Battery Life time

[nazgulking]

Hi there folks,

I was thinking, in a future, to change my Iphone 3GS to an Android phone. The one thing keeping me from buying one (Apart from finding a payment mode similar to the Itunes cards) is the battery life:
Using only PL with medium brightness my phone lasts 2 hours at most.
I would like some of you PL androiders to give me feedback from your experience.
I ask you to answer me giving me the following details:
-Phone name
- Battery life time on light use (using only PL and no other app on the background)
- Battery life time on heavy use (using other apps apart from PL while playing - please tell how many)
- How are your phone settings (brightness, 3G/EDGE ...)
- Glitches and problems you have with your phones
- Additional notes

Thanks all!

[Arterra]

android: you can change batteries.
makes my head spin, i wish i could get an android tablet with that instead of my itouch

[noneo]

Hi there folks,

I was thinking, in a future, to change my Iphone 3GS to an Android phone. The one thing keeping me from buying one (Apart from finding a payment mode similar to the Itunes cards) is the battery life:
Using only PL with medium brightness my phone lasts 2 hours at most.
I would like some of you PL androiders to give me feedback from your experience.
I ask you to answer me giving me the following details:
-Phone name
- Battery life time on light use (using only PL and no other app on the background)
- Battery life time on heavy use (using other apps apart from PL while playing - please tell how many)
- How are your phone settings (brightness, 3G/EDGE ...)
- Glitches and problems you have with your phones
- Additional notes

Thanks all!

I’ve got a Verizon Samsung Fascinate, and it is amazing! Extremely high res screen looks phenomenal. My phone has 3 brightness levels, and I play on all three settings now and then, but mostly on the lowest light setting which is perfect for sitting in an averagely lit room. On the lowest brightness I can easily get a few hours. That is with getting text messages throughout, having 3G on at all times, and occasionally having WiFi and 3G on at the same time (to make it so I don’t ping out in game when I get a text).

It also can be played while charging, and doesn’t drain the battery when plugged in. It basically stays at the charge you plugged it in at. And like Arterra said, you can always buy another battery for like 5 bucks off Amazon and have a backup.

I have never had any issues with my phone. Occasionally it will freeze for like 5 seconds (only happened like 3-4 times in the past 4 months), and it sometimes switches it’s brightness setting when you “wake” up the phone.

I would definitely recommend this phone, the display alone is worth it. It’s has a large screen, better for not being finger-congested on screen, and it’s Android which IMO is better (*queue Apple/Android flame war… now.)

[Plasticuproject]

First Generation Droid here (I know, I know. I've been waiting for Verizon's 4G HTC Thunderbolt). My battery lasts probably about an hour, but I never play without being plugged into the wall anymore.

[lilbyrdie]

On the Xoom, I can play for several hours (4-5 at least, longer than most of my sessions) before needing to plug it in. No issues that I've been aware of.

As for phones, that's all over the board. The Evo 4G heats up so much I think it loses battery life because of the extra heat. Not sure how long it lasts. The Nexus S stays cool and can play for a couple of hours. The Galaxy tab doesn't last as long as the Xoom, but also usually lasts "long enough."

On average, the iOS devices will last a little longer playing (iPhone 4 and iPad 1), but you can find exceptions. You can't trust "reported battery life" for any of them. Playing PL puts all of the devices in their worst case mode. For instance, doing light stuff on the iPad will lat longer than the Xoom, but put them both full tilt and I'm pretty sure the Xoom ends up going a little longer (though, it's newer for me, so my iPad battery may be much more warn, too). The test for either would take too long, though, and my PL sessions aren't usually that long.

[EpuYue]

I would definitely recommend this phone, the display alone is worth it. It’s has a large screen, better for not being finger-congested on screen, and it’s Android which IMO is better (*queue Apple/Android flame war… now.)

Hey I'm not afraid to admit I'm not a fan of iOS devices, and I don't care if I get flamed for it.

Anyway, to answer nazgulking, good decision you're making there lol.

Firstly, I don't think there is a significant difference for battery life between iphones and android phones. Of course that may depend on what android phone you're using. Not sure about ipad since I've never used one.

I'm currently using HTC Desire HD, with a 4.3" screen (I think this is the biggest screen size you can find on a smartphone now). I've never adjusted my brightness while playing PL, or doing anything else on my phone for that matter, since I set it to auto adjustment (will adjust depending on how bright the place where I'm at). So it could be low or high brightness at any time.

On average, I usually lose about 1/3rd of my battery after an hour of playing, so you do the math. That's with all my usual apps like mails, appkik, and 3G watchdog running in the background, never bother closing them. I also always have wifi and 3G on at the same time, although I've never had any problems with the game when I get a text or call while playing. I just resume playing right after that.

My phone do warm up sometimes after playing PL for awhile but not to the extent of burning your fingers. Just slightly warmer than usual, which I think is common for all phones?

Some ppl might not like it as it's a pretty large phone due to the screen size(not that I'm complaining), and the only gripe I have is that if I reduce PL to the background while doing other things on the phone for too long I'll get disconnected from the game. Other than that, this phone works amazingly well with no freezing, or lagging (except when due to the high pings).

And I do have a spare battery just in case.

[Kindread]

When I first started playing PL, I was having all sorts of problems with my iPhone running out of batteries too quickly and getting too hot to charge and play at the same time. I always played on 3G because my router was old and unstable. Then one day I was fed up and went and bought the best router money could buy. Came home, set it up and it was night and day difference in gameplay. Also, while connected to WIFI, I could keep my phone charged and play at the same time indefinitely. So now I hang out at Borders and Starbucks plugged into the wall and farming for pinks.

[Echelong]

The good thing about Androids is that you can change batteries fast. If you are not satisfied with the original one you can buy a more powerful one. I have a friend that has an Evo with 2 space batteries he changes them fast and one of them lasts almost 3 hours of PL game. He also has a charger for them that can hold up to three batteries and got em on eBay.

[Acyer]

I'm using a moto Droid 1 rooted and overclocked running simply stunning 5.2 rom and my p3droid kernel overclocked at 1000mhz I normally get bout 2hours on that setting. The thing tho with most android devices are the battery life.

[KaotiicxDream]

I use HTC Desire and it works wonderful! I think around 3.5 hours play time but have the charger ready! I just use the normal settings...

[lordspector]

Im using a HTC Desire HD and my battery is drastic. il get approx 3 hours out of it and then need to charge.mas you have mentioned dimming the screen dosent make a huge difference but it helps.id suggest you turn off the auto-sync feature which automatically updates your email/facebook/google maps, ensure bluetooth is also turned off.again ive checked my battery status and after all the above mentioned instructions my display still eats approx 65% off my battery

[nazgulking]

Thanks for the feeback guys!
My interest is mainly focused on smartphones, so no tablet for me.
I was willing to put my eyes on the Galaxy S, any fedback on this phone in particular?

[Lysdexic]

I've got a rooted Evo (Fresh ROM) with a 3500 mAh battery. I can easily play for 4+ hours even with 4G turned on.

[WhoIsThis]

If you are having battery life problems, I recommend that you purchase a second battery and a separate charger for it, as they are not too expensive.

I get about 3 hours with screen brightness at 40%; imported Samsung Epic that I bought off Ebay.

[choco]

my droid 1 with stock 2.2.2 ROM was about 2 hours on dimmest setting possible....i just flashed a 2.3.3 GB ROM with a custom 1Ghz uLV kernel and so far its about 3 hours or so....

but it definitely got rid of 90% of my lag.....

[nazgulking]

I am against buying another battery to have more playing time, for me is complete nonsense
I prefer sticking to standard battery times AND if the battery break THEN I'll be buying another one to replace the previous.

[Lysdexic]

I am against buying another battery to have more playing time, for me is complete nonsense
I prefer sticking to standard battery times AND if the battery break THEN I'll be buying another one to replace the previous.

Depending on which phone you choose, Seidio has been making double sized batteries with custom cases for many Android phones (especially the HTC ones). They don't weight much more at all and aren't as cumbersome as you would think. I found it to be well worth it for my Evo since that phone was extremely thin, the extra battery made it far easier to hold and/or prop.

[Tamino]

Samsung Galaxy Tab. 5-6 hours depending on backlight settings, 3G connection (UMTS / HDSPA), Bluetooth stereo headphones. Never measured on WiFi, it seems a bit less (but with a charger on my side, probably I boost light more). And a 7 inches display!

[Healarious]

I have the HTC Evo android phone with the 3500 mAH battery, and the battery life is so much better than the stock HTC Evo battery. I'm not sure of how many hours I can get playing PL, never really timed it. But the battery life in general with the 3500 mAH battery is way better than the stock battery. If you get an android phone, try and get an upgraded battery for it, if you can afford it. It only adds a little bit of weight and a little bit of bulk to your phone, but it's really worth it for the battery life.

[Kindread]

Oh crap. I'm a retard. Didn't realize I'm in the droid forum. I was wondering how come so many PL players use droits. Is there some advantage? Lol.