Battery death

LeoRex

Retired Moderator
Nov 21, 2012
6,223
0
0
Visit site
Huawei used crap batteries; pure and simple. I have two 6Ps, and they're both the same. Inexcusable for 16 month batteries.

They didn't use cheap batteries. What they DID do is make a decision to have the cell be 3450mah. OEMs the size of Huawei work with battery suppliers to 'pair' the battery to their phone... i.e. phone's power system is designed to work hand in hand with the parameters of the battery's charging circuitry.

Now, the one thing I've noticed is that the 6P charges to some 4.4V... that is really high for a LiPO based cell. High voltages cause stress on these batteries, and that stress, over time, will slowly reduce the operational capacity of the battery. PLUS... with a peak voltage that high, if you leave a fully charged phone on the charger for extended periods of time, this increases the amount of time the battery is at that high voltage... again, this will cause it to degrade quicker.

Now, Huawei isn't alone in doing this... a bunch of phone manufacturers are going this route. By increasing the max voltage, they can put in a higher rated capacity battery without putting in a physically larger battery. That's why you see a lot of people asking why the battery on their new phone is shot so quickly and how older phones didn't have the problem.
 

PookiePrancer

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2010
1,110
49
48
Visit site
High voltages cause stress on these batteries, and that stress, over time, will slowly reduce the operational capacity of the battery.

That's why you see a lot of people asking why the battery on their new phone is shot so quickly and how older phones didn't have the problem.

That may well be the reason, but "slowly" and "quickly" are a bit of a contradiction. And a lot of people asking is clearly an issue.
 

LeoRex

Retired Moderator
Nov 21, 2012
6,223
0
0
Visit site
That may well be the reason, but "slowly" and "quickly" are a bit of a contradiction. And a lot of people asking is clearly an issue.

Well, you might think 16 months is quick... I don't. The way these batteries are set up, I can see them getting worn out fairly quickly... There is still a lot of bad practices that are being blessed by well known tech sites which will speed a battery to an early grave, even more quickly now that OEMs are so aggressive in how they are setting things up.
 

nomzamo999

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2014
80
0
0
Visit site
I've been trying to find out how long a LiPo battery should last. Looks like ours are only designed to last for 300-500 charges, going on the various sources of information.

I've had my 6P 14 months and charged it an average of 1.5 times per day. This means I've already given it around 600 charges. With 10 months left on my contract, I'm screwed!

Even though AccuBattery says my battery is 85% healthy, I can't watch a whole movie on Netflix without plugging in. Graphics-heavy gaming gets me an hour. Graphics-light gaming (Messenger basketball, aargh!) gets me 2 hours. Occasional use (checking Facebook, Twitter emails) gets me about 4 hours. All standby gets me about 8 hours.

Looks like I'm getting a new battery!
 

neo905

Well-known member
Apr 4, 2014
1,117
0
0
Visit site
I've been trying to find out how long a LiPo battery should last. Looks like ours are only designed to last for 300-500 charges, going on the various sources of information.

I've had my 6P 14 months and charged it an average of 1.5 times per day. This means I've already given it around 600 charges. With 10 months left on my contract, I'm screwed!

Even though AccuBattery says my battery is 85% healthy, I can't watch a whole movie on Netflix without plugging in. Graphics-heavy gaming gets me an hour. Graphics-light gaming (Messenger basketball, aargh!) gets me 2 hours. Occasional use (checking Facebook, Twitter emails) gets me about 4 hours. All standby gets me about 8 hours.

Looks like I'm getting a new battery!


I cracked my screen and got a new one. I asked the shop how much it would cost when I eventually needed a new battery installed. He said $80 to $100. That's a no brainer given what flagships will cost going forward. I've had my battery about a year now ,and knock on wood, no issues with battery so far.
 

GSDer

Well-known member
Jan 30, 2011
8,471
15
0
Visit site
Looks like ours are only designed to last for 300-500 charges, going on the various sources of information.

I've had my 6P 14 months and charged it an average of 1.5 times per day. This means I've already given it around 600 charges.
That 300-500 cycles is a good ballpark although I haven't looked at what this specific battery is rated at.

However, there's a common misconception that just plugging your phone in counts as one charge cycle. It actually depends on how depleted the battery is when you start charging and how fully you charge it. If you believe the folks at AccuBattery https://forums.androidcentral.com/e...s?id=com.digibites.accubattery&token=OXIr7SjP then see the attached screenshots for an example: the cycle count 'cost' in both examples start at the same depletion level, but one ends charging at 80% full (0.16 cycle cost) and the other at 100% full (0.91 cycle cost).
24476a2cbbf4b427da26fb4af561d80e.jpg
0d38fcc1a26e85e2054b170c0b2e0849.jpg
You be the judge...
 

LeoRex

Retired Moderator
Nov 21, 2012
6,223
0
0
Visit site
I've been trying to find out how long a LiPo battery should last. Looks like ours are only designed to last for 300-500 charges, going on the various sources of information.

Those are 'full' charge cycles. As was said, a partial charge is harder to judge.

But with battery tech being used now, following best practices is more important than ever. Try to avoid deep discharge cycles (100% - under 20% and back), leaving a fully charged phone on the charger for extended periods... Those are the two easiest ones to follow.

There are others, such as limiting charge to 80%, but that's tough to do most cases... I don't like to leave my house with a phone that's not fully charged... You never know what will happen. But I try to follow that if I'm just putting about the house.
 

PookiePrancer

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2010
1,110
49
48
Visit site
Well, you might think 16 months is quick... I don't. The way these batteries are set up, I can see them getting worn out fairly quickly... There is still a lot of bad practices that are being blessed by well known tech sites which will speed a battery to an early grave, even more quickly now that OEMs are so aggressive in how they are setting things up.

You keep contradicting yourself. Sixteen months isn't quick, but you can see these batteries getting worn out fairly quickly?

Sixteen months is where I'm at in my ownership. I complained to Google at just over a year, when the moron told me to reset everything, as if software fixes hardware flaws.

Sorry, but this is the first phone I've ever owned that fried its battery that fast. I have a work iPhone 5S going on four years old, and it EASILY runs circles around the 6P in the battery department. Whatever Huawei did, it sucks, and they need to quit doing it.
 

LeoRex

Retired Moderator
Nov 21, 2012
6,223
0
0
Visit site
You keep contradicting yourself. Sixteen months isn't quick, but you can see these batteries getting worn out fairly quickly?

You misinterpret what I was saying... Based on how OEMs are configuring their batteries now, 16 months to see a fair amount of degradation isn't quick. If you had a phone for a fair amount of time before the 6P, chances are that it also came at a time when OEMs were a bit more conservative in the battery parameters, parameters that lead to better longevity. So they can treat a newer phone no different than the one that preceded it, but they are seeing the new phone die a lot quicker.

That's what I am trying to get across. This isn't something that only Huawei is doing, it's common practice. Devices get more powerful, use more power, and design trends aren't accepting to thicker/larger phones. So many are pushing things a bit to get more capacity out of the same sized battery.
 

PookiePrancer

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2010
1,110
49
48
Visit site
You misinterpret what I was saying... Based on how OEMs are configuring their batteries now, 16 months to see a fair amount of degradation isn't quick. If you had a phone for a fair amount of time before the 6P, chances are that it also came at a time when OEMs were a bit more conservative in the battery parameters, parameters that lead to better longevity. So they can treat a newer phone no different than the one that preceded it, but they are seeing the new phone die a lot quicker.

That's what I am trying to get across. This isn't something that only Huawei is doing, it's common practice. Devices get more powerful, use more power, and design trends aren't accepting to thicker/larger phones. So many are pushing things a bit to get more capacity out of the same sized battery.

Samsung Galaxy Note 5, a month older, still gets awesome battery life. Others may be doing it, but it seems like Samsung has figured something out. Whatever it is, I'm going back to the Galaxy line as soon as the S8 is available.

Still going to try the battery swap on the Nexus though. Parts due in tomorrow.
 

LeoRex

Retired Moderator
Nov 21, 2012
6,223
0
0
Visit site
Samsung Galaxy Note 5, a month older, still gets awesome battery life. Others may be doing it, but it seems like Samsung has figured something out.

And the Note 5 had a 3000mah battery that capped its peak voltage at 4.35V. Might not seem like it, but that slight drop in max voltage will make a difference. So yes, Samsung did do things differently.

By the way, the batteries in the S7 line have nominal peak voltages of 4.4V, but Samsung remained at 4.35V, which helps mitigate the swelling that can occur at the higher level. Phones design in a tolerance for a little bit of battery swelling, but Samsung wanted a smaller phone, which means a tighter tolerance. And if the battery swells beyond that tolerance, that would be bad. And if that happens with, say, another design issue that passed through QC unnoticed... well....
 

PookiePrancer

Well-known member
Jul 17, 2010
1,110
49
48
Visit site
And the Note 5 had a 3000mah battery that capped its peak voltage at 4.35V. Might not seem like it, but that slight drop in max voltage will make a difference. So yes, Samsung did do things differently.

By the way, the batteries in the S7 line have nominal peak voltages of 4.4V, but Samsung remained at 4.35V, which helps mitigate the swelling that can occur at the higher level. Phones design in a tolerance for a little bit of battery swelling, but Samsung wanted a smaller phone, which means a tighter tolerance. And if the battery swells beyond that tolerance, that would be bad. And if that happens with, say, another design issue that passed through QC unnoticed... well....

Judging by the attention the S8 is getting, I'd put money on its safety, especially with their new battery testing regimen. They seem to be the only ones not planning on obsolescence in one year, based on what you're saying.
 

LeoRex

Retired Moderator
Nov 21, 2012
6,223
0
0
Visit site
Judging by the attention the S8 is getting, I'd put money on its safety, especially with their new battery testing regimen. They seem to be the only ones not planning on obsolescence in one year, based on what you're saying.
Well, I'm guessing that they don't push things.. we'll have to see once people get a look at the packs. iFixit will do a tear down, obviously... That'll show the spec.

As for others.. LG appears to go to 4.4. It can be hard to find the numbers though. The rating on the actual battery can be misleading. You gotta get the value from people testing the phone.

Still, 4.35 is still high. I am pretty sure the S3/Note 2 was 4.22V.
 

goadamn

Well-known member
Jan 9, 2016
62
0
0
Visit site
I could be okay with this trash battery if the battery was removable and swappable. This casing is garbage and it's rather an infuriating ordeal
 

VAVA Mk2

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2011
364
12
0
Visit site
Just replaced my battery and sure enough battery life is great again. Launch 6Ps must have come with crappy quality batteries that degraded after 16 months or so.
 

VAVA Mk2

Well-known member
Feb 1, 2011
364
12
0
Visit site
How much of an ordeal was it to change the battery? I want to do it but I'm scared!
I went to a local cell phone repair place at mall and asked if they would replace the battery (I didn't have a heat gun and at this point didn't want to do it myself). They custom ordered an OEM battery and I went in on Saturday morning and left them my phone for about 50 minutes. They replaced it and battery life is fantastic again. Cost for battery and labor to replace was about $70 (less than mailing to Google and have them replace since I am out of warranty). They scuffed up the bottom back plastic cover but said if I bring them a new one, they will install at no charge so bought a silver back bottom cover for about $6 on Amazon. Overall not a bad experience. You can buy the parts and do online yourself if you feel comfortable and have the proper tools. Videos on YouTube on how to do it.

This proves there is no issue with 7.1.1 battery life bug but that about a year or a little over a year, the launch Nexus 6P batteries degraded and lost the ability to hold the charge they had before. By coincidence, this issue started appearing at the same time the 6P was getting 7.1.1.
 

T68

Member
Aug 31, 2011
22
0
1
Visit site
Got my 15 month old battery replaced under warranty by contacting Huawei support i Sweden.
Now all is well again with my otherwise fantastic 6p 😀
 

nomzamo999

Well-known member
Nov 23, 2014
80
0
0
Visit site
Got my 15 month old battery replaced under warranty by contacting Huawei support i Sweden.
Now all is well again with my otherwise fantastic 6p 😀
I like the sound of that! The device has a two year warranty, so maybe I'll try Huawei support here in the UK.
 

T68

Member
Aug 31, 2011
22
0
1
Visit site
I like the sound of that! The device has a two year warranty, so maybe I'll try Huawei support here in the UK.
Yes, give it a shot. It's totally worth it to replace battery. Mine went from SoT averaging around 2:30 to almost 4:30 yesterday. That's on 3rd full charge cycle after the replacement:


a3c3b0378972bfd28e80ab387c59c922.jpg
 

Trending Posts

Forum statistics

Threads
942,379
Messages
6,913,751
Members
3,158,382
Latest member
gkapidis