Is anyone returning their S6?

[anon(5630457)]

Wow what a surprise lol...I am betting you still post here regularly to tell everyone how crappy the S6 is...even I'd your G4 battery is on par. Haha

At least I'm not in denial about how bad of a battery is in the S6. People should know how bad the battery really is instead of being flooded with messages from fanboyism, which fabricates the real world usage of the battery.

 

[the tall guy]

At least I'm not in denial about how bad of a battery is in the S6. People should know how bad the battery really is instead of being flooded with messages from fanboyism, which fabricates the real world usage of the battery.

How's the LG G4 treating you?

 

[anon(5630457)]

Some call them tweaks and I say its crippling features myself. When you have to disable and turn off phone features, not because your not using them but because it causes drain on the phone battery I call it crippling. In this day in age I shouldn't have to do any of that.

You're exactly right. If I can't have a bright screen, get email pushed automatically to my inbox, or turning off wifi when I'm not around wifi because those features kill battery life, my phone usage is being crippled. Nobody should have to cripple their phone in order to increase battery life.

 

[jimbl]

I love this phone. With that being said, I'll be getting my 3rd one today, and a refurbished model at that. The first one had some dirt / dust floating behind the camera lens. I was able to swap it during the 1st 14 days for a new one. The second one recently started having mechanical issues with focus. Just watch the attached video to see what I mean (disclaimer: that is not my video, but someone who is having a similar problem). I sure hope the refurbished one I get today has zero issues, because I love the phone otherwise, and would rather use it than always be setting up a new one.

https://youtu.be/YOE2yiX7rQE

 

[the tall guy]

I love this phone. With that being said, I'll be getting my 3rd one today, and a refurbished model at that. The first one had some dirt / dust floating behind the camera lens. I was able to swap it during the 1st 14 days for a new one. The second one recently started having mechanical issues with focus. Just watch the attached video to see what I mean (disclaimer: that is not my video, but someone who is having a similar problem). I sure hope the refurbished one I get today has zero issues, because I love the phone otherwise, and would rather use it than always be setting up a new one.

https://youtu.be/YOE2yiX7rQE

That's a creepy video! I couldn't tell if it was the video playing or my computer buffering to play it hopefully the replacement device has zero problems. Why is the replacement device a refurbished one? surely your carrier should give you a brand new one?

 

[jimbl]

That's a creepy video! I couldn't tell if it was the video playing or my computer buffering to play it hopefully the replacement device has zero problems. Why is the replacement device a refurbished one? surely your carrier should give you a brand new one?

Good question, and I asked support when I was on the phone with them. I didn't get a clear answer, because I don't think she really knew. My guess is it's because I am not under any kind of agreement / contract. Verizon is willing to honor Samsungs 1 year warranty but not with a new device that isn't under contract (ie I'm not paying Verizon for my phone so they aren't going to give me new one). Sucks, but as long as it looks new and works 100% I won't complain.

 

[the tall guy]

Good question, and I asked support when I was on the phone with them. I didn't get a clear answer, because I don't think she really knew. My guess is it's because I am not under any kind of agreement / contract. Verizon is willing to honor Samsungs 1 year warranty but not with a new device that isn't under contract (ie I'm not paying Verizon for my phone so they aren't going to give me new one). Sucks, but as long as it looks new and works 100% I won't complain.

Fingers crossed mate it looks and acts brand new

 

[linebusy]

You're exactly right. If I can't have a bright screen, get email pushed automatically to my inbox, or turning off wifi when I'm not around wifi because those features kill battery life, my phone usage is being crippled. Nobody should have to cripple their phone in order to increase battery life.

For the record....
While I acknowledge that I've read numerous complaints about battery life, and I really have no motivation to get into a squabble, I just thought I'd mention that there are probably a lot of folks like myself that have bought the phone, installed every update that came along (including apps from AT&T and Samsung) and are doing just fine, including 30+ hours largely on standby, but with some weekend usage. During the week a quickcharge in the AM is all that's needed. In other words, if I didn't spend time in online G6 forums, I wouldn't even know that there were people with battery issues because the G6 that I use has demonstrated nothing that would suggest there was. So, while I certainly appreciate your frustration and acknowledge that you are not alone, you might also consider that there are masses of people that experience no problems whatsoever, even without disabling things (as have I).

I will add, I did disable 2 apps, but that's because they were somewhat invasive and altogether useless. Peel Smart Remote updated itself, even without my giving it permission and I found the permissions completely unreasonable for what should be nothing more than a remote control. AT&T Live is the other culprit, putting news headlines in notification bar. No limitations on apps outside of those 2.

I do not consider myself a fanboy. I am a nerd, to be sure, but if there were inherent issues with hardware in my own experience, I'd share them and move on.

 

[the tall guy]

Couldn't have said it better myself @ linebusy

 

[carnaige]

My 64gb Black Sapphire S6 is being replaced (within my 14 day cooling off period) tomorrow as a result of the wobbly/rattly home button issue..... keeping everything crossed that the replacement will be OK...

 

[Bpschoon81]

Sold my s6 and went back to the iPhone 6. As much as the ip6 battery isn't great, it's greater standby battery means it lasts much longer than the s6. It's a pity too, because I miss the camera, but there was just too much crap on the s6 to stay

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[maj71303]

Sold my s6 and went back to the iPhone 6. As much as the ip6 battery isn't great, it's greater standby battery means it lasts much longer than the s6. It's a pity too, because I miss the camera, but there was just too much crap on the s6 to stay

Posted via the Android Central App

This indeed is a big issue as well. Sony mitigated this by denying apps the freedom to ping for data, location, and run whenever they wanted. If I'm not mistaken it was a setting that set these apps to access data on set intervals and not all the time like when they wanted. That helped with battery life not only in use but greatly in standby. This was a separate setting under data and not power saver which restricted data request and app functions to set intervals instead of non stop like apps do today which don't let phones deep sleep much anymore.

Maybe Google can put this into android to stop rogue apps and apps in general from just doing whatever they like and set intervals of when apps preform their refresh functions. The apps will still function and provide updates, but not always poling for stuff wasting resources. The theory is that if I want the latest news and information I would refresh the app manually myself or it will refresh frequently only when in use.

 

[warpdrive]

This indeed is a big issue as well. Sony mitigated this by denying apps the freedom to ping for data, location, and run whenever they wanted. If I'm not mistaken it was a setting that set these apps to access data on set intervals and not all the time like when they wanted. That helped with battery life not only in use but greatly in standby. This was a separate setting under data and not power saver which restricted data request and app functions to set intervals instead of non stop like apps do today which don't let phones deep sleep much anymore.

Maybe Google can put this into android to stop rogue apps and apps in general from just doing whatever they like and set intervals of when apps preform their refresh functions. The apps will still function and provide updates, but not always poling for stuff wasting resources. The theory is that if I want the latest news and information I would refresh the app manually myself or it will refresh frequently only when in use.

Personally i agree with you and for the most part stop auto updates for such things like social media by just turning off sync. But yes, so many apps are going crazy in that it requests your location and other information on the fly that could have a huge impact on battery life.

What separates an android from iPhone device in a big way is Google Now. If you are a frequent traveler with a need to read all your favorite sports scores and such, Google Now can be awesome for traffic reports and things like that. But such a feature requires your phone to be pinged repeatedly throughout the day and night, thus even if not used in high accuracy mode, it can drain your battery fast. And because Google is promoting such a feature, I don't think Android in general will ever agree with us and just let us turn off such location services on other apps. In fact, I think with so many new apps that require location to work properly, I think that this is just the beginning of a trend that you and I might have to find other ways to curb the abuses.

Just look at how HTC even included a restaurant suggestion to their blinkfeed news reader, that requires heavy location services to give you the suggestions for what you should have for lunch while out on the town while shopping. While I've never used it, I wouldn't be surprised if it learns your taste in food and times that you are likely to eat, even if you are a night owl. Such apps are a new trend in battery draining services and like I said, I think that this is just the beginning of what's to come.

Of course, you can always turn such things off. And while I personally don't mind doing so, some here may feel that they are crippling their devices.

Maybe instead of turning such features off, people could learn about quick charging and wireless charging. I just topped off my phone before leaving the house instead of waiting for it to fully be drained, and in the time it took to put on a nice shirt, throw on my shoes, and brush my hair my phone is now ready for the rest of the day and night. If I use it too heavy and worry about battery life, I can give it another charge in the car or my local Starbucks and top it off again. Just a few mins goes a long way when I charge my phone, and there is no reason to wait till is drained to first think about charging.
(of course this constant charging could be looked at as my battery life stinks, but I'm lucky that AT&T didn't mess up the battery life. It's just a different way of looking at things when charging. And I think it too is going to be the new trend.)

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[anon(5630457)]

For the record....
While I acknowledge that I've read numerous complaints about battery life, and I really have no motivation to get into a squabble, I just thought I'd mention that there are probably a lot of folks like myself that have bought the phone, installed every update that came along (including apps from AT&T and Samsung) and are doing just fine, including 30+ hours largely on standby, but with some weekend usage. During the week a quickcharge in the AM is all that's needed. In other words, if I didn't spend time in online G6 forums, I wouldn't even know that there were people with battery issues because the G6 that I use has demonstrated nothing that would suggest there was. So, while I certainly appreciate your frustration and acknowledge that you are not alone, you might also consider that there are masses of people that experience no problems whatsoever, even without disabling things (as have I).

I will add, I did disable 2 apps, but that's because they were somewhat invasive and altogether useless. Peel Smart Remote updated itself, even without my giving it permission and I found the permissions completely unreasonable for what should be nothing more than a remote control. AT&T Live is the other culprit, putting news headlines in notification bar. No limitations on apps outside of those 2.

I do not consider myself a fanboy. I am a nerd, to be sure, but if there were inherent issues with hardware in my own experience, I'd share them and move on.

Great. You spent over $600 for a phone that works. Congrats. I paid full retail for mine and it's a piece of crap. People should know when/if a phone works before spending a ton of money on a phone. Many people have frustrations with the battery life. There are a few here who claim to have great battery life. Great. People should know.

FYI, the authors of this website and The Verge have both stated that the G4's battery life far outlasts the S6's battery life, which again, people should know when making a decision on whether or not if they should spend $600+ on a phone.

 

[DSMpowerhousegroup]

Great. You spent over $600 for a phone that works. Congrats. I paid full retail for mine and it's a piece of crap. People should know when/if a phone works before spending a ton of money on a phone. Many people have frustrations with the battery life. There are a few here who claim to have great battery life. Great. People should know.

FYI, the authors of this website and The Verge have both stated that the G4's battery life far outlasts the S6's battery life, which again, people should know when making a decision on whether or not if they should spend $600+ on a phone.

The G4 outlast some people's battery life. Mine is great.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[warpdrive]

Great. You spent over $600 for a phone that works. Congrats. I paid full retail for mine and it's a piece of crap. People should know when/if a phone works before spending a ton of money on a phone. Many people have frustrations with the battery life. There are a few here who claim to have great battery life. Great. People should know.

FYI, the authors of this website and The Verge have both stated that the G4's battery life far outlasts the S6's battery life, which again, people should know when making a decision on whether or not if they should spend $600+ on a phone.

That's awesome. Do you also feel that people should know that it's T-Mobile fault and not Samsung's?

Not saying that there are not exceptions, but when talking about battery life, the vast majority of phones that have bad or poor battery life is due to T-Mobile software that was added. Not the Samsung software. Are you willing to spread the word or just think that everyone should not know?

Btw, both examples you gave were phones tested from T-Mobile. The reviews that say the battery life is fine were not.

What do you think?
Edit: or better yet, do you feel is best to use T-Mobile battery results as an example of all battery life for the S6 when globally 95% don't have such results? Say when compared to the G4?

Posted via the zenfone 2

 

[Bpschoon81]

Personally i agree with you and for the most part stop auto updates for such things like social media by just turning off sync. But yes, so many apps are going crazy in that it requests your location and other information on the fly that could have a huge impact on battery life.

What separates an android from iPhone device in a big way is Google Now. If you are a frequent traveler with a need to read all your favorite sports scores and such, Google Now can be awesome for traffic reports and things like that. But such a feature requires your phone to be pinged repeatedly throughout the day and night, thus even if not used in high accuracy mode, it can drain your battery fast. And because Google is promoting such a feature, I don't think Android in general will ever agree with us and just let us turn off such location services on other apps. In fact, I think with so many new apps that require location to work properly, I think that this is just the beginning of a trend that you and I might have to find other ways to curb the abuses.

Just look at how HTC even included a restaurant suggestion to their blinkfeed news reader, that requires heavy location services to give you the suggestions for what you should have for lunch while out on the town while shopping. While I've never used it, I wouldn't be surprised if it learns your taste in food and times that you are likely to eat, even if you are a night owl. Such apps are a new trend in battery draining services and like I said, I think that this is just the beginning of what's to come.

Of course, you can always turn such things off. And while I personally don't mind doing so, some here may feel that they are crippling their devices.

Maybe instead of turning such features off, people could learn about quick charging and wireless charging. I just topped off my phone before leaving the house instead of waiting for it to fully be drained, and in the time it took to put on a nice shirt, throw on my shoes, and brush my hair my phone is now ready for the rest of the day and night. If I use it too heavy and worry about battery life, I can give it another charge in the car or my local Starbucks and top it off again. Just a few mins goes a long way when I charge my phone, and there is no reason to wait till is drained to first think about charging.
(of course this constant charging could be looked at as my battery life stinks, but I'm lucky that AT&T didn't mess up the battery life. It's just a different way of looking at things when charging. And I think it too is going to be the new trend.)

Posted via the Android Central App

Dont sell the Google Now experience on the iPhone short. I use it all the time. It will still give me Leave Now prompts and what not.

Posted via the Android Central App

 

[warpdrive]

Dont sell the Google Now experience on the iPhone short. I use it all the time. It will still give me Leave Now prompts and what not.

Posted via the Android Central App

Not selling it short at all. Just saying it's not turned on by default, even if you don't use it at all, like on an android phone. Thus you don't have the battery drain unless you turn it on and use it.

Posted via the zenfone 2

 

[berdinkerdickle]

Ah yes, you're on T-Mobile. that explains why your S6 battery life stinks. They messed up their wifi calling software and VoLTE software. Not Sammy's fault. Blame T-Mobile.

Posted via the Android Central App

Actually, if you go to the reviews on Verizon and Amazon about the Verizon S6, many customer reviews of poor battery life.

 

[Techno-guy]

This indeed is a big issue as well. Sony mitigated this by denying apps the freedom to ping for data, location, and run whenever they wanted. If I'm not mistaken it was a setting that set these apps to access data on set intervals and not all the time like when they wanted. That helped with battery life not only in use but greatly in standby. This was a separate setting under data and not power saver which restricted data request and app functions to set intervals instead of non stop like apps do today which don't let phones deep sleep much anymore.

Aha! I was wondering what Sony did to make the Z3 such a stellar battery performer! You are right, other manufacturers like Samsung (or Google themselves) should implement this feature. The poor battery life (especially Standby) on the S6 really ruins what is otherwise a terrific phone.