Bump Charging.

[wavechaser]

Basically, I'm tired of doing this routine every single morning for 30+ minutes. Is this same issue affecting every single Droid Incredible?

I called Verizon today, and even though I've owned the phone for 6 months, they are going to replace it. I'm kind of wondering, is this a complete waste of time? Am I going to run into the same exact thing with my replacement?

Also, does anyone have experience where Verizon will actually let you move to a different phone if an issue isn't fixed after multiple phone replacements? After dealing with the Incredible, I'm reluctant to ever own another HTC product.

 

[j0hnnyRingo]

Dont think I have read anywhere that the Dinc has anything close to even average battery life.

Its common knowledge that the Dinc is among the worst when it comes to battery life.

It reminds me of my old Blackberry Storm 1, it lasted about 8 hours and thats it. Only remedy I had for that, as well as what I do for the Dinc is an external battery charger and a second battery. At night when im charging the Dinc, I have the spare battery charinging as well, next morning, I grab my phone and throw the extra battery in my car and whenever I get low, I swap them out. Kind of a pain, but I am not always connected to a charger.

 

[j0hnnyRingo]

Also, even though the battery life sucks, its still the best Droid available. Not worth a downgrade in phone for better battery life for me.

 

[egg_head]

Don't bump charge.
Just plug it in during the day some time for a little pickup.

Do you work near a PC? Plug in and charge via USB.
Are you on the road alot? Buy a car charger.

There's a solution to every problem and bump charging isn't it.


[tapatalk on android]

 

[GNX231]

I do not have a problem with battery life on my dinc. I plug it in over night sometimes or as egg head put it plug it in during the day for a little pick up. If i charge it overnight it last about a day and a half. Not to shabby i thought

 

[318sugarhill]

Basically, I'm tired of doing this routine every single morning for 30+ minutes. Is this same issue affecting every single Droid Incredible?

I called Verizon today, and even though I've owned the phone for 6 months, they are going to replace it. I'm kind of wondering, is this a complete waste of time? Am I going to run into the same exact thing with my replacement?

Also, does anyone have experience where Verizon will actually let you move to a different phone if an issue isn't fixed after multiple phone replacements? After dealing with the Incredible, I'm reluctant to ever own another HTC product.

I understand your frustration. It bothers me too, but I have found a small solution. I use the powermat to charge mine. It was a gift last christmas and worked well with my blackberry. I think it uses more amps than the stock charger, but when I wake up, the light on my Dinc is off, not green. I pick up the cube on the powermat, plop it back down so it starts charging again, and it is fully "bumped" after 5 minutes. Not the half hour with the stock charger.

I'm not recommending you go buy a powermat, but you really don't want to downgrade your phone. The droid2 is nice, but MOTO really sucks. Their build quality is crap compared to HTC. The fascinate looks nice but it is still much bigger than the dinc, not quite as massive as the X, but it is binged up. You have the best "Droid" on the market. I bought a spare battery on ebay for 15 bucks. It is a black HTC battery that original was for the Ozone. Fits in the Dinc, has 200 extra Mah, and I'm waiting for my external battery charger.

The External charger will charge you battery FULL. No bump charging. The problem is, you don't want to take the battery out all the time to charge it, so having a second battery always charged in the charger is ideal.

If you are out for a long day, charge your phone on the charger, and take the spare with you. Don't bump charge, just swap batteries when the first dies.

I agree with you, the battery should last longer, but it is a sacrifice I'm willing to deal with to have the best phone. Iphone is great, and yes the battery IS better, but I still would never make a full day on it as I'm a power user. NOT being able to carry a second battery is a total dealbreaker, among other things.

Point is, there are solutions to your problem, just none you like. You really would be downgrading if you switched to another phone.

 

[davidnc]

Also to add ,while I did not have an issue with battery life on a stock battery and stock 2.2 OS . I was getting 14-16 hrs ez and not totally drain with light to moderate use.

Or another way which I wound up doing just cuz,I like to prepare for other situations I did purchase an 2150 battery recently so no battery issues now no matter how much I use.

 

[rugbyua9]

Also to add ,while I did not have an issue with battery life on a stock battery and stock 2.2 OS . I was getting 14-16 hrs ez and not totally drain with light to moderate use.

Or another way which I wound up doing just cuz,I like to prepare for other situations I did purchase an 2150 battery recently so no battery issues now no matter how much I use.

Same here... been running the 2150mah since the day it came out. Never had to look back.

 

[PIYIRIO]

The problems with the Storm were all OS\radio problems. I was the same, getting 10 hours on the battery consistantly. A few leaked OSes later and I was going 3 days solid.

I have an ebay 2600mah battery with the full brick back, not the stepped back like the original. Charging the 2600 in the phone, with no bump charge gives me about 1/3 to 1/2 more life than externally charging the stock battery (unplug @ 7am <10% by 7-8pm. Externally charging the 2600 the phone can go almost 2 days. All of this depends on the rom and kernel. I just tried a rom with its default kernel that killed my 2600 by 2pm (unplugged @7am, phone apparently stayed at 100% CPU and never throttled or went to sleep).

We have a D2, DX, DInc, and Fascinate in the family. The D2 is actually smaller than the DInc with an extended battery. The DX is absurdley large, I would almost say its Verizons first android tab, but the battery life is surprising after having the DInc. The Fascinate is surprisingly small when in your pocket, no one can even tell its there. The screen is much better in the sun than the DInc (and thank god for gorilla glass). It also doesn't suffer the bump charging bug crap the DInc does. I took the battery out of the phone after it charged and put it in the external charger and the charger light stayed off. The battery lasts 2 full days for me with moderate to heavy use, 3-4 with light to no use. The only things you lose on the Fascinate are Sense UI, gps (the smasung gps gets spotty and takes several minutes to get locks on occasion), and the 8mp camera (its "only" 5mp) but the 720p recording is, for all practical purposes, camcorder smooth.

Personally If I could have waited for the Fascinate, I'd have gotten it. The DInc is a good phone and really was Incredible in April but HTC flat out got some things wrong and neither they nor Verizon has fixed the issues. HTC also got alot of thing right but the pros and cons leads me to say the Fascinate is the better phone. Even with the DInc extended battery. Hopefully you can get them to allow a phone swap; If not, hit up ebay for a cheap extended battery and external charger... its really your only hope.

 

[sniffs]

Bump charging will eventually destroy your battery.

Frequent small charges ruin Li-Ion batteries.

People have this idea in their head that Li-Ion batteries have memory and/or very similar to Ni-Cad/NiMh. They don't have memory and aren't similar.

Li-Ion batteries have about a 1-2 year life span. Unlike NiCad and NiMh, they cannot be brought back to life for a full charge once they are dead.

NiCad/NiMh have linked cells that drain 1 cell at a time, whereas Li-Ion function sort of like an SSD for a computer, they spread the drainage over all the cells.

Li-Ion batteries need to be topped off, drained to about 50% and then plugged in to be topped off again..

letting them frequently drain all the way to 0, each time you do this, you lose a very tiny % of overall life of your battery.

Top them off completely, unplug and use until about 40-50%, then charge and top off again. Doing this and you'll have the highest life span of your battery.

Drain frequently, and your battery wont last a year before it wont accept a charge any longer.

 

[PIYIRIO]

Sorry, but considering people drop to almost 90% battery within minutes of unplugging and are at 50% before noon... no one lives your scenerio. Its may be "best practice" but we bought cell phone to be taken with us while we're on the move. If I wanted to be tethered to the wall I would have a landline or use payphones. Whats $10-$50 for a replacement battery in a $500 phone maybe once over the 2 year life of your phone? I think most would gladly sacrifice that, especially since most that have and use the phone already had to buy extra batteries.

 

[sniffs]

I didn't say you need to be tethered. I gave specifics as to why bump charging is bad and how li-ion works.

If you like spending $40-$100 dollars a year on batteries, go for it.

No one also says you have to have a smartphone.. if you're worried about batteries going dry, get a Jitterbug.. I heard they last weeks.

 

[PIYIRIO]

There are many other posts on why bump charging is doing no harm to the battery. I suppose the Fascinate, that charges the battery to 100% without the need for the external charger, is also killing my battery. It must be a Samsung\Motorola plot: 1) actually charge the battery like a charger is supposed to 2) ??? kills battery 3) profit.

Either that or HTC has the same problem they have always had, poor battery life. Only now a specific issue has been discovered that exacerbates the problem.

They don't, but if my DInc battery fit and charged in my Fascinate, would it have a shorter life in that than in my DInc? The Fascinate doesn't need bump charges to top off.

BTW, Li-ion battery's have a protection circuit built in to prevent overcharging. Besides, how can you top off the battery completely like you say when that requires bump charges, and then you say bump charging destroys the battery? Maybe we should poll people:
a. you bump charge, battery is fine
b. you bump charge, battery wont hold a charge
c. do not bump charge, battery is fine
d. do not bump charge, battery wont hold a charge

Even this will be skewed because people that bump charge do it out of neccesity and end up charging more frequently which puts the battery through more charge cycles (what really matters).

I'm worried about the battery life of this device like the majority of the people on here. No one says I have to have a smartphone... except my company, and I thought it'd be nice for the family. That said, just because you read a few things on the forums or internet doesn't make you an expert. Oh wait, I'm sure you work for for some DD contractor who is researching the latest in potassium-ion batterys or are some other expert witness on the matter. I've spend $12 in 6 months for a cheap extended battery so I don't even think I'll see the low end of your estimate. Quit fear-mongering people that call B.S. when they see it.

 

[sniffs]

"fear-mongering".. I didn't come on here to argue, kid. I came on here to state facts. I'm not some DD contractor or any of that other mumbo jumbo, I am someone who has worked with the battery industry for many years, however.

Do you want me to link you to Wikipedia articles on battery usage and differences? I'm not fear-mongering, I'm educating the uneducated. It's super annoying to listen to people talk about completely wrong facts about battery usage. It's also super annoying for me to see people who abuse their batteries and then complain, when with correct usage, they should last at least 2 years.

I'm done with this thread because obviously you see a need to buy cheap knockoff Chinese batteries and a need to bump charge them.

PS. Most Android phones drop charge in increments of 10.. so because you show 90%, doesn't mean you are at 90% charge there guy. That means that from 99% to 89% you're going to show 90% charge. Sheesh.

Charging lithium-ion batteries

Lithium Batteries -- Proper Care & Use

/gone.

 

[terminal33]

"fear-mongering".. I didn't come on here to argue, kid. I came on here to state facts. I'm not some DD contractor or any of that other mumbo jumbo, I am someone who has worked with the battery industry for many years, however.

Do you want me to link you to Wikipedia articles on battery usage and differences? I'm not fear-mongering, I'm educating the uneducated. It's super annoying to listen to people talk about completely wrong facts about battery usage. It's also super annoying for me to see people who abuse their batteries and then complain, when with correct usage, they should last at least 2 years.

I'm done with this thread because obviously you see a need to buy cheap knockoff Chinese batteries and a need to bump charge them.

PS. Most Android phones drop charge in increments of 10.. so because you show 90%, doesn't mean you are at 90% charge there guy. That means that from 99% to 89% you're going to show 90% charge. Sheesh.

Charging lithium-ion batteries

Lithium Batteries -- Proper Care & Use

/gone.

Thanks for the links.

 

[wavechaser]

Everyone here makes very valid points.

While I know that I can do certain things in order to get acceptable use out of my phone is all well and good, but the principle involved has just gotten me to the point where I don't feel like I should have to jump through hoops to get basic usage out of a smartphone I paid a lot of money for.

So far I have done the following for my phone:
Bought a car charger
Bought a 1750 seido extended battery
Bump charged it every morning in order to get an actual "full charge".
WANTED to buy a dock but due to HTC's complete lack of support for the phone, am unable to do so.

Hell, if you go to the HTC website, you can't even find the Incredible. It's almost as if right after releasing the phone, they forgot it ever existed. This was also confirmed when I emailed them about the battery charge situation the phone has. The response I got was a boiler-plate cut and paste response completely ignoring that there is actually an issue with the way the phone charges.

I'm all about support. Back when I had the original Droid, I had a very sturdy feeling phone with lots of great accessories, acceptable battery life, and good support. With HTC, all three of those categories went down the drain.

While the phone is fast, it feels like a cheap toy in my hand, I even bought an Innocase Active in order to make it feel more like an actual phone. How sad is that?

Basically it's come to a point where I'm tired of jumping through hoops to get this phone to work like it should have out of the box. After spending close to the amount I spent on the phone, on accessories alone, and 30 to 40 minutes every morning "prepping" the phone, I've just grown tired of it.

I'll glady accept a "downgraded" phone for one that I can depend on. Something I don't have to worry about bump charging every morning for 30 minutes, or replacing batteries midway through the day, or charging every time I'm at a computer or in my car.

I was hoping that my replacement Verizon will be sending me might not have this issue. If that were the case, i'd gladly stick with it. But HTC completely denies there is any issue at all, and that is very disconcerting.

 

[PIYIRIO]

PS. Most Android phones drop charge in increments of 10.. so because you show 90%, doesn't mean you are at 90% charge there guy. That means that from 99% to 89% you're going to show 90% charge. Sheesh.

Funny, every android phone we have shows 1% increments... although maybe not with the stock battery icon, it does under settings. Do you even have a DInc?

Yeah, you may not be any of that "mumbo jumbo" but (always a but)... so I guess I've worked with the battery industry for years too: I've had batteries in my cars, boat, remotes, phones, electric razors, cordless drills. I must be an expert too. One of your own links even states Li-ion batterys have overcharge and discharge circuits, which means bump charging can't hurt. If anything its bypassing a double safety that only HTC deemed necessary.

I don't give a flying @#$% if my battery lasts 6 months, 1 year, or 2 years. I should be able to make it through a single work day with no issue. Its been like this day 1 so it was nothing I did by bump charging, or anything I installed. I dont want my wife, child, I have something happen on the way home at night and think "damn should have remembered the car charger".

Why does it seem only HTC phones have this issue? I cringed at using Chinese crap battery's until I was desperate enough to try it. Like anything Chinese: sometimes you win the lottery (it works), sometimes you lose (it doesn't work), sometimes you get struck by lightning (battery explodes, catches fire). I won the lottery.

PS Thanks for the kid comment, been feeling old since my birthday

*edit* wavechaser, the best I can tell you is to not let up with Verizon if the new phone has the same trouble (pretty sure it will). They are supposed to allow a model swap after 2 or 3 times. I love everything about the phone but the battery\charging system. I can 100% suggest the Fascinate over all 4 of the big phones out @ Big Red, the battery life is excellent. If you dont mind the hardware keyboard, the D2 isn't bad bulk wise, especially compared to the DInc with extended battery. All are rootable but you lose the fun of trying different ROMs.

 

[davidnc]

I'll glady accept a "downgraded" phone for one that I can depend on.

you are not getting a jitterbug?? are you ,lol or one like this

lol, couldnt resist after hearing about jitterbug phone hahahaha

 

[318sugarhill]

Again, All are right about wanting it to work and last a full out of the box from day 1. I have found after owning it since april, the battery life has IMPROVED over time. I don't have to bump charge it everyday. When my external charger arrives, I can say goodbye to bump charging. However, the phone truly is awesome.

When I first bought the phone, I was really pissed about the idea of spending $50 or more on a sedio or HTC "extended" battery for a phone I already spent $200 on. But if you browse the forums here, you will find that the extra battery I purchased is not a "cheap" chinese knockoff. Almost ALL cellphone batteries are made in china anymore, brand name or not. Take a look at the stock Red HTC battery. Made in china.

There are plenty of knock off junk batteries on ebay, but if you search the forums, you will find a seller on ebay (forget his username) selling real HTC batteries from older model phones like the ozone, for $15. They are legit, work just fine, and have extended MY battery life.

Amazing how pissy people get on the forums. If my battery dies early from "bump" charging, I'll get another for $15. I'm ok with that sniffs.

 

[PIYIRIO]

You'll like the external charger. I got mine at cellphoneshop.net before the ebay stuff flooded the market, they have them for $5 (more cheap Hong Kong crap I guess) and nice screen protectors for a buck or two. I got a universal so I can use it on my other phones to check out their charging. Even after I bump charge the DInc 2-3 times I can pull the battery and put in the external and still get 15-30 minutes more charge time in it. Granted they are 350mah instead of 1amp but the battery can and will take it.

I may try the smaller batteries next. I love my 2600mah but it sucks having it in my pocket...but at least it stays on all day while in my pocket. Out of the charger at 7am, 82% with moderate use at 3pm... stock battery should be this good or close. I could live with 50% right now if the stock battery could pull that off, I cant live with the 20% or less I get out of it.