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Inaccurate battery percentage, calibrate or return?

G

GameName

Lurker
Hi, folks.

I needed some cheap tablet for reading comics, so yesterday I bought budget Prestigio Grace 3157 3G (around $115).

It came with fully charged battery, it dropped to 96% and stayed there for three hours of constant usage, only to turn off without any warning. I put it on charger, it turned on to reveal 1%. Again, it was charging for more than an hour, stuck at 1%, and changed immediately to 63% when I unplugged it. Then it started to drop steadily (like devices normally do) to around 40%, where it again hanged for an hour, and then warned me that battery is at 15%, and then literally counted-down from 15 to 0 in a matter of a minute.

I saw on the customer support page that some guy also complained about the same problem on same tablet, and they told him to bring it back for checking. Also, on some Russian site I saw people complaining that the problem persisted even when Prestigio gave them new tablets in replacement, so it means it's not problem just with mine, but with whole series.

A friend told me I could calibrate battery and that's what I'm doing at the moment, but is it any good? Is this something that can be solved or should I go straight back, return it and demand money back?

Thanks in advance.
 
I would think there's something fundamentally flawed in the battery circuitry if this is a common problem. If it is hardware related, then there's no amount of calibration that will help. I'd return it and find a different model. There are plenty of cheap tablets out there, although, by definition, I wouldn't expect iPad performance. ;)
 
Hadron said:
Well if you are doing some calibration at the moment I'd say see whether that actually helps. Though TBH this behaviour is so erratic that I'm not optimistic.
Click to expand...

and to build on this comment I'd say if the calibration doesn't help return it and pick a diff. brand of tablet.
 
Thank you for quick reply, guys.

Yeah, obviously, I wasn't expecting deluxe quality from a $115 device, but I expected it to WORK at least. :(

You see, that's the problem, that's why I'm asking for help. The store I bought it from is 5 minute walk from my house, but I had awful experience with returning devices to them. They follow strict procedure, their main office is in another city (and I live in the capitol!), so they send it there, and then you wait for at least two weeks until they determine you didn't break it yourself ( :rolleyes: ), and then again get on your nerves by refusing to give you a refund, but offering you a replacement, until you come back shouting at them to stop bothering you and give you the money back. True story, I bought a PC and wanted to return it because it kept overheating from the moment I started it.

So I want this so much to be "fixable", because if I have to go again through their "procedure", I will go nuts.
 
GameName said:
Thank you for quick reply, guys.

Yeah, obviously, I wasn't expecting deluxe quality from a $115 device, but I expected it to WORK at least. :(

You see, that's the problem, that's why I'm asking for help. The store I bought it from is 5 minute walk from my house, but I had awful experience with returning devices to them. They follow strict procedure, their main office is in another city (and I live in the capitol!), so they send it there, and then you wait for at least two weeks until they determine you didn't break it yourself ( :rolleyes: ), and then again get on your nerves by refusing to give you a refund, but offering you a replacement, until you come back shouting at them to stop bothering you and give you the money back. True story, I bought a PC and wanted to return it because it kept overheating from the moment I started it.

So I want this so much to be "fixable", because if I have to go again through their "procedure", I will go nuts.
Click to expand...

Sounds Like someone should report that place to the better business bureau or the equivalent if not in USA .

Or throw a brick through the plate glass window... Brick meaning tablet that don't work, LoL

no don't break stuff but DO find a new place to do business.
 
Astr4y4L said:
Sounds Like someone should report that place to the better business bureau or the equivalent if not in USA .

Or throw a brick through the plate glass window... Brick meaning tablet that don't work, LoL

no don't break stuff but DO find a new place to do business.
Click to expand...
Well, if you need the tablet to work, have you tried rebooting it or resetting it? It worked for my $50 tablet.
 
It didn't do any good with calibration. After complete discharge and 100% charge, it still hangs. I went to the store and returned it, it's "procedure" now all over again. They told me it will be under a month, but usually around two weeks before I get the money. So now I'm without tablet AND without money to buy another. Great.

Thank you everyone for your help, nevermind.
 
GameName said:
It didn't do any good with calibration. After complete discharge and 100% charge, it still hangs. I went to the store and returned it, it's "procedure" now all over again. They told me it will be under a month, but usually around two weeks before I get the money. So now I'm without tablet AND without money to buy another. Great.

Thank you everyone for your help, nevermind.
Click to expand...

Sorry that your in that situation,
Please don't let them sell you Anything again, just hit up a pawnshop, there's usually some great deals there.

grab a samsung or something.
 
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