like you are super jaded from using a thunderbolt.
IMHO your logic is flawed. Why not get good battery life on one or two batteries rather than mediocre battery life on two batteries.
You shouldn't have to carry around two batts just to get usability out of our device. Two batteries is for when you demand extra from your device.
Like when I went to New York I carried two batteries for my BB9700. Not because it was a battery hog but because I was GPSing and texting all day and didn't want to be stranded with a dead battery. I ended up using both batteries several times skipping charging both of them one night.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
edit: I get great battery life on this phone btw. I love it and am very happy with its performance.
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I'm a realistic type of guy. What I want from my phone and what I get from my phone are two different things. To believe they are the same is literally delusional, by definition. To complain about X Y or Z company not providing me with what I want is also a bit irrational if I know that, given today's technology's limitations, what I want might be asking a bit too much. We must work with what we have. I have spare batteries. I use them, liberally if I need to, and I don't mind doing so.
I don't expect a 4G phone to last all day while I play WWF, browse the web, text constantly, check and compose emails, take photos, transfer data, and make phone calls. To get 3-4 hours of screen on time on one battery is great (to me).
I think carrying an extra battery is being more responsible on my end for my own admitted usage of the phone, rather than complaining that the battery life "sucks" or hacking my phone to get an extra 20% battery life (although I'm not against this at all - it's just more work overall). Instead of blaming Verizon, Google, and/or Samsung, I'm taking ownership of the fact that I use my phone quite a lot, and I'm fine with carrying an extra battery or two. Instead of blaming others for the battery life of my own phone, I take responsibility for it and I provide my own solution. If anything, I'm speaking of personal responsibility. And in said responsibility I've found freedom from the dreaded phone charger. Again, it's a nice freedom to have.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I agree completely with the OP. A second OEM battery and quality wall dock charger are my second accessory purchase with any of my smart phones. The first being a good case.

Having a 2nd or 3rd (or 4th!) battery and/or a charger around shouldn't be a requirement for using your device throughout the day. Sure if you use your phone hard then you're going to be used to having a charger nearby, but it shouldn't be a req if you're a normal user.
I don't think its unreasonable to expect a normal (12 hours) days use out of a device. FWIW most people are getting that (especially GSM users), and I don't think the battery issues are as widespread as people seem to think. There are "omg batterylife" threads in every new device forum.

martonikaj said:
I don't think its unreasonable to expect a normal (12 hours) days use out of a device. FWIW most people are getting that (especially GSM users)
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For sure, I'm happy with this phones battery life (WAY better than the EVO 3D) but I like having the extra charged battery on hand for when I'm traveling.

Lithoss said:
I completely agree. That and who is really not near a charger ever all day? Maybe a few but hey that's what changeable batteries is for.
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I often go a full day without seeing a charger. Sure I could carry one around and hunt for outlets throughout the day, but I don't think that should be a concern. Just want the phone to be reliable.

For what it's worth, I bought an external charger a couple phones back. Just plug in via USB to the phone if it's running low. Really useful when I'm on the train, for example, and I tether wifi for my Xoom. Gets me through the day in a pinch and I don't have to buy a new one with every phone (though I might buy a larger one now given the Galaxy Nexus' bigger battery).
Also, I usually plug the phone in while at my desk and always charge overnight. But I use the hell out of my phone
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

I have to agree with Martonikaj I'm afraid. Its a phone, just because you CAN swap out the batteries doesn't mean you should HAVE to to get reasonable usage life.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk

I disagree with the OP for having 2nd, 3rd batteries in order to use it properly based on user usage pattern.
First, define your usage pattern then try to optimize the battery to support that.
My usage pattern requires to have at least 3 and a half our screen time, and charge the phone once every two days, before I went to sleep (or during the night).
And this phone battery can do that without any problem ...
So, I don't need second battery ... and I am ordering the 2000mAH extended battery for GSM model. Having extra 250mAH is nice, it's a bonus for additional 30 minutes screen time! ... while still having the same look and thin device profile

Hey guys can someone recommend a good place to buy a second battery and charger if needed? Is it worth getting the extended battery and do I need to buy a different back cover if I purchase one? I am in Australia so was thinking eBay might be my best bet? Cheers

I do the same as the OP. I have three batteries that I rotate through. The OEM Samsung battery that came with the phone and two 1900mah batteries that I bought from eBay (which aren't too bad by the way) . I don't ever have to plug in my phone anymore because most of the time I have two fully charged batteries ready to go. I get on average between 12-15 hours on a single charge as it is with pretty good use, so I'm not worried about my phone dying, its just more convenient.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Joshaldo said:
Hey guys can someone recommend a good place to buy a second battery and charger if needed? Is it worth getting the extended battery and do I need to buy a different back cover if I purchase one? I am in Australia so was thinking eBay might be my best bet? Cheers
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What about if there is going to be an official larger battery for it?

Just bought two off of eBay for $11, bargain. Hopefully they will do the job. Can keep one in the car and one at work, I should never run out of battery

Super Chimp said:
What about if there is going to be an official larger battery for it?
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I am pretty sure i saw an official Samsung extended battery 3000mah with battery door cover on eBay for the GSM version . I think it was around $35-$40.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

[Q] Connecting Nexus 4 to Nexus 7 with USB

I'm going to get a Nexus 7 2013 next week, and I got a Nexus 4, so I'm between getting the 4G version or just grab de WiFi one, my main concern is not being able to use the phone to share 3G/4G to my tablet because my battery is already too low or won't last the time I want it to last (example watching a 3 hours movie/documentary).
The question is, Can I connect the phone to the tablet with a MicroUSB cable, and get my Nexus 4 to charge from my Nexus 7?
Or would that be a complete disaster.

That wouldn't work. I'm reasonably sure that micro-usb ports can't output power. It probably wouldn't be a disaster to try though...

Just grab a battery pack. When you WiFi share 4G, it'll burn through the phone battery quick. I only do it if I know I'll be around power.
When I travel, I've sometimes spend all day in airports and once had depleted all my devices during travel. I since picked up a little USB battery charger that I now carry with me. It allows you to charge a tablet like 3 times. Essential for travel and emergencies.
Pick up a decent one, like a name brand. The cheap Chinese ones never last long. I have a Duracell but energizer and other make them. Great for backpacking or camping where you can turn off your device but carry extra power for emergencies.
Phones and tablets never output power.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using XDA Premium 4 mobile app

The 2013 N7 can supply power to otg devices, but that wouldnt matter.
The N4 has a 2100mAh battery and the 2013 N7 has a 3950mAh one, it would take the majority of the N7's battery to charge a N4 (or any other phone) to full.
Not to mention that it would take all day to charge it too, it's possible not but at all feasable.

Yup I did some testing and I can do 3 hours 21 minutes of 3G tethering via WiFI, maybe I could get some more out of it, but considering the phone will never be at 100% battery when I'm out, I might find an external battery as mentioned above, or go with the 4G model. To be honest it's 80 € more, and with 80€ I could probably buy a decent external battery, but at the same time is 1 more gadget to carry around.
Thanks all for the feedback, help and suggestions. If someone thinks of more options say so People is brilliant sometimes when it comes to crazy ideas.

portable battery pack with solar panel?

im looking to buy a backup battery pack( the external portable battery)
not sure what the proper name for it
is there a battery pack that can last me 5-7 hours of continuous use ( for example on an airplane or camping) watching movies etc
i saw some at the airport on best buy vending machine but they were kinda expensive
so is there one with solar panel
and if there is one what is the best band for the buck
capacity. solar charging speed etc
somewhere in 60-150 dollar rance maybe?

fuzzysig said:
im looking to buy a backup battery pack( the external portable battery)
not sure what the proper name for it
is there a battery pack that can last me 5-7 hours of continuous use ( for example on an airplane or camping) watching movies etc
i saw some at the airport on best buy vending machine but they were kinda expensive
so is there one with solar panel
and if there is one what is the best band for the buck
capacity. solar charging speed etc
somewhere in 60-150 dollar rance maybe?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The one with solar panel is a joke. You need direct sunlight and it will be charging for a day, waste of money.
You are looking for external battery. Those are inexpensive, I reviewed a ton of those (did you see a sticky at the top of the forum with all my reviews?). Or you can check out link directly from my signature.
Best one, the most popular brand on amazon hundreds/thousands of 5-star reviews, which I have reviewed is by Anker. For what you are looking, you should get the highest capacity which is also compact enough for traveling. For $50 you either get new gen Astro 3, 12000 mAh (http://www.amazon.com/12000mAh-External-Battery-Technology-Smartphones/dp/B00CEZBKTO/) or older Astro E5, 15000 mAh (http://www.amazon.com/15000mAh-Portable-Ultra-High-Capacity-External/dp/B00D5T3QK4/). Don't know what phone you have, but most likely these will be 6x-7x capacity of your phone battery. So we are talking about at least a day or so of continuous use with your phone Read my reviews to find out which one you like better.

thanks man i didnt even know they could go that long i was expecting 4-6 hours of continuous use.
i have galaxy s3 right now
and with that in mind i wanted the solar panel so i can leave it trickle charging while its sitting unused.
i dont plan to use it every day just when im away from charger on long trips when using navigation or airplane and such.
or camping for several days with no electrical outlets around
how bad is the solar charging on them
can yougive me an idea for example if i would leave it in the sun for a day ( sunny day)

fuzzysig said:
thanks man i didnt even know they could go that long i was expecting 4-6 hours of continuous use.
i have galaxy s3 right now
and with that in mind i wanted the solar panel so i can leave it trickle charging while its sitting unused.
i dont plan to use it every day just when im away from charger on long trips when using navigation or airplane and such.
or camping for several days with no electrical outlets around
how bad is the solar charging on them
can yougive me an idea for example if i would leave it in the sun for a day ( sunny day)
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Click to collapse
From everything I've read, you have to leave it in direct sunlight for many hours just to recharge it back to 50%. Almost doesn't seem worth it.

Here is one i'm thinking of trying.
G power, power bank power modular.
power bank with 6000mAh upto 42000mAh or more, with included solar panel charger on the move.
ignore the 20 second advertising in the video.
http://v.youku.com/v_show/id_XNjQzMzAwMDE2.html

I have a battery pack with solar...Useless I will say. Charging the pack goes quicker on direct ac than leaving it in the sun, charges extremely slow. I regret purchasing and does not even hold a charge that long.

[Q] New battery Maguro: where are we at?

Hi all,
I've been looking around for a new phone for about a month now, with one main goal: to get a better battery life than my Samsung Galaxy Nexus (maguro) provides. I would really love to find a phone that I would not have to charge every day, like in the good old days of my Nokia 3210! The screen could be a bit bigger, but thats a secundary goal....
I am finding it very, very hard to make a choice. Of course there are phones out there that can give me more power (and bigger), like the Lenovo K920, the Huawei Ascend Mate7 or the Sony Xperia Z3, but they also cost around 400 euro's. I understand these prices, because these phones also give you a bigger screen, with more pixels, a better camera, more RAM and ROM and a faster processor etc. But actually, at the moment, I don't really need all of that. I am content with the size of my gnex, I use it to browse, whatsapp and occasionally to stream something to my tv. I don't play big games or use a lot of social media. And thanks to FML, I can almost get a stock version of Lollipop on my gnex, which is nice.
Can't I just buy a bigger battery and be done with it for a while, make it last another 6 months? I still have the stock 1750 mAh battery in my gnex it came with, there must be something better available?
I have 3 questions:
1) what is the best battery replacement at the moment that fits inside the original gnex backdoor?
2) what are my options if I am willing to settle for a backdoor that is a bit bigger?
3) are there any smartphones out there that focus solely on battery life? I haven't found them, but there surely must be a market for a smartphone that has a great battery life, and a decent (average) camera, screenquality, processor etc?

To solve my gnex battery issues I simply bought 2 replaceable batteries and a battery charger. At the time this cost me about $12 off ebay. This works best for me as then I never have to actually charge my phone with a micro usb charger (arguably the micro usb port is the weakest and most likely part of a gnex to break) and can just charge the batteries separately; leaving my phone mobile and not stuck to a wall for hours at a time. When I go out I put a spare charged battery in my wallet to swap it out when my battery runs low. It's also great when travelling as places to charge a phone are more limited but having a separate charger means you can use a sneaky power port without leaving your phone.
I haven't looked into getting a larger or 'better' battery personally, however one of my friends bought one that required a fatter backing case (at the time the biggest battery for gnex) and he said that could last him the whole day but meant he couldn't use any of the gnexus cases.
Quick note about gnexus batteries: The NFC chip for a galaxy nexus is built into the battery (don't ask me why), if your buying a cheap battery it will most likely not have NFC unless it's an official samsung gnexus battery from samsung. Not sure how much this effects you, I personally don't use NFC let alone find it important enough to warrant an extra $30 per battery.

IanCoves said:
To solve my gnex battery issues I simply bought 2 replaceable batteries and a battery charger. At the time this cost me about $12 off ebay. This works best for me as then I never have to actually charge my phone with a micro usb charger (arguably the micro usb port is the weakest and most likely part of a gnex to break) and can just charge the batteries separately; leaving my phone mobile and not stuck to a wall for hours at a time. When I go out I put a spare charged battery in my wallet to swap it out when my battery runs low. It's also great when travelling as places to charge a phone are more limited but having a separate charger means you can use a sneaky power port without leaving your phone.
I haven't looked into getting a larger or 'better' battery personally, however one of my friends bought one that required a fatter backing case (at the time the biggest battery for gnex) and he said that could last him the whole day but meant he couldn't use any of the gnexus cases.
Quick note about gnexus batteries: The NFC chip for a galaxy nexus is built into the battery (don't ask me why), if your buying a cheap battery it will most likely not have NFC unless it's an official samsung gnexus battery from samsung. Not sure how much this effects you, I personally don't use NFC let alone find it important enough to warrant an extra $30 per battery.
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thank you for your extensive reaction, but alas: I've retired my great gnex. My micro USB port did cave in, and I could only charge putting the phone in an upright position. I could have used it fine, but I got the chance to get a Huawei Ascend Mate 7 cheap, and it is holding it's own so far: 3 days and 3 hours on one charge and still I have 13% left!