NPR: American's #1 want for gadgetry, improved battery life

[Bateluer]

http://www.npr.org/blogs/alltechcon...able-tech-people-really-want-better-batteries

But according to a survey from the magazine Fortune, many Americans have a simpler wish: better batteries.

According to Fortune's survey of more than 1,000 adults, conducted in collaboration with Survey Monkey, "only 2 percent said they were extremely or very likely to buy Internet-connected glasses, such as Google Glass, in 2015."

And 4K television didn't do much better. Seventy-five percent of respondents said they had never heard of it.

Meanwhile, consumers indicated that the new smartphone feature they were most excited about — picked by 33 percent of respondents — was "improved battery life."

Battery life being the top want doesn't surprise me at all. Improved battery life was my main goal when I upgraded to the Xperia Z3 from my HTC m7.

What does surprise me, though, is that 75% of people have never heard of 4K. What? They haven't walked into an electronics store in the past 2 years? 4K is everywhere.

 

[lxskllr]

I want more libre software, and unlocked devices. My battery is fine.

 

[blankslate]

Might not be improved battery life but if the research detailed in the links below pan out...

http://www.cnet.com/news/new-batteries-charge-70-percent-in-2-minutes/

http://media.ntu.edu.sg/NewsReleases/Pages/newsdetail.aspx?news=809fbb2f-95f0-4995-b5c0-10ae4c50c934

Even if the capacity stays roughly the same, being able to bring a battery to over 50 percent in two minutes is almost as good.

Since batteries in most newer smart phones last almost all day. just plug it it during lunch and you should be ready to go for the rest of the day even under heavy use.

Plus if the battery can last 10+ years without losing much capacity per charge then a person would be likely to upgrade their phone before the battery becomes "old"


....

 

[Commodus]

I never quite understand why we keep hearing about breakthroughs in battery tech that don't seem to reach shipping products. I'm not even joking! They're perpetually stuck in the lab.

And we don't need more open software... we need good software, and openness when it's relevant.

 

[lxskllr]

And we don't need more open software... we need good software, and openness when it's relevant.

The quality of software is irrelevant. The only thing that matters is how free it is. An ermine lined jail is still jail, and only a fool will sit in it.

 

[ControlD]

I want more libre software, and unlocked devices. My battery is fine.

Totally agree with the software and unlocked devices. Unfortunately things seem to be moving in the other direction, as was probably inevitable. I was hoping to upgrade sometime this year, but I can't find many decent devices that don't have locked bootloaders / knox / etc.

Still, I would like better battery life as well.

 

[lxskllr]

Still, I would like better battery life as well.

I have zero complaints about my battery. More is always better in that regard, but I've never been caught short, and I almost always short stroke my charge cycles. For me, battery is like ram. You can never have too much, but at this point, 2Gb is plenty for my uses, and I wouldn't pay any real money to increase that amount.

 

[Bateluer]

I have zero complaints about my battery. More is always better in that regard, but I've never been caught short, and I almost always short stroke my charge cycles.

What device are you using now and what do you consider 'acceptable' battery life?

 

[lxskllr]

What device are you using now and what do you consider 'acceptable' battery life?

Galaxy S5, and I expect 12 hours of doing everything I want. What I want is a little bit of calls, a large amount of web surfing/data transfer, a little bit of gps navigation, and various programs being used throughout.

I can do all of that, and far exceed 12 hours run time. I start the day with ~90% and if I don't charge, I'd go to bed at ~30%.

I prefer slowcharging via usb, so I spend the evening at the computer with the phone connected. All charge percentages are approximate, and variable depending on what I expect from my day. If I plan on especially heavy use, I'll charge to 100%, or if I'm faced with unexpected heavy use, I'll fast charge it, but in general, I aim for slow and easy.

 

[ControlD]

I have zero complaints about my battery. More is always better in that regard, but I've never been caught short, and I almost always short stroke my charge cycles. For me, battery is like ram. You can never have too much, but at this point, 2Gb is plenty for my uses, and I wouldn't pay any real money to increase that amount.

Maybe my complaint isn't actually battery capacity, but more how efficiently the phone conserves battery life. My Note 2 for example, which has a fairly beefy battery, is already at 80% ((it's 8:11 and I have been up since 5:15 but basically done nothing on my phone). This is most likely because I am sitting in an office with next to no cell coverage. Maybe newer phones are better about not eating the battery doing things like hunting for cell coverage, and that's really what I am looking for. As it is, I find myself having to plug any phone in around noon just to make it through the rest of the day. It seems like there has to be room for improvement there.

 

[Suspicious-Teach8788]

I never quite understand why we keep hearing about breakthroughs in battery tech that don't seem to reach shipping products. I'm not even joking! They're perpetually stuck in the lab.

And we don't need more open software... we need good software, and openness when it's relevant.

That's because they're overhyped. There's a difference between a lab revealing a new type of technology and being able to roll it out to the masses.

 

[KeithP]

I never quite understand why we keep hearing about breakthroughs in battery tech that don't seem to reach shipping products. I'm not even joking! They're perpetually stuck in the lab.

It is because people want better batteries so badly that these "breakthroughs" get so much press.

Most of what passes for journalism, on and off the internet, is absolute garbage where the only goal is to get eyes on the story. Doesn't matter how. So anything that draws people reliably always gets overplayed.

The companies themselves are almost always looking for investors/VC money. It is in their best interest to play up the ill-informed press hoping the story gets some traction and draws money to the company so that research can continue.

-KeithP

 

[dainthomas]

IMO as long as a battery can last through a full day of heavy use then that's all you really need. More than that is only good for bragging rights.

 

[mmntech]

Most of what passes for journalism, on and off the internet, is absolute garbage where the only goal is to get eyes on the story. Doesn't matter how. So anything that draws people reliably always gets overplayed.

Winner, winner chicken dinner.

Scientist: "We think we may have discovered a new material that could allow batteries to charge in half the time. There's still a lot of research to do, but we expect something like this could be brought to the market within the next decade"

Headline: "Scientist announces new batteries that charge in half the time"


Now that phablets have become common, battery life isn't the issue it used to be. Faster charging is always welcome though.

Two big things I want for my gadgets...

1. Repairability
I hate how we're moving towards disposable tech. I should be able to swap out the battery or get my device fixed without having to buy a new one. No more perma-solder, no more gluing everything down with epoxy. Apple, I'm looking at you. Hearing you couldn't upgrade the RAM in their new laptops is a big letdown.

2. More RAM for tablets
This is also more an Apple complaint than anything else, but I feel 4GB should be the standard for flagship tablets these days.

 

[openwheel]

The #1 issue for me with latest tech is: Upgradability

I hate throwing away money on something that gets outdated so fast. I should be able to built my phone the way I build my computers, sound systems, cars...etc.

 

[Midwayman]

Battery is fine most of the time. However I'd like to be able to have a full day of hammering it without worrying about it dying. 12 hours of screen on time with LTE running would be ideal.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Totally agree with the software and unlocked devices. Unfortunately things seem to be moving in the other direction, as was probably inevitable. I was hoping to upgrade sometime this year, but I can't find many decent devices that don't have locked bootloaders / knox / etc.

Is kinda sad that if you have a contract Verizon or AT&T phone you probably aren't having much fun ROming.

2. More RAM for tablets
This is also more an Apple complaint than anything else, but I feel 4GB should be the standard for flagship tablets these days.

Amen. I blow through that 2GB sometimes.

The #1 issue for me with latest tech is: Upgradability

I hate throwing away money on something that gets outdated so fast. I should be able to built my phone the way I build my computers, sound systems, cars...etc.

Given the manufacturing marvels that is required to have such thin and powerful devices I suspect if we ever have a Project Ara-ish device the premium you will pay for upgradability will cost more for 90% than phone flipping.

The only future I see for "modular phones" is the fact that the common core of radios, SoCs, and screens is needed by many devices. I could see some use case for such a phone where you plug this one part into the expansion slot you then have the world's greatest RFID reader for a warehouse, or trade it again and its the best radiation detector ever devised because it includes GPS, or you trade it again and it replaces some piece of high-end medical equipment that cost ten times as much, etc.

I think that is much more likely than modular phones for consumers. In fact get read to lose modularity/upgradability where we had it on desktops (all-in-ones) and laptops (soldered RAM).

 

[kyrax12]

With removable batteries, I don't really care about battery life all that much. Just a simple/switch and I get 100%.

Such a grand feature.

 

[kaerflog]

I have zero complaints about my battery. More is always better in that regard, but I've never been caught short, and I almost always short stroke my charge cycles. For me, battery is like ram. You can never have too much, but at this point, 2Gb is plenty for my uses, and I wouldn't pay any real money to increase that amount.

Of course you have zero complaints. You have a S5 which has one of the best battery life out there.
Try using a Nexus 5 or something like that. Its horrible.
I don't have a complaint either as I have a G2 but playing games and watching youtube and that sucker drain fast.
I can't ever go back using anything that gets lass than a G2.

 

[QueBert]

With removable batteries, I don't really care about battery life all that much. Just a simple/switch and I get 100%.

Such a grand feature.

Having to carry around a 2nd battery and having minutes of downtime while you swap a battery and wait for your phone to reboot is a grand feature? Sounds awesome

 

[blankslate]

Yeah it's true that battery breakthroughs somehow never seem to pan out...

however

Recognised as the next big thing by co-inventor of today’s lithium-ion batteries

NTU professor Rachid Yazami, the co-inventor of the lithium-graphite anode 30 years ago that is used in today’s lithium-ion batteries, said Prof Chen’s invention is the next big leap in battery technology.

“While the cost of lithium-ion batteries has been significantly reduced and its performance improved since Sony commercialised it in 1991, the market is fast expanding towards new applications in electric mobility and energy storage,” said Prof Yazami, who is not involved in Prof Chen’s research project.

Last year, Prof Yazami was awarded the prestigious Draper Prize by The National Academy of Engineering for his ground-breaking work in developing the lithium-ion battery with three other scientists.

“However, there is still room for improvement and one such key area is the power density – how much power can be stored in a certain amount of space – which directly relates to the fast charge ability. Ideally, the charge time for batteries in electric vehicles should be less than 15 minutes, which Prof Chen’s nanostructured anode has proven to do so.”

If this person who helped develop the technology currently used in many lithium batteries seems optimistic I'm settling on cautious optimism for the moment as well.


....

 

[kyrax12]

Having to carry around a 2nd battery and having minutes of downtime while you swap a battery and wait for your phone to reboot is a grand feature? Sounds awesome

Lol you make it sound like carrying around a 2nd battery is so hard. It takes like what? 30 seconds to swap out the batteries.

I rarely have to swap out batteries on my S4 by the way.

 

[lxskllr]

Of course you have zero complaints. You have a S5 which has one of the best battery life out there.

Perhaps, but it's not like it's a major innovation, and Samsung isn't using unicorn tears or anything. It's just a battery that any phone can use. People need to start speaking with their wallets. Instead of oohing and aahing over minor reductions in size, they should vote on features. Function always comes before form unless you're buying art for your wall... or you're an Apple fan :^D

 

[Midwayman]

Lol you make it sound like carrying around a 2nd battery is so hard. It takes like what? 30 seconds to swap out the batteries.

I rarely have to swap out batteries on my S4 by the way.

I'd much rather have a slightly thicker phone than deal with carrying around another battery.

 

[lxskllr]

I'd much rather have a slightly thicker phone than deal with carrying around another battery.

I'd like to have both. A thicker phone that has exceptional life, and a replaceable battery that I can use in case of unusual circumstances, or to simply replace since it's an expendable part.