Battery replacement

[bert1959]

OK, this phone is going on three to four years old. I plan to replace it when the new phones come out in October of this year.

Meanwhile, and I have been putting up with this for well over a year (my bad), I have issues with the battery or what I think would be the battery. The battery used to last well over 14 hours. By looking at the % left, it appears it will continue to go that long.

But, a strange thing happens daily. Right around 50% left, if you do nothing, it will stay on even in sleep mode. But, doing anything, like turning the screen on, opening an app, going to a site will cause it to die. When you turn it back on, it will show 48% left and do fine. It is even better if you connect it to a charger.

I wonder if I can just deduce that this is a bad battery or if something else is going on. I have watched several YouTube videos on replacing it, and while the steps look easy to follow, it does seem as though a novice could screw it up. I wonder if I should just take it to Verizon to have them look. The problem is I CANNOT afford to be without the phone very long. I have also considered purchasing a refurbished or older model so I have a working one I can use.

Any thoughts?

 

[puppykickr]

Depending on a number of things (time, effort, cost), replacing a battery can be more problem than replacing a device.

Of course, this is by design.

If we all refused to buy devices that have built in batteries then this wouldn't be a problem.

Anyway, a new device (likely with a replaceable battery) can be had often for the cost of a replacement battery.
This cheap device (~$50 USD) would get you by until you are ready for a replacement of your choice.

Not to mention that your old device could still be used at home for storage, a mini tablet, camera, etc., so long as it is plugged in.
This can be more useful than you may think.

Along with the cheap device I mentioned and a couple SD cards that you probably already have, your device that you use away from home can get a break when you get home, your storage capacity is greatly increased, and the possibilities of your device use increase as well.

I currently use three devices, two identical and one not.
I had a battery issue with one, and it was just as cheap to get another device.
One stays at home, its twin is relegated to Wi-Fi use only (as is its mate) and the unmatched one is my general purpose cellular.

A simple app called NitroShare (F-Droid) allows for easy file sharing among all my devices.

Another option to get you by is to get an inexpensive power bank to plug your current device into when the power drops to the unuseable level.

At Wal-Mart there is a very small portable battery pack that costs less than $5 USD.

This should power your device back up quickly so that you can make it last a few hours more during the day.