(Rant) Battery Life - My experiences

[CrazyTom2k2]

Hey all!😀

I'm gonna start with an apology for what I'm writing. This is a general rant not targeted at any individuals - just wanted to dump my thoughts that have been developed over the past few years, particularly around the experience I've had with battery life on my phone.

I've been a Samsung user ever since 2010 (I was😎 - I had a Samsung B3210. It was a great phone, it stood out, it had it's own charm.

Ever since that phone, I've stuck with Samsung. I'm currently driving a Note20 Ultra, and the list of other Sammy devices I've owned and daily driven includes:

• Galaxy Young (S6310N)
• Galaxy S4
• Galaxy S5
• Galaxy S6 Edge+
• Galaxy S7 Edge
• Galaxy S8
• Galaxy Note9
• Galaxy S20 5G

I've had a great time with all of the above handsets, however I've always had one key issue - battery life. And I still have this issue today. I'll admit I use the phone for streaming Spotify for at least an hour every day, but so do most of the users who I'm about to compare to.

At the start of owning the handset, I'd easily get a day or 2 out of the battery, but a couple of months in I'd be at a point where I'd be struggling to get through a day. 

I've contacted Customer Services in the past, and spoken to a number of people who've offered a battery swap or told me to factory reset my handset. While that's great, I know people using Sony, Huawei, Apple and OnePlus handsets who seem to get similar battery life to day one, and that's 2 years later without a reset.

So I'm writing a post to ask: Samsung, in your next update, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE - improve your battery life. If other users can get a day or 2 out of significantly smaller batteries, why can't we?

Best wishes,

Tom 🙂

(I'm considering switching brands, so please give me a reason not to!)

[xSteveuk]

Hi,
Tom
One thing about a good rant
Is a polite one
Nice One

Is it any particular phone
You are having
The issue with
I have noticed some had
Issues with the s21 etc
Battery Issues
And l believe it was
The June update
Which l believe has been fixed

[CrazyTom2k2]

Hey again Steve,

Thanks for popping a comment on this one 😀.

I'll put this into context - I'm currently on a Note20 Ultra. Love the phone, but in terms of battery life, I was on 100% at 07:00. It's now 10:51 and I've got 56% remaining, after streaming Spotify for an hour. Phone's already in battery saver mode. Correct me if I'm being picky (there's a good possibility), but that just doesn't seem right 🙂

[Pugs1957]

Can you post your battery stats? Is it Spotify or other apps causing the issue. I don't use Spotify so can't comment but my old S10 battery is no different from when I got it. It was never the greatest, just over 1 day but I've doubled that with my S21 Ultra.

[LiquidSnake]

Hi,

Try implementing these tips on increasing battery life;

- Remove home screen apps and instead try to keep everything in the app drawer/edge panel. If there are still apps on the home screen, try to locate them into folders.
- Turn off Always On Display.
- When using Wi-Fi, switch off mobile data and the same applies, vice versa.
- If using an AMOLED screen, have a black wallpaper and adjust settings in apps to have black backgrounds/themes.
- Uninstall/disable any apps/services you are not using.
- Turn off background data for apps that are CPU-intensive i.e. Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.
- Turn on Power saving mode and adjust this to your needs.
- Turn off Performance mode.
- Try not to use widgets.

If I think of more I'll let you know

[LiquidSnake]

- Remove gestures that you don't use.
- Use a case that is thin and lightweight.
- Turn on flight mode when charging, if possible.

[LiquidSnake]

- Stick go software and hardware buttons and try not to use gestures.
- Instead of relying on automation services, try implementing these changes yourself, so that you may experience a further increase in battery life ;).

[JAMES4578]

@CrazyTom2k2  Obviously you have  a lot of experience with samsung Devices and know you are skilled with a lot of  Tech issues.   However are you using a lot of the optimisation settings that  @LiquidSnake  describes. Certainly I put some apps in to sleep  or Deep Sleeping Mode and best to turn off  connections when they are not needed. Personally though I am not a fan of constant dark backgrounds and think you want the balance of the best experience/battery life.   However the battery is the a gripe for several users and one thing practically everyone would like to see improved.

Personally I use Amazon Music more than spotify , however some users have reported that Spotify can be a battery hog in some situations with Spotify Connect being more of an issue. See here https://www.tuneskit.com/spotify-music-tips/fix-spotify-battery-drain.html 

Realise the concern though I think there are factors to consider and updates can fix some battery issues. For me it would be the overall enjoyment and experience with the Smart phone, though you obviously want sufficient and hopefully improved battery life.