HomeNewsA case for short lived batteries (Google Phones edition)

A case for short lived batteries (Google Phones edition)

You would expect much better battery performance from a £600+ phone

I started to wonder, how long is the battery’s life expectancy. Before Google’s phones were considered “premium” I upgraded my phones every year, as new releases were in my “affordable” bracket. Now, the phone cycle is set by the price and the contract length, and more often than not the battery performance.

Poor Nexus 6P battery performance, poor Pixel (1st gen) as well

I got my brand new Nexus 6P with a 24-month contract. Nexus 4 was sold after a year, and Nexus 5 got water damage around that time too. The new headset had to last me 2 years, as otherwise, I would not be able to simply just buy another phone. It’s fair to say that the early demise of my Nexus 5 made me look after the phone more.

The phone (Nexus 6P) indeed “lasted” almost 2 years. The last couple of months the battery has been plagued by the poor performance which actually affected (and pissed off) enough people to trigger massive RMA. You can read about the details of this ordeal here. TL;DR: I got my phone fixed. Annoyed enough I flogged it on Gumtree and moved on.

The first gen Pixel

My next phone was (is as I still have it) the first Pixel. The phone came as a part of quite an expensive contract with 24 months to go. I’m actually finishing this contract in Feb. The phone started to show all the signs of the broken battery a couple of months ago. Where I reported a first battery failure after a year of use. Sadly, my claims were dismissed by Reddit users. I should have trusted my gut and start the RMA process then. I would save myself a lot of hassle.

Summer came and since I was more aware of the problem, I always had this massive battery bank with me charging my headset around 30-40% level. Then the Autumn came, and despite the UK’s mild climate, the phone was barely usable at 50% charge. It would simply shut down at 50% and show 25-30% after a reboot – all that in temperatures of 10°C (50°F).

Transition to Pixel 3

In November, I decided to actually get a new phone – Pixel 3, since I could not rely on my phone in any outdoor conditions. I know you would be tempted to say that not looking after the battery would cause the battery to lose its charge and capacity, but that simply wasn’t the case.  I own LG Urbane watch, (got it in July 2015) and wear it since. At first, the battery lasted about 2 days on a single charge and the battery after 4 years still lasts me 2 days. The watch is mostly uncovered and exposed to all weather conditions, unlike the phone which sits comfortably in my pockets.

Unreasonable expectations?

As a consumer, paying for a sealed phone with a -non-replaceable (not in a traditional way) battery in the excess of £600, I would expect the device to perform for more than just one year. At the end of life of Pixel (1st gen) the phone is worth about £120 on Gumtree, and to make the headset floggable, I’d have to invest about further £60 in a new battery. I don’t think that’s a deal I’m willing to make. I rather keep a spare phone as an emergency.

Shop with to support:

client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image
client-image

Other reviews

What’s the budget projection is like in 1080p

0
If you ever looked at budget projectors, you know that inexpensive projectors with native 1080p resolutions are hard to find. Yaber has got one: Yaber V9 Pro - want to know what's it like?

Low-latency casting has its drawbacks

0
I wish Google Cast was more like Proscreencast SC01 - the highs and lows of local screen casting.

I made my first SHORT with Hohem GO

0
This gadget turns your phone into a camera that follows your face. Hohem Go is a solution to a problem I didn't know it existed!

I tried bone conductive Haylou Purfree

0
Are bone conductive headphones for me? My first date with Haylou Purfree bone conductive Bluetooth headohones

Is moving drivers away from ears a great idea? OLEAP Pilot

0
🆓📈💵 Moving speaker drivers away from your ears sound like a recipe for disaster. Oleap Pilot makes a bold claim, that sound degradation doesn't have to be the case. Are they right?

Three cases, one GravaStar Sirius P5

0
Just when I thought GravaStar can't surprise me again, they released GravaStar Sirius P5 - earbuds with a case design matching your every mood!

Floodlight & IP camera: ieGeek ZS-GX5S

0
ieGeek ZS-GX5S brings a massive floodlight, 2K resolution and massive 13500mAh battery to keep you safe and sound. Is the price worth it?