Smartphone's Achilles Heel - The Quest for Longer Battery Life

It's hard to perfect a methodology that lets you cover all of the various use scenarios without having to test for weeks on end.

Whether it be display, audio quality, or camera, the goal with all of our tests is not only to provide you with the clearest, most comprehensive examination of a particular device, but also to provide it to you promptly. Our battery test is no exception. With each battery test you'll see four different numbers, each reflecting a different type of battery-consuming activities. The test revolves around three fundamental tasks, which we feel are most commonly performed by smartphone users: making calls, browsing the web and playing video. The first test is the talk time test, which measures how long it takes to deplete the battery by making voice calls. Bearing in mind that most screens automatically turn off during a call, we've made sure our set up accounts for this. We close all applications which may further strain the battery, too. The web browsing test is performed using an automated script which reloads a webpage every ten seconds. There are no flash elements on the web pages, so the playing field is even. The brightness of the phones' displays is set to 50% and we use a 802.11n access point placed a few meters away to get full connectivity bars. Graphical data provided by Metrico. How does battery life affect your smartphone usage today and what are your battery life expectations over the next 2-3 years? Share your thoughts with us at the Smartphone and Tablet Zone: http://smartphoneandtabletzone.blogspot.com/