Samsung SCH-A950
SCH-a950 Battery Life Tests
If anyone has some extra time, we should test the time that the battery lasts (or time it takes to drop a bar) under certain circumstances.
All we really have from Samsung are idle and talk time. I am currently testing how long the phone can play mp3's straight. People might also be interested in the difference in battery life when the phone is switched to CDMA-only mode, watching videos, connected to the net, different volumes, etc.
I am testing basically under the default settings, does this sound like a good idea? If anyone would like to help test, please chip in, it would be a good asset to the community!
All we really have from Samsung are idle and talk time. I am currently testing how long the phone can play mp3's straight. People might also be interested in the difference in battery life when the phone is switched to CDMA-only mode, watching videos, connected to the net, different volumes, etc.
I am testing basically under the default settings, does this sound like a good idea? If anyone would like to help test, please chip in, it would be a good asset to the community!
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I have my phone set to "CDMA Only Mode" and there is a definite difference in the battery life.
When the phone was in "Hybrid Mode" with normal usage from me, the battery would be down at least two bars or down to the last bar by the end of the night and it would force me to charge the phone every night.
When I have it set to "CDMA Only Mode" the battery lasts at least two days with normal usage. If I wanted to be brave I could let it go a third day but I would have to be careful as to how much I would use the phone so that it wouldn't die on me since I don't have a car charger yet.
I think this phone has pretty decent battery life because this is the only CDMA phone that I have owned that doesn't need to be charged every night. Bt...
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When the phone was in "Hybrid Mode" with normal usage from me, the battery would be down at least two bars or down to the last bar by the end of the night and it would force me to charge the phone every night.
When I have it set to "CDMA Only Mode" the battery lasts at least two days with normal usage. If I wanted to be brave I could let it go a third day but I would have to be careful as to how much I would use the phone so that it wouldn't die on me since I don't have a car charger yet.
I think this phone has pretty decent battery life because this is the only CDMA phone that I have owned that doesn't need to be charged every night. Bt...
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Yes, I have also noticed that the battery recharges very quickly. My previous phone, an LG something-or-other, took forever and wouldn't last a day with light use!
Anyway, I am still working on my mp3 test. The phone is smothered with a pillow because I've heard the songs so many times. Nonetheless, so far it was 3 1/2 hours of straight play with the front LCD on occasionally, Hybrid mode enabled, and the speakers at full volume (hence the pillow) to get rid of the first battery bar. Another 2 hours to get down to 2 bars.
So far... 5 1/2 hours straight mp3 play on full volume.
Anyway, I am still working on my mp3 test. The phone is smothered with a pillow because I've heard the songs so many times. Nonetheless, so far it was 3 1/2 hours of straight play with the front LCD on occasionally, Hybrid mode enabled, and the speakers at full volume (hence the pillow) to get rid of the first battery bar. Another 2 hours to get down to 2 bars.
So far... 5 1/2 hours straight mp3 play on full volume.
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That's pretty good considering the MP3 player is what it is pretty much designed to be because of the scroll wheel and controls on the front.
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There are some variables that can't really be controlled for. Depending on your signal strength where you are at, changing from Hybrid to CDMA mode alone may make more or a less of a difference. I live where the signal strength is quite low and during my VCAST trial period I had problems with the phone searching for an EVDO signal. When I switched off EVDO by switching to CDMA alone, there was a tremendous difference in my battery drainage. I went from 3 or 4 days between charges out to 8 1/2 days (but see below for a second change I made). I would imagine if I had been in a strong signal area, there might have been less of a difference.
The second change I made was how I charged my battery. Previously I had charged it in the ph...
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The second change I made was how I charged my battery. Previously I had charged it in the ph...
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With this battery, it doesn't matter if you take it off the charger as soon as it is done, or leave it on for 2 weeks! The batter won't charge any more when it is complete. With these batteries, there is no "conditioning" that needs to be done either. Leaving it on the charger is not topping it off. When it's done, it's done.
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I respectfully disagree with you. There is a "topping off" effect with any lithium battery, although I agree there is little if any conditioning effect. When it is done, it is not done, because there is a trickle charge still going into the battery. How significant that effect is, may depend on the cut off point voltage that triggers the rapid charging to turn off when the phone or charger turns from red to green. If it turns off a bit prematurely, the trickle charge will finish the job. I doubt that it takes two weeks to reach its maximum; it probably is just a matter of a few extra hours. Still I leave my second battery in the charger until I need it, because without a constant trickle charge the battery would lose some of its ch...
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I agree wt... as a physics teacher and understanding the system, there absolutely is a small trickle charge still going on. And lithium ion batts also have proper use for them. Don't completely discharge, don't keep fully charged, USE them. L-ion's work best when used. That's why laptop batteries when used as a desktop replacement and always plugged in lose their capacity eventually.
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Test parameters:
> Start with fully-charged phone
> Phone in Hybrid mode
> Decent EV-DO signal strength
> Lid closed
> Front LCD on to check battery level
> Volume at 100%
> Phone stuffed under a pillow
- to maintain sanity
Test Results:
> All 4 battery bars
- 3 hrs, 20 mins
> 3 bars
- 1 hr, 53 mins
> 2 bars
- 3 hrs, 10 mins
> 1 bar
- 1 hr, 57 mins
Total time playing mp3s until death: 10 hrs, 20 min, straight mp3s, full volume. That's only 4 hours less than an iPod nano, which doesn't even power speakers.
The Samsung SCH-a950 will play mp3s for a long time before the battery dies but you would be hard-pressed to fit enough songs on the Transflash, and the lack of standard mp3 player functi...
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> Start with fully-charged phone
> Phone in Hybrid mode
> Decent EV-DO signal strength
> Lid closed
> Front LCD on to check battery level
> Volume at 100%
> Phone stuffed under a pillow
- to maintain sanity
Test Results:
> All 4 battery bars
- 3 hrs, 20 mins
> 3 bars
- 1 hr, 53 mins
> 2 bars
- 3 hrs, 10 mins
> 1 bar
- 1 hr, 57 mins
Total time playing mp3s until death: 10 hrs, 20 min, straight mp3s, full volume. That's only 4 hours less than an iPod nano, which doesn't even power speakers.
The Samsung SCH-a950 will play mp3s for a long time before the battery dies but you would be hard-pressed to fit enough songs on the Transflash, and the lack of standard mp3 player functi...
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Good job. I had no idea this phone was this good. The fact that playing the mp3 player doesn't quickly drain your phone's battery makes me want to get a microSD card and give it a try.
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I just tested a full recharge of the phone from the point at which it automatically shuts off to the time when the charging light changes to green.
In total, the charging time for a complete recharge was 2 hours and 32 minutes. That is charging with the phone on but not being used - just charging and checking signal.
In total, the charging time for a complete recharge was 2 hours and 32 minutes. That is charging with the phone on but not being used - just charging and checking signal.
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