Why didn't Microsoft include battery percentage?

[nokia6300]

Nope..... the phone still keeps on going, showing maybe 12 hours before next charge (Lumia 925 with Black update).
When I first got the phone in December I was a little worried by the fast apparent draining of the battery, and kept on topping it up. Having read in some other parts of this forum about proper battery usage, i tried it...... let it discharge right down. Then fully charge. Let it then discharge all the way down again, and then recharge - repeat three or four times. This has worked for me; my battery will keep on going for 36 to 48 hours without needing recharging, and that's using it normally, and using the camera!
If the battery is 'trained' in such a way when the phone is first used, then battery life soon becomes a secondary concern. Thus, no need for a constant % display. If MS decide to implement that as an option in WP8.1, then that's fine - it's there if want it

what you are doing isn't it only true for NiCd batteries as they have memory and not Li ion in our phones? I know you are suppposed to completely drain it once a month to calibrate it.

 

[fieldbaker]

Would it really bother you fanboys so much to have an option to see battery percentage? Like another guy said, search for battery on the store and you will see how requested this is. I find this battery-meter-without-%-defence hilarious.

 

[willied]

what you are doing isn't it only true for NiCd batteries as they have memory and not Li ion in our phones? I know you are suppposed to completely drain it once a month to calibrate it.

Correct. Lithium ion batteries tend to last longest (concerning the battery's lifespan) when you keep them between a range of percentages - something like 30-80% is optimal. And like you said, it's good to drain it once a month to calibrate it.

Anyway, I think it's pretty silly the percentage isn't in the status bar. Hopefully it comes with 8.1.

 

[OzRob]

To get a real result, you have to measure battery voltage with voltage meter.

And what do you think is built into the phone circuitry to estimate battery life? A battery voltage meter that measures battery voltage!

 

[OzRob]

Correct. Lithium ion batteries tend to last longest (concerning the battery's lifespan) when you keep them between a range of percentages - something like 30-80% is optimal. And like you said, it's good to drain it once a month to calibrate it.

With Li-based batteries there is no need to drain the battery. This does not calibrate the system. The internal electronics accurately measure battery voltage and this information is directly fed to the OS. Any "battery life remaining" estimate is then extrapolated based on usage since the last charge. The need to drain the battery fully to calibrate the system is a myth. It's a hangover from the days of more primitive battery technologies, which did need conditioning and calibrating.

 

[Dave Blake]

With Li-based batteries there is no need to drain the battery. This does not calibrate the system. The internal electronics accurately measure battery voltage and this information is directly fed to the OS. Any "battery life remaining" estimate is then extrapolated based on usage since the last charge. The need to drain the battery fully to calibrate the system is a myth. It's a hangover from the days of more primitive battery technologies, which did need conditioning and calibrating.

You left out that fully discharging can actually damage the battery and will shorten battery life. There are cases where once fully discharged these batteries won't recharge. I can't remember what causes that do know?

 

[OzRob]

You left out that fully discharging can actually damage the battery and will shorten battery life. There are cases where once fully discharged these batteries won't recharge. I can't remember what causes that do know?

In the normal course of events you can't discharge the battery enough to damage it - the battery contains protection circuitry to stop that from occurring. You can circumvent this to some extent by continually trying to turn the phone on after it's automatically switched itself off with a low battery. Even then you shouldn't be able to drop the voltage below the point of no return, but you can certainly lower the battery life expectancy by doing this.

 

[anthonyng]

lol @ this topic, seriously?

This is all the iphone's fault btw. Ever since it came out, it became pretty much ok to have phones not last a day. Ok it's not fair either... lcd screens will just do that. I miss the days of 3 to 5 days, though I do like my big shiny screens now too

Battery life... It doesn't even matter anymore or to even think about it. Everywhere that I sit for a little while (ie: bedroom, desk, car, dining area) has a charger ready to go. I just auto plug/Qi it because regardless of the meter or percentage, it's just best practice to keep it topped up whenever you can. In my day to day life, I have more important things to look at than worry about percentages/remaining battery life and I don't want to worry about adjusting my usage because of limited battery. If I'm forced to, by battery saver, then so be it. Everyone knows data is what really kills the life so you're a heavy user and NEED the data all the time then prepare for it.

I do think people have to compare usage to know what a 'normal for them' performance is though. I had a friend with a 920 like me and sitting together during a day it would be crazy to see how much his battery dropped compared to mine. That was enough to trigger him to warranty it and now he's happy

 

[broar94]

I'd be so happy if 8.1 brings battery meter cause then I won't have to go to battery menu to see the percentage. ms should give an option(like the one on android).

 

[stephen_az]

i'm surprised MS didn't include battery percentage and asked why?? why they left it out.

Perhaps because the concept behind Windows Phone 8 is based upon a chrome-less and minimalist UI. My question would be why did you purchase a phone if you don't buy into the concepts upon which the interface is based? BTW, last I checked IOS7 has the percentage turned off by default. So what is the big difference between having a tiny percentage indicator you need to turn on and a readable tile size indicator? I think it is about three extra taps to install any number of live tile apps that provide far more information and control. Oh, as for Android, maybe you might want to ask why there are so many battery indicator apps in the Google Play Store? Alternatively, you might want look at Enable battery percentage indicator on Android 4.4 KitKat | How To - CNET. After all of that, or perhaps just skip ahead, you might want to do your homework before asking questions that convey you really do not understand any of three OSs on this subject.....

 

[someoneinwa]

There is a graphic indication of the phone's battery life, just as there is a graphic indication of the remaining fuel on a car's gas gauge. Do you need a percentage there as well? And if learning that there is 43 percent of your battery left is more helpful than seeing the graphic showing half full, there is, as they say, an app for that.

 

[Loco5150]

There is a graphic indication of the phone's battery life, just as there is a graphic indication of the remaining fuel on a car's gas gauge. Do you need a percentage there as well? And if learning that there is 43 percent of your battery left is more helpful than seeing the graphic showing half full, there is, as they say, an app for that.

Do you have a car or? My "graphic indicator" in my car is about 100 times more accurate + I have a computer that gives me the remaining distance reading on the center console all the time.

iPhone has this feature, so what are people complaining about like this is something crazy to expect?

 

[cckgz4]

All this about battery percentage ??

 

[Zeem Frostmaw]

All this about battery percentage ??

I know right? Apparently a 4mm by 4mm battery percentage in the top-right of the phone will destroy the principles of Modern UI, lol.

Never mind the fact that there's a persistent numeric clock there using twice the amount of digits and sitting there completely harmlessly...

 

[N_LaRUE]

There are days when words fail. 5 page topic on whether battery percentage should be shown? Really? I didn't realise this was such an important topic...

 

[MarkAllett]

It's one of the biggest frustrations of WP that so many tiny, easily fixable things are missing. It totally stops me from ever recommending it, no matter how much I like it. For example, a reminder can only be snoozed for up to 4 hours and then the next jump is for a day. The fact that I can't delete a single entry from the custom dictionary so if I accidentally add something, I have to clear the whole thing.

 

[Laura Knotek]

http://forums.windowscentral.com/windows-phone-8/210477-official-what-wp-needs-succeed.html