Hey all,
So I've been thinking of ways to save some money and am considering switching to a Nexus 5 from my iPhone. I've done research on the device and the ONE thing that's holding me back, and is consistently harped on in reviews, is the battery life.
I'm used to getting home with about 80-90% of my battery left after listening to streaming music for ~1-2 hours, texting, and a small amount of browsing. I'm mainly concerned because I use my phone as my primary camera and I don't want to have to worry so much about battery life as I'm out and about. I do have an old car charger from my previous android, so that should alleviate some issues. Does it at least charge fairly quickly?
Is it really that bad, or am I letting reviews blow this out of proportion?
Life others here have said, battery life is dependent on signal strength and your carrier. It is obviously also dependent on how you use your phone.
With reviews, you should remember that most reviewers are using the phone constantly, all day long. Their usage is usually pretty heavy, as they are testing everything the phone can do. But again, battery life is going to vary.
As for battery tests listed in most reviews, most of these are different. Some run scripts, some run video loops; these are only two examples. Although this information is helpful, it is still pretty hard to tell how these tests reflect on real world performance. The only real usage most of these tests have, is when we compare them to other phones. The N5's battery life is great compared to a lot of phones, but there are still quite a few that beat it. I recommend reading
AnandTech's review of the N5, if you haven't already. Their reviews are usually pretty thorough.
Coming from an iPhone 5, I can tell you battery life is pretty good. As far as standby time goes, my N5 lasts much longer than my iPhone ever did. Screen on time could be a little longer, but is still pretty good. Overall, battery life is good.
I recommend getting a wireless charger if you buy the N5. It is extremely convenient and easy to use. If you put one at your desk, you can set your phone down and pick it up when you leave.
I do have one question though: what's this ART runtime and, if using it, does it have an impact on battery life?
ART is going to be the new Android runtime. The current runtime is Dalvik, which compiles code when you run an app. ART compiles code when you install an app, eliminating the need to translate (compile) the code when starting an app. This should mean less lag, and like Golfdriver said, it should allow apps to run more efficiently. It does use a bit more storage and memory space, but the benefits far outweigh the negatives.
ART should also improve battery life. How much of a difference it will make is currently unknown, as it is still in beta. Some people have reported it helps battery life significantly, while others have said it helps a little to not at all. But remember, this is a beta, and it hasn't been fully optimized yet. There haven't been many official tests, but Android Police conducted a few, which can be found
here,
here, and
here. Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3, respectively.
ART is expected to replace Dalvik in the next version of Android, 4.5 or 5.0. It has now been pretty much
confirmed.