Droid Turbo Battery Life--Two Years Later

[PowrDroid]

I got my Droid Turbo December 3, 2014. After a couple of weeks use I took some screenshots of battery use.
This weekend I took some screenshots of battery use, two years later.

In both cases I have my screen brightness set at about 45%, I have Adaptive Brightness activated, Attentive Display in on, and my sleep time is set to 2 minutes.





A couple of observations:
1. With normal usage I can still get through a full day on one charge. However, I can't leave my phone overnight and pick it up the next day without worrying about plugging it in. When I first got the Turbo, I could get through two days of "normal" use, i.e. less than 3 hours screen on time, plugging it in at the end of Day 2. Now, I plug it in every night. I believe the need to plug it in every night is shortening the battery life. Every time it's charged it heats the battery and fractionally degrades it. (I've used the Moto supplied turbo charger almost exclusively, a couple times a month I will use my Tylt wireless charger.)

2. When the phone was upgraded to Lollipop I noticed the Android OS apps were taking a larger percentage of battery life. You can see that they took 10% back in Dec. 2014 on Kit-Kat, this weekend they took 16.4% on Lollipop. Since Lollipop the Android OS typically takes about 20% to 22% of battery life on a "normal" day (3 hours or less of screen on time.) Only when I get more than 3.5 to 4 hours screen on time does the percentage dip into the teens. (In case you are wondering YIPC is a wireless security camera.)

3. Here is my battery use summary, cumulative since July 15, 2015 (I think that was when Lollipop was installed, not positive though.)



Gone are the routine days of 6 hours of screen on time (or even 5 hours) before needing a recharge. Still, it gets me through most days. I'm considering DIY a new battery install. I wonder if a new battery would get me back to those halcyon days? I would buy a genuine Moto replacement part. I've seen them as low as $8.69. Anybody have any experience with replacement batteries on the Turbo?

 

[doogald]

1. With normal usage I can still get through a full day on one charge. However, I can't leave my phone overnight and pick it up the next day without worrying about plugging it in. When I first got the Turbo, I could get through two days of "normal" use, i.e. less than 3 hours screen on time, plugging it in at the end of Day 2. Now, I plug it in every night. I believe the need to plug it in every night is shortening the battery life. Every time it's charged it heats the battery and fractionally degrades it. (I've used the Moto supplied turbo charger almost exclusively, a couple times a month I will use my Tylt wireless charger.)

Batteries are rated for certain number of charge cycles, and degrade over time after more and more charge cycles (one cycle is the amount or charge to supply 100% of the capacity; so charging from 50% twice is one charge cycle.) Plugging in overnight doesn't heat the battery any more than plugging in any other time of the day. If you look at the temp charts in GSAM when the battery is at 100%, they should be relatively low (though maybe I am remembering wrong - it's been a while since I have done that.) I think that your battery degradation is almost surely due to normal and expected loss of capacity due to charging cycles. Some of it may be that the phone was engineered for KitKat and it's had Lollipop on it for much of the time, and maybe the system changes in L for battery efficiency didn't help the Turbo as much as other phone, particularly with the Turbo's always watching (though low-power) sensors, "breathing" Moto Display, always listening Moto Voice, etc.

If you had wanted to save your battery from heat, I'd have charged only when it was above the turbo charging capacity, because the Qualcomm fast charge should be heating the battery more than 5V standard USB charging. (Or I guess just used an old, standard, non-"Turbo" charger, particularly for overnight charging.) I'd also have stayed far, far away from the Tylt charger; qi charging is definitely less efficient and generates more heat than plugging in.

Also, FWIW, the BatteryUniversity.com suggests that multiple small charges are better for long-term battery capacity changes than fewer large charges. I'm not sure that I think it makes that much of a difference in a battery as small as a phone battery (compared with a notebook battery, which is what I think BU mostly tests), but that's something to consider going forward (i.e., plug in when you have a chance - while you are driving in the car, while you are in the shower, when you are sitting at your desk at work or at home, etc - all those few minutes of chances here and there that we all probably have during the day.)

I don't have any experience with third party Moto battery parts. I'd only consider it myself if I knew I was ready to purchase a new phone today in case the upgrade/repair went badly.

 

[remmy00]

I think I scared my original battery....

It was apparently nearing the end of it's lifecycle with the charges not lasting nearly as long. So I ordered an OEM replacement. Watched the vids etc and was all prepared to do the swap.

Well shortly after the replacement arrived the original battery started preforming better.

The replacement is still sitting in the packaging at home...

Apparently the original didnt want to go off to the battery graveyard just yet.

Oh and PowrDroid thanks for the analysis... I always love seeing these geeky little bits of data.

 

[quantum tao]

kitkat was the best on battery life, downhill from there on.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Glad to see this thread. Having the exact same issue/concern. I'm considering purchasing a new Turbo, so I can get that battery life that I loved so much. I enjoy this phone that much.

As far as the battery replacement, I tried this last night and thought I destroyed my phone. Upon installing the new battery, the phone would only power on with it plugged it. It would never charge properly and would show a state of anywhere from 2 to 57%. Regardless of this, the phone would not boot with consistency.

I went to bed last night, pissed off like you wouldn't believe. Woke up and figured I can't ruin it anymore than what I already have, so I put my old battery back it.

It's working like a charm. Battery life is still in the crapper, but at least my phone is working.

My new battery was a direct replacement. Maybe it's defective. At one point, the phone actually came on and started to optimize apps.

I have no idea.....

 

[gilgamess3]

Where did you buy the original battery, please?

 

[gilgamess3]

Glad to see this thread. Having the exact same issue/concern. I'm considering purchasing a new Turbo, so I can get that battery life that I loved so much. I enjoy this phone that much.

As far as the battery replacement, I tried this last night and thought I destroyed my phone. Upon installing the new battery, the phone would only power on with it plugged it. It would never charge properly and would show a state of anywhere from 2 to 57%. Regardless of this, the phone would not boot with consistency.

I went to bed last night, pissed off like you wouldn't believe. Woke up and figured I can't ruin it anymore than what I already have, so I put my old battery back it.

It's working like a charm. Battery life is still in the crapper, but at least my phone is working.

My new battery was a direct replacement. Maybe it's defective. At one point, the phone actually came on and started to optimize apps.

I have no idea.....

Where did you buy the original battery, please?

 

[this_is_nascar]

https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-...101&mpre=http://www.ebay.com/itm/252380471441

 

[PowrDroid]

For Motorola Droid Turbo XT1254 EQ40 OEM Genuine Replacement Battery SN5949N

This one doesn't say Motorola on it, that I can see. The one I had bookmarked is no longer available. It was on AliBaba and it said "Motorola" on it and had the Moto logo (I know, I know, might not mean it's actually Motorola...)

Here is the one I had bookmarked as shown on eBay.

NEW SN5949N LI-ION POLYMER BATTERY EQ40 for MOTOROLA XT1254 DROID TURBO VERIZON | eBay

Both your battery and the one I had bookmarked says they were manufactured by Hanrim Postech Elect.. They're probably the same item.


With the intermittent problems you were having with your replacement battery I wonder if the connector was flaky?

 

[this_is_nascar]

It's certainly possible. I was just glad to get the old one back in without damage.

 

[mobrules]

https://phonepartsusa.com/motorola-droid-turbo-xt-1254

I bought a battery here for a Razr Maxx HD. The install was pretty easy and the battery is great. I plan to replace a Turbo battery and Nexus 7 battery after Xmas.

 

[this_is_nascar]

Let us know how it goes.

 

[mobrules]

Let us know how it goes.

I will. I don't really use the phone but as a backup. Switched to Z Force. But I will post how it goes.

 

[this_is_nascar]

I will. I don't really use the phone but as a backup. Switched to Z Force. But I will post how it goes.

How would you compare the Z Force to the Turbo?

 

[mobrules]

How would you compare the Z Force to the Turbo?

I guess I could be considered a Motorola fan so keep that in mind.

I really feel it was a seamless transition. Great battery life and great build quality of hardware.

 

[PowrDroid]

I guess I could be considered a Motorola fan so keep that in mind.

I really feel it was a seamless transition. Great battery life and great build quality of hardware.

Is there a noticeable difference between the two? Is the Z Force camera a lot better? A little bit better? What about overall speed of the device? The display screen? etc. etc.

 

[mobrules]

Is there a noticeable difference between the two? Is the Z Force camera a lot better? A little bit better? What about overall speed of the device? The display screen? etc. etc.

Speed is noticeable to me. Dont use camera enough to care. Its a camera and it works good. Screen is larger and detail is amazing to me.