Sometimes in the Windows Phone Central Forums we discuss serious issues which brings us to today’s hot thread. Today we are talking about the Lumia 900 and more specifically we are debating about the Lumia 900 "BP-6EW 1830mAh" standard Li-ion battery. Forum member ninjaap wants to know “Did your battery life get better?” as he has a Lumia 900 and he thinks his battery has become better over time.
“The first 2 weeks my battery life was terrible. It only lasted about 8hrs with normal use before wanting a charge. Then it consistently got better after every week, averaging about 12hrs. Now fast forward a few more weeks, about a month after purchase, I'm getting about a day and half on a single charge! I take it off at 8am every morning, and usually put it back on the charger at around midnight for overnight charging.”
The Lumia 900 runs on a BP-6EW 1830mAh standard Li-ion battery which is non-removable. Nokia states that this battery should provide you with 7 hours of talk time and 300 hours of GSM standby (you can get more information at Nokia). What we want to know is how your battery is and more important has your battery become any better with time? Forum member Mayoo agrees with ninjaap:
“I noticed this as well... Battery is getting better and better”
Forum member jimski has a different opinion. He thinks that heavy use of our new phone alters our perception e.g. when we first get our new phone we use it more thereby wasting more battery. We guess it could be true but how do we really know if we're using our phones less?
“Just a guess, but it is probably related to honeymoon syndrome. The first week you had your L900, like me you couldn't put it down. A few weeks later and now you are into a more normal routine. Think that plays a big part in perceived battery performance.”
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We think it might be a combination of both. A Li-ion battery doesn’t need to be fully charged and discharged to reach maximum battery life. This process is called “Conditioning”. According to Battery Universe conditioning can actually damage a Li-ion battery and is not recommended. Maybe there is some truth to what jimski is saying though. Here are some battery charging tips for your Li-ion battery from Battery Universe:
- Charge at a moderate temperature. Do not charge below freezing.
- Lithium-ion does not need to be fully charged; a partial charge is better.
- Chargers use different methods for “ready” indication. The light signal may not always indicate a full charge.
- Discontinue using charger and/or battery if the battery gets excessively warm.
- Before prolonged storage, apply some charge to bring the pack to about half charge.
- Over-discharged batteries can be “boosted” to life again. Discard pack if the voltage does not rise to a normal level within a minute while on boost.
We also have more battery saving tips and tricks for you in our forums. This thread “Battery, tips and tricks” has info for Windows Phone users and how your battery can be maximized. Did you know that background tasks can eat battery? You can also use Battery saver mode, found in settings on your Windows Phone, to maximize your battery when you are on a trip. For all these tips and many more tips no all thing Windows Phone check out our “Windows Phone: Getting started!” thread.
How is your battery life? Have you noticed any difference since you purchased your Lumia 900? Let us know in the comments then join us in the forums for the in depth discussion.
