Continuum and battery damage

[Jcmg62]

I use continuum as my primary work pc, so it's in constant use for about 8 hours a day.

Over the past 10 months the battery life on my Lumia 950 has hit rock bottom. With light use I can only get 2-3 hours out of the device before it's dead.

The problem with continuum and the mobile battery is potentially two fold: On the one hand the battery is in a state of constant charge when plugged into the dock, and at the same time it's in a state of discharge because of the processing power to drive the PC experience and the fact that the mobile screen is always on.

Obviously full scale laptops are no different, with most people keeping them plugged in and charging while using them all day at work, but the big difference is that a laptop battery is obviously bigger and is probably designed to be used in a constant charge / discharge cycle.

Is anyone else noticing a rapid drop in battery performance with heavy continuum use?

 

[DOGC_Kyle]

The battery won't constantly charge/discharge... the phone will run directly off the charger when plugged in. It won't use the battery if it can get power from the charger (or dock, in this case). As long as you're using the correct power adapter, the dock will provide enough power for Continuum.
Many devices won't even charge/discharge the battery when around 95%, to prolong battery life. Charging usually only starts when the battery is below 95% (varies between devices though).

In your case, heat would probably be biggest factor in battery performance. Continuum usually causes the CPU to work harder and heat up more, and extended exposure to heat (especially when charging/discharging) can reduce the battery performance.
It's best to charge the phone fully before using Continuum, and make sure it has the proper power adapter when docked, that way you're totally bypassing the internal phone battery (so it's not charging or discharging). That would be the best way to maintain battery performance for Continuum.

If your battery is only lasting 2-3 hours on a full charge after just 10 months, you may want to get that battery swapped. That's not normal, most lithium ion batteries could handle being fully charged/discharged 1000 times (that's like 2-3x a day, almost every day for a year), before losing significant battery life (assuming temperatures are fairly normal).

 

[Grodelj]

I think the main reason for bad battery in this case could be heat.

 

[Mbckl]

Agree, the problem is overheating. Above normal usage for 8 hrs a day for 10 months..doesnt take a genius to figure out the potential damage.

I definitely dont think its the charge/recharge causing the battery to die. Batteries these days are quite smart to not be damaged via overcharging

 

[SlideWRX]

Two options:
The app Blackout for Continuum shuts down the screen on the phone while connected. You can still tap to pull up the home buttons. Without that screen running the phone runs cooler.

Before I found that, I had a laptop cooling mat that I set it on. Basically a fan blowing on it. . Inelegant, with fan noise, but it kept it cool.

 

[Mark F24]

Two options:
The app Blackout for Continuum shuts down the screen on the phone while connected. You can still tap to pull up the home buttons. Without that screen running the phone runs cooler.

Before I found that, I had a laptop cooling mat that I set it on. Basically a fan blowing on it. . Inelegant, with fan noise, but it kept it cool.

Where is this setting found? What build? I am on 14393.448


Edit: A closer reading of this I now see the app "Blackout for Continuum." Guess I am just blind....

 

[Jcmg62]

Where is this setting found? What build? I am on 14393.448


Edit: A closer reading of this I now see the app "Blackout for Continuum." Guess I am just blind....

Lol yeah, its an app. I haven't downloaded it myself but whatever the deal is with continuum and battery damage I sure hope Microsoft find a solution.

Assuming that having the screen always on when the device is running continuum is the thing that's killing the battery, its a pretty silly oversight from Microsoft.

I'm on my third battery in a year. At ?20 a go it's not viable to keep replacing them every 3-4 months

 

[SlideWRX]

Mugen makes a double size battery for the 950 with a case that fits it. it is expensive at $100 but it is on sale right now for $90. Still to expensive for me, but if you are regularly replacing the battery anyway, might give it a try. I would think it would help with heat, with more mass to distribute it over, and more capacity to deal with charge/discharge cycles.