Battery dead at approx 15%?

[TheGarratt]

So it's coming up to a year since I bought my Z1, and over the past few days it's starting turning itself off (dead battery) at around 15%.

Is anyone else starting to get this problem?

[Thommo]

Can't say I have but I have heard similar stories but after they have performed a system repair the issue the experienced appears to have been rectified so they report

[Jake-SonyXperia]

Hi TheGarratt,

Welcome to the community! Since you're new please be sure that you have checked out our Discussion guidelines.

As advised definitely try a software repair on the device, however make sure to backup the handset first.

Backup & restore instructions

The perform the software repair

1. Before you start you have to download the PC Companion software from PC Companion
and install it on your PC.
2. Once installed on your PC, double-click the PC Companion icon on your desktop to start the update.
Note! For some models you will be prompted to do a backup prior to the update and then restore.
3. Install and open PC Companion then select Support Zone.
4. Phone Software Update.
5. Start.
6. Repair Phone
7. Continue
8. Accept data removal
9. Next
10. Wait for prepare
11. Select Phone
12. Follow the connection steps

let us know if this helps.

[thescouselander]

So I've also been grappling with this one for the last few weeks and after a bit of investigation I've found the problem. Basically the battery in my phone has had it and needs replacing. The problem is the battery under normal circumstances shows a reasonable voltage that equates to the %charge shown on the indicator. If I then tax the battery under high load there is a larger than usual voltage drop which means the battery rapidly falls towards the 3.4v where the phone automatically shuts down.

My phone is so bad now that is sometimes shuts down as around 50% indicated charge left. It's very disappointing really. Obviously batteries do suffer with age but the battery in this phone has become unusable much faster than I would expect.

[slipd]

^^ Have you had any thoughts as to what you will do?

[TheGarratt]

thescouselander: You've hit the nail on the head.

I've been trying myself to find a way of replicating it, but been struggling as it's an intermittent issue, but if mine gets to below about 20%, if I'm still using it under typical use it'll go down to the low %'s before turning off, but if I'm using it heavily, it drops rapidly, and when it gets to around the 15% mark, it's then turning off.

Sounds like I'm not having things as bad as yours, but I'd have thought it'd be nearer the 2 year mark before getting a battery degridation issue like this, rather than only just over a year.

[JiYong]

Batteries are always a delicate part in modern devices.

My experience is that you should try to avoid to deep discharge modern batteries.

My sister killed a battery in a cheap tablet, but she was the kind of person that would only charge when the tablet started to complain about low battery.

And even then, she would try to finish off a level of a game she was playing, instead of trying to find the charger.

I still have a Archos 80 G9 tablet  (from december 2011) and the battery is still in reasonable shape and I always tried to avoid a deep discharge.

I can use the Z1c for two days without charging, but my routine is to charge it every day.

After one year, the battery still feels like new to me.

Now that a lot of manufacturers no longer have user replacable batteries, you better treat them well.

[TheGarratt]

Don't deep discharge?

You realise that's like saying buy a car, but don't ever go to high revs with it?

A phone is to be used no different than a car in my eyes.

Most of the time it'll idle away, not doing much, and with litle/no strain on the engine/processor.

But occasionally, I'll need to accelerate quickly to get up to speed on the motorway / watch a video, where the engine/processor will be being used to it's potential.

If I were to tune up my car and do track racing with it / do nothing but gaming all day every day on it - then I'd expect things to take it's toll, but I have two phones on the go at all times (personal and work), so neither of my phones get worked particularly hard for any duration.

[JiYong]

You do realise that's a seriously flawed analogy?

To keep the analogy with a car, I never said anything about high revs, I only said something about low fuel.

So my advise would be to avoid high revs when low on fuel and get to the nearest gas station.

I don't care how you treat your phone, as long as you don't complain here.

I have given the advise to TRY to avoid low battery and if you don't believe me, just search on Google with the words lithium ion battery care.

Here's one of the results: http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2011/02/ask-ars-what-is-the-best-way-to-use-an-li-ion-battery/

And just for fun, here is a link why you should avoid low fuel with a car: http://www.boston.com/yourtown/somerville/articles/2011/03/27/letting_tank_get_low_risks_more_than_j...