Engadget finally does their battery run down "test"

**sabbys** · 05-13-2012, 08:35 PM

I still have issues with their methods, but they do get referenced a lot.

The synopsis:

Update: We finally put the EVO 4G LTE through our usual battery rundown test (looping a video with brightness and volume set to 50%, Bluetooth disabled, WiFi turned on but not connected and CDMA plus LTE enabled) and the phone lasted eight hours and 55 minutes, just like AT&T's One X -- this despite a larger 2000mAh battery (vs. 1800mAh on its cousin) and a strong CDMA signal. The difference is likely due to the LTE radio being enabled without a network available. We were unable to test HD Voice because the feature is not expected to start rolling out on Sprint's network until "late 2012", according to a spokesperson. Regular calls, however, sounded clear on both ends and reception was problem free.

I love that "likely due to the LTE radio being enabled without a network available" - DUH. But still 8:55 is pretty good with their quite synthetic test.

sabbys

**imranmali3** · 05-13-2012, 08:49 PM

Thanks for the post! Also note, the smart android user, who needs to squeeze out every ounce of battery life, why would he/she leave wifi & lte on? When I use it, it will be one or the other (or 3g if chicago rollouts are delayed).

**p2cactus** · 05-13-2012, 09:57 PM

Hey, I'll take 9 hours of playback. I seriously think the best I ever got out of my OG Evo was ~3. 3x improvement!

**errbin** · 05-14-2012, 12:01 AM

I hate Edgadget reviews & their podcast is even worse there's no reason to have the wifi and lte on if its not connected

**541rrhse** · 05-14-2012, 02:26 AM

Originally Posted by errbin

I hate Edgadget reviews & their podcast is even worse there's no reason to have the wifi and lte on if its not connected

+1

engadget is below average.

**experiment 626** · 05-14-2012, 05:55 AM

Has anyone done a review with the specific purpose of getting the best battery life possible? By that I mean: No LTE signal searching, no WiFi, and no BT. I have no idea why all these early reviews continue to have the EVO 4G LTE with the LTE/CDMA network setting turned on.

**shadowhawk2020** · 05-14-2012, 06:56 AM

I always thought leaving a radio on but unconnected was the worst thing you could do for a battery. With that said, I bet they would get another hour at least...

**AlternetConcept** · 05-14-2012, 08:43 AM

Well in all fairness I'm sure some people out there just leave there bluetooth on like myself for those who have it automatically pair with there car or other devices rather than having to always turn it on and off... I know I cannot be the only one that leaves on BT... other than that... yeah I agree that LTE and wifi should be turned off

9 hrs is respectable considering they said that it was a video that was constantly running... so those who don't use there phones that hardcore should even get more hours yes?

**shadowhawk2020** · 05-14-2012, 09:05 AM

Screen on kills the battery fast, so you should get more hours out of your phone.

I don't have a problem with them leaving on Bluetooth and WiFi. Those two things are consistent across all the phones they test. But, who would leave LTE on when there is no LTE around at all? Only if you make a mistake.

I also don't remember anyone making this big a deal about the iPhones lack of functioning 4g when they review their phones.

**Mikey47** · 05-14-2012, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by shadowhawk2020

who would leave LTE on when there is no LTE around at all? Only if you make a mistake.

95% of all users (only those 5% of us who hang around places like this on the internet know to turn it off).

I am hoping, for the sake of those 95%, that Sprint ships these devices in CDMA only mode for network connectivity.

**DougB541#CB** · 05-14-2012, 09:13 AM

Originally Posted by shadowhawk2020

Screen on kills the battery fast, so you should get more hours out of your phone.

I don't have a problem with them leaving on Bluetooth and WiFi. Those two things are consistent across all the phones they test. But, who would leave LTE on when there is no LTE around at all? Only if you make a mistake.

I also don't remember anyone making this big a deal about the iPhones lack of functioning 4g when they review their phones.

Because 4G wasn't ubiqutous. If you remember early Sprint 4G reviews they praised the speed.

But the issue now is Verizon and AT&T have fast and widespread LTE right now, TMobile's HSPA+ blazes past Sprint's 3G speeds....Sprint's new flagship doesn't connect to their old 4G network...and most likely, iphone 5 will be 4G. So its a weird situation.

**DougB541#CB** · 05-14-2012, 09:16 AM

But on note on the battery...just as i expected.

**BigPuddin** · 05-14-2012, 09:37 AM

I think it's great to know that using the phone in the least efficient manner possible got them almost 9 hours of battery life.

Originally Posted by shadowhawk2020

I also don't remember anyone making this big a deal about the iPhones lack of functioning 4g when they review their phones.

The iPhone never touted 4G functionality.

**experiment 626** · 05-14-2012, 09:46 AM

Originally Posted by BigPuddin

I think it's great to know that using the phone in the least efficient manner possible got them almost 9 hours of battery life.

True. I've been very impressed by the performance of the S4 processor so far.

**aldenoneil** · 05-14-2012, 11:50 AM

One of the authors says in the comments: "Way more than 12 hours of moderate use -- about 24-36 hours."

I'm O.K. with that.

**Jackson Galaxy** · 05-14-2012, 11:57 AM

Originally Posted by aldenoneil

One of the authors says in the comments: "Way more than 12 hours of moderate use -- about 24-36 hours."

I'm O.K. with that.

I concur.

**Robbzilla** · 05-14-2012, 12:03 PM

Originally Posted by Mikey47

95% of all users (only those 5% of us who hang around places like this on the internet know to turn it off).

I am hoping, for the sake of those 95%, that Sprint ships these devices in CDMA only mode for network connectivity.

Original reports showed that Sprint intended to have their LTE phones shipped with LTE shut off.

**errbin** · 05-14-2012, 01:27 PM

Originally Posted by aldenoneil

One of the authors says in the comments: "Way more than 12 hours of moderate use -- about 24-36 hours."

I'm O.K. with that.

I can live with 12+ hours

**BigDinCA** · 05-14-2012, 01:38 PM

Excellent thread. Thanks for the link. Oh wait.......

**shadowhawk2020** · 05-14-2012, 01:51 PM

lazy.

**BigDinCA** · 05-14-2012, 02:36 PM

Originally Posted by shadowhawk2020

lazy.

I know. I'm ridiculous to expect a thread and subsequent conversation about another website to actually have a link posted. Nobody else on this site ever posts a link and very few websites themselves actually use links. The more I think about it the more it seems that Hypertext Transfer Protocol is stupid, just on principle.

I hope at this point you have recognized the sarcasm. But thanks for the link, except your link just goes to engadget's home page, not the actual page this thread refers to. Here's the correct link, should anyone need it.

**DougB541#CB** · 05-14-2012, 02:45 PM

really?

**BigDinCA** · 05-14-2012, 02:50 PM

Yep.

**Glenn** · 05-14-2012, 09:25 PM

Originally Posted by AlternetConcept

Well in all fairness I'm sure some people out there just leave there bluetooth on like myself for those who have it automatically pair with there car or other devices rather than having to always turn it on and off... I know I cannot be the only one that leaves on BT... other than that... yeah I agree that LTE and wifi should be turned off

9 hrs is respectable considering they said that it was a video that was constantly running... so those who don't use there phones that hardcore should even get more hours yes?

I leave my Bluetooth on all the time, and answer my phone with my Bluetooth headset, which is usually either sitting on the desk next to the phone, or in a carrying pouch. I like not having one of my hand tied to answer the phone, with extended calls causing pain in my ear with the phone pressed up against me.

**sabbys** · 05-14-2012, 09:31 PM

Originally Posted by BigDinCA

Excellent thread. Thanks for the link. Oh wait.......

First of all, there was already a thread titled "EVO LTE reviews" (updated to "EVO LTE reviews (latest: Droid Life 5/14)" after I posted this thread). I did not want to create a redundant review discussion - I wanted to start a discussion on Engadget's updated battery test.

Second, I created this post so I would not start a second discussion branch on the above mentioned thread.

Third I felt this was newsworthy enough item for a topic of discussion in and of itself.

Forth, I pasted the whole text of the battery test portion of the review from Engadget's site:

a) so people would not have to jump out of my post to read that section and return to this thread to discuss it.
b) because not knowing for sure how to get an # or "go-to" link to that section of text from the review page, a link would just drop folks at the top with them having to scroll themselves to find the relevant section.

Fifth, I thought that if someone was piqued regarding the review itself they might have seen the proper thread that already had all links which had been up for a couple of days and had been staying at the top for quite a while (see first point).

Sixth, the target audience was addressed to those who had already read aforementioned thread containing all the necessary links.

Last, in adding a general Engadget link that would send folks out to that page I was concerned that a general Engadget review discussion would occur here where that was not the intention.

sabbys