At 10% Battery phone turns off

[vaughaag]

I am getting the 10% battery warning pop up and moments later the phone turns itself off and will not power back on until I plug the power in. Anyone else having this issue?

 

[Rukbat]

The issue is that you're letting the battery drop below 40% - you might as well cut it in half. If you want a lithium battery to last, never let it get below 40% after conditioning it. (50% is the sweet spot for maximum lifespan.)

The phone is set to shut the phone off at 10% charge. If you then turn it on, it's at 10% (or lower) charge and shuts off. That's how it's supposed to work. (That's a "last call before you destroy the battery" notice, it's not something to do all the time.) (There are ways to set the shutoff lower, but that just destroys the battery faster - and in a phone with a battery you can't replace by just popping the back cover off, that's not something you want to do. You want the battery to last at least until you decide to get rid of the phone. (Dropping it to 10% every day will kill it in less than a year.)

 

[ODog2323]

LOL so 40 is the new 0? Gimme a break!

And my N6 isn't "set to shut off" at 10%. I've got it down to 3% or so (only a couple times mind you).

AC App
Nexus 6

 

[planoman]

I took mine to about 5% after a few cycles and got 5 hours of on screen time. My phone did not turn off. Usually have about 40-50% left at end if the day.

Never kept a device long enough to worry about long term battery life but I usually recharge to 100% every night and then turn my phone off and start with a fresh boot everyday.

Posted via my Nexus 6!

 

[anon(5506951)]

Everyone has differing opinions on this, but what is the "proper" way to condition a battery in a new smartphone? I've seen some say that conditioning (whatever one feels it entails) is no longer an issue with Li-ion batteries. So what's the deal?

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[planoman]

Everyone has differing opinions on this, but what is the "proper" way to condition a battery in a new smartphone? I've seen some say that conditioning (whatever one feels it entails) is no longer an issue with Li-ion batteries. So what's the deal?

Posted via the Android Central App

I do not think they need to be conditioned in the way older ni cads had to be. Just a few cycles to get to full capacity. There are also ways to make sure your battery app registers the correct battery % but since I do not use one, not sure about those.

 

[vaughaag]

Thanks for the reply's. I am not in a position to keep my battery above 50% everyday and have not had this issue with previous/existing phones (Note2, iPhone 5, Note3, iPhone6+). I will just keep an eye on it, I was considering getting the Oneplus power block when its released so this may be a deciding factor.

 

[Jeremy8000]

Everyone has differing opinions on this, but what is the "proper" way to condition a battery in a new smartphone? I've seen some say that conditioning (whatever one feels it entails) is no longer an issue with Li-ion batteries. So what's the deal?

Posted via the Android Central App

Lithium-Polymer (Li-Po) batteries are pretty much good to go from the outset. They tend to endure the longest when most of their time is spent neither full nor empty (hence, if you ever store a lithium battery, it's best to not do so with it completely charged or discharged).

One thing I'd suggest regarding the included turbo-charger, though, is to use it when you need a fast refresh, but if you're throwing it on a charger overnight, a slower (lower amperage output) charger will do the job just fine while generating less heat - the single worst culprit in deterioration of battery life.

Here's a pretty good write-up on getting the most from your battery if you're interested. It's fairly technical, but the graphs and charts make things pretty clear if you're not into the heavy reading.

 

[jj14x]

Thanks for the reply's. I am not in a position to keep my battery above 50% everyday and have not had this issue with previous/existing phones (Note2, iPhone 5, Note3, iPhone6+). I will just keep an eye on it, I was considering getting the Oneplus power block when its released so this may be a deciding factor.

While what Rukbat wrote is accurate (not good for the battery to be drained too much - bad for the battery), the issue about your phone turning off at 10% is not normal. Try a factory reset, and if that doesn't help, contact Google for assistance.
Lollipop does have a power-save mode which, if enabled, will disable certain features of the phone to give you extra battery life - this can be set up to self-activate at low battery.

Back to what Rukbat said though - if possible, you really should try to charge the battery when it gets down to half-way level. It will help your battery last longer. Avoid getting your battery levels close to 0.

This is not the same as battery conditioning - that is really not required for Li-Po batteries.

 

[vaughaag]

Thanks all, I've ordered a spare standard charger and a wireless puck for my desk at work. As I said above, I've been interested in a power block so will have a look around if the Oneplus is not release soon.

Cheers again.

 

[anon(5506951)]

I took mine to about 5% after a few cycles and got 5 hours of on screen time. My phone did not turn off. Usually have about 40-50% left at end if the day.

Never kept a device long enough to worry about long term battery life but I usually recharge to 100% every night and then turn my phone off and start with a fresh boot everyday.

When you say after a few cycles, do you mean that you let it drain to a certain point (for argument's sake, let's say 30%), and then after the next full charge took it down to 5%? I ask because I plan on taking the N6 to 40% for the most part then topping up. Being a student, I plan on starting the day with a fresh charge like yourself. I don't really anticipate consciously letting my phone drain to a critical "in the red" point. Charging will always take place at home.


Posted via the Android Central App

 

[vaughaag]

jj14x, I've done a reset and I think the issue is solved. Thanks for the idea,
Dave

Posted via the Android Central App on Nexus 6

 

[planoman]

When you say after a few cycles, do you mean that you let it drain to a certain point (for argument's sake, let's say 30%), and then after the next full charge took it down to 5%? I ask because I plan on taking the N6 to 40% for the most part then topping up. Being a student, I plan on starting the day with a fresh charge like yourself. I don't really anticipate consciously letting my phone drain to a critical "in the red" point. Charging will always take place at home.


Posted via the Android Central App

Yes, just routine usage for a few days. I usually have between 40-50% left at the end of an average day. I then charge to 100% and turn off till the next morning. I only took it down as far as 5% to see how much on screen time I could get, a one time deal.

 

[jj14x]

jj14x, I've done a reset and I think the issue is solved.

Glad it worked out. Hopefully, the problem stays away

 

[Krolt]

Doesn't solve your problem, but for the record my 2 year old Nexus 4, which was 10 months old when I had it, has only been put on the charger between 0% and 15% still has the same battery life as it did when I had it. 18~24 hours with around 3 hours SOT.
I have never charged whenever possible or avoided deep charges, phones been replaced with a 2014 Moto X and the guy who now uses it (kitkat 5.0.1) says it gets him through a full day with some power still left in it.
In short I wouldn't worry about how you use the phone, phones with built in batteries seem to last until you upgrade them anyway.
My girlfriend has an old I phone 4 which usually cuts off before it sees the charger, and that's still going strong too @ nearly 3 years old!

 

[Benjamin_NYC]

Doesn't solve your problem, but for the record my 2 year old Nexus 4, which was 10 months old when I had it, has only been put on the charger between 0% and 15% still has the same battery life as it did when I had it. 18~24 hours with around 3 hours SOT.
I have never charged whenever possible or avoided deep charges, phones been replaced with a 2014 Moto X and the guy who now uses it (kitkat 5.0.1) says it gets him through a full day with some power still left in it.
In short I wouldn't worry about how you use the phone, phones with built in batteries seem to last until you upgrade them anyway.
My girlfriend has an old I phone 4 which usually cuts off before it sees the charger, and that's still going strong too @ nearly 3 years old!

Exactly. This whole paranoia about how one charges and one one charges is complete and utter absurdity.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[brosko]

I am not sure exactly what is best for the battery (It doesn't seem like anybody really is) but the phone definitely shouldn't be shutting off at 10% that's for sure.

 

[vaughaag]

Since factory resetting the phone I have had no 10% power offs so it may have just been a glitch.

 

[Jeremy8000]

Exactly. This whole paranoia about how one charges and one one charges is complete and utter absurdity.

Posted via the Android Central App

Definitely agree with you here that the degree of fear and concern over charging / maintenance habits with lithium batteries is unwarranted, though I wouldn't go so far as to say that there's zero impact to the battery's lifespan - just that there's virtually no impact to our experience with it. The phone's battery life will decrease over time whether one heeds or ignores 'proper charging protocol,' and the variance in decay between those two habits will be minuscule in comparison to the normal loss from regular cycles.

So essentially, the point at which your battery's charge no longer meets your needs will come, but that date won't swing too far on the calendar regardless of charging habits. In the US, people typically replace their phones in under two years, so it really shouldn't be much of an issue in any case.

 

[Wiley_11]

I'm sticking with Battery University. Depth of Discharge effects cycle life. Refer to Table 2.

How to Prolong Lithium-based Batteries - Battery University