Which Phone has better battery life? S4 or HTC ONE?

[mcantu]

Can you point me to the HTC ONE battery test that was done after the update showing better battery life. Ill update my post. Thanks.

it was over at Techradar. they added a star to their review after the update came out. i cant find the link now...

 

[tohio]

it was over at Techradar. they added a star to their review after the update came out. i cant find the link now...

I'll see if I can find it, thanks.

 

[oscarnyc]

So I let my battery literally drain to 0 last night and got 9 hours and 54 mins. So i cant really complain. I just hate it how its pretty much drained by the time i get home from work and i wont b able to go anywhere until i have a comfortable battery life percentage. Maybe i'll just bring a cable to work and have it charging at work. Does anyone know if that will damage the battery, just having it charging maybe second half of the day?

if you are going to be charging the phone more than once per day I'd be wary about getting the HTC One. The battery life will degrade in a years time and you'll want a new one, but unfortunately the way the One is built means that replacing the battery will be very difficult and costly. With the S4 you'll just buy an after-market battery for $10-20 and pop it in. For the HTC you'll need to send it in to HTC, lose use of the device for a week or more and pay $100+. Unfortunately it isn't built like most other sealed phones (like the iPhone or Droid Razr for instance) which are relatively easy to open and replace the battery, and therefore have a bunch of non-OEM people able to do the replacement quickly and for not that much money.

 

[Antitryptic]

All in all, it depends on your usage. I have both devices and they have great battery lives (that sounds weird, but it's plural). To say it straight, the S4 gets better battery life in my usage. Subtract an hour or two [with my usage] and that is the One's battery life. I don't really use all of the features that Samsung has added, but I keep them on anyway. It really boils down to how you use the device and what its purpose is: for work, entertainment, etc. Even though my S4 gets better battery life and has a ton of features that I can use to benefit myself, I switch between it and the HTC One. (Though it more often than not finds its place in the One) And that's my choice.

 

[HalizDad]

if you are going to be charging the phone more than once per day I'd be wary about getting the HTC One. The battery life will degrade in a years time and you'll want a new one, but unfortunately the way the One is built means that replacing the battery will be very difficult and costly. With the S4 you'll just buy an after-market battery for $10-20 and pop it in. For the HTC you'll need to send it in to HTC, lose use of the device for a week or more and pay $100+. Unfortunately it isn't built like most other sealed phones (like the iPhone or Droid Razr for instance) which are relatively easy to open and replace the battery, and therefore have a bunch of non-OEM people able to do the replacement quickly and for not that much money.

Nothing personal, but unless you're using Ebay or Amazon to purchase a replacement battery, and not knowing if it's legit or not, it'll cost you a helluva lot more than $10 or $20 bucks....Also, in a year, they'll probably be able to change it at a Sprint store while you wait...not to mention the niche that will occur where you can buy a battery online and DIY... What is new this week, will be old and easy in a year...It sounds like you want to live in the past, to be honest.

 

[Farish]

Honestly the one thing about the S4 is you can get a 7000 mAH battery that can last you nearly 3 days if you don't mind the new bulgy back cover you have to use.

 

[mcantu]

I'll see if I can find it, thanks.

found it!

HTC One gets battery bump: becomes TechRadar's third 5-star smartphone | News | TechRadar

 

[tohio]

found it!

HTC One gets battery bump: becomes TechRadar's third 5-star smartphone | News | TechRadar

Thanks but the Galaxy S4 still had the better battery even after the HTC update:

"The HTC One managed to get to nearly 9PM, but the Samsung Galaxy S4 kept right on chugging until nearly midnight, when it still had around 10% of its juice left."

HTC One vs Samsung Galaxy S4 vs Sony Xperia Z | News | TechRadar

 

[carlostmac1]

Charge it as often as you can. The less you let it discharge the longer the battery will remain healthy. If you can charge it charge it. Letting the battery run low to empty is actually pretty bad for battery health.

if you are going to be charging the phone more than once per day I'd be wary about getting the HTC One. The battery life will degrade in a years time and you'll want a new one, but unfortunately the way the One is built means that replacing the battery will be very difficult and costly. With the S4 you'll just buy an after-market battery for $10-20 and pop it in. For the HTC you'll need to send it in to HTC, lose use of the device for a week or more and pay $100+. Unfortunately it isn't built like most other sealed phones (like the iPhone or Droid Razr for instance) which are relatively easy to open and replace the battery, and therefore have a bunch of non-OEM people able to do the replacement quickly and for not that much money.

2 conflicting stories.... But mrbootcrm has provided articles to back his claim

 

[tohio]

2 conflicting stories.... But mrbootcrm has provided articles to back his claim

The scientific evidence points to frequent charges before the battery fully discharges as the best way to prolong lithium batteries. But that is a drawback for phones that don't have a removable battery. Because the battery in the HTC ONE is all but impossible for the average user to remove, replacement of a depleted battery will be expensive. So it is incumbent on the HTC ONE owners to frequently charge their batteries before they fall to a low level of charge. For some owners this will not be a problem, they may be in an office, car or at home all day and can easily charge their phone when they wish. But for others who aren't near an outlet all day, (construction workers, landscapers, farmers, mailmen, delivery persons, etc) it will be hard to charge the phone when they wish. We know there are battery packs and battery cases available but they present their own problems for some people who can't or don't want to utilize those options. With the removable battery there is no reason to be concerned about how low the battery level falls. If you battery fails then you can easily replace it with an inexpensive battery. So the cost, time and inconvenience of maintaining a certain battery level is a downside to owning a phone with a non removable battery. And the consequences of not doing so will lead to expensive repairs.

 

[carlostmac1]

The scientific evidence points to frequent charges before the battery fully discharges as the best way to prolong lithium batteries. But that is a drawback for phones that don't have a removable battery. Because the battery in the HTC ONE is all but impossible for the average user to remove, replacement of a depleted battery will be expensive. So it is incumbent on the HTC ONE owners to frequently charge their batteries before they fall to a low level of charge. For some owners this will not be a problem, they may be in an office, car or at home all day and can easily charge their phone when they wish. But for others who aren't near an outlet all day, (construction workers, landscapers, farmers, mailmen, delivery persons, etc) it will be hard to charge the phone when they wish. We know there are battery packs and battery cases available but they present their own problems for some people who can't or don't want to utilize those options. With the removable battery there is no reason to be concerned about how low the battery level falls. If you battery fails then you can easily replace it with an inexpensive battery. So the cost, time and inconvenience of maintaining a certain battery level is a downside to owning a phone with a non removable battery. And the consequences of not doing so will lead to expensive repairs.

True but if your battery falls within the warranty they will fix it for free

 

[tohio]

True but if your battery falls within the warranty they will fix it for free

Correct. I can't imagine it would be cost effective for them to actually remove and replace the battery. If you look at iFixit it seems like a time consuming and costly process that could easily lead to breakage. I wonder if they would just give you a new phone? Might be cheaper in the long run.

 

[oscarnyc]

2 conflicting stories.... But mrbootcrm has provided articles to back his claim

no, not conflicting at all. there is no dispute that is better for the battery to do more frequent small charges rather than one large one. if, for example, you use 90% of the battery on a given day it is better to charge twice from 35 to 80 rather than once from 10 to 100.
I'm talking about someone who uses over 80% of their battery in a given day and thus is going to warrant multiple charges per day. that's going to be a minority of users, for sure. but it appears that is the case for the OP. In such a case I think the user should be aware of the increased cost/impaired performance down the line.

 

[oscarnyc]

Correct. I can't imagine it would be cost effective for them to actually remove and replace the battery. If you look at iFixit it seems like a time consuming and costly process that could easily lead to breakage. I wonder if they would just give you a new phone? Might be cheaper in the long run.

they aren't going to replace a battery which has worn down do to normal use, anymore than Honda is going to replace your worn down brake pads. If it is truly faulty then of course they are obligated to repair/replace it. also, it is a worrying sign to me that HTC (and only HTC afaik) has disabled the Qualcomm quick-charge feature. clearly they are worried about the long term life of the battery in the phone and the difficulty of replacement.

 

[tohio]

they aren't going to replace a battery which has worn down do to normal use, anymore than Honda is going to replace your worn down brake pads. If it is truly faulty then of course they are obligated to repair/replace it. also, it is a worrying sign to me that HTC (and only HTC afaik) has disabled the Qualcomm quick-charge feature. clearly they are worried about the long term life of the battery in the phone and the difficulty of replacement.

Well, according to information from HTC itself they will replace your battery in the first year of ownership it fails/wears out.. After that your brake shoe example is absolutely correct.
See post #81 in this thread http://forums.androidcentral.com/htc-one/287448-so-what-happens-if-my-htc-one-battery-goes-bad.html

 

[oscarnyc]

Well, according to information from HTC itself they will replace your battery in the first year of ownership it fails/wears out.. After that your brake shoe example is absolutely correct.
See post #81 in this thread http://forums.androidcentral.com/htc-one/287448-so-what-happens-if-my-htc-one-battery-goes-bad.html

from the post you cite:
"The battery inconveniences are mostly covered if after the analysis performed on or RMA Center is discovered that it is a fault on the device it self. That will cover your warranty for certain situations".

so, no it won't cover normal wear & tear. only if there is some defect in the battery or the phone itself that caused the battery to fail.
I like the HTC One. I think its a beautiful phone with some excellent hardware and software features. I think that its a great phone for the vast majority of people. I just think that heavy users need to be aware that battery longevity and replacement are likely to be a costly issue to address down the line.

 

[mrbootcrm]

from the post you cite:
"The battery inconveniences are mostly covered if after the analysis performed on or RMA Center is discovered that it is a fault on the device it self. That will cover your warranty for certain situations".

so, no it won't cover normal wear & tear. only if there is some defect in the battery or the phone itself that caused the battery to fail.
I like the HTC One. I think its a beautiful phone with some excellent hardware and software features. I think that its a great phone for the vast majority of people. I just think that heavy users need to be aware that battery longevity and replacement are likely to be a costly issue to address down the line.

I probably go through three full charges a day when I'm not busy doing other stuff. I'd say that's heavy use. I'll let you know about my battery in a year.

 

[tohio]

There have been a lot of subjective opinions, including mine, about the battery live of the HTC ONE vs the Galaxy S4 in this long winded thread. But there are two objective tests, referenced in this thread, by two independent web sites that showed the battery life of the Galaxy S4 to be superior to that of the HTC ONE. So absent other objective information I think the summation of this thread should be that the Galaxy S4 has better battery life than the HTC ONE. Of course anyone is free to disagree. But if you do how about submitting real world tests results done by an independent entity rather than anecdotal information about personal experience with a phone's battery life?

 

[Aquila]

There have been a lot of subjective opinions, including mine, about the battery live of the HTC ONE vs the Galaxy S4 in this long winded thread. But there are two objective tests, referenced in this thread, by two independent web sites that showed the battery life of the Galaxy S4 to be superior to that of the HTC ONE. So absent other objective information I think the summation of this thread should be that the Galaxy S4 has better battery life than the HTC ONE. Of course anyone is free to disagree. But if you do how about submitting real world tests results done by an independent entity rather than anecdotal information about personal experience with a phone's battery life?

Assuming the tests are correct, and with no tests present yet to contradict them, we could add to that the obvious argument of battery life in terms of longevity (in addition to the duration of a single charge), and the S4 has a clear advantage in that regard, in terms of the procedural ease of installing a new battery, cost of doing so, associated risk and hassle (shipping, time without device, etc.).

 

[tohio]

Assuming the tests are correct, and with no tests present yet to contradict them, we could add to that the obvious argument of battery life in terms of longevity (in addition to the duration of a single charge), and the S4 has a clear advantage in that regard, in terms of the procedural ease of installing a new battery, cost of doing so, associated risk and hassle (shipping, time without device, etc.).

Agreed. It is also true that the tests results should come as no surprise simply because the S4 battery is larger. In other words, the results do not fly in the face of logic.