Frustrated with Charging the HTC One in the Car

[TJGEsq]

I am so frustrated with the HTC One!

When I'm using navigation (Google Maps), I cannot keep my phone charged. This is my first Android experience (used various iPhones for the last 5 years), and so far I am bummed, as this never happened with the iPhone.

I travel a lot for my job. For example, today I had to drive several hundred miles and needed GPS navigation to get there. Here's what I experienced: The phone began charging extremely slow, but at least it was charging. After about 20 minutes of being plugged in while using navigation, I gained just 1%. Then, I began losing charge. It began dropping about 1% every 20-30 minutes (bear in mind, the phone is still plugged in and supposedly charging). After roughly 90 minutes of driving I noticed that my phone was no longer charging (i.e., it was plugged in, but there was no battery animation indicating that it was charging). Additionally, the phone was ridiculously hot. It was so hot, I held it up to the AC vent for about 15 minutes. I then noticed that the phone indicated that it was charging again. So long as I occasionally held it to the AC, I could pretty much maintain my charge during the trip.

In my opinion, this is unacceptable. I can plug my iPhone into my charger with just 2% battery left, turn on navigation, play music, etc., and 90 minutes later my iPhone will be fully charged. Moreover, I can leave navigation turned on continuously and for hours and hours (probably indefinitely) without any problems. I expect somewhat similar results from the HTC One, but it's not even close. I began with about 35% battery, and ended my trip several hours later with about 35% battery. And I only got those results because I held the phone to the AC vent every 30 minutes or so, and because I occasionally turned off the screen.

As an FYI, I realize that larger batteries take longer to charge, and that the HTC One's screen requires more power than an iPhone's screen. I've also searched around the net for answers, so I know that the HTC One may or may not allow for rapid charging (I've read both), and I know that some chargers only charge in USB mode, as opposed to others that charge in AC mode. I tried about 7 different chargers, and kept two that charge in AC mode. One of them is 1 amp, and the other is 3.1 amps. My results are the same with both. I don't notice any improvement when using the 3.1 amp charger (which again, is in AC mode).

Is there a solution to this fiasco? I rely on my phone's navigation on a regular basis, and I expect to be able to leave the phone plugged in with navigation (and screen) turned on all day if necessary, and without having to hold the phone to the AC vent while driving 70 mph on interstate highways. Had I known about this issue before purchasing the HTC One, I never would have bought it.

Any suggestions will be appreciated!

 

[bbinder]

Mine got hot initially when I started using it. I'm not blaming the ROM, but some of the stuff for me almost depended on what I was using, or so it seemed. I just found that my heat issues completely disappeared when moving to a ROM other than what my phone came with. Now, for some people it's not an option and I get that - just throwing it out there for anyone to read I guess. Should you need a custom ROM to do what you are asking? Of course not - of course not. I've been using Google Maps or Waze (since I find others simply are not worth paying for) with mine and the screen-dimming between turns has been pretty nice when it comes to saving a little bit of battery.

That being said, when I had my iPhone 4 (went from that to this) I HAD to use a 2 amp charger, minimum if I was going on and off my cellular network because it chewed through battery life like crazy when it couldn't get the cellular data signals in a reliable fashion. Even then, I used the AC outlet in my vehicle to plug in a 2.1 charger that actually worked better at keeping the phone charged than the DC one I was using from my lighter socket.

So, similar experiences anyway, but with a different phone. With the One, I do feel that it does go through battery quickly when using GPS, but I don't get the heat issues anymore, and I keep mine housed in a mophie case, which adds more bulk and insulation than likely any other case, aside from ones made from Otter. I just don't have the heat issues though. Battery doesn't really drain - like you were saying - it just stands still overall and doesn't move in one direction versus another. I could likely try it again and see what my results are with going a long distance and just keeping it on to see what my results are.

I usually run Waze/Google Maps and then Play Music app as well. The rest of my apps are manually shut down so that they aren't polling network information or anything else. Does it help if you have everything closed down while you are using it? Are you trying to talk on the phone as well while using GPS navigation?

 

[TJGEsq]

Hi. Thanks for the response.

Does Google Maps allow for screen dimming? I didn't see that option. Or are you referring to Waze? You also mentioned chewing through data. I wonder if that could be a culprit. Is there a way to download a route on Google Maps?

You asked: "Does it help if you have everything closed down while you are using it? Are you trying to talk on the phone as well while using GPS navigation?"

No to both. At one point, I turned my phone off (and left it off for 10 minutes), then turned it back on and had the same problems. So there shouldn't have been many other apps or processes running. I wasn't trying to talk on the phone. I was either listening to the music app, or listening to an audiobook on the Overdrive app (neither uses cellular data), while using the navigation.

I was thinking that perhaps a custom rom could solve this problem. But I've only had this phone for 3 weeks, and it's my first Android, so I'm still trying to get used to the basics ... seems too early for me to root, install custom roms, etc. I don't even really know about the pros and cons yet). But I used to jailbreak my iPhone, so I'm no stranger to screwing around with that type of thing.

 

[freakshow999]

Mine does get a bit warm while running GPS and Google Navigation. I initially had a problem with my old car charger. The One kept saying it was an incompatible charger and wouldn't charge at normal rate which it didn't. It was actually loosing charge like you mentioned. After going through several of my chargers, I have a few B-), I ends up buying a compatible charger at AT&T which seemed to fix the problem. It does not charge as fast while on GPS as my past android phones had. But I haven't been over heating like you have either. I'm on a custom Rom overclocked to 2.05 on 4.2.2 base. When I turn on battery saver it charges much faster in the car even when GPS is on. You may want to try turning it on and seeing how that works out for you as a test.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4

 

[cadzilla74]

Unless you have a Verizon ONE which inexplicably does not have Power Saver option you should turn it on. It will dim the screen a bit so might not be the best setting for bright daylight driving or if you're wearing sunglasses. but it will definitely reduce battery drain and it does seem to charge faster on that setting.

That being said, I didn't use Power Saver on my AT&T ONE and started out with 50% battery on an hour long drive with screen on full bright and nothing turned off. At the end of the hour my phone was slightly warmer than if it had just been on a charging brick the whole time. I was up to 67% charge on the phone even with Navigator running and full screen brightness the whole time. My car charger is a relatively expensive one that can "supposedly" deliver 1.5mA (I've never measured it). I have had "bad" ones in the past where my old Thunderbolt would continue to discharge even while plugged in and navigating and came to find out they were restricting charging flow to .5mA which is basically the same trickle charge you'd get from a USB 2.0 port on a PC or laptop. Barely enough to just maintain current battery charge when transferring files or tethering as opposed to using GPS, data and display simultaneously in the car while navigating.

It sounds like the best thing you can do is bite the bullet and get a high quality car charger that has internal circuitry built in to provide a high current flow instead of an inexpensive one that restricts current to prevent their cheap wires from melting and setting your car on fire.

Your mileage may vary.

 

[frank000333]

Replace your charger and you'll be ok. I use a verizon charger and it charges my phone just fine. I usually hook up my phone to my radio with an auxiliary cable so i have music playing off my phone and have navigation on at the same time.

You can always turn off the screen to your phone and just listen to spoken directions from the navigation app and your phone won't drain as fast.

 

[dragonsamus]

Replace your charger and you'll be ok. I use a verizon charger and it charges my phone just fine. I usually hook up my phone to my radio with an auxiliary cable so i have music playing off my phone and have navigation on at the same time.

You can always turn off the screen to your phone and just listen to spoken directions from the navigation app and your phone won't drain as fast.

I too use a VZW car charger that I initially bought for my incredible. It charges my phone during long navigation use. I also have a universal vent mount that I attach my one too. The a.c. keeps the phone cool and it's in a visible location. I believe the vent mount is made by rocket fish. I bought it from a best buy mobile store in the mall. You should get one and a different charger.

Sent from my HTC One using AC Forums mobile app

 

[freakshow999]

Well I ran my One tonight for 30 minutes with Google Navigation on as well as high quality streaming with Google Play. No warning at all started at 100% charge and stayed that way. It's around 80-85 degrees in my car I have no a/c. :-D

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4

 

[cadzilla74]

I too use a VZW car charger that I initially bought for my incredible. It charges my phone during long navigation use. I also have a universal vent mount that I attach my one too. The a.c. keeps the phone cool and it's in a visible location. I believe the vent mount is made by rocket fish. I bought it from a best buy mobile store in the mall. You should get one and a different charger.

Sent from my HTC One using AC Forums mobile app

Good call! I also use a vent mount here in TX (about 10 minutes from the surface of the Sun). It definitely helps to have the AC blowing on the phone full time! I also agree it's good for viewing because it's easy to glance at but not in direct sunlight.

 

[AlexCp]

Yeah, vent mount is the way to go. The only way on my Tundra.
Anyone with good, high quality car charger suggestions? I am on my second charger and, obviously, still buying the wrong ones.

 

[andriver]

Yeah, vent mount is the way to go. The only way on my Tundra.
Anyone with good, high quality car charger suggestions? I am on my second charger and, obviously, still buying the wrong ones.

I have used some of the Chinese chargers on amazon. They do not work well. I finally bought one from the ATT store and it charges correctly at 4.2V.

 

[losergeek]

I noticed the same thing with mine when travelling a couple weeks ago - tried three chargers that I had in the car at the time and they were all losing power when I was running google maps and listening to podcasts at the same time. It's not a huge deal for me since I don't travel much, but I had been thinking at the time that the answer would probably be to get a GPS app that runs in offline mode (ie. downloaded maps) so that you're not using data and GPS at the same time. Haven't personally tried it, but it might be worth looking into.

 

[TJGEsq]

Maybe the problem is the charger, though none were cheap (not sure where anybody got that idea). I've tried every single charger that Best Buy, Radio Shack and Walmart sell (one or two of which cost $30). I'll be glad to try something sold by AT&T. I'll buy one today and let you know the results.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[garublador]

The issue is that there isn't one standardized way for phones to recognize chargers that put out more than 500mA. If your phone doesn't recognize your charger as one that can output more than 500mA then it will default to that slower charge rate. 500mA is likely not enough to run your phone with navigation and the screen on so it will take the rest of the current from the battery charge.

So, as others have said, you'll just need to find a charger and perhaps cable that your phone will recognize as a higher current charger.

 

[TJGEsq]

The issue is that there isn't one standardized way for phones to recognize chargers that put out more than 500mA. If your phone doesn't recognize your charger as one that can output more than 500mA then it will default to that slower charge rate. 500mA is likely not enough to run your phone with navigation and the screen on so it will take the rest of the current from the battery charge.

So, as others have said, you'll just need to find a charger and perhaps cable that your phone will recognize as a higher current charger.

I thought this was resolved with the USB vs. AC thing. To clarify, some chargers only charge in USB mode, while others charge in AC mode. You can see which applies to any given charger by plugging it in and then opening Power in the settings. It will tell you if it's charging by USB or AC. If it's the former, then it's slow, but if it's the latter, then it's faster.

In my case, the two chargers I currently have charge in AC mode (many others that I returned charge in USB mode).

In any event, if anybody has a charger that works well, let me know. I don't care how much it costs. If the problem can be resolved that easily I'll be thrilled (though I'm skeptical).

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Habiib]

Well I ran my One tonight for 30 minutes with Google Navigation on as well as high quality streaming with Google Play. No warning at all started at 100% charge and stayed that way. It's around 80-85 degrees in my car I have no a/c. :-D

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4

If you don't mind me asking, what type of charger are you using? I need one that can maintain the level of charge while in use.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Davethebrewer]

Yeah, vent mount is the way to go. The only way on my Tundra.
Anyone with good, high quality car charger suggestions? I am on my second charger and, obviously, still buying the wrong ones.

I bought this Anker one through Amazon. One port is for Android devices and the other for iDevices. It works better than the Scosche one I had before, but I still have times where the net charge does not go up. Mostly when running Ingress inside my car dock app (so the screen stays on and sound is up high). On hot days I also have times where the phone will overheat (flashing red led) so it stops charging when running Ingress.

Amazon.com: Anker 18W / 2.4A + 2.0A (3.6A max) Dual Port USB Car Charger for Apple Android and USB-Charing Devices - The First and Smallest Adapter to Provide Simultaneous, Full-Speed Charges to iPads and Smartphones [White]: Cell Phones & Accessorie

 

[freakshow999]

If you don't mind me asking, what type of charger are you using? I need one that can maintain the level of charge while in use.

Posted via Android Central App

After going through several incompatible chargers I ended up buying a charger at the AT&T store for $25.00. It's their branded charger and the only one I found locally that didn't throw up the One's incompatible charger warning. It's got a curly cue micro usb cord and another usb outlet. Both are true two amp and are pinned for a/c mode as people have been mentioning. The only gripe I have is it is not low profile.
Here's a link and of course they reduced the price...

http://m.att.com/shopmobile/wireless/accessories/chargers/sku6220281.html?referrer=

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4

 

[dragonsamus]

The one I'm using is from VZW. I bought it years ago when they released the incredible. The first one I had went bad within a month so I got a replacement one for free. I've had it since and it's been great. Used it with the Incredible, Thunderbolt, RAZR Maxx and now the One.

Sent from my HTC One using AC Forums mobile app

 

[bbinder]

Drove today for 40 minutes.
Battery was at 105 degrees Fahrenheit.
Charge was at 46%

Had maps running the whole time. Google maps only.
Have the mophie juice pack case so it's insulated for sure.

When I drove and either had it hooked up to the 2.1 amp charger or charging via the juice pack the temp of the battery went to 122 degrees and would not change further. Red charging light would blink every 2 seconds. Never lost any battery percentage whatsoever in the 40 minutes I drove but as soon as I turned off maps for 5 minutes it cooled off and resumed the green constant light you see when charging.

It's not impressive, nor is it consistent seeing as this was outside of the norm but I figured I'd share anyway, good or bad.

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4