Battery strategery

[jtlapp]

All these rumors of low battery life are giving me second thoughts about purchasing this weekend. Apparently an internal Sprint spec page gives the talk time as 2.5 hours. Several people have reported being told by Sprint reps that, while the phone is great, battery life is poor. However, some reviewers are saying battery life appears to be okay.

Last time I had a phone that didn't last me through the day, I got rid of it. My current lifestyle entails charging the phone every night while I'm sleeping and keeping it at my hip most of the day. It seems that if I get a Palm Pre, I'll need to change this lifestyle. I'm not keen on the alternatives that come to mind.

Can anyone suggest strategies we might use for getting the Pre through the day, aside from limiting use of it? Keeping spare batteries charged and carrying them around with me all day is not something I'll do.

My current inclination is to wait until an extended battery becomes available for the Pre, and then get the Pre -- not this weekend. However, it appears that a specialized Pre backing is required for the Touchstone, which probably rules out using an extended (fatter) battery with the Touchstone.

[Syphon]

Lol @ the SNL Bush referrence. =P

I think I can manage with the battery life. I plan on keeping a car charger & a touchstone on my desk at work.

[jtlapp]

Originally Posted by Syphon

Lol @ the SNL Bush referrence. =P

I think I can manage with the battery life. I plan on keeping a car charger & a touchstone on my desk at work.

It's looking like the touchstone is crucial to the success of the Pre. Now I have to figure out how to fit it in. I spend much of the day sitting at my computer, but I also spend much of the day up and around. I worry that I'm often going to find myself up and around with the Pre still at my computer.

[jbg7474]

Originally Posted by jtlapp

It's looking like the touchstone is crucial to the success of the Pre. Now I have to figure out how to fit it in. I spend much of the day sitting at my computer, but I also spend much of the day up and around. I worry that I'm often going to find myself up and around with the Pre still at my computer.

5 minutes here and there will probably do a whole lot of good. I bet you can fully charge the battery from "mostly dead" (5 points to the first one who gets that reference without looking it up) to full in an hour or two. Since the Touchstone is so cool, all you'd have to do is put it there when you sit down and pick it up again when you get up. You'd get in the habit in about a day or two. I'm planning on putting my Touchstone on the left side of my computer, which is the side facing the door, so that it's between me and the door, if that makes sense. In other words, getting up from the computer and moving towards the door will put my hand right near the Pre. Grab and go. No plugs.

Even if the battery life is as bad as some say it will be, you'll get a huge boost with a total of fifteen minutes or half an hour of charging throughout the day. And the Touchstone makes it super easy and convenient to do that.

[bubbatex]

Originally Posted by jtlapp

It's looking like the touchstone is crucial to the success of the Pre. Now I have to figure out how to fit it in. I spend much of the day sitting at my computer, but I also spend much of the day up and around. I worry that I'm often going to find myself up and around with the Pre still at my computer.

Touchstone at the desk and just get used to laying the Pre on the TS when you sit down and picking up when you leave. I am in that habit now - my phone sits beside my PC and when I get up to go elsewhere, it goes in my pocket.

Since I have a TP with a standard battery, my life is not going to change much. Will not do push, will do 15 minute intervals and it will sit on the TS just about all day!

[Beanis]

Battery life on phones like this relies heavily on your settings.

My Touch can make it through the entire day with a lot of calls with 70% battery left. But if I turn on gps, activate push email, and browse a lot, my battery can be dead by 3pm.

[DavidF]

Originally Posted by jbg7474

"mostly dead" (5 points to the first one who gets that reference without looking it up)

Billy Crystal 'The Princess Bride'

Too easy.

[jtlapp]

Originally Posted by jbg7474

[...]I'm planning on putting my Touchstone on the left side of my computer, which is the side facing the door, so that it's between me and the door, if that makes sense. In other words, getting up from the computer and moving towards the door will put my hand right near the Pre. Grab and go. [...]

I'm trying to picture this working for me. I only ever wear sweats, and things always fall out of my pockets. My phone goes in a top case with a pants clip. If I use the Touchstone, I'll have an extra step every time I sit down and every time I get up. I'd rather it recharge simply by proximity to the Touchstone and not have to actually sit on it. Then I'd have pick up and go.

[jbg7474]

Originally Posted by DavidF

Billy Crystal 'The Princess Bride'

Too easy.

Well done. It's not too easy if you're under 25--we have a lot of those around here.

[AustinJam76]

Originally Posted by jtlapp

I only ever wear sweats

[jbg7474]

Originally Posted by jtlapp

I'm trying to picture this working for me. I only ever wear sweats, and things always fall out of my pockets. My phone goes in a top case with a pants clip. If I use the Touchstone, I'll have an extra step every time I sit down and every time I get up. I'd rather it recharge simply by proximity to the Touchstone and not have to actually sit on it. Then I'd have pick up and go.

Not sure what a "top case" is, but maybe you could go with the slip case with a clip? I mean, then all you'd have to do is pluck it out before you sit down, and then drop it in after you get up and grab it. The case stays on you when you sit. It doesn't get much more convenient than that. I'm sure you'll figure out something that works for you.

[west3man]

LOL

[Hamilton]

Originally Posted by jtlapp

I'm trying to picture this working for me. I only ever wear sweats, and things always fall out of my pockets. My phone goes in a top case with a pants clip. If I use the Touchstone, I'll have an extra step every time I sit down and every time I get up. I'd rather it recharge simply by proximity to the Touchstone and not have to actually sit on it. Then I'd have pick up and go.

I'm sorry to be brash but...Seriously?

[JustinZ]

Page 39 of the User's Guide gives several tips for maximizing battery life:

Maximizing Battery Life

Battery life depends on how you use your phone. You can maximize the life of your battery by following a few easy guidelines:
- Set your screen to turn off automatically after a shorter period of inactivity (see “Set the Interval for Turning the Screen Off Automatically” on page 187).
- Keep your battery away from direct sunlight and other sources of heat. Temperatures over 50 degrees Celsius (120 degrees Fahrenheit) can permanently reduce the capacity and life span of any lithium-ion battery.
- As with any mobile phone, if you are in an area with no wireless coverage, your phone continues to search for a signal, which consumes power. Turn off your phone if you are outside a coverage area (see “Turn Wireless Services Off (Airplane Mode)” on page 22).
- Turn off the Wi-Fi (see “Wi-Fi” on page 230), Bluetooth (see “Bluetooth® Wireless Technology” on page 249), and GPS (see “Location Services” on page 236) features when you are not using them.
- If you set up an email account in the Email application, set the interval to automatically download email to every two hours or less frequently (see “Enter Advanced Account Settings” on page 206).
- Lower the screen brightness (see “Change Screen Brightness” on page 186).
- Avoid excessive use of instant messaging (IM). Frequent use of IM can reduce battery life.
- Charge your phone whenever you can. Charge it overnight. The battery has a much longer useful life when it is topped off frequently than when it is charged after it is fully drained.
- You can buy an extra battery as a spare for long plane trips or periods of heavy use. To purchase batteries that are compatible with your phone, go to palm.com/us/products/phones/pre/index.html

[jtlapp]

Originally Posted by jbg7474

[...] I mean, then all you'd have to do is pluck it out before you sit down, and then drop it in after you get up and grab it. The case stays on you when you sit.

Ah, perfect! It's not what I do now, and my habit blinded me to the obvious.

[west3man]

Originally Posted by jtlapp

All these rumors of low battery life are giving me second thoughts about purchasing this weekend. Apparently an internal Sprint spec page gives the talk time as 2.5 hours. Several people have reported being told by Sprint reps that, while the phone is great, battery life is poor. However, some reviewers are saying battery life appears to be okay.

Last time I had a phone that didn't last me through the day, I got rid of it. My current lifestyle entails charging the phone every night while I'm sleeping and keeping it at my hip most of the day. It seems that if I get a Palm Pre, I'll need to change this lifestyle. I'm not keen on the alternatives that come to mind.

Can anyone suggest strategies we might use for getting the Pre through the day, aside from limiting use of it? Keeping spare batteries charged and carrying them around with me all day is not something I'll do.

My current inclination is to wait until an extended battery becomes available for the Pre, and then get the Pre -- not this weekend. However, it appears that a specialized Pre backing is required for the Touchstone, which probably rules out using an extended (fatter) battery with the Touchstone.

If an old Centro battery works with the Pre, as has been reported, I'll scoop up one and keep it charged and on-hand at all times.

No biggie.

Regarding the fat batts, I've done that and, although it was very useful, I don't think I'll do it, again. Because those times that I STILL wanted to have a spare battery with me, I had to also bring the other battery door.

In the future, I'll just get more than one regular battery and not have to worry about the door.


I could see getting a Touchstone at some point, but as long as the battery can be charged in my dual charger, I'm sure it'll be all good. Having something that'll charge a battery without your Treo having to be there is really frickin' convenient.

[hawkeyefan07]

This is mentioned above by JustinZ, but I have found that the best way to maximize battery life without cutting down on usage is to lower the brightness. That is from my own experience, though.

[tarpon6]

Centro batteries are cheap on eBay. I bought 2 with a desktop battery charger for 17.99 shipped. I'll have 3 batteries all of which can be charged in or out of the phone. I already have micro-usb cables connected to my PC at home and work, along with a car charger and a couple micro-usb AC chargers. I feel like I'm pretty well covered.

[mikesm]

If you plan on doing a lot of battery swapping, you may want to reconsidre the touchstone. If you are charging via USB, you'll be able to remove the back and swap the battery without the phone turning off. If you have a touchstone, you will not be able to have the touchstone maintain power to the phone and swap the battery due to the location of the touchstone induction coil on the rear of the case.

[jtlapp]

Originally Posted by west3man

Regarding the fat batts, I've done that and, although it was very useful, I don't think I'll do it, again. Because those times that I STILL wanted to have a spare battery with me, I had to also bring the other battery door.

Thanks good info! Presumably the fat batts don't normally have separate chargers, hence the problem? (You couldn't just buy another fat batt?)