[allovertheglobe]

I proposed the WiFi off as a potential solution, or at the least one possibility to eliminate.

I haven't followed the thread in full, but if indeed the issue remains even with the WiFi radio turned off, then that seems to point to another problem indeed.

Could be the firmware (some process running amuck, not just using up power but also perhaps preventing the reader from going to sleep?) I've had that happen on computers, but of course there is no easy way to access the equivalent of a Task Manager or Activity Monitor on the Kobo, esp. stock.

Or otherwise indeed the hardware, i.e. battery, in which case there's no other fix than a replacement.

Battery life hasn't great on mine either, and the backlight is not super-even (I liken it to slightly unevenly yellowed paper, so in that sense it doesn't bug me), but nothing like some of the cases I've read about here... Maybe some QA issue as the orders were rushed out to meet the demand? I certainly hope it will be resolved one way or another!