[Closed] HTC Desire battery

I have various chargers littered around my life to keep my iphone running! Car, laptop, next to bed, office. It has become instinctive to reach for the charger. Holidays and trips away from the norm are now measured in proximity to charging!

[url= http://www.mobilefun.co.uk/htc-ba-s410-desire-battery-p23657.htm?referer=FR_PROD-PR1&utm_source=google%2Bproducts&utm_medium=comparison&utm_campaign=google%2Bproducts ]Here[/url]
I've used them a few times. Very fast delivery.

I've got a desire, and ive found that leaving the wifi connection on accidentally really drains the battery. I take the USB lead with me to uni and on placement, whenever sat down at a computer I plug it in to charge it up a little. Bit of a pain really, but like surf-mat said, otherwise it's brilliant......Oh.....one other problem that I am repeatedly having with it is that the messages application crashes about once a month, and deletes all my text messages with it!!!!

2/3's of a day? Sounds like the iPhone...might look at somethign else for my next phone if it's as grim as that...most folk don't seem to see this as an issue but it is for me...current phone (LG KC910 Renoir can go over 2 full days without charge with surfing, texting, camera and talking - I reckon that is how a phone should last...the need to charge every day just winds me up - a personal grumble.

Would a higher capacity battery help? Is there one available?

Get a TaskKiller too, kill the unused apps.

Oh, and these guys are pretty good, too:

http://www.expansys.com/s.aspx?search=htc%20desire%20battery

Cheers Mullet and mo - they ain't cheap are they?!

As mogrim says. I switch of the auto update too as I don't use that and that drains the battery very quickly. Mobilefun do a 1600mah battery so that might be worth a look.

I get a good day and a half out of mine with a bit of web, phone calls, plenty of listening to music.

HTC Legend battery is same, piss poor.

My old Hero used to kill the battery in no time, but i turned of the auto updating so it's not trying to update Facebook and all that shat every 2 minutes, as well as only turning the WiFi on when I needed it and then it was lasting a day and a half

I get 2 days from my Nexus One, no problem (5 days on standby with no use).

Not laden down with all that HTC sense rubbish.

Thick question - how do I switch off auto updates?

Mat... in Settings, go to Accounts and Sync. From there you can select which bits get updated automatically, and how often they update, and which don't. Stopping the Facebook app and the stocks updating is probably a good idea, plus on mine the Facebook auto update thing causes a crash anyway so that got turned off before anything else!

you can get an app called APN droid from the market place which will turn off your internet connection when you dont need it - that seems to help the battery life on mine

Also turn of 3G if you dont need it - which will help.

Nick - cheers for that! I think I'll leave most of it on when i have access to a charger (like now) but switch it all off when out and about. Just ordered a spare battery too.

Mat.. be careful with spare batteries.. it appears the aftermarket ones that claim to have a higher 1600mAh capacity actually don't, and the official HTC 1400mAh battery is the best one at the moment...

I went for one linked to earlier - rated 1400mAh but not a "proper" HTC one. If my phone blows up, it's insured!

Re batteries I think the issue was that the 1600 capacity aftermarket batteries were less efficent than the one that comes with the HTC something like 65% efficient to the HTC batterys 85% .. or summet like that. Will try and find the link.

The bit I was reading was that the 1600mAh batteries were 80-85% efficient, whereas the offical HTC battery was about 95% efficient, so giving the HTC battery a larger useable capacity...

I've got a Desire and it will last 2-3 days if you turn the fun stuff off. It does rip through the battery when watching video on 3G or use GPS.

Rather than a built in battery, check out the Power Monkey - an external battery system with 'tips' to charge all your devices.

The basic one is £25 or so, the solar more expensive but I use it a lot - great for travelling with a couple of phones, ipod etc.

Also comes with mains charger and USB lead so you can charge lots of devices from mains, usb, battery or, for eco points, solar. The solar panel alone will charge the phone, just, in good sunlight.

https://powertraveller.com/iwantsome/primatepower/powermonkey-explorer/

I turned off the updates and it pretty much doubles the battery life - cheers all!

New battery on it's way as a backup for long days out though.

See? Everyone slags off the iPhone battery life, but given another smartphone of equal usefulness and the battery life is just as poor.

I think it is just a general issue with the better smartphones: they get used all the time, so the battery life appears pretty poor.

Anyways, my approach for the iphone is chargers everywhere: one by the bed for overnight charge, one Griffin connector in the car, connect to PC USB when at work and if I'm away from power for an extended time then I have a nice Kensington extra battery that provides a second full charge.

I thought the main gripe with the iphone battery was that you can't swap it out so if it run out of juice you are stuffed, whereas if you could remove it and had a spare....just as surf-mat has done.

FWIW - my Desire lasted almost 3 days towards the end of last week, but I'll admit to not using it much - probably 2 short phone conversations, 10 texts and a fair bit of web browsing....

That is my main issue with smartphones, but the manufacturers have to make something that people will be able to put in their pocket, so can't whack a huge battery in it.
My old K850i would be good for 5 days from a full charge without much use, or 3 days with a decent amount of talking & texting.

You can't swap the i-phone battery?!! That IS bad design!

My Desire lasted pretty much all weekend with updates switched off. Yes I also didn't use it much but that's still good going. I do like the updates though so will have them back on most of the time.

Also quite impressed with the camera - got some nice shots with it - was expecting it to be pretty poor.

Battery life has got worse and worse - old Nokias would last me almost all week but then they did nowt. Phones are now almost mini computers (a 1GHz processor, GPS, camera, etc, etc in such a slim phone is amazing!) though.

S-M, as I understand it the battery can be changed but you can't do it yourself. It's not like most phones where you just slide the back off & out it comes.
Same as ipods......they are all sealed up.

Yeah - camera is pretty good; OK for snaps. It's just a bit annoying that it has no dedicated 'shutter' button on the 'top' of the phone and you have to press the trackball.

Stumpy - indeed. My last phone (now with PAYG sim) was a W995 with a superb (for a phone) camera. TBH although not as easy to use, the pics are coming out pretty much as good from the Desire.

I need to improve my texting on it though - still keep typing away only to realise the cursor has jumped up the screen and I'm writing over a bit earlier on in the text - doh!

That ipod battery thing is a definite no no for me. Hadn't realised that. They also come with a 1200mAh battery rather than 1400 - I think.

Nearly upgraded to the W995 as it was free, but 2 mins fiddling with the Desire & I was kinda drawn in like a kid in a sweet shop.

I've started turning the phone on it's side more & more for typing duties as it makes it that much quicker.
Suprising though, how quick you get used to a touch screen.

Stumpy - most of the time, it's much quicker. I just make the odd mistake (think I must brush the trackball sensor by mistake!). Texting is FAR better now. W995 is very good but "old school." Kept mine just in case (smaller and tougher).

Any recommendations for a case? Got screen covers but it might be handy to have one. You can get neoprene pouches but they might be annoying. Someone makes very posh leather ones (about £30) but may be OTT?!

The way you charge your phone will also have a large effect on battery performance, if you dribble charge it as and when you are near a power source/computer this will kill the battery life as opposed to fully charging and letting fully drain.

If getting spares as already mentioned try and stick with originals.

PnM

I am currently using an old phone sock to protect mine...

If you google 'htc desire case', then loads come up. There is an online place called mobilefun I think that has quite a few in stock.
I think I am going to get a rubbery cover (+screen protector) for everyday use & get a harder cover (flip leather or similar) for biking weekends away & stuff. I'm quite concerned that if that screen gets cracked, then it'll be an expensive repair!

I've seen the £30 leather covers (can't remember the brand), but yeah it does seem like a lot.....

The way you charge your phone will also have a large effect on battery performance, if you dribble charge it as and when you are near a power source/computer this will kill the battery life as opposed to fully charging and letting fully drain.

I think you might have that the wrong way round. Or you are thinking of old nicad batteries.

The [url= http://www.apple.com/batteries/ ]iPhone uses a lithium-ion battery[/url], as does the HTC Desire.

[url= http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm ]Battery University says this about Li-ion batteries[/url]:

A lithium-ion battery provides 300-500 discharge/charge cycles. [u]The battery prefers a partial rather than a full discharge. Frequent full discharges should be avoided when possible.[/u] Instead, charge the battery more often or use a larger battery. There is no concern of memory when applying unscheduled charges...
..Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery. [u]Several partial discharges with frequent recharges are better for lithium-ion than one deep one.[/u] Recharging a partially charged lithium-ion does not cause harm because there is no memory. (In this respect, lithium-ion differs from nickel-based batteries.) Short battery life in a laptop is mainly cause by heat rather than charge / discharge patterns.

GrahamS - Member

....Avoid frequent full discharges because this puts additional strain on the battery.....

Aaaargh! I fully discharge mine every day (kyakk, kyakk) and fully recharge over night, I thought this was the 'done thing'. There's no mention of it in the manual... oh. Hang on, I didn't read the manual. D'oh! 🙄

I fully discharge mine every day (kyakk, kyakk)..

Well you definitely shouldn't use a kayak to charge it - it doesn't do very well in contact with water.

brrrrrrrm tish!!

I started thinking about what next phone to get to replace the iPhone 3G, thought I'd look into things carefully and get it right, I started looking too soon!! All I seem to do is change my mind daily depending on what I read!!

Think I'm down to upgrade to 3GS, change to Android and the Desire (write off the money spent on apps dock and fm transmitters) or go for the new iPhone, but I reckon that may be pricey!!

Things about the Desire I read than concern me:

1, Loudspeaker poor, very low volume.
2, SD Cards suddenly not recognised.
3, Android Market a bit chaotic and not able to pay for all apps in £.
4, Screen great but almost gone in sunlight (interested in comparison to iPhone in this respect if possible).
5, Apps not quite as polished as iPhone versions (suppose this will change in time as Android develops?).

Opinions welcomed.

I have played in store but invariably they are with inactivated sim cards and phone not set up so all looks great but nothing fully working to see a true picture!

Cheers,

Andy.

Sorry for slight hijack!

Sent from my iPhone.....

1, Loudspeaker poor, very low volume. [b]Yep- that does annoy me. "Handsfree" mode is pretty bad and distorts a lot.[/b]
2, SD Cards suddenly not recognised. [b]Not happened yet...[/b]
3, Android Market a bit chaotic and not able to pay for all apps in £. [b]Only downloaded free apps but all fine so far[/b]
4, Screen great but almost gone in sunlight (interested in comparison to iPhone in this respect if possible). [b]Screen covers help a lot - £1.40 form two off teabay[/b]
5, Apps not quite as polished as iPhone versions (suppose this will change in time as Android develops?). [b]Quite possibly but they are all rated and much more are free[/b]

It also has a removable and better battery (1400mAh not 1200), is a bit smaller and is just nicer IMO. Camera also pretty decent too.

1, Loudspeaker poor, very low volume.

2, SD Cards suddenly not recognised.

3, Android Market a bit chaotic and not able to pay for all apps in £.

4, Screen great but almost gone in sunlight (interested in comparison to iPhone in this respect if possible).

5, Apps not quite as polished as iPhone versions (suppose this will change in time as Android develops?).

1 - used a couple of times & yeah it's bot great but ok for speakerphone conversations.
2 - not had any issue yet
3 - only downloaded free apps, but seems plenty of choice & can only get better.
4 - yeah the screen is fab 'til u get it outside in the sun.
Not seen many apps on iPhone so can't really comment.

In your situation, I'd be reluctant to lose the investment in the accessories & stuff.

My iPhone has gone from 95% to 27% charge in about 10 hours but I have spent most of the day on web/Twitter/facebook/music and phone. Luckily I have a 3G/Edge connection from the hospital bed.
Was curious to how long desire lasts on a charge as that's an option when I come to renew my phone. Either that or the iPhone 4G

Thanks guys, no doubt I'll change my mind daily until I take whatever plunge I decide on.

The speaker dock, the paid for Sat Nav etc is a worry though, and I am still fond of my iPhone.

No decisions until I hear what Mr Jobs has to say for himself next month!

The ever so knowlegable guy in the O2 store says I should go for the SE Xperia X10 over the HTC Desire, cause it's better! And he has one so he must be right!

Right?

X10 has old Android software and reviews were a bit mixed - I am an SE fanboy so to move to HTC was a big thing - but I'm glad I did. Still like my W995 but when it comes to smart phones, SE just can't quite seem to crack it.

I have yet to find a bad Desire review.

The ever so knowlegable guy in the O2 store says I should go for the SE Xperia X10 over the HTC Desire, cause it's better! And he has one so he must be right!

I'd go for the HTC - HTC are supposed to be one of the fastest at updating to the latest android software, at least on their newest phones, which makes a big difference on smartphones.

The Sony has a very Sony user interface, personally I find Sony stuff a bit counter intuitive.

Bear in mind that the guy in the store is probably out of stock of desires (them being the big phone of the moment), and not out of stock of Sony phones, and he wants his commission, or the commission is higher on the Sony.

Joe

Really wanting a HTC Desire but hoping all the niggle if any are sorted before I upgrade in July.

I don't know if anyone sells 3rd party batteries, but they usually are more amp AH than the standard.

Another SE convert here. I got P'd off with the QC issues on my last one though (C905 - had 4 replaced with various problems) so I'd never get another.

Had my Desire for 2 months now and Love it.

We tried both the X10 and the Desire, ended up sending the X10 back and getting another HTC 🙂 Just didn't get along with the X10's interface, the Desire's 'Touchflo 3D' setup just works so well!

Another SE convert here. I got P'd off with the QC issues on my last one though (C905 - had 4 replaced with various problems) so I'd never get another.

I had the C905 before the W995 - really liked it then the wifi died. Three replacements later (all the same issue) they "let" me have a W995 which was much better. But the Desire is a few steps up.

Think if you are into your phones, it has to be the latest i-phone or a Desire.

I don't seem to have any problems in sunlight with my screen, although it is set to auto brightness, so that might help?

My main gripe with it is in the music player if you select album & then play it'll play it in alphabetical order, you have to go into the album & play the first song...

also - you can easily upgrade it to 32GB memory with the appropriate card, can't see that happening anytime soon with iphone..

Billy - agree on the music thing. I use mine in the car plugged into the aux socket and the music selection is a bit iffy and a no no to change when actually driving. Also can't seem to delete the cr4p music Orange stick on it - any ideas?

Mat, think to remove the Irange stuff you'd have to flash with generic firmware, involves creating a 'goldcard' looking online it seems pretty straightforward.

When 2.2 becomes available do Orange, T-Mobile etc branded versions have to wait longer still for a branded version??

Despite mr O2 I'm still looking at the Desire. My iPhone was a refurb so I can sell on and cover it and all the apps and bits (well, almost) so may not be as out of pocket as I thought, that or buy a second hand nano from eBay to use in the dock and the car!?

You could try one of the free music player alternatives on in the market place - I'm using Mixzing at the mo which seems quite good.

As for getting rid of the Orange junk, I think the only way would be to flash the rom with a generic version - I'm considering it at the mo, esp if 2.2 (Froyo) is released for the desire 🙂

also - you can easily upgrade it to 32GB memory with the appropriate card, can't see that happening anytime soon with iphone..

Erm.. my iPhone already has 32GB in it.

Graham, I trust you're holding out for a 64GB iPhone 4G??

Well I don't think i need 64GB to be honest as I've never filled the 32GB (still got 10GB free at the moment despite having three feature films on it).

If the new 4G/HD/Shiny iPhone looks interesting then I might upgrade*, give my wife my 3Gs and let her retire her old 3G. 🙂

But we've got a new baby, so I'll prolly just carry on as we are for now.

* (this doesn't mean I don't think the Android based phones are good. They are. But I have already paid for apps, chargers, stereo docks etc for the iPhone so I probably won't switch unless something very compelling comes along)

I'm in a similar boat with having invested in the bits and pieces plus apps.

Think what I'd get would cover what I spent on the 3G, I could always go 3GS as I doubt I could afford the 4G!