Anyone else still planning on keeping their Note 4 awhile longer?

[ChetManley762]

I've never had a problem with any device that has a sealed battery. My oldest phone that I own is a iPhone 3GS that still works and holds a charge as it I just bought it today.

I've never had a phone with a built in battery shut down at 15% like I did with phones with removable batteries.

I still have:

iPhone 3GS
iPhone 6+
iPhone 6s+
iPhone 6S
iPhone 5S
iPhone SE

Note 5
3 S7 Edge phones

All of them have amazing battery life. I think you are making a big deal out of nothing.

I'm in agreement with paradox. I have several Galaxy Tabs from 4-5 years ago, my wife has a 1.5 year old S6 and while they still work the battery doesn't last anywhere near as long as when we bought them. SOT is probably half of what it was.

Lithium ion batteries degrade with use, scientific fact. With my Note 4 when the battery doesn't hold a charge as long after about a year I pop in a new one and I'm back to fresh new battery life.

Way easier than trying to crack open a sealed phone to replace a battery. And definitely contributes more to device longevity.

 

[anon(5719825)]

I'm in agreement with paradox. I have several Galaxy Tabs from 4-5 years ago, my wife has a 1.5 year old S6 and while they still work the battery doesn't last anywhere near as long as when we bought them. SOT is probably half of what it was.

Lithium ion batteries degrade with use, scientific fact. With my Note 4 when the battery doesn't hold a charge as long after about a year I pop in a new one and I'm back to fresh new battery life.

Way easier than trying to crack open a sealed phone to replace a battery. And definitely contributes more to device longevity.

I have an app on some of my iPhones, especially the older ones that tells how many battery cycles each has and the battery capacity.

On the 3GS, it has 512 cycles with 97% capacity left, the 6+ has 365 cycles with 98% capacity, the 6+ has 117 cycles with 96% capacity.

You can see that the loss in capacity after these years has been very little. The phones will be so old and replaces long before the battery becomes useless.

 

[TechNut79]

I have an app on some of my iPhones, especially the older ones that tells how many battery cycles each has and the battery capacity.

On the 3GS, it has 512 cycles with 97% capacity left, the 6+ has 365 cycles with 98% capacity, the 6+ has 117 cycles with 96% capacity.

You can see that the loss in capacity after these years has been very little. The phones will be so old and replaces long before the battery becomes useless.

That app isn't by any chance available on Android, is it? I'm assuming no or you would have said what it was.

 

[anon(5719825)]

That app isn't by any chance available on Android, is it? I'm assuming no or you would have said what it was.

I'm sure there are battery apps on the play store that will tell battery cycles/capacity but I haven't found any. Some of those apps cost money and I don't want to buy some just to find that they don't tell any of these things. It's been awhile since I've searched so I don't know if any newer ones may tell that info.

 

[AXEL314]

Try an app for a few minutes and if you aren't happy with it just hit that refund button.

 

[natehoy]

I have an app on some of my iPhones, especially the older ones that tells how many battery cycles each has and the battery capacity.

On the 3GS, it has 512 cycles with 97% capacity left, the 6+ has 365 cycles with 98% capacity, the 6+ has 117 cycles with 96% capacity.

You can see that the loss in capacity after these years has been very little. The phones will be so old and replaces long before the battery becomes useless.

Those are some excellent statistics. Thank you. Good demonstration of the early stages of battery use.

None of those batteries are really old enough (cycle wise) to start seeing degradation, though. If you charge your phone once per day and keep your phone for 2 years, your chances of seeing significant degradation (which usually starts around 500-800 cycles for most Lithium batteries) are relatively low. And that is why most people don't care about sealed batteries.


I have to charge my phone from under 50% at least three times a day with a fresh battery. So for the sake of estimation, let's say I am doing 1.5 cycles a day. That means my battery is going through approximately 550 cycles a year.

My first Note 4 battery was great for a year. It degraded slightly after that and required more frequent top-offs, but in the end lasted about 17-18 months. Approximately 825 cycles. Then it developed a failed cell and suffered from the "dead at 30%" failure.

Assuming I was not a heavy user (I use the heck out of the Note's productivity features all day long) and babied the battery a little more, I probably could have cruised right to two years and turned it in, never giving the battery a second thought.

But here I am, 2.5 years after buying it - well over 1600 recharge cycles under its belt, still enjoying like-new battery life, on my 4th battery. 100% thanks to the fact that Sammy was wise enough to make the battery easy to replace in the Note 4.

 

[ChetManley762]

I have an app on some of my iPhones, especially the older ones that tells how many battery cycles each has and the battery capacity.

On the 3GS, it has 512 cycles with 97% capacity left, the 6+ has 365 cycles with 98% capacity, the 6+ has 117 cycles with 96% capacity.

You can see that the loss in capacity after these years has been very little. The phones will be so old and replaces long before the battery becomes useless.

There's no possible way a battery that has gone through 512 Cycles can still have 97% capacity. Not with lithium ion technology anyway. That app has to be wildly inaccurate.

 

[anon(5719825)]

There's no possible way a battery that has gone through 512 Cycles can still have 97% capacity. Not with lithium ion technology anyway. That app has to be wildly inaccurate.

Two different apps report the same stats for that phone so it is correct. One app is Coconut battery and the other is a Jailbreak app called battery life.

They both get the info directly from what the phone tells them. I can tell you that the battery still lasts just as long as my 6S+.

 

[Brew Swayne]

I intend on upgrading to the Note 8 about a month or so after it gets released....gotta make sure they aren't blowing up or anything. Love my Note 4 but I've had it over 2 years now and it's time for something new. Somehow I've managed to burn the keyboard into the screen. It's not terribly noticable unless the background of what I'm looking at is mostly white/light colored. The usb port also seems to have a bit of wiggle in it so I'm sure that could break basically any day now. Just need it to hold out another 6-8 weeks.

 

[ChetManley762]

I intend on upgrading to the Note 8 about a month or so after it gets released....gotta make sure they aren't blowing up or anything. Love my Note 4 but I've had it over 2 years now and it's time for something new. Somehow I've managed to burn the keyboard into the screen. It's not terribly noticable unless the background of what I'm looking at is mostly white/light colored. The usb port also seems to have a bit of wiggle in it so I'm sure that could break basically any day now. Just need it to hold out another 6-8 weeks.

I wish you luck! Everything you said makes sense, if my Note 4 was falling apart I would also be looking for a new phone. But it has held up remarkably well. Nothing but a couple scratches on the screen!

 

[Doug Moffat]

I think the Note line lost the workhorse crown the day they turned to a sealed battery.

 

[ChetManley762]

Agreed

 

[JimmieCD]

Had my Note 4 more than 2 yrs, even have new, unused, Note 4 patiently waiting for this one to give up the ghost. I like this phone for a number of reasons: removeable batt, expandable storage, can tether my laptop, can print using Google Cloud Print, store pictures and music on sd card, texting is flawless, connect to my Toyota, use Android Pay, has headphone jack and takes great pictures. Why do I need another phone?

 

[Note4TheBest4U]

I am not buying ANY phone that does not have a removable battery. I replaced my stock battery with a 1000mAH that weighs like a brick. But I need it as I travel and don't have time to stick it in a charging slot.

I posted another thread where WhatsApp is the culprit and drains battery like a kid slurping a soda in a movie theater.

I will be having my Note 4 till it does on me or I lose it. So yeah, another few years to go. I had a squaretrade warranty that replaced it last year after 2 years (camera was not focusing).

 

[MrMELTDOWN]

I will definitely miss the removable battery as well. It'll probably be cheap phones from here on out for me. No way I'm paying $700+ dollars for a phone with a sealed battery.

My thoughts exactly. My wife wants a new phone so I'll take her Note 4 as a spare and use these until they're dead IR can no longer buy a battery.

 

[MrMELTDOWN]

I do not mind throwing away a rechargeable flashlight when it fails to hold a decent charge. But an expensive phone?

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Bishop_99]

The removable battery and the sd card removal at first were big reasons I stayed with my day one Note 4, thankfully they brought back the sd card slot at least. I was considering upgrading this year, both batteries were failing and I thought it may be an issue with the phone. Then I bought an Anker battery and all the issues were solved.

I know I'm behind in phone tech, but I don't see enough advancements to justify spending $800-$1,000 for a new phone that can't really compete with my custom PC. Plus, another option being taken away from me with the sealed battery. I payed $750 plus tax for the Note 4 and I think that was my limit. The phone still works flawlessly for me, and as long as it does, I have no reason to spend that kind of money on a phone. Prices are getting out of control and now it's mainly about cosmetics over functionality. At least a removable battery gives me some control over the device.

Bought a new 4K UHD TV and I feel that it was money better spent. In a couple of months I'll buy the stand alone UHD Blu-ray player. Much happier with these tech purchases than spending so much on a new phone I really don't need. Note 4 has been rock solid, removable battery gave it new life.

So it will be year 3 with the Note 4 in October. Considering the phones of 2017, my Note 4 may be around for year 4 if it lasts until then and if OEM's don't provide options.

 

[sinfoman]

Just replaced with S8 only because it was free with a 2 year term with the same plan I have been having.
N4 is still strong. It lags here and there and fast charging no longer works. The camera and picture quality are a bit dated. Beside those, it is more than decent.
That 1440p AMOLED screen. Just fantastic even after almost 3 years. Even now, not many makers to 1440p AMOLED dispay.
It was probably the last samsung's flagship phone with removable battery. I will miss this.

Hey, as to fast charging, if you still have a phone, I have a workaround for (possible) that: 1) obviously make sure it's a QC charger 2) Make sure the quick charge setting is on and finally 3) Power off the phone. Plug in the charger. Activate the screen until the single charging green dot at the bottom appears. Immediately unplug and replug the charger, before the screen turns off. Works every time for me, although I'll be D@MNED if I know why..

 

[Jay Sacks]

I keep trying to find a reason to replace my note 4, been over 2 years. But, no burn in, screen doesn't have a mark and still runs flawlessly. Don't care much about the removable battery except easy replacement and have had several. I think water proofing is the death of the removable battery.
Hope the Note 8 gives me a good reason, but the more I see the less I am encouraged.

 

[JnEricsonx]

Expandable memory+replaceable battery=keeping my 4 for now. I used my Note 2 from 2013 summer till last fall. If I can listen to music, watch Netflix, make phone calls, some light mobile gaming, etc, that's all that concerns me.