Somewhat. I use launcher pro but I don't see a dramatic decrease in battery life. I'm not too sure on the other launchers out there though. I used SPB mobile shell 3D and even though it is very slow and lags a lot I also did not notice a decrease in my battery. I just think it all depends on how and how much you use your phone. If you are rooted you could also overclock your phone to increase performance and external d battery life.