Battery life?

[ForensicDroid]

My upgrade is coming up next week and I currently have an original Moto Razr, which I actually really like, except that the battery life has become unbearable. At this point the way I use it the phone will last maybe two hours without a charge when it used to last at least a work day. It was never great, but two hours? Anyway, point is, for the upgrade I'd like a phone with a lot better battery life without having to get a "Maxx". If there isn't one then I'll get a Maxx phone because that's important, but I'd rather not.
The S4 seems like an amazing person but since I've never used it I'd like some options from users on battery experience.
My UI is pretty loaded. I run Go Home EX, 7 widgets, my Google syncs 2 accounts but only Gmail, calendar, and apps. I've got Handcent, UberSocial, but it doesn't run background notifications. Then a group of general use apps I use once in a while. I've cut it down significantly but it seems this is about where I need it to be.
What do you think about the battery in this environment? Would you recommend a Maxx phone?

 

[leeshor]

Just about any phone's battery life will depend on how YOU use it so there is no way to tell what battery life you may get. My S4 lasts 2 days between charges but I am very careful about what runs without me opening the app. The social network apps can be a battery killer.

 

[ForensicDroid]

That's the thing though. I don't have Facebook and UberSocial don't update background notifications.

 

[jhom]

The S4 has a replaceable battery. Get a couple of batteries and your problems are moot.

 

[ForensicDroid]

How much are the batteries?

 

[jhom]

Anker standard battery is about $12. Great battery.

 

[Bluesman2008]

I bought an extended size battery before I even got the GS4 (just in case) and I've yet to use it. The battery life in the GS4 is great.

 

[bbtkd]

I bought an extended size battery before I even got the GS4 (just in case) and I've yet to use it. The battery life in the GS4 is great.

My experience too. I had a Bionic with Moto extended battery, about the same capacity as the standard one in the S4. I work at a location with lousy coverage but use my phone for meeting reminders as well as staying in touch. I found that the S4 has a stronger signal (in db side-by-side) as compared to the Bionic, and have found that the S4 therefore uses less power. I had Juice Defender on the Bionic but have felt no need on the S4.

I just can't understand those that propose carrying extra batteries and swapping them regularly. It's a PITA if you have a case, and even if you don't have a case you still have to power down, wrestle the cover on and off and power back on. Also a PITA, and you will eventually break some plastic. Those covers are not made to be taken off and put back on repeatedly. About 50 cycles and I'll bet it's breaking and/or loose. I can see if you have no choice, but before I'd do that I'd get one of those juice packs for recharging on the go - they work great.

Bottom line is that the S4 should outlast the Razr (or even Razr Maxx) given the same conditions (location, apps, etc). It far outlasts my Bionic, and the Bionic had a much larger battery than the Razr.

 

[ForensicDroid]

Excellent. Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to go with the S4. I'm only nervous that I won't like the Samsung UI. I've only tried a non-Moto phone once, it was the Thunderbolt and I HATED it. Lasted a couple months before I gave it back and went with the Razr. But I have a Galaxy tablet and it seems ok.
The features of the S4 are just too good to pass up.

 

[bbtkd]

Excellent. Thanks for the advice. I think I'm going to go with the S4. I'm only nervous that I won't like the Samsung UI. I've only tried a non-Moto phone once, it was the Thunderbolt and I HATED it. Lasted a couple months before I gave it back and went with the Razr. But I have a Galaxy tablet and it seems ok.
The features of the S4 are just too good to pass up.

Don't worry about the interface, really not much different if you don't need the additional features/widgets. You can also load Nova Launcher Prime, very nice.

Before you rush out and get the S4, consider waiting for the S5. It will be announced next week, and should become available March or April. It will reportedly have a 5.2" screen, will be faster, might have more RAM (3GB vs 2GB on the S4), might be thinner, etc. Also, the S5 may lose battery capacity in their effort to make it thinner. It will of course cost more ($250-$300 at release), where the S4 can be found for $50 or free.

 

[Bluesman2008]

What I don't understand about the GS5 is why, after all the negative public feedback, they're not going to use a metal rear case. I mean, how complicated is that really? Why continue using a cheap plastic back for a top line phone? Makes no sense.

 

[leeshor]

I, on the other hand, would rather go for the "cheap" plastic. All current generation TVs, Blu Ray players and such use roughly the same type of plastic so what's wrong with using it on a phone. ASUS tried to dress up their Transformer 201 tablets with a beautiful metal back and all it ending up doing was suppressing the WiFi. I would rather keep the signal strength that the metal backing would suppress.

Find me a top of the line TV using metal.

 

[Bratster2]

No offence, but most TVs get put on a wall/ sat on a shelf and not touched again.

Phones people tend to toss around and stuff seeing as they are carried around in daily life.

 

[ForensicDroid]

I don't know a lot of things about the differences between the S5 v S4. But a few things I've read like fingerprint security seems unnecessary. Especially if the S5 loses battery capacity that's not going to work at all. I'd be more interested in getting a really great phone for basically nothing and maybe wait for the S6 or then get the S5 for free the next cycle if it turns out to be really good.

 

[bbtkd]

I don't know a lot of things about the differences between the S5 v S4. But a few things I've read like fingerprint security seems unnecessary. Especially if the S5 loses battery capacity that's not going to work at all. I'd be more interested in getting a really great phone for basically nothing and maybe wait for the S6 or then get the S5 for free the next cycle if it turns out to be really good.

Just read some speculation that it actually has a larger 3000mah battery. You don't have to use the fingerprint scanner, just like any of the other unneeded features you should be able to just not use it. Supposedly has a 5.2" display at QHD resolution, 3GB RAM, 2.4GHz quad core, and a 20MP camera. Sounds sweet, think my wife may get one, which is totally unfair.