Li-Ion battery life expectancy

[Lusche]

I'm looking to buy a smartphone and for various reasons it has to be a cheap 'phablet'.

There are three in question, Archos 64 Xenon 199€, Asus Fonepad 7 me372cg 159€, Asus Fonepad Note 6 199€  comparison link
Especially the latter one is a bargain that suddenly showed up, blasting the two others away in several aspects, but...

...unlike the Archos 64 Xenon, its battery is fixed. Not replaceable, at least not for the ordinary consumer.

Now, how long (years) could I expect such a battery to last (with heavy daily usage) until it is finally worn out? Most people seem to say "it does not matter, I'll get a new phone/tablet in two years anyway", but I can't do that. To justify the expense I would have to keep it for something like 4 years or even longer. Is that a reasonable expectation? I simply have no experiences with devices like that, having used just "dumb" cell phones with very little actual usage over time.


Thanks in advance 

[Lusche]

I just found this chart from Asus for "notebook battery packs":



If that were true, it would mean I'm basically screwed after less than 2 years? 

[save]

At my company we normally change our laptop batteries after 2 years. They have about 30% less running-time on battery after 2 years of daily use ( in dock-stations).
My company currently use only Dell, so all laptops can be placed in our offices dock-stations (with big screens ,and a better keyboard, and mouse).

[BaldEagl]

It depends on environmental conditions, how deeply you cycle them, etc. but based on your criteria I'd get one I could replace.  I've burned through laptop batteries in under a year if they're the cheap offbrand type.

[MrRiplEy[H]]

It depends on environmental conditions, how deeply you cycle them, etc. but based on your criteria I'd get one I could replace.  I've burned through laptop batteries in under a year if they're the cheap offbrand type.

My wife burned her laptop battery completely dead (as in no power) in about 2 years. Originally I unplugged her battery because she's always plugged in but during some thunder storm she wanted to run on battery and left it in. Now a couple weeks ago she realized the laptop instantly shuts down even with the battery attached if she removes the power cable.

But she uses the laptop a lot. At least 10 hours/day if not more.

[Bizman]

This seems to give valid information about Li-ion batteries and how to maximize their life span. Many charts included  http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/how_to_prolong_lithium_based_batteries

[guncrasher]

In a regular smart phone the battery never made it ti two years before I had to recharge it 3 or 4 times a day.



semp

[Lusche]

That stuff sucks. When I was a kid, we were making silly jokes about rich people buying a new car just because the ashtray was full or the tank empty.

Nowadays, people seem do see 200-800$ devices as disposable pieces of equipment not meant to be used longer than one to two years.  
Seems like only few customers are wondering why they should throw away an otherwise working tablet pc just because the fixed battery has reached the end of its life. The majority is gladly tossing it away for the next big shiny thing  

I was actually asked by a friend "Why would you ever use such an old tablet? Much better ones are to be had by then!" ... Well, I would because it should be still able to do all the stuff I'm doing on it today... and I can't afford spending so much money every 1-2 years.



Sigh. Can't change the world on my own  


Thanks for the help 

[guncrasher]

all of my phones and the single tablet I have are in mint condition.  I have only lost 1 phone and that was due to my gf leaving it outside.

the only reason I replace my phone every 2 years or so is because it gets slow.  and I get a feeling that phone companies are throttling old phones in order to get you to buy new one.

I just spent 400 dollars on a new note 2 even though the note 3 was out.  but the extra 150 bucks for the note 3 was not worth it to me.  that replaced a htc rezound in mint condition that I have.  but the note 2 is 5 or 6 times faster than the rezound.  came in handy to watch the world cup and it didnt hurt that the screen was an inch bigger.

point is I only get a new phone if it is noticeable faster than my old one and I never really buy the "newest" one.  my table is a about 3 years old and it is beginning to show as the screen looks a little "washed out".  I'll keep it till it breaks down and is no longer usefull to me.  I see no point in replacing it.

one thing I will never buy and that is the iphone.  not even if it is free unless of course it came with free service.  then maybe.


semp

[Bizman]

That stuff sucks. When I was a kid, we were making silly jokes about rich people buying a new car just because the ashtray was full or the tank empty.

Nowadays, people seem do see 200-800$ devices as disposable pieces of equipment not meant to be used longer than one to two years.  
Seems like only few customers are wondering why they should throw away an otherwise working tablet pc just because the fixed battery has reached the end of its life. The majority is gladly tossing it away for the next big shiny thing  

I was actually asked by a friend "Why would you ever use such an old tablet? Much better ones are to be had by then!" ... Well, I would because it should be still able to do all the stuff I'm doing on it today... and I can't afford spending so much money every 1-2 years.



Sigh. Can't change the world on my own  


Thanks for the help 

There's two of us, although you seem to be more modern than I am, I still don't have a tablet and my cell phone is a Nokia 6310 - and my computer still runs on XP, mostly because I haven't found the time to upgrade. I do have a Win7 license, though.

[Lusche]

There's two of us, although you seem to be more modern than I am, I still don't have a tablet and my cell phone is a Nokia 6310 -

I don't have a tablet at all, and the phone I currently use is a similary "outdated" Sony Ericson K610i.

So far there was no need for any, a the impending change of lifestyle caused by the young one made me look for a cheap "all in one" device.

[BaldEagl]

So far there was no need for any...

And there probably still isn't.  If I'm not mistaken people have been raising children for hundreds of years without smart phones.

[Lusche]

And there probably still isn't.  If I'm not mistaken people have been raising children for hundreds of years without smart phones.

By that definition I maybe "need" basically nothing beyond a good flintstone and maybe a shiny copper axe  

[guncrasher]

And there probably still isn't.  If I'm not mistaken people have been raising children for hundreds of years without smart phones.

dont forget that back then almost everybody parent lost a child before age 2. 


semp

[BaldEagl]

dont forget that back then almost everybody parent lost a child before age 2.  


semp

You can't be serious.  Smart phones haven't even been around ten years.  You're saying 10 years ago "almost" every parent lost a child before age two?  AND the "recent reduction" is due to smart phones?  Really?