4G LTE networks strike battery life on some smartphones, Metrico finds

Computerworld – While battery capacities in smartphones has increased, 4G LTE networks are holding their fee on battery life for Web browsing and video streaming, according to a new research by Metrico Wireless.

Four new smartphones tested 20,000 times on live ATT and Verizon Wireless LTE networks all delivered reduction than 5 hours of battery life for possibly streaming video or Web browsing, contrast use Metrico pronounced in a 10-page news expelled today.

Streaming video and Web browsing are seen as pivotal offered points behind patron seductiveness in LTE smartphones, creation a exam commentary that many some-more important, Metrico noted.

“In a 16-hour day, these [four] inclination would need to be charged during slightest 3 times if invariably streaming video or browsing a Web,” Amit Malhotra, clamp boss of selling for Metrico, pronounced in an email. “Although that unfolding competence be some-more fanciful than unsentimental for many subscribers, a value tender of LTE compared to prior [3G and 2G] record is geared some-more toward these applications, and so it would be judicious to design that use of these applications on LTE would grow.”

Metrico tested dual Samsung smartphones on ATT: a Samsung Galaxy S II Skyrocket and a Samsung Galaxy Note. On Verizon, Metrico tested dual Motorola smartphones: a Droid Bionic and a Droid Razr Maxx.

The Maxx, with a comparatively huge 3300 mAh battery, still didn’t final prolonged for browsing and streaming video on Verizon, durability usually underneath 5 hours for possibly application, Metrico said.

Also, a Maxx got usually 16% some-more battery life when streaming video and usually 2% some-more when browsing than a Samsung Galaxy Note on ATT. The Galaxy Note has a large, power-hungry 5.3-in. arrangement and uses a 2,500 mAh battery.

Malhotra pronounced a commentary on a Maxx advise that “focusing on battery ability alone is not sufficient to urge a subscriber knowledge on battery life.”

The Maxx did outperform a other 3 phones by distant on battery life when creation circuit-switched calls and when used for idle pull email, Metrico noted.

The Skyrocket and Bionic have batteries rated in a normal area for new smartphones during 1850 mAh and 1735 mAh, respectively. Average battery capacity for all smartphones reached 1,510 mAh progressing this year, adult 14% over 2011, Metrico said.

With a lowest battery ability of a 4 phones tested, a Bionic also had a LEAST estimated battery life for streaming video and browsing. Metrico estimated battery life by observant watts of energy consumed in a thousands of tests of applications and comparing those commentary to any phone’s sum battery capacity.

For streaming video and browsing, respectively, ATT‘s LTE Skyrocket got 212 and 179 mins of estimated battery life; a Note got 252 and 286 minutes, respectively; Verizon‘s Bionic got 161 and 185 minutes, respectively; and a Maxx got 294 and 293 minutes.

Metrico’s news did offer some certain news for LTE phone users, observant that all 4 phones tested on both vital LTE networks could bucket a Web page in an normal of reduction than 1 second.

For information downloads and uploads, Metrico pronounced a user’s knowledge on both LTE networks was comparable. Average downloads on ATT were as high as 17Mbps and on Verizon as high as 14Mbps, while normal uploads were as high as 3.8Mbps on ATT and 3.5Mbps on Verizon.

Matt Hamblen covers mobile and wireless, smartphones and other handhelds, and wireless networking for Computerworld. Follow Matt on Twitter during @matthamblen or allow to Matt’s RSS feed. His email residence is mhamblen@computerworld.com.

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