Can I damage GPS with long time usage? - HD2 General

Hi guys and gals,
I'm considering to use my hd2 on bike using gps as a tracking device, speedometer and of course for navigation. I would be constantly charging it from dynamo.
The question is, can a lengthy usage, let's say 6 hours long damage the gps unit. How about display, can it somehow "burn out" after some longer time?
Thanks.

No, though I personally would buy a device made for that. Garmin and Tomtom make one specifically for outdoor use.

+1
If you gonna use it "professional" use "real" GPS.
Its the same with camera and professional fotographing

Yeah, I know that. But I'm considering using HD2 because i will have it with me anyway, so I'm trying to cut down on weight everywhere possible.
So, I'm aware of better going with dedicated device, but I'm considering all options.

i think the gps chip in the hd2 is pretty awesome, and it is made for getting gps connections also gps is a very low-energy and passive system so i would not be scared about damage... it's made for using it. i've used the gps a damn lot on my old raphael and it never seemed to get any "worse" or something...
greetz

Great, thanks for the answer. I was a bit worried because using gps seems to make some heat, so I thought that gps is doing some hard job which could damage it after longer usage
Are current displays in HD2 like devices durable enough? For example, will they be alright for 2 years when I will often use it with display always on?

ulukai3 said:
Great, thanks for the answer. I was a bit worried because using gps seems to make some heat, so I thought that gps is doing some hard job which could damage it after longer usage
Are current displays in HD2 like devices durable enough? For example, will they be alright for 2 years when I will often use it with display always on?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No person in their right mind would pay close to $600 for a device that works only 24 months.

Well you know, it's a bit different when you use it as phone and all around device compared to using it 6 hours with display always on. Ok, maybe it's not different, but that's why I'm asking.

That you cant know ever for sure. It can last for 6 years...or 6 hours. But it should be all ok no matter what... After all, you have a varanty

Smartmob said:
That you cant know ever for sure. It can last for 6 years...or 6 hours. But it should be all ok no matter what... After all, you have a varanty
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wtf is a varanty?
naa im kiding you lol
Good point though. The only thing I'd be worried about is it raining on me phone

You stand much more chance of damaging the phone through vibration / dodgy charger adapter.......You say "Dynamo" so I'm assuming some old oil dripping "riveter "

Im using my HD 2 as a data collector and have it running with GPS, Mapping and Data collection software for up to 4-6 hours a day (with spare batteries)
proberly running around 60-100 hours a month. Being doing it for around 4 months now with no problems.
The GPS is equall to or better then comparable commercial GPS units.
In fact I replaced a Trimble Nomad with the HD 2 as the HD 2 GPS is better
and the HD 2 easier and faster to operate

No. Have had the GPS on for a whole charge on my HD2. No issues there. GPS signal reception in the device is very good.

The display is the problem. It's almost useless outside. Get device especially made for that.
Outdoor GPS or specialized cycle GPS will last a day on batteries, will be very robust, will be partially waterproof. All that can be 'applied' to HD2, with some effort. But most importantly, such device will have trans-reflective display which is much better readable outside, and backlight can be turned off, which increases battery life even more.

forest.ranger said:
Im using my HD 2 as a data collector and have it running with GPS, Mapping and Data collection software for up to 4-6 hours a day (with spare batteries)
proberly running around 60-100 hours a month. Being doing it for around 4 months now with no problems.
The GPS is equall to or better then comparable commercial GPS units.
In fact I replaced a Trimble Nomad with the HD 2 as the HD 2 GPS is better
and the HD 2 easier and faster to operate
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Would you mind to elaborate on the battery life on continuous GPS tracking? I also have a total of 4 batteries, the original + 3 HK oems that costed a real deal and pack some energy in them no matter what. But I never tested it for long time tasks like GPS for example

When I'm data collecting I turn off sense and phone & data functions.
Using the internal GPS, OziExplorer and Data Collection software we usually get 3-4 hours continuous use from a standard battery.Even on a long day Ive never used more then 2 batteries.
We used to run IPAQ hx4700 units and blue tooth GPS, and the HD 2 standard battery use compares favorably if not slightly better then these units, probably due to not having to use the blue tooth gps on the HD 2.
We have ordered both the HD 2 and the Mugan extended batteries which we expect will give us hopefully all day usage on a single battery.
As we are using the HD 2,s in the New Zealand Bush we have them in the Otterbox 1900, totally waterproof and works perfectly through the protective screen.

Forgot to mention that I have the back light on full, my eyes are not what they used to be and I find it helps in direct sunlight.
However the HD 2 screen is much easier to read in direct sunlight then the hx4700 and the trimble nomad one of the many reasons we like using them.

I don't know if the GPS unit can damage, but in my Nokia 6110 Navigator it was damaged after some time, I think it was less than 1 year, cause I had warranty left for it and they have sent me a new phone. The couldn't repair it unfortunately, so well it's possible the GPS unit damages (I used the GPS 5 hours a week I think)

zdrux said:
No person in their right mind would pay close to $600 for a device that works only 24 months.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lemme fix that for you... Who buys a device lile the HD2 and actually keeps it more than 2 years?
No problem with gps, and with the LCD screen. I wouldn't say the same with the OLED ones that start to come out.
You mention powering with dynamo... don't forget to regulate to 5v, I'd also advise an external battery buffer.

forest.ranger said:
When I'm data collecting I turn off sense and phone & data functions.
Using the internal GPS, OziExplorer and Data Collection software we usually get 3-4 hours continuous use from a standard battery.Even on a long day Ive never used more then 2 batteries.
We used to run IPAQ hx4700 units and blue tooth GPS, and the HD 2 standard battery use compares favorably if not slightly better then these units, probably due to not having to use the blue tooth gps on the HD 2.
We have ordered both the HD 2 and the Mugan extended batteries which we expect will give us hopefully all day usage on a single battery.
As we are using the HD 2,s in the New Zealand Bush we have them in the Otterbox 1900, totally waterproof and works perfectly through the protective screen.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
forest.ranger said:
Forgot to mention that I have the back light on full, my eyes are not what they used to be and I find it helps in direct sunlight.
However the HD 2 screen is much easier to read in direct sunlight then the hx4700 and the trimble nomad one of the many reasons we like using them.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sounds awesome, with backlight at 100%, considering the phone radio in stanby doesn't drain that much anyway so disabling it shouldn't increase battery life that much.

Related

MESSAGE to HTC, Tmobile, Android and Google

There is a problem with our battery life and we all know its true... I have even been given a new battery and HTC mains charger
I turn off any service im not using at the time (ie: wifi, BT, GPS, NETGPS,etc) not that I should have to do this, but lets story on track...
My battery will make about 1 day as I am A "power user" but if its not plugged in I wont have the juice for my alarm to wake me up, my wifes Sony Ericsson lasts 4-5 days per charge, but lets not compare apples and oranges, the whi-phone 3g my sister has sahe bought it about the same times as my g1, she hadn't ever heard of "deep cycling" 2-5 times when you get a new phone, she never lets it discharge fully and just tops off all the time, AFAIK she is treating a NIMH cell exactly the wrong way, BUT SHE GETS 1-3 DAYS depending on the type of use, and never turns off ANY of the 3g, gps, net gps, wifi, BT nada and Id say she uses hers alot because its her primary camera, GPS & A/V player
my question is WHY?
Im sure there must be somebody involved with the development of this phone/OS that reads thru here, since there is more exciting stuff coming from XDA than there is the market...
Im gonna add a poll that pertains to battery use...
I wanted to add one very negative one but hit submit not preview, maybe just post and dont vote if none apply..
they better come off a new battery almost all other new phones will get 1-2 day + average use, Ive had phones that could go 3-4. but the state of the art G1 mindblowing innovative phone wont even work a whole day, so what if its bigger than the whi-phone, it has no keyboard.
I for one would like to hear some solid info on a replacement battery and back, for new and existing G1 users, early adopters got the fuzzy end of the lollipop on the HTC->headphone jack adapter I got the headphones with the htc angled adapter from fleabay, so many manufactures stick it to the early adopter, when we are the ones that get the word of mouth going, as people go "WOW that thing is cool!,what is it?! they know when we bought out phones and should be able to figure out when the head phone rev change was made, so send them to the first of the buyers....
IF the battery issue isnt fixed, alot of people will be very angry and the g1 will flop.
I think the bad press is starting to out weigh the good press the G1 and possibly android as a whole is at a crossroad. If the g1 tanks Android will be stained forever...thankfully enuff I dont think XDA-DEV would give up on this badboy, I love this thing, and I love it for what it can be
BhanG
Well stated sir.
HTC/Google need to fix battery problems in G1. Maybe it's soft bug, but maybe it's a hardware bug - Nobody knows
I dunno. With normal use, I get about 12 hours or more from my stock battery. That's about the same as other HTC phones I've had.
there is a battery issue and we are al aware of it.
i have managed to have it last through out the day
just set the brightness to the lowest possible, sleep time to 15 secs
turn off data and wifi and anything else that you are not using
its not how the phone was intended to be used, but it's what i ave to do for now
I find it fine for everyday use. Of course I haven't done a full test but maybe tomorrow I will.
I would like to use my G1 like I use my WinMo but no way I can with the battery.
bhang said:
IF the battery issue isnt fixed, alot of people will be very angry and the g1 will flop.
I think the bad press is starting to out weigh the good press the G1 and possibly android as a whole is at a crossroad. If the g1 tanks Android will be stained forever.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you're exaggerating here a little bit. The battery life, while it got press at first, has faded from the limelight of android news for the general population. The G1 is already far from a flop and I don’t think there’s going to be a sudden mass return of all the handsets sold.
Let’s face it living on the cutting edge means you will get cut sometimes. Your high expectations will not always be met and manufacturers will frequently not care. The battery life is less than what many people expected, but we’ve learned to deal with it. At least we have options (power management, backup batteries, and expanded capacity batteries), but I’d not hold my breath on HTC making any major moves. How long has the issue been going with the TYTN II drivers anyway?
bhang said:
BUT SHE GETS 1-3 DAYS depending on the type of use, and never turns off ANY of the 3g, gps, net gps, wifi, BT nada
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have no idea what kind of use gets 1-3 days, but it certainly isn't 3G web browsing. Most iPhone 3G battery life tests clock 3G data use at about 3-5 hours. Based on my own usage of a friend's iPhone 3G, that seems to be about right. Coincidentally my G1 gets about 3-5 hours of 3G data use as well.
Frankly, from an engineer's point of view I have not seen any power drain tests conducted with enough rigor and variable control to be worthy of being called a truly scientific analysis. Even the best "battery life tests" out there aren't declaring what type of testing environment (los and distance to closest 3G tower), what background apps are installed, ambient temperature (which affects the battery discharge profile), etc. Without considering and removing these variables from the test, deviation could be as high as... well there's no fixing the percentage really. It's all just junk data.
I do notice after I installed Task Manager, to close out programs I am not using my battery life went up. There are a lot of un needed start up apps.
TimSykes said:
There are a lot of un needed start up apps.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Care to give some examples? Im curious to see what runs on startup that isnt needed.
QUOTE jashsu
I have no idea what kind of use gets 1-3 days, but it certainly isn't 3G web browsing. Most iPhone 3G battery life tests clock 3G data use at about 3-5 hours. Based on my own usage of a friend's iPhone 3G, that seems to be about right. Coincidentally my G1 gets about 3-5 hours of 3G data use as well.
Yep my friend has iphone and we did test last weekend, both went 3 hours and change then died. If i dont use internet and set timeout and brightness down plus use task manager mine will go as long as my dash. I personally dont care about the battery life, i have a computer, home charger and car charger and i drive for a living so if it gets low no biggie. In my opinion i dont see android going anywhere and i love the g1. Just like wm its gonna take time to get off the ground. To say its at a crossroads is ridiculous.
I am using ADP1.1 and yea if I am browsing the net with 3G for 3-5 hours straight I start seeing the battery go down. But from 100% to 0% takes me longer than 5 hours. I know because I like to lay in bed and don't care to come check my messages LOL
I bought a G1 last week and so far I have been really dissapointed. After having an elf and seeing other htc phones I was expecting big things from the G1.
I am now a week into ownership and after 5 full charge - discharge cycles I am managing to get 24 hours out of the phone with next to no use what so ever. If i check my emails and do 30 mins browsing the phone is dead in 6 or less.
The hardware is simply put 'very poor' my screen is wobbly and the back is loose, all this after just a week.
As for android, it is fantastic everything I expected (except hotmail support) and there is no way it is going to flop. Its just a shame that google and htc didn't wait until they had the right phone for the job.
Thats just my 10p worth!!
Dharkaron said:
Care to give some examples? Im curious to see what runs on startup that isnt needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It all depends on what you have installed. for me the start up is. I beleve amazon does too, but I uninstalled that. But the first thing I do is go into task manager and kill everything. And only like two things auto start up. I really with HTC built in a x-button app for android. I loved the click x for close.
myFaves
messaging
voice dialer
calendar
Alarm clock
k-9
woot checker
tunewiki
gmail
Under light usage I get about 36 hours from full charge to shutdown. That's GPS on, Bluetooth on, Autosync on, periodically doing e-mail and web browsing.
Under heavy usage (Which is basically I listened to MP3s for 2 hours) it goes at least 17 hours before I plug it back in. I haven't tested but I'd bet it could go 20 or more.
That's as good as (or better) than I was getting on the Wizard/MDA.
I dunno if anyone has stated it but the problem with the battery has to do with the phone recieving the cell signal. For some reason the phone runs in overload when searching for a cell signal...I noticed this one day when T-Mo suspended my service and my battery meter never moved all day, I think by night it was down to 85-90%...sure enough that night when I paid my bill and the phone started picking up signal again, the battery depleted at "normal" speed.
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Preech2003 said:
This extended battery barely increases the size of the phone...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so exactly how much is "barely"? care to give side by side comparison shots?
dubstar_04 said:
As for android, it is fantastic everything I expected (except hotmail support) and there is no way it is going to flop. Its just a shame that google and htc didn't wait until they had the right phone for the job.
Thats just my 10p worth!!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Why do i keep hearing that there is no hotmail support? Android (and G1) works with hotmail just fine! Just go to the Email program and set it up. WHY!! .. I am having connection errors sometimes though..
Battery is a big issue. Never had any luck with it.. EVER.. just unplugged it and after about 1+ hour it's down to 66%. Played a game (slide puzzle) watched 2 youtube vids of about 3 minutes each. And I had it fully drained and recharged a couple of times in the beginning. It didn't even took 10 minutes to drop from 100% to 89%.. But I was on wifi.. Maybe this is normal.
Software has a lot to do with this I think. Yesterday I had about 50-60% left. Did something, can't remember what, opening programs or music. And closed it. After 5 minutes I checked and battery was hot and had drained to orange level. I checked with task manager and only calendar/messaging/tunewiki/music was on. I closed all and restarted the phone, cuz it was still hot. Luckily it lasted a few hours till I got home, with very carefull use..

HD2 battery test...

I am having problems with my battery life on HD2.
Currently I use ROM Duttys Leo V2.2 with radio 2.06.51.07, but I tried atleast 10-15 different ROMs and radios (Miri/Laurentius26/Xanny/Sternas ROMs and others with all bases from 1.66 up to 2.10).
I made several tests with tbattery and logged the results, this is what i get (Current values):
- screen off -> -13
- screen on 10% -> -83
- screen on 30% -> -102
- screen on 100% -> -214
The tests were made on 2G connection with max signal, with no data connection.
My battery usually barely lasts 2 days with very light usage, with moderate usage i have to charge the phone every day. Maybe this is normal, I just hope it's not...
Can someone throw up some comparison numbers please? I already wanted to bring the phone back and demand a new one but I am not sure if something is actually wrong with it.
BTW, I use MTTY for flashing and always do a hard reset after the first full boot. Tests were done with a clean ROM install, with no aditional processes running.
verry much like this
anyway its normal im affraid of with moderate use and the end of the day i have about 40% left.
Yes, perfectly normal battery life, sorry to disappoint but that's how it goes with smartphones
It is running a computer spec, that, not even 8 years ago, had to rely on mains power. Not to mention the internet router, the screen, the GPS device, and not least the phone which are all inbuilt. I think running it for a day on a battery is pretty impressive personally.
Thanks for the info guys, I feel much better after reading that battery post from kilrah...
I was sure there is something wrong with my device, but when I look at it from rp-x1's point of view, I guess it's not that bad...
mafijozo said:
Thanks for the info guys, I feel much better after reading that battery post from kilrah...
I was sure there is something wrong with my device, but when I look at it from rp-x1's point of view, I guess it's not that bad...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to put a downer on you, but its the way I look at it. I know it isn't the biggest capacity battery, which does have a bad effect on battery life, but unfortunately it is a computer with a phone, rather than the other way round.
My previous phones:
Nokia 3310 (basic phone) - a week
Nokia 7610 (one of the first proper mainstream "smartphones" by Nokia) - 3 days
Nokia E90 Communicator (their flagship smartphone) - 2 days - at a push
Sony Ericsson Xperia X1 - 1.5 - 2 days - at a push
Blackberry Bold 9000 - a few days, if I don't actually use it.
HTC HD2 - 1 - 2 days (dependant on usage)
It seems to be the norm for a smartphone/pocketpc to be around a day to a couple of days on a charge.
To add a bit of perspective, my colleague has an iPhone, and it lasted a whole 3 hours on a single charge when using Exchange Push-Mail. It usually only lasts a day too.
At least on the HD2 you can change battery and go on
kilrah said:
At least on the HD2 you can change battery and go on
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you have a point there, when I had my iPhone and used it as much as i use HD2 last few weeks the battery was about the same...
mafijozo said:
Yes you have a point there, when I had my iPhone and used it as much as i use HD2 last few weeks the battery was about the same...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
so true i bought a battery from ebay ( was only €4 and its almost as good as the original one, it only fits a bit too tight..) i always have a spare fully charged one in my wallet

Solution to Desire HD battery problem

Having tried just about everything to prolong the life of the battery on my Desire HD, I think that I have, at last, found a real solution.
I did not like the idea of buying a spare battery mainly due to the flimsy battery compartment on the phone and the thought of constantly swapping batteries. Swapping batteries would also involve switching off the phone and losing data (for example, if you are using GPS to track your movements).
I have tried lots of software solutions, most of which help to give me an hour or two of extra life. My favourite software solution is Juice Defender, which works well within the limits of HTC's awful battery.
Someone on another thread recommended the TechNet external charger, which packs a 5,000ma charge - enough for four full recharges of the HD phone. It plugs into the micro USB port on the phone and charges the phone as though it is connected to the power supply. It hot-charges, which means you don't need to swap batteries or switch off the phone. The device comes with lots of adaptors to charge lots of different devices. There is also an 11,000ma version... enough for 10 recharges.
Available on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B000NDQ92W/ref=oss_product
It also looks good and comes with a travel pouch and is smaller than the HD phone itself so slips into a bag without a problem.
Looks promising. Thanks for the info bobby!
I purchased this before I went back to nz for Xmas. Well worth the purchase, has saved me several times. One thing to be mindful of is that if you accidentally turn it on without realising, the battery will drain, even if its not charging anything.
Sent from my Desire HD using XDA App
Is the battery really that awful? I can use the phone for 24hrs (including stand-by time, 14-16hrshrs of usage time) with wifi, 3g constantly on until I need a charge.
Which is really more then enough time for me in between charges, unless you go on trip for days without access to a computer or an wall socket.
Its nice to have a phone which last for days like the old days, but it really has no inconvenience charging it once a day, right?
+1 , left my phone in work the other day after reasonable useage in the time I was in work 0900-2000, came in the following morning , to find 13% charge remaining and that was in-spite of my alarm going off
I find that if you put your phone in power saving mode, even the remaining 10% can last you for almost a day.
Its quite useful if you know you gonna leave ur phone for a period of time.
Actually it would be quite useful to have a toggle widget to do that on ur home screen instead letting it activating itself below a set percentage. Is there any?
Howdy,
I was so frustrated with the battery usage I nearly ditched the phone. I decided to apply a different rom after reading and considering many posted here I went with Coredroid, which I downloaded from this site. (had the original vodafone rom) Great support and documentation and tons of help if it goes south.
I can say as of now my phone is 5 times at least faster and the battery life has extended 300%.
When you check battery usage the I found the number one battery killer is Display. With Coredroid its about the 5th item on the list. Wireless and bluetooth and the biggest now (if you can call them real big) but they are easy to turn on/off.
I was very nervous about a custom rom but I needed something. I can only recommend you look at other roms apart from you stock one -Im assuming. (Im not sure what warranty etc rules are gone, personally I don't care)
Cheers
Gamma
Yes, that was me, with the external battery pack/charger
Well, it's a heavy phone already, a huge screen to light up and render -it's pretty clear where the power is needed. But would the bulk associated with another 400mah really have tipped the DHD over the edge?
Anyway, it's designed now, and nothing can be done about that. I'm quite happy with it lasting until the night for normal/heavy usage (about 16 hours) - with it's out-of-the-box form factor.
And for those occasions when I'm using GPS tracking apps out in the open for 5-6 hours, broadcasting my location to a website, hooking it up to the external pack (mine is in fact a New Trent one, 5000mah) means it won't drain unexpectedly. That is, with 5000+1260mah combined!
The battery pack provides a "full" charge in about 2 hours, that is just like a mains charger (it is rated up to 1amp output, providing of course whatever amperage the device pulls).
That pack might be a solution for the battery problem, but I still don't think it's enough. I don't think that you should have to buy a portable power pack just for your phone battery to last. The whole point of mobile phones is that you have access to a medium of communication in a remote location. By not making the battery life long on a phone, I reckon HTC are actually limiting its main use. But that's just my 2 cents, and it does depend on how people like to use their phones.
5000 mah is not enough, why not make it larger
Thanks for the info.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/New-Trent-I...rry/dp/B004CHMP50/ref=acc_glance_ce_ai_ps_t_2
New Trent Extreme Pack IMP1000 11000mAh External Battery
larger still
looceci said:
5000 mah is not enough, why not make it larger
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You must love the 1240Ma battery that comes with the phone.
You've enabled USB Debugging, yeah? I get 2 days, and I work in the middle of nowhere. The phone polls for a new cell constantly while I'm in my office.
If signal is good in your area, tell the phone to use GSM or WCDMA exclusively. Otherwise it will switch to whichever has the better signal, which can be problematic is you're in an area with good / poor coverage of both technologies.
I think the polling thing might be a big battery killer. I shall try that.
I friend of mine in the office, use to have a Sony smart phone that barely lasted a day and thats on standby. He ditched that for a DHD. His battery now lasts 4 days plus, with minmal use! Mine on ther other hand with minimal use can give 2days at most.
The difference is that he is on ORANGE and I am on T-Mobile. It must be down to signal strength because he use to be on THREE and the signal strength was very poor at his home location.
BTW, I find that Juice Defender does help and switiching off Flash in the browser.
This charger and the USB-Batteries are the best inventions ever
It would be great if this phone got accessory support like the fruit phone does. An extended battery case would be the most optimal solution to this problem but I haven't heard of any out there yet
P.S send me a PM if anyone finds an external battery case
how is it compare to eneloop 5000mah?
Ah! I need that one for when i go camping

A Complaint Letter to HTC - Battery Life

I just submitted the following letter to HTC's Customer Service:
"Phone = Telus Desire HD. I've been using my new Desire HD for awhile now but have come to conclude it has one major design flaw. If I don't cripple half of its options/features before leaving the house the battery has trouble making it through the day. Once half the features are crippled what's the point of having a smart phone? Please tell me HTC is in the process of designing/producing an upgraded battery? I have no issues with spending additional money to utilize my device to it's full potential, although I am alarmed R&D did not resolve this before launch. HTC did not make the battery cover replaceable nor did they add a little depth to the phone to allow a larger battery. Unless HTC can refine their battery design are all their current Desire HD customers forced to use their phone with reserve? It saddens me that I can't even recommend this phone to a friend because of the atroshish battery life. Lastly when I purchased this phone I did so because of HTC's reputation. I neglected to read current reviews prior to my purchase knowing that it was a flagship phone for HTC. After purchasing it I started browsing reviews and found only one common theme that never deviated. The Desire HD has a dismal battery life. What if anything does HTC plan to do about this??"
Yes guys I know that recent rom development has done leaps and bounds to improve battery life, and there are plenty of ways to extend it but the bottom line is HTC released this and knows that everyone has the same issue. They should come up with some course of resolve. If they found a way to refine the battery vastly extending its life this phone would be untouchable. I hope more users write to HTC and complain. It only takes minutes but as customers our voices should be heard.
JohnnyRebel said:
I just submitted the following letter to HTC's Customer Service:
"Phone = Telus Desire HD. I've been using my new Desire HD for awhile now but have come to conclude it has one major design flaw. If I don't cripple half of its options/features before leaving the house the battery has trouble making it through the day. Once half the features are crippled what's the point of having a smart phone? Please tell me HTC is in the process of designing/producing an upgraded battery? I have no issues with spending additional money to utilize my device to it's full potential, although I am alarmed R&D did not resolve this before launch. HTC did not make the battery cover replaceable nor did they add a little depth to the phone to allow a larger battery. Unless HTC can refine their battery design are all their current Desire HD customers forced to use their phone with reserve? It saddens me that I can't even recommend this phone to a friend because of the atroshish battery life. Lastly when I purchased this phone I did so because of HTC's reputation. I neglected to read current reviews prior to my purchase knowing that it was a flagship phone for HTC. After purchasing it I started browsing reviews and found only one common theme that never deviated. The Desire HD has a dismal battery life. What if anything does HTC plan to do about this??"
Yes guys I know that recent rom development has done leaps and bounds to improve battery life, and there are plenty of ways to extend it but the bottom line is HTC released this and knows that everyone has the same issue. They should come up with some course of resolve. If they found a way to refine the battery vastly extending its life this phone would be untouchable. I hope more users write to HTC and complain. It only takes minutes but as customers our voices should be heard.
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Click to collapse
I will do the same HTC India as well
Great News
Sheldon.mathews said:
I will do the same HTC India as well
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Click to collapse
Glad to hear it, I hope more follow suit. The way I see it is the XDA forums in the Desire HD section gets an astonishing number of hits. If even 1 out of every 500 people that just read the Desire HD threads write a complaint in regards to a battery it will have a swift impact on a battery upgrade option for the desire hd.
Unfortunately I think this is the HTC policy. They never build a perfect phone; think about the HTC Desire and the Nexus One: they're legendary devices but they had multitouch (and weak reception on N1) issues. The HTC HD2 probably was the best phone they ever made, but it had a tiny 1320 mAh battery and Windows Mobile 6.5. Other phones had issues like camera, WiFi performances, etc... And now our DHD: no S-Amoled ( = more energy required to keep the huge screen on), a low capacity battery and a sub-par GPS.
I think this is their strategy to make sure ppl will keep buying their new phones. You get it, you recognize it has plenty of great features and most things work just as expected (unlike other manufacturer like Samsung, Motorola), you get a lot of software updates... But you have one or more issues which will let you consider to upgrade to their new models.
Just my 2¢... I'd love if HTC should announce a 1500/1600 mAh extended battery tho
Scarey to think about eh?
Drakknar said:
Unfortunately I think this is the HTC policy. They never build a perfect phone; think about the HTC Desire and the Nexus One: they're legendary devices but they had multitouch (and weak reception on N1) issues. The HTC HD2 probably was the best phone they ever made, but it had a tiny 1320 mAh battery and Windows Mobile 6.5. Other phones had issues like camera, WiFi performances, etc... And now our DHD: no S-Amoled ( = more energy required to keep the huge screen on), a low capacity battery and a sub-par GPS.
I think this is their strategy to make sure ppl will keep buying their new phones. You get it, you recognize it has plenty of great features and most things work just as expected (unlike other manufacturer like Samsung, Motorola), you get a lot of software updates... But you have one or more issues which will let you consider to upgrade to their new models.
Just my 2¢... I'd love if HTC should announce a 1500/1600 mAh extended battery tho
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Click to collapse
Never quite looked at it that way but maybe it is a HTC conspiracy. Give them just enough to keep them coming back. Regardless I hope you voice you concern to HTC too and maybe we'll see that 1500/1600 mAh battery in the near future.
You won't see it for a couple of reasons.
The Desire hd is near end if life in terms of being a flagship, and the technology simply doesn't exist to increase battery cell density further. The only way would be a physically larger battery which is impossible given the design of the dhd.
Sent from my Desire HD pocket rocket.
I don't know why people complain about the battery life. It is fine for me. And it is a smart phone, what are you going to expect, 2 days of battery???
I easily get a day out of it without any problems. Display is 20%, Wifi on, 3g on, sync on... I say the screen is on for around 1 to 1 and a half hours.
No offense, but I seriously hope you wrong!
dr.m0x said:
You won't see it for a couple of reasons.
The Desire hd is near end if life in terms of being a flagship, and the technology simply doesn't exist to increase battery cell density further. The only way would be a physically larger battery which is impossible given the design of the dhd.
Sent from my Desire HD pocket rocket.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There is no doubt a new flag ship is just around the corner. And yes I've heard the density argument several times, but I'm praying they still have a trick or two up their sleeves that they have yet to reveal. ;0) Besides, it can never hurt to take a shot even when the odds look overwhelming. But hey who knows, when they respond to me they might just admit I'm SOL. We'll see what the future reveals.
Glad you're happy.
springy said:
I don't know why people complain about the battery life. It is fine for me. And it is a smart phone, what are you going to expect, 2 days of battery???
I easily get a day out of it without any problems. Display is 20%, Wifi on, 3g on, sync on... I say the screen is on for around 1 to 1 and a half hours.
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Click to collapse
A day and a half and I'd be ecstatic. I get a full day too, but refrain from allot of the everyday tasks I'd also like to accomplish. I spend 14-16hrs away from home 5-6days a week. Normally by the time I return home my phone is warning me about 15% battery. Yes I could charge it while in my car, yes I could swap batteries (but I HATE the battery cover), and finally yes I could plug it into an outlet for awhile (abandoning my contact with 99.9% of the world) . To me 1230mAh seems exceptionally low for a smart phone doesn't it? Especially is you design one with such a power hungry screen? There are tons of things I do love about this phone and I mean tons. But in a year if this isn't resolved I'll remember it as the awesome phone that ate batteries. Lastly though all I can say is thank god for all the brilliant developers who are coming up with commendable ways to stretch our battery life further. And shame on HTC for just standing by on the sidelines.
The thing is, I don't think anything can really be done to make a battey big enough. Yes you can buy some 1300mAH - 1600mAH but they tend to be worse then the 1230mAH we have in the DHD. The software can be optimised but the main thing is the screen. To be honest, the DHD had a design flaw, a slot that was not big enough to house a battery that can contain more than 1230mAH. The only way we can go forward is hope that new battery technology comes out soon, but this is around 3-5 years away from current experiments technology from what I have seen...
But also, other phones are in the same situations. All battery of under 2000mAH will be terrible. Phones if you want it to last would need at least 10000mAH in my opinion, and again we are around 3-5 years away from this happening at the earliest for a credible solution..
Hate to say it but complaining will be fruitless as htc already have your money.
Sent from my Desire HD pocket rocket.
Yes, there is no point complaining because they have no obligation to comply. Even if they really have the technology to provide a better battery, it simply not a viable business strategy to design a new battery for a phone that soon to be replace by next generation of androids. Its not just HTC, every business is like this, they provide a good product, but always reserve better for the next product cycle. Thats why most updated technology usually takes 5-10years to actually reach consumer market.
I don't think the battery of the HTC Desire HD is so bad, I easy get about 1 day and 12 hours with all options on, ofcourse I don't use battery comsuming apps like twitter, I mean if you are so active with a phone then most smartphones will barely make the day.
I think we should be happy that the battery is removeable, just look at the iPhone, the battery is not removeable and to extend the battery life they need use a external battery, no thanks then I rather carry one spare battery with me for just in case I would need it.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technolo...nes-could-run-for-months-between-charges.html
That is the technology I head about 6 months ago... now widely reported... this is what will solve our battery problem... Having 1500mAH won't do anything about from extend the life for a few hours.
Too bad we are 3-5 years for it to get anywhere near market consumption
omg
really the battery in the htc desire hd is hopeless....
Well the main power consuming piece of hardware inside our phone is the screen.
Qualcomm have invented a new type of display called the mirasol display, and it uses a lot less power than the traditional LCD. Since HTC and Qualcomm are partners we could be seeing this type of display in future HTC devices.
Source: http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...-screen-technology-teased-ahead-of-ces-demos/
JohnnyRebel said:
I have no issues with spending additional money to utilize my device to it's full potential...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This obviously doesn't solve the root cause, but if you're willing to spend around 50 USD google for something like "PB-5000 Phone Charger", it's 5000mAh...
my Desire HD has the exact same issue, with only 10-12 hrs maximum with half the features off. i am seriously considering buying the HTC Desire, just for the sake of the battery.
there is a very easy and acceptable solution for this problem. can't they make a charging case or a charging cover or a case holding the 2nd battery being in action for the HTC Desire HD? they have done it for the iPhone. i have mailed so many companies with this idea (including mugen and HTC), however no one replied.
I also have a question: how much does LeeDroid improve the battery issue??? as in how many more hrs does it give me?
Thanks, Best Regards, Android Asim
Trouble? Not so much.....
What kind of services are you running?
I listen to music to and from work, wifi is on all day at work + listen to music and watch a video or two. LiveProfile is on all day as well. I normally don't use Livewallpapers. A charge will last all day for me with this typical usage. Now, If I start rocking "Dungeon Hunter" or some other game or am using GPS then battery goes way down and I have to hit the trickle charge at work ( USB to Computer )
I normally charge overnight.
It is a Smartphone with a huge screen and chip, it's not a MOTO RAZR.
dhiral.v said:
Well the main power consuming piece of hardware inside our phone is the screen.
Qualcomm have invented a new type of display called the mirasol display, and it uses a lot less power than the traditional LCD. Since HTC and Qualcomm are partners we could be seeing this type of display in future HTC devices.
Source: http://www.androidpolice.com/2011/0...-screen-technology-teased-ahead-of-ces-demos/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sounds pretty good. I like my DHD and all its awesome functions but having to be so careful about battery consumption really is a pain in the ***. The phone's screen is pretty darn nice to look at, but I have it set to 25% brightness just to keep consumption down a bit. Seriously, using the DHD's screen for 4 hours the battery is almost empty.
I'd really have no problem settling with a 'less pretty' screen if it would mean I could use my phone for more than 4 hours a day.
chumbagen said:
What kind of services are you running?
I listen to music to and from work, wifi is on all day at work + listen to music and watch a video or two. LiveProfile is on all day as well. I normally don't use Livewallpapers. A charge will last all day for me with this typical usage. Now, If I start rocking "Dungeon Hunter" or some other game or am using GPS then battery goes way down and I have to hit the trickle charge at work ( USB to Computer )
I normally charge overnight.
It is a Smartphone with a huge screen and chip, it's not a MOTO RAZR.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My typical use during a day:
-Unplug it at around 8:00
-Making calls for about 30 minutes
-Sending ~25 SMS
-Internet for about 2 hours (1 hour wifi and 1 hour 3G/H)
-Listening to music for about 1 hour
-Checking my awesome team in RunFootball ~5 times a day
-Plug it in at around 22:00
At 22:00, the battery is usually down to below 15%. I have GPS, BT, wifi and 3G off unless actively using them. With my screen brightness set at a low 25% the maximum screen time I can get out off my DHD is 4 hours. There are no rogue apps running in the background.
Honestly, a phone with this type of power consumption needs atleast an 1800mAh battery to last me through a day without me worrying about it.

Gutted, but I think this phone is going back...

I'm truly upset about this, because I think this phone is almost marvellous. But in the two weeks I've had it a few horrible problems have emerged, and I can't find solutions.
If anyone can help (REALLY help), I'd be very grateful.
So. Here I go:
1) The antennae (or whatever). I'm sitting here, in my study, which is in my garden, about 60 feet from the house. In the house (right on the kitchen window) I have a wi-fi AP, to boost the signal. In my study I have : a PS3; a desktop PC; a (Samsung) netbook; an iPhone 3gs; an HTC TP2, and the SGS2. Every single device has a good-to-excellent connection. Except the SGS2. Which says "poor", except that most of the time it can't get a signal at all - so that's not even as good as "poor";
2) I took a friend to hospital today. There were three of us in the waiting room. The SGS2 had no (phone) reception. The others did;
3) On the way to the hospital I needed to use Google Nav. I plugged the SGS2 into my car charger. It didn't charge. I've since tried three different chargers (and no, they weren't from Poundland). Same thing. The SGS2 just won't charge in my car if it needs plenty of juice. I've been trawling the webs and this seems to be a common issue - but nobody has a definite answer. I was about to spring for an official Sammy charger, but nobody seems to know for sure if it'll do the trick.
4) The sound isn't great, either in fidelity (and I'm using Shure SE530s, just so you know I care about good sound) or volume. It's tolerable, but only that. No comparison to my little Sansa clip, or even (I hate to say) the 3GS;
5) (though not as much as some, it would seem) the battery life is a bit meh. And I'm not a heavy user.
I read many people complaining about silly little things. A lot of them are down to software or simple ignorance. But a super-smartphone that has poor connectivity and can't be used as a satnav (whilst simultaneously charging). Well, I'm sorry, but...
As I said at the top, I'm genuinely miserable about this. I really, really thought that this was the Smartphone to Rule Them All.
And, again, if anyone can offer me hope that things will get better, please do. Sadly, I think I'll be going back to separate gadgets to fulfill my needs. A phone that works as a phone (and maybe a diary); a satnav that charges in the car; a music player that sounds good. Etc, etc.
ive got a crappy 8-in-1 car charger works fine.
I have none of the problems you said in your post so maybe you just got a **** phone, maybe return it for another.
rojdag said:
ive got a crappy 8-in-1 car charger works fine.
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Click to collapse
Do you mean it works fine when you're also using satnav? Because there seem to be many, many people whose SGS2 won't charge when running satnav.
That's what I was thinking maybe one problem is tolerable but all those things you mentioned I would've been took that boy back for a swap out. Unless you brought it online.
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA Premium App
Mitty1990 said:
I have none of the problems you said in your post so maybe you just got a **** phone, maybe return it for another.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes, maybe I have a "**** phone". Then again, lots of people seem to be having similar issues. Do you think there was a bad batch? Can you charge the phone in-car whilst using satnav? Is your wifi strength as good as your other devices?
I think I may call Vodafone now and see if a replacement helps. That's if they'll still swap it out.
If you arent happy with the phone, return it/exchange it.
simple as.
As for advice, read the threads.
I also have none of the problems you are suffering. My wifi works as well as any other device I have had. Phone signal is better on the same network a my htc desire. Sound quality is better than my desire. Battery life is so far pretty good and will get better with use and even better once 2.3.4 comes out very soon.
As for your charging issues while using nav this is a common thing with cheap chargers, you might not have got it from poundland but its just not supplying enough juice. Had exactly the same problem when I first got my desire over a year ago, ended up modifying my car charger by soldering the data wires together to force it to max out its current output. Use that same charger for my sg2.
The only problem ive had is the car charger one which i didnt realise untill yesterday. All your other problems dont exist on my phone so mabey exchange it
barneypooch said:
Do you mean it works fine when you're also using satnav? Because there seem to be many, many people whose SGS2 won't charge when running satnav.
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Click to collapse
just been out to the car and can confirm, it charges fine with google navigation running - seems to make no difference with mine navigation or not.
keep soldiering on dont give up on yer sgs2 yet!
With reference to the car charger problem while using satnav look at http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=670702&highlight=car+charger&page=2
Thats the thread from the HTC desire doing the exact same thing. If your charger is 1000ma you should be able to mod it or a cable so that it will happily charge your sg2, if not make sure the next one you buy can supply enough current.
barneypooch said:
1) The antennae (or whatever)
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Click to collapse
The phone seems to have love/hate relationships with different routers. In the way I use it, it works as well as a G2 and G2X connecting in the same locations. I have a beast of a router and what I tend to connect to (airports, hotels, airplanes) have better than average equipment. People have had some luck by replacing their router. If it's software, the imminent 2.3.4. update may help.
The SGS2 had no (phone) reception. The others did
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Click to collapse
There have been various postings on this. People with issues popped another carriers SIM in the phone and in a lot of cases the problem went away. Try replacing your SIM. If the phone's just not good reception wise in the areas you travel or on the network you use you may have to return it.
3) The SGS2 just won't charge in my car if it needs plenty of juice.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using the LG charger from my G2X and it keeps the phone battery-positive using Nav and Bluetooth audio streaming. There's a thread dedicated to this somewhere, do a search.
The sound isn't great I'm using Shure SE530s
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Click to collapse
I have the same headphones and am quite pleased with the output. I also stream Bluetooth in my car and the phone easily outperforms the G2 and G2X. There's a long thread discussing audio and a couple of folks using Shure's were getting different results. It might be a hardware issue with your particular phone. But, judging audio is subjective so what's good for me may not be for you.
5) (though not as much as some, it would seem) the battery life is a bit meh. And I'm not a heavy user.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's an issue with the suspend process in 2.3.3. that drains the battery at idle. The imminent 2.3.4. update should correct this.
I also noted poor wifi signal. Changed my router to a better one and it fixed the issue, however I still have problems in my travels ( hotels, bars, airports ).
Regrading the navigation, I did a total of 2500km ( 2 long trips of 900 km each + other small and medium trips ) with the phone being in nav mode. I had the battery issue you described due to overheating, but as soon as I protected the phone from direct sunlight ( a small piece of paper over it ) or kept a small flow of air on it ( placed it near the AC vent and redirected the flow twoards it ) the issue got resolved. Using a 500mA car USB charger my phone stays cool at about 36 degrees C and the battery gets +1% every few mins ( navigation + wifi tethering on with Kies over wifi activated ). In regards to the software, I mainly use iGo or Copilot.
So solution: make sure you have a little airflow on your phone and a little space between the back of the phone and the phone holder. Satisfy these 2 conditions and you will eliminate the charging problems.
rojdag said:
just been out to the car and can confirm, it charges fine with google navigation running - seems to make no difference with mine navigation or not.
keep soldiering on dont give up on yer sgs2 yet!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that, mate. Just to say: my phone "says" it's charging in the car; but when I do a drive with the satnav, then unplug the phone, it hasn't actually been charging. Again, I'm not the only one with this problem (or feature).
@azra2k
"So solution: make sure you have a little airflow on your phone and a little space between the back of the phone and the phone holder. Satisfy these 2 conditions and you will eliminate the charging problems."
Thanks for those suggestions. Really, though: why should that be necessary? It's all a bit Heath-Robinson, is it not? I don't have to put pieces of paper over other satnav devices, or lodge them in the a/c vents.
I may buy the official Samsung charger but there are people elsewhere who've had no luck with that.
barneypooch said:
Thanks for that, mate. Just to say: my phone "says" it's charging in the car; but when I do a drive with the satnav, then unplug the phone, it hasn't actually been charging. Again, I'm not the only one with this problem (or feature).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sat nav will max out the phones power draw, reducing charging to a trickle, it's just a case of taking out almost as much as you are putting in.
I find from using wifi analyser on a few devices what Samsung call two bars in signal strength, most other devices call 3.
Not sure why that is.
barneypooch said:
@azra2k
"So solution: make sure you have a little airflow on your phone and a little space between the back of the phone and the phone holder. Satisfy these 2 conditions and you will eliminate the charging problems."
Thanks for those suggestions. Really, though: why should that be necessary? It's all a bit Heath-Robinson, is it not? I don't have to put pieces of paper over other satnav devices, or lodge them in the a/c vents.
I may buy the official Samsung charger but there are people elsewhere who've had no luck with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Well, I'm sorry, but I find it completely normal to say that some charger we got off eBay, third-party probably that's not even a brand name, isn't capable of feeding our next gen device that has not only a dual core processor, the most ram on the market on any phone, a GIANT screen, not enough dissipation space (for heat) to keep it thin as thin as thin. I'm worried about battery life as well, but oh well. It's the price we have to pay! hehe.
barneypooch said:
And, again, if anyone can offer me hope that things will get better, please do. Sadly, I think I'll be going back to separate gadgets to fulfill my needs. A phone that works as a phone (and maybe a diary); a satnav that charges in the car; a music player that sounds good. Etc, etc.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sorry to hear this...but the problem isn't the "GS2" it's your specific GS2. The vast majority of users have maybe one of your problems, which either fixes it self, or fixed through an update. There are even more, who don't even have any of those problems.
I think that you have a faulty unit and if you are upset, get a replacement, because the GSII is one fine device and capable of doing all you need it to do.
Please read my last post for the correct answer to the satnav power supply problem. It has nothing to do with ventilation and everything to do with the type of charger you are using.
You could buy a 1000ma very expensive charger and it still might not charge your phone when under extreme load. Some chargers will only supply 500ma as that is the max that a usb socket on your motherboard is supposed to supply. Doing the mod I described earlier solves this.
barneypooch said:
@azra2k
"So solution: make sure you have a little airflow on your phone and a little space between the back of the phone and the phone holder. Satisfy these 2 conditions and you will eliminate the charging problems."
Thanks for those suggestions. Really, though: why should that be necessary? It's all a bit Heath-Robinson, is it not? I don't have to put pieces of paper over other satnav devices, or lodge them in the a/c vents.
I may buy the official Samsung charger but there are people elsewhere who've had no luck with that.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I only make sure that the AC is blowing through the defrost holes also... the airflow required is minimum. This applies to all phones and even other dark colored gps devices I owned before... In the summer, the sun heats up the phone and/or gps device a lot. As a test, try leaving the phone in the cradle in the car ( under direct sunlight ) for an hour. The phone can be kept at idle, or even closed. It will heat up a lot... I remember I threw away a compact photo camera cause I forgot it on the dashboard for a day, in the summer (it was pretty much melted and very deformed)...
So a bit of common sense will fix the temperature issues... the charging problems appear due to the temperature issues. If the batter temp is above 50 degrees it will stop charging. When you keep the batter under 50 degrees, a 500mA decent charger will be more than enough to keep the phone running and slowly charge the battery.

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