PaperWhite: How's Your Battery? - Page 5

sirmaru · 01-20-2013, 05:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjt57

Talking about battery life, I've had my PPW for about two weeks now. The battery lasted til yesterday when I had to put it on the charger. It's had about 9hrs of usage if the time-to-read calculator thingy is any guide for the one book that I've read, so far.

Not too shabby given that it's running a light when it's on.

I get 10 hours with WiFi on and 12 hours with WiFi off for the PW measured by keeping each session time in an Excel spreadsheet. I made those tests in two cycles but don't bother measuring battery use cycles anymore other than total days between charges. Thus, 9 hours is just about right with WiFi on.

For my Kindle Fire 7" 32 Gb unit I get 5.5 hours with WiFi on and 7 hours with WiFi off measured by the GSam Battery Monitor using the Screen time right before charging. Some report triple that time but have uninstalled GSam thinking its time meaurments may be wrong.

I've decided to use both units with WiFi off all the time other than when reading so they can sync to each other.

Some report 35 hours and more on both units but their methods of measurment may be different than mine.

I have noticed that reading over shorter time periods with longer sessions gets far more battery time than reading over longer time periods with shorter sessions. I usually charge my units after a couple of weeks of use. My reading sessions rarely exceed 30 minutes. Those, who charge every 3rd day using 12 hour reading sessions, may get substantially longer periods of battery use.

mjt57 · 01-21-2013, 09:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Blossom

I had about 35 hours on one charge and that's restarting the Kindle multiple times to playing with fonts and a firmware update. I have to say the PW battery life is the best I have seen.

Yeah, it's not bad, is it?

Just wish that aside from the battery symbol to indicate its level of charge that there was also a percentage indicator. Whatever, it'll do.

Even if the thing needed charging every two or three days I wouldn't mind. I have a charger plugged in next to the bed and any number of leads/plug packs in the family area/study, as well as one or two in my work bag and at work, so I'm never going to be away from somewhere where I need to charge it.

I'll just plug it in every few days to top it up. Presumably the LiPol batteries can handle this sort of cycling.

sirmaru · 01-21-2013, 09:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mjt57

Just wish that aside from the battery symbol to indicate its level of charge that there was also a percentage indicator. Whatever, it'll do.

The PW does have a 15% notification screen and a 0% icon screen. They are far more accurate than the meter.

Just read until the 15% notification appears and then recharge. Going that low will also calibrate the battery meter icon to a better accuracy than otherwise.

mjt57 · 01-21-2013, 08:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirmaru

Just read until the 15% notification appears and then recharge. Going that low will also calibrate the battery meter icon to a better accuracy than otherwise.

Where did you read that? I'd like to have a look. Thanks.

ProDigit · 01-21-2013, 09:25 PM

I would never go by the battery meter; and let it go down to zero, when it's an accident, rather than on purpose.
For the rest, just try to keep your device charged above 60% always!

vxf · 01-21-2013, 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProDigit

For the rest, just try to keep your device charged above 60% always!

Isn't that a bit naive?
I mean, I get 12 hours or so with the PW.
So I have to re-charge it ever 5 hours or so?

Blossom · 01-21-2013, 09:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vxf

Isn't that a bit naive?
I mean, I get 12 hours or so with the PW.
So I have to re-charge it ever 5 hours or so?

15% to 25% is best charge range for Kindle batteries. I usually just wait for the charge message before I charge.

ProDigit · 01-22-2013, 03:51 AM

It all depends on your reading habits.
If you ask me, the PW has a too low battery life.
Lithium batteries last longest when always having them charged, but never over charged, and NEVER fully empty them.
They could enter into a state of no return if they get depleted too much (read up on the internet about this phenomena).
Generally I don't like to charge my battery to 100%, neither deplete it below 50%.

If your PW lasts 10-12 hours on one charge, and you are in the habit of reading 8 hours, then charge it in your breaks, keep it plugged in while reading, or charge it after you finish reading. 60% is just an indicator. I've been working with Li batteries since the 1990's, and have found they usually last for 2+ years, when charging the battery above 50% of their charge.

People who are in the habit of emptying the battery completely, or waiting until there's 10% left in them, usually experience a 20+% decrease in battery life after the first year, and have to throw away the device after 1,5 to 2 years (depending on how much they use it).

On my devices, usually after 2 years, I would have 80% left of charge, and after 3-4 years, I'd have to replace the device.

This is going to be the problem with current devices. Though the quality of Li batteries has been improved significantly in the past years (We're no longer in the 1990's), and current technologies may have extended battery life, I still see 4 years down the road, all of our devices need to be thrown away, Amazon charging double shipping, and a $25 fee for replacing those batteries,...
My Sony PRS-505 hasn't been used in ages, and has reached multiple times zero charge, is from 2008, and has 10% of original battery life left.

haydnfan · 01-22-2013, 07:08 AM

It doesn't matter, Li batteries last only 12 years max no matter how you treat them. Enough of these ridiculous posts from self-proclaimed experts. Everyone seems to have their own opinion, some think you need to fully charge, fully deplete and then fully charge the first time, others think as you think ProDigit... and everyone has unsubstantiated opinions based on conjecture and statistically insignificant personal experience.

And at the end of the day: it just doesn't matter. The batteries were only meant to last a few years even if you don't even use them.

sirmaru · 01-22-2013, 10:07 AM

I buy new eReaders EVERY YEAR. Thus, battery life is totally irrelevant for me as long as they last one year.

I charge when the 15% screen shows on all my eReaders. If you want to charge every night, that's fine as well.

ProDigit · 01-25-2013, 04:35 PM

Unfortunately this is the case with a lot of people. I buy a new e-reader about once a year too.
Perhaps it's telling us, that we really wanted something better, and that the e-reader still don't meet our expectations, but is the closest thing to what we want at the time.

sirmaru · 01-25-2013, 06:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ProDigit

Unfortunately this is the case with a lot of people. I buy a new e-reader about once a year too.
Perhaps it's telling us, that we really wanted something better, and that the e-reader still don't meet our expectations, but is the closest thing to what we want at the time.

I spend $ 500 for eReaders, covers and chargers each year and only about $ 200 for eBooks. Its the gadget properties which really interest me and all the new screens and functions. The eBooks just fill my time with interesting reading.

Its the same with PC's. I spend $ 2,000 every 3 years for a new PC and only about $ 200 each year for software. I like the new learning curves the best.

Thus, battery lives are irrelevant unless next year's battery models have the new 3D batteries which are 1/10th the size of the present 2D ones and last 5 times as long.

Parody · 01-25-2013, 06:37 PM

Not much data to go on, but I got my PW at the start of the year, charged it up, and only recently charged it again when I updated it to 5.3.3. It had ~25% left to go based on the battery meter. I'd been leaving the Wi-Fi on most of the time and varied the light quite a bit. Unfortunately, I don't know how much reading time that was, so it's not very useful as a statistic. Still, if it normally gets three or four weeks on a charge I'll be plenty happy with it. :)

BeccaPrice · 01-25-2013, 06:42 PM

I've had my paperwhite for a couple of weeks (I forgot when it arrived), but only really started using it the last few days, when the cover arrived. I've read 3 books on it so far, and the battery is only down a tiny bit. Of course, I've had it connected to my computer via USB to load books, download the latest update, and jailbreak it (and then fix the broken jailbreak that the update broke), so there's been a small amount of minor charging while it was connected. Still, I'm pretty pleased with the battery life.

Katsunami · 01-29-2013, 12:24 PM

Same as BeccaPrice. I've got my PW almost 7 weeks ago, and charged it only once, apart from connecting it to the computer to put some books on and load some fonts to try. I'm in my fifth or sixth book now. The screen light is mostly set between 10 and 15, and wifi is always off (in airplane mode).

01-22-2013, 10:07 AM	#70
sirmaru Wizard Posts: 2,426 Karma: 6561538 Join Date: Nov 2007 Device: Kindle PW 2013, HDX 2013, Galaxy S5 2014	I buy new eReaders EVERY YEAR. Thus, battery life is totally irrelevant for me as long as they last one year. I charge when the 15% screen shows on all my eReaders. If you want to charge every night, that's fine as well. Last edited by sirmaru; 01-26-2013 at 02:06 PM.

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01-21-2013, 09:25 PM	#65
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	I would never go by the battery meter; and let it go down to zero, when it's an accident, rather than on purpose. For the rest, just try to keep your device charged above 60% always!

01-22-2013, 03:51 AM	#68
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	It all depends on your reading habits. If you ask me, the PW has a too low battery life. Lithium batteries last longest when always having them charged, but never over charged, and NEVER fully empty them. They could enter into a state of no return if they get depleted too much (read up on the internet about this phenomena). Generally I don't like to charge my battery to 100%, neither deplete it below 50%. If your PW lasts 10-12 hours on one charge, and you are in the habit of reading 8 hours, then charge it in your breaks, keep it plugged in while reading, or charge it after you finish reading. 60% is just an indicator. I've been working with Li batteries since the 1990's, and have found they usually last for 2+ years, when charging the battery above 50% of their charge. People who are in the habit of emptying the battery completely, or waiting until there's 10% left in them, usually experience a 20+% decrease in battery life after the first year, and have to throw away the device after 1,5 to 2 years (depending on how much they use it). On my devices, usually after 2 years, I would have 80% left of charge, and after 3-4 years, I'd have to replace the device. This is going to be the problem with current devices. Though the quality of Li batteries has been improved significantly in the past years (We're no longer in the 1990's), and current technologies may have extended battery life, I still see 4 years down the road, all of our devices need to be thrown away, Amazon charging double shipping, and a $25 fee for replacing those batteries,... My Sony PRS-505 hasn't been used in ages, and has reached multiple times zero charge, is from 2008, and has 10% of original battery life left.

01-22-2013, 07:08 AM	#69
haydnfan Guru Posts: 649 Karma: 5632362 Join Date: Dec 2011 Device: Kindle PW 4, Oasis 2	It doesn't matter, Li batteries last only 12 years max no matter how you treat them. Enough of these ridiculous posts from self-proclaimed experts. Everyone seems to have their own opinion, some think you need to fully charge, fully deplete and then fully charge the first time, others think as you think ProDigit... and everyone has unsubstantiated opinions based on conjecture and statistically insignificant personal experience. And at the end of the day: it just doesn't matter. The batteries were only meant to last a few years even if you don't even use them.

01-25-2013, 04:35 PM	#71
ProDigit Karmaniac Posts: 2,553 Karma: 11499146 Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Miami FL Device: PRS-505, Jetbook, + Mini, +Color, Astak Ez Reader Pro, PPW1, Aura H2O	Unfortunately this is the case with a lot of people. I buy a new e-reader about once a year too. Perhaps it's telling us, that we really wanted something better, and that the e-reader still don't meet our expectations, but is the closest thing to what we want at the time.

01-25-2013, 06:37 PM	#73
Parody Member Posts: 11 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jan 2013 Location: Twin Cities, MN Device: Kindle Paperwhite, Transformer Infinity	Not much data to go on, but I got my PW at the start of the year, charged it up, and only recently charged it again when I updated it to 5.3.3. It had ~25% left to go based on the battery meter. I'd been leaving the Wi-Fi on most of the time and varied the light quite a bit. Unfortunately, I don't know how much reading time that was, so it's not very useful as a statistic. Still, if it normally gets three or four weeks on a charge I'll be plenty happy with it. :)

01-25-2013, 06:42 PM	#74
BeccaPrice Wizard Posts: 2,145 Karma: 11174187 Join Date: Jan 2011 Device: Sony 350, K3-3G, K4SO, KPW	I've had my paperwhite for a couple of weeks (I forgot when it arrived), but only really started using it the last few days, when the cover arrived. I've read 3 books on it so far, and the battery is only down a tiny bit. Of course, I've had it connected to my computer via USB to load books, download the latest update, and jailbreak it (and then fix the broken jailbreak that the update broke), so there's been a small amount of minor charging while it was connected. Still, I'm pretty pleased with the battery life.

01-29-2013, 12:24 PM	#75
Katsunami Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,111 Karma: 34000001 Join Date: Mar 2008 Device: KPW1, KA1	Same as BeccaPrice. I've got my PW almost 7 weeks ago, and charged it only once, apart from connecting it to the computer to put some books on and load some fonts to try. I'm in my fifth or sixth book now. The screen light is mostly set between 10 and 15, and wifi is always off (in airplane mode).

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