[dfine1966]

Anytime I have ever got a new phone, the first thing the manual says is to completely charge the phone before activating. I have never had my phone activating by anyone but myself since I have been with Sprint, which is over 10 years. I have always purchased my phones through telesales or Best Buy(back when Best Buy sold you the phone and sprint gave the discount and they let you activate yourself). Plus I always wanted to get the phone ready for use. Put on screen protector, have carrying case, etc. Plus when activating, I would write down the codes that the CS would tell you to activate the phone, so if there was any problems I could fix the phone myself.

With the Pre, you have to go to the store and, I think, you must activate it there. The phone will only have a little charge, no screen protector put on it yet(who knows if they will have screen protectors available day one) and possibly no case available. Saturday, June 6, release day, I need my phone because I will be gone all day for my daughter birthday party. An uncharged phone won't last all day. Plus, don't you have to have a full charge, at least the first time, to make sure the battery will work correct the rest of the time. I am not sure about Lithium Ion batteries. I know you can charge it anytime and it won't hurt the battery, but I thought the first time you had to fully charge it.

Please don't tell me then don't get the phone if I don't like the circumstances. I want the Pre, but I would also like to activate myself, if possible, on my own schedule. You know, take it home charge, put the screen protector on and get it ready. I would be willing to come back on Sunday for the store to activate it, if they wanted to activate it.

Please let me know about the charging question and some other questions and rants I mentioned.

Thanks.

[Kevin C]

All of the phones I have gotten in recent years came with batteries that had nearly a full charge already in them.

I suspect that Sprint wants the phones activated in the stores so they can resolve any issues right then and there. Remember the iphone fiasco with people taking them home to activate...

[Protagonist]

You will have to activate it in the store.

Lion batteries can be charged anytime, any amount without damage so plug it in and let it charge during the party when you can. As for the screen protector, if a phone cant survive for a few days without a screen protector then either it is defective or you are abusing it.

[Caitlyn McKenzie]

Most phones are stored with ~40% battery charge, as this is considered the best "storage" charge for a Lithium Ion battery. There is absolutely nothing wrong with using it at this percentage, as Lithium Ion is not susceptible to "memory", like old NiCAD batteries were.

As for your situation, unless you buy it online, you'll probably need to have it activated at the store. Just turn the phone off and only turn it on when you need it that day, then when you get home, charge it? The phone does have a significantly long standby time, so if you don't really make calls on it or use the apps, it will last you the day.

[gabbott]

I'm pretty sure with sprint and newer phones you don't need to manually activate them anymore, it is all provisioned on the network side.

[patchs]

I'm buying a car charger, that would give it an extra boost on the way home.

[tonylmiller]

Former battery engineer here. I would always fully charge the battery before using the phone. With that said, it wouldn't hurt to activate it before charging it. Or to use it while it is charging, as long as the battery is charging instead of discharging.

[dwightshrute]

I'm buying a car charger, that would give it an extra boost on the way home.

hoozah!! me too!!

[Gekko]

from the User Manual -

-------------

Charge the Battery
Although the battery may come with a sufficient charge to complete the setup process, we
recommend that after setup you charge your phone until the battery icon is full to ensure
that the battery is fully charged.
See “Maximizing Battery Life” on page 39 for tips on making your battery’s power last longer.

------------

You can also charge your phone battery by connecting your phone to your
computer using the USB cable. Charging this way takes much longer than
using the AC charger. Do not, however, connect the Palm® TouchstoneTM
charging dock (sold separately) to your computer.

--------------

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.

------------

Here is some additional information about system updates:
 If you have Wi-Fi turned on and the battery has at least a 30% charge, your phone
automatically downloads a system update if one is available—you don’t have to do
anything. If Wi-Fi is not turned on when the update becomes available, the Palm servers
continue to check your device for Wi-Fi availability for two days.

[rambo47]

You read the manual?!

[hitman-_-45-_-]

I've never charged anything before using it, same goes for the Pre. I'll charge it when it's almost dead.

[Eguy]

I've never charged anything before using it, same goes for the Pre. I'll charge it when it's almost dead.

That is how I charge my things. I wait until the low battery alarm.

[hitman-_-45-_-]

That is how I charge my things. I wait until the low battery alarm.

and then it'll still play with it while it charges

[asforme]

from the User Manual -

------------

You can also charge your phone battery by connecting your phone to your
computer using the USB cable. Charging this way takes much longer than
using the AC charger. Do not, however, connect the Palm® TouchstoneTM
charging dock (sold separately) to your computer.

--------------

If Charging via Computer takes longer, does this mean that the Pre's MiniUSB charger outputs something other than the standard 5V USB? I wonder if this means that the 12V Car to USB adapter and other AC to USB adapters won't charge the pre quickly.

[WebOS Migrant]

If Charging via Computer takes longer, does this mean that the Pre's MiniUSB charger outputs something other than the standard 5V USB? I wonder if this means that the 12V Car to USB adapter and other AC to USB adapters won't charge the pre quickly.

If I remember my physics and engineering classes correctly (and it's been a VERY long time), it's not the potential (voltage) that's the issue, but the current (amperage) that's at issue. I've seen USB chargers anywhere from 0.5 to 1 amp. I'm not sure what the output of the wall charger is, but if it's higher, then it would charge the battery faster. Please, someone, anyone, correct me if I'm wrong!

[GoSteelers]

Doesn't the Pre use the same battery as the Centro? I've got two already I'll just swap them out and charge it later.

[Caitlyn McKenzie]

If I remember correctly, the Pre's AC charger puts out 1 amp of power. USB spec defines that a device may only ask for 0.5amps. Many devices can ask for more, but the computer it's asking from doesn't have to provide it (laptops especially will be restrictive here). So, when attached to a PC, you're looking at half-speed charging or so.

The AC charger however, is designed to put out 1amp, so when the Pre asks for it, it will receive it.

[tonylmiller]

I've never charged anything before using it, same goes for the Pre. I'll charge it when it's almost dead.

Just to be clear, a full charge is especially important on the first cycle. The battery and phone will still work, but that first full charge, or lack of it, is important for the cycle life of the battery. By the way, shallow cycles are MUCH easier on a battery than deep cycles, so you are better off to keep the battery charged instead of letting it run all the way down.

[rambo47]

I thought the new Lithium Ion batteries were immune to the whole battery cycle thing?

[Gekko]

Just to be clear, a full charge is especially important on the first cycle. The battery and phone will still work, but that first full charge, or lack of it, is important for the cycle life of the battery. By the way, shallow cycles are MUCH easier on a battery than deep cycles, so you are better off to keep the battery charged instead of letting it run all the way down.

yes i've heard this before -

1. charge the phone to 100% on first charge before first use,
2. try to keep the battery topped off.