1st day with MOTO X, worried about battery

[jephanie]

There seems to be some serious battery problems on KitKat. Battery was a heck of a lot better on 4.2. Hopefully Motorola addresses these issues quickly.

My battery life seems unchanged or even just a slight bit better since the update.

 

[Ry]

I came off a Bionic. I had the OEM battery, plus an extended OEM battery and two Hyperion aftermarket batteries.

I don't worry about my Moto X battery at all.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Ry]

There seems to be some serious battery problems on KitKat. Battery was a heck of a lot better on 4.2. Hopefully Motorola addresses these issues quickly.

Not with mine.

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[Johnly]

The place where this phone, like most others, is hampered is low signal. If you don't have a decently strong signal the radio has to transmit at much higher wattages. I get 16 hours or more every day. But I work downtown and have great signal at home and work.

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I don't work in an environment with a good signal. That really didn't bother the Moto X more than any other phone. It was screen on time. I use mine pretty heavy on certain days and need 5+ hours on screen time. The Moto X stopped at about 3.5 for me. No big deal as I will likely get a Moto x, and I won't mind charging it to get me though the long days.

 

[KentuckyHouse]

There seems to be some serious battery problems on KitKat. Battery was a heck of a lot better on 4.2. Hopefully Motorola addresses these issues quickly.

Based on what?

My battery is unchanged and possibly better on 4.4 than 4.2.2. This stuff of people crying the sky is falling after a major update gets old fast. Did you ever stop to think your battery APPEARS to be worse (but actually isn't) because you're playing with the phone more after a big update, checking out all the new things Kit Kat brings? People will say they aren't, but it's more likely they are and just don't realize it.

Relax, the battery is the same or better. Just use the phone and stop worrying.

Sent from my Moto X

 

[Xterror]

I'm on my 3rd day of owning my moto X and I can agree that battery has been getting better. Right now I'm at 15hrs with 30% left. Made it through my work day no problem. My Gnex would have been charged 3 times by now and almost dead. I've only used my moto X with kitkat so don't know if jb gave better battery life.

Sent from my Moto X using Tapatalk

 

[sc4fpse]

Based on what?

My battery is unchanged and possibly better on 4.4 than 4.2.2. This stuff of people crying the sky is falling after a major update gets old fast. Did you ever stop to think your battery APPEARS to be worse (but actually isn't) because you're playing with the phone more after a big update, checking out all the new things Kit Kat brings? People will say they aren't, but it's more likely they are and just don't realize it.

Relax, the battery is the same or better. Just use the phone and stop worrying.

Sent from my Moto X

First off, KitKat really didn't bring that many amazing new features. Nothing that would give you any reason to sit there and play with your phone all day for fun.

Next, there have been many, many reports of significantly worse battery life. Maybe not here, but there definitely were.

Speaking personally, my battery life has taken a significant hit. My usage pattern has not changed at all - I'm still working 8-5 or longer, and again, there's nothing in KitKat that made me use my phone more or less.

There seem to be two battery bugs. One is related to Android OS. Android OS awake time is running MUCH higher on KitKat than before. Many people who updated noticed this right away. For those who did a factory reset (like myself), this issue did not immediately show up, but eventually reared its ugly head. The other battery bug seems to be tied to Play Services. Android Police seemed to be the only site that reported on this a few days ago, but this could have been a Google problem and not an issue directly tied to this update or the X.

I look at my battery screen and it's blatantly obvious that my handset is staying awake a LOT more than before. Again, my usage has not changed. But my awake times are crazy, and my battery is draining much faster than before. There were pages and pages of these reports too. Don't be so quick to dismiss these issues just because you don't have them.

 

[KentuckyHouse]

First off, KitKat really didn't bring that many amazing new features. Nothing that would give you any reason to sit there and play with your phone all day for fun.

Next, there have been many, many reports of significantly worse battery life. Maybe not here, but there definitely were.

Speaking personally, my battery life has taken a significant hit. My usage pattern has not changed at all - I'm still working 8-5 or longer, and again, there's nothing in KitKat that made me use my phone more or less.

There seem to be two battery bugs. One is related to Android OS. Android OS awake time is running MUCH higher on KitKat than before. Many people who updated noticed this right away. For those who did a factory reset (like myself), this issue did not immediately show up, but eventually reared its ugly head. The other battery bug seems to be tied to Play Services. Android Police seemed to be the only site that reported on this a few days ago, but this could have been a Google problem and not an issue directly tied to this update or the X.

I look at my battery screen and it's blatantly obvious that my handset is staying awake a LOT more than before. Again, my usage has not changed. But my awake times are crazy, and my battery is draining much faster than before. There were pages and pages of these reports too. Don't be so quick to dismiss these issues just because you don't have them.

Fair enough and well-argued. It's nice to interact with someone that's clearly an adult (that happens so rarely on forums these days).

I've apparently been lucky in that I haven't seen anything but the usual stellar battery life out of my X. But I feel for those that are having issues. For the sake of documentation, I didn't take the OTA...I flashed the leak and the subsequent leaked OTA that squashed some bugs. After flashing I did a factory reset from stock recovery. That's it.

I hope you guys get it figured out.

Sent from my Moto X

 

[meskin84]

I updated to Kit Kat last night and will definitely get to test it out through my twelve hour work day. So far, I can definitely say its an improvement on my previous phone, the iPhone 5. I can't speak about its performance from other Android phones, though. So far, I have been really pleased. Where I work I get NO signal. Most of the day I miss calls and notifications because of it. As a result, from my best guess, my battery dies extremely quick. By lunch, I am below 50%. That is my phone sitting on my desk doing nothing. I turned off all notifications, wifi and bluetooth hoping that would help, and it did. It didn't help very much.

Very different story on my Moto X, much better battery. Even with all my notifications turned on, and WiFi and Bluetooth as well, I am seeing much better performance.

 

[sc4fpse]

Fair enough and well-argued. It's nice to interact with someone that's clearly an adult (that happens so rarely on forums these days).

I've apparently been lucky in that I haven't seen anything but the usual stellar battery life out of my X. But I feel for those that are having issues. For the sake of documentation, I didn't take the OTA...I flashed the leak and the subsequent leaked OTA that squashed some bugs. After flashing I did a factory reset from stock recovery. That's it.

I hope you guys get it figured out.

Sent from my Moto X

First off: Yes, it is nice to have a mature discussion on the internet. Way too rare.

You say that you flashed the leak, which tells me you've got a different carrier's handset than mine (Verizon), so that could be why you're not seeing the same decreased battery life that myself and others are experiencing. The differences between the carriers' Moto X handsets were minimal, but you still can't dismiss them completely.

 

[KentuckyHouse]

First off: Yes, it is nice to have a mature discussion on the internet. Way too rare.

You say that you flashed the leak, which tells me you've got a different carrier's handset than mine (Verizon), so that could be why you're not seeing the same decreased battery life that myself and others are experiencing. The differences between the carriers' Moto X handsets were minimal, but you still can't dismiss them completely.

That's a very good point. I've got the AT&T version, so that could be a major difference. I've read the Verizon version has more bloat than the other carrier versions...do you see that to be true? With the AT&T version there are only 3 carrier apps and they can easily be disabled. I just wonder if the Verizon version has more bloat and if this contributes to any battery drain?

Sent from my Moto X

 

[Traprock]

after spending a day at home locked onto a strong wifi signal this was my result

Now, today is a work day. Pulled off charger at 5:30am and drove to work. When I arrived at 6:45am I was down to 82% battery. Battery stats show Media server wsas the big hog. Reset phone and it seems to have settled down. here is my usage by lunch time:

Difficult to tell how it'll last until 5:30-6:00pm when I leave.
I'll give it some more time to settle out.

 

[KWKSLVR]

Sounds I've a reset was definitely in order. Day 3 with mine and it's settling in nicely in the wakelock department. I didn't do a factory reset after the KitKat update, so I might eventually. But for now, battery life has been great. I have not had a day in 4G the whole time yet, so my weekend vacation this week will give me a better idea of what to expect. So far, I'm pleased.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[pgoelz]

But also not often let go to close to total discharge. i like 20-85. lol. I've even gotten into the habit of charging via my usb so it slow charges, having read that helps long term battery life *shrug*

In addition to owning a Moto X, I fly electric model airplanes and as such have extensive experience with lithium cells. Basically, EVERYTHING degrades lithium cells..... being fully charged, being fully discharged, charging, discharging, elevated temperature.... you name it, it degrades a lithium cell. How much each condition degrades a given cell is difficult to determine because we do not generally have access to manufacturer's data sheets. But my experience says that the worst thing you can do is fully discharge a lithium cell (ie., down to 3V). Next might come holding it fully charged (ie., 4.2V) for extended periods.

The rule of thumb with lithium cells to get the best service life (important when you cannot replace the battery) is to keep them between 20% and 90% charged if possible. A lithium cell held fully charged or discharged below 20% and left there for extended time will degrade faster than it would between 20% and 90%.

The only good that comes from fully discharging a lithium cell in a phone is that it may allow the battery metering circuit to re-calibrate. It definitely does not "condition" the cell itself like we used to do with NiCd cells.

Paul

 

[Traprock]

Sounds I've a reset was definitely in order. Day 3 with mine and it's settling in nicely in the wakelock department. I didn't do a factory reset after the KitKat update, so I might eventually. But for now, battery life has been great. I have not had a day in 4G the whole time yet, so my weekend vacation this week will give me a better idea of what to expect. So far, I'm pleased.

Posted via Android Central App

Does wakelock work with Kitkat? I read it didn't so I didn't install it to see what was the real culprit.

 

[Paisley]

In addition to owning a Moto X, I fly electric model airplanes and as such have extensive experience with lithium cells. Basically, EVERYTHING degrades lithium cells..... being fully charged, being fully discharged, charging, discharging, elevated temperature.... you name it, it degrades a lithium cell. How much each condition degrades a given cell is difficult to determine because we do not generally have access to manufacturer's data sheets. But my experience says that the worst thing you can do is fully discharge a lithium cell (ie., down to 3V). Next might come holding it fully charged (ie., 4.2V) for extended periods.

The rule of thumb with lithium cells to get the best service life (important when you cannot replace the battery) is to keep them between 20% and 90% charged if possible. A lithium cell held fully charged or discharged below 20% and left there for extended time will degrade faster than it would between 20% and 90%.

The only good that comes from fully discharging a lithium cell in a phone is that it may allow the battery metering circuit to re-calibrate. It definitely does not "condition" the cell itself like we used to do with NiCd cells.

Paul

What are your thoughts on slow vs. fast charging? I've read in a few places, fast chargers also degrade battery a little faster than normal and slow.

Also, i'm thinking of getting a dock, and i don't like to fully charge my battery often, sitting on a regular charging dock would obviously do that, so i'm thinking about getting an extension cord with an on/off switch, do i need to pay attention to anything regarding that type of extension cord? I know that for a regular usb charger adapter, the one you use makes a difference, so i'm going to stick with the motorola (even though i think it's a fast charging one since they call it a "rapid charger", the dock would prolly come with a regular one. Thoughts?

(also, what makes a fast charger, is it the amps? or the watts. The one the moto comes with is 1.2amps/6watts, i'm pretty sure the dock charger is a normal one).

On the same note, i wish there was a function like I have on my laptop, which is to set at what level of battery do you want it to stop charging, i have my laptop set at 85, so at 85 even though it's still plugged in it stops charging. would be useful to be able to do that with my phone, any know if there is an app that does this? Although not sure how an app would be able to do that.

 

[pgoelz]

What are your thoughts on slow vs. fast charging? I've read in a few places, fast chargers also degrade battery a little faster than normal and slow.

Also, i'm thinking of getting a dock, and i don't like to fully charge my battery often, sitting on a regular charging dock would obviously do that, so i'm thinking about getting an extension cord with an on/off switch, do i need to pay attention to anything regarding that type of extension cord? I know that for a regular usb charger adapter, the one you use makes a difference, so i'm going to stick with the motorola (even though i think it's a fast charging one since they call it a "rapid charger", the dock would prolly come with a regular one. Thoughts?

(also, what makes a fast charger, is it the amps? or the watts. The one the moto comes with is 1.2amps/6watts, i'm pretty sure the dock charger is a normal one).

On the same note, i wish there was a function like I have on my laptop, which is to set at what level of battery do you want it to stop charging, i have my laptop set at 85, so at 85 even though it's still plugged in it stops charging. would be useful to be able to do that with my phone, any know if there is an app that does this? Although not sure how an app would be able to do that.

1. In the lithium world, "fast charging" is anything that takes LESS than one hour to fully charge from dead. I doubt that any phone exceeds that charge rate. But yes, charging at a rate greater than a one hour rate does degrade the battery faster.

2. What you are thinking of as a "charger" is actually a power supply. The actual "charger" circuitry (ie., the electronics that controls the charge) is in the phone. You cannot control the charge rate.... that is set by the circuitry in the phone. However, if the power supply you use is not capable of supplying the current the phone requires for a one hour charge rate, the charge will take longer.... in essence a "slow charge". Look at the power supply and see what the output current is. It should equal or exceed the battery capacity for a one hour charge. But remember that the actual maximum charge rate is set by the phone, not the power supply (charger).

3. Fully charging a battery does not cause much degradation if the charger in the phone shuts down when full charge is reached. At that point, the battery begins to discharge and rapidly falls below the 4.2V level where degradation occurs. My Nokia 820 operated this way. Not sure yet about the Moto X. Using a battery monitor should reveal whether the charger shuts down or holds the battery fully charged while the phone is in the dock.

Paul

 

[bryantest]

First off, KitKat really didn't bring that many amazing new features. Nothing that would give you any reason to sit there and play with your phone all day for fun.

Next, there have been many, many reports of significantly worse battery life. Maybe not here, but there definitely were.

Speaking personally, my battery life has taken a significant hit. My usage pattern has not changed at all - I'm still working 8-5 or longer, and again, there's nothing in KitKat that made me use my phone more or less.

There seem to be two battery bugs. One is related to Android OS. Android OS awake time is running MUCH higher on KitKat than before. Many people who updated noticed this right away. For those who did a factory reset (like myself), this issue did not immediately show up, but eventually reared its ugly head. The other battery bug seems to be tied to Play Services. Android Police seemed to be the only site that reported on this a few days ago, but this could have been a Google problem and not an issue directly tied to this update or the X.

I look at my battery screen and it's blatantly obvious that my handset is staying awake a LOT more than before. Again, my usage has not changed. But my awake times are crazy, and my battery is draining much faster than before. There were pages and pages of these reports too. Don't be so quick to dismiss these issues just because you don't have them.

I am definitely one of those people who are suffering from reduce battery life post Kitkat. =(

From the way this is going.... My moto
X may not even reach the typical 11+ hours I enjoy pre Kitkat with 5 hrs on screen time with wifi constantly on
Posted via Android Central App

 

[Paisley]

1. In the lithium world, "fast charging" is anything that takes LESS than one hour to fully charge from dead. I doubt that any phone exceeds that charge rate. But yes, charging at a rate greater than a one hour rate does degrade the battery faster.

2. What you are thinking of as a "charger" is actually a power supply. The actual "charger" circuitry (ie., the electronics that controls the charge) is in the phone. You cannot control the charge rate.... that is set by the circuitry in the phone. However, if the power supply you use is not capable of supplying the current the phone requires for a one hour charge rate, the charge will take longer.... in essence a "slow charge". Look at the power supply and see what the output current is. It should equal or exceed the battery capacity for a one hour charge. But remember that the actual maximum charge rate is set by the phone, not the power supply (charger).

3. Fully charging a battery does not cause much degradation if the charger in the phone shuts down when full charge is reached. At that point, the battery begins to discharge and rapidly falls below the 4.2V level where degradation occurs. My Nokia 820 operated this way. Not sure yet about the Moto X. Using a battery monitor should reveal whether the charger shuts down or holds the battery fully charged while the phone is in the dock.

Paul

Thanks!

So what is it about the moto x dual rapid charger that makes it rapid?

A little confused on something, if full charge makes so little difference then why stop at the 85-90%?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[t0ked]

That's a very good point. I've got the AT&T version, so that could be a major difference. I've read the Verizon version has more bloat than the other carrier versions...do you see that to be true? With the AT&T version there are only 3 carrier apps and they can easily be disabled. I just wonder if the Verizon version has more bloat and if this contributes to any battery drain?

Sent from my Moto X

Surprisingly not much bloat on the VZW Moto X. All I disabled was the caller ID app, vzw navigation, and vzw tones or something. Not much else. (I use the My Verizon app)

So far, I've used it for 4 days. Average use I'm getting is 14 hours off battery, with average of about 3 hours screen on time with 40% battery left at the end of the day. Wifi on and gps on. Not bad...