very poor battery life on my note 8 phone, model SM-N950U

[JGT1942]

On a recent non-stop air trip from NC to AZ (just under 5 hours) the battery died just before the trip ended. I've been using the phone a lot while on vacation, my day has been starting at 0900 and often by 1700 the battery is dead. I purchased the phone (model SM-N950U) when it was first released thus it is almost 2 years old. I just looked on Amazon and see several options. If I recall correctly the battery that came with the phone is a 3300mAh Li-ion Battery. On Amazon I see two 4600mAh battery offerings (I think these are for the tablet) and some battery case options. Any suggestions?

What about the "pocket Power Plant", see https://specials.4patriots.com/vsl24228088 I think I've ruled this out because it is something extra I'd have to carry.

or "RUNSY Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Battery Case, 6500mAh Rechargeable Battery Charging/Charger Case with S-Pen Hole, Adds 1.4X Extra Juice, Charges 2 Devices Simultaneously (6.3 inch for Note 8)", see https://www.amazon.com/RUNSY-Samsun...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6589986
If I understand this product it is attached to the phone and I think I'd prefer this over the "pocket power" just because once installed it is always with the phone, it is not something extra I have to carry. After reading several q/a on Amazon I'm not sure if this a good option. Possibly I just need to live with the darn issue.

 

[Rukbat]

1. Letting the battery run to zero (which seems to be your practice) destroys the battery. At 40%, charge it or turn it off. (The manufacturers don't tell you that because they make money selling batteries.)

(It's not really 0 - 0% on the phone is somewhere around 3.2 Volts on the battery, but doing that constantly gives you a few hundred charge cycles at the most. Charging at 40% should give you 4 or 5 years, at least.)

2. If you can't get a seat with a charger, just get the largest power bank you can get (20,000mAh isn't uncommon these days). But the same thing applies, since they're the same type of battery. When the power bank gets down to 40%, charge it or turn it off. And don't buy a power bank that doesn't have a state of charge indicator.

Lithium batteries are not deep discharge batteries. (You don't want to carry a deep discharge 20,000mAh battery with you - that's a not so small motorcycle battery.)

Power packs attached to the phone? Not unless they replace the internal battery. You have to know the state of both the internal battery and the power bank battery. If the power bank is permanently mounted on the phone, there's most likely no state of charge indication for the power bank battery, so you can kill that in a few months. (I have a power bank that's just a couple of weeks older than 4 years old, and it's still providing me with normal operation.) You just have to get used to keeping a power bank in your pocket or carry-on.

 

[JGT1942]

i'm very guilty of running the battery very near zero.

I just saw HETP Galaxy Note 8 Battery Case 7000mAh Portable Rechargeable External Battery Pack for Samsung Galaxy Note 8 Charger Case for Note 8 Protective Charging Case - Black on Amazon, see https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6591088
It is a case with a battery that you slide the phone into, thus you have everything in one. This seems to be the best answer for me. At this time I'm not sure how much bulk it adds to the phone (i see that the shipping weight is 7.2 oz. I normally carry my phone in my front right pocket of my pants. I've tried belt clips but for me they are always in the way when I'm setting down or getting up. After loosing one phone because it came off my belt and I did not know it came off or the phone jabbing me in the side when I sit I gave up on them.

I've also seen similar that will wirelessly charge (see https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075Y2P5M...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6591088 and https://www.amazon.com/NEWDERY-Upgr...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6591088) but I've had very poor results with my wireless Samsung charger and finally gave it away.

The unit at https://www.amazon.com/RUNSY-Samsun...ag=hawk-future-20&ascsubtag=UUacUvbUpU6591088 seems to be a better fit for me. Capacity is 6500, it has battery level indicators

 

[JnEricsonx]

Hell, when my phone hits the 50-70% range I charge it.