Which would you prefer: a phone so gossamer-thin it practically disappears when you slip it in your pocket, or a phone with more stamina than Charlie Sheen double-dropping viagra? HTC reckons you want thin rather than long-lasting.
The company behind the popular HTC One X, HTC One V and HTC One S reckons a slimline casing is more of a priority for phone fans than a lengthy battery life. One of HTC's chief strategy wonks said that after asking customers, the company ditched battery-boosting plans to concentrate on thinner phones instead.
There's something insanely seductive about a thin gadget -- ultrabooks and OLED TVs make our heads reel as giddy as a schoolgirl. But let's face it: how much thinner can phones get? They need to have some weight in our hands and in our pockets.
And lest we forget, the extremely thin HTC One X had a minor problem with flexing.
I reckon HTC is misjudging what customers want. Here at CNET, we've noticed a growing discontentment among our readers with phone battery life. Many of you lament that your phone barely lasts a day of solid use, and with dual-core and quad-core powerhouses hitting shop shelves, phones are only getting more energy-suckingly powerful.
More powerful phones don't necessarily mean worse battery life, as it's all about the software and hardware working together in the most efficient way. That means only using power when it's needed, and wringing the last drops of juice from a battery.
Which would you prefer: a svelte smart phone or boffo battery life -- or somewhere in between? Tell me your thoughts in the comments or on our Facebook page.
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anonymous 20 April, 2012 10:09
I couldn't disagree more with HTC. They've had crappy batteries since the days of the HTC Hero (if not longer), which is why I've never had one, and at this rate, it looks like I never will. Motorola is taking a step in the right direction with the Razr Maxx, if only they would do something about their software.
anonymous 20 April, 2012 10:22
That is the stupidest thing I've ever read!, about technology related news, so far.
anonymous 20 April, 2012 10:27
I think the battery issue is blown out of all proportion. I use my phone (HTC One X) quite a lot, for browsing, music, social media, and I have at least 30% remaining at the end of the day. I've never curtailed my usage because I was concerned about the battery, although I did make sure to fully charge and fully use the battery for the first 3 or 4 days.
The screen-warp issue doesn't happen naturally - you need to force it to happen. Any phone will have problems if you start trying to actually force them to happen.
I think the HTC One X is a fantastic phone - the best one out there. And as someone with over 20 years experience in IT, I like to think I'm not a "fanboy" for any brand and am capable of offering an objective opinion.
anonymous 20 April, 2012 10:34
I have bought spare batteries for my last 2 phones (omnia & x10) but as i switched to xperiaS now find battery performance i havent seen since my nokia 2110 days... have to find one of those small duracell bricks to carry around :(
anonymous 20 April, 2012 10:40
I don't know why people moan about battery life of HTC One X. It's battery life is same as any other smartphone out there. If you want long battery life, smartphones are not for you, just get one of dumbphones and it will last for a week. I use mine same way as i used any of my other smartphones and it lasts for a whole day. So stop moaning and enjoy using one of the best phones ever made.
anonymous 20 April, 2012 10:55
i rarely get through a day without my smarthphone needing charging and ive had apple and android phones of all sorts. the worse experience i had was with the htc desire hd. the hts desire had awesome battery life, with more internal memory & a better camera i would still have kept that phone forever. i dont know what other peoples experience is but i definitely think amoled screened phones i have had out perform the normal lcd ones.
Junaid 20 April, 2012 10:56
I am sorry Rich but i think i will have to agree with the wider audience here. Ever since i had the HTC ONE X i have absolutely loved it. Battery is not as much of an issue as debated by some and specially CNET.T3 and many other sites are fairly happy with there findings on the battery life and so am i like many other HTC ONE X owners.
"Here at CNET, we've noticed a growing discontentment among our readers with phone battery life". Rich i am one of the regulars on CNET and my findings about readers are different from yours. Look at the amount of people here already disagreeing with you. I am a fairly heavy user of my phone. My usage consists of browsing on 3G, messages on Whtsapp,downloading a few songs,listening to music going to and coming back from work,facebooking and bla bla bla. At the end of day i am left with 25 - 35% of battery.
The only time i have seen battery die fast is when the other 4 cores kick in (during gaming and Video) which is pretty much normal these days with any smartphone. Android Authority recently reported that HTC has sent an OTA update to Sim free HTC ONE X users across Europe with minor bugs fixes and even a better battery life. Phones on UK networks will follow next and things are only going to get better from here. I have used many Android smartphones in the past ( including the legendary Galaxy S2 praised by you guys alot and rightfully praised ) but i think you guys are wrong about the HTC ONE X.
I think HTC ONE X is a superb phone and so far i have fully enjoyed it. Battery is not an issue as long as you dont play games and watch videos on it all the time.
anonymous 20 April, 2012 10:59
I think HTC has gotten their tactics all wrong. Its clear that the most dominated and well publicised issue with nearly all smartphones is battery life at least in my circle of friends. As someone studying economics I had thought that the market would correct itself with mass profits as the perfect incentive but maybe the number don't add enough incentive in the R&D department. Its was so frustrating that battery wouldn't make through the day I find though that since I bought my iPhone 4 and moved on to the 4S that I can get, with a few tweaks I might add, battery that lasts a couple days at least and still do whatever I want whenever I want on the phone. Maybe some people need to use their phones less because back covers exposing the battery are now becoming less popular.
Rich Trenholm 20 April, 2012 11:40
Interesting points about the HTC One X folks, thanks. It is indeed a great phone and I don't want to single it out for criticism, merely using it as an example of the way things could be heading: it's a very powerful phone, it's very thin, and as you guys note it has reasonable battery life - but I worry about the next generation of HTC phones. I don't know how long we can beef up power, battery and thinness without something having to give
anonymous 20 April, 2012 12:22
I have read few comments up there saying battery life is good,,,,but i can bet those persons that the battery in htc one x actually suckss,,,it gives you 3.5 hrs on screen usage,,which is ridiculous ,,,I used it for a week and send it back because I can't bear it..i always watch sports online and even my old iphone gives me around 9 hrs of vdo on wifi ,,,,i just can;t believe how poor the battery in htc is.....I hope the sg3 soming next month will just give me battery life that will help me go through one day at least!!!!
And I can bet everyone there that HTC is surely digging it's own grave with such smartphones......
anonymous 20 April, 2012 12:55
All smartphones are and always will use up batteries life. I can get though the day with no problems, with 30 to 40%. if i use it for browering the web, and play some games for a while and the phone will die before the day ends. I plan on charging everyday to make sure that I have a full charge battery.
Thin phones are a great idea but not if you take away the life of the batteries and then you would have a smartphone on charged all the time. That is my thoughs!!.
anonymous 20 April, 2012 13:24
I don't really mind if they come up with a thinner version as long as it can accomodate a spare big battery just like what I have for my EVO.
anonymous 20 April, 2012 14:13
Who cares about CNET! usles ever info on smartphones.. Just got the new update for the HTC One X, and it fixed the battery issue that everyone keeps babbling on about. Now i have the best of both worlds best fastest and thin smartphone! and all the battery power i shall ever need.. (Mine now lasts for 2 days with heavy use)...
Junaid 20 April, 2012 14:30
Yes and thats what I mentioned earlier. Update will improve any minor issues including the battery. Watching sports online on a mobile phone for 09 hrs is a joke. Go and buy a TV please lolz.
flexuk 20 April, 2012 14:31
Up until the Desire HD you guys seemed to be very pro HTC but now your change in opinion has become shamelessly bias. All other tech sites including general public opinion seem to rate the OneX as one of the best phones available yet you bash it at every opportunity for e.g. why would you bother detailing the large screen isn’t to everyone’s taste as a negative when the majority of people interested in the review are very much aware of the screen size and is indeed one of if not the main reason of interest. The screen size being billed as negative (for some) is not relevant to its technical performance. Have you noticed how well the G Note has done?
I used to trust your reviews but have lost all faith it seems you post opinions not reviews. No matter what the GS III brings my moneys on you guys giving it editor’s choice with no complaint of price screen size or battery life.
I notice you repeatedly mentioned how expensive the handset is which you did not do with the iPhone or Samsung devices why? If we are talking opinions my opinion would be all apple products are the most expensive overpriced fashion accessory available.
Still a great site but I will be looking for reviews elsewhere from now on.
Rich Trenholm 20 April, 2012 14:35
We still like HTC, Flexuk - battery life is an issue that affects all smart phones, but this is one of the few times a manufacturer has explicitly stated that they decided against improving battery life. I'd write the same story about any manufacturer, whoever it is (including Apple)
anonymous 20 April, 2012 15:02
So much negativity in this room, wheres the luv..
(HTC ONE X is FAANNTASTIC)
p.s luvin the battery.
no issues at all comments now closed ;)
iStevieC 20 April, 2012 15:30
Quad Core CPU`s are the reason why battery life`s on new mobile are so pants, why would a handheld device feel the need to run 4 CPU`s? seriously?... is any mobile out there capable of running as many programs or task as a PC? NO! keep it simple with single core or Duel core at the most
galleyslave 20 April, 2012 16:37
As HTC have an APP that turns the screen into a solar cell ( got it on mine but as we have been a bit short of sun lately I don't know if it works!) to charge the battery, I am guessing it's not a big problem.
anonymous 20 April, 2012 16:55
"There's something insanely seductive about a thin gadget -- ultrabooks and OLED TVs make our heads reel as giddy as a schoolgirl." ...... Well that certainly doesn't sound right.
compfreak24601 20 April, 2012 17:17
When I read and watch reviews of high end smartphones in America, they make the battery life on my 3G Desire S look exceptional. "The One X is incredibly fast, with it's quad-core processor. This phone will last half an hour on average daily usage, so you might want to take a charger to work with you." That's something like what I've been hearing from tech reviewers with the One X...
Nickven 20 April, 2012 17:53
All we need for heavy use away from power is the ability to buy a spare battery and change it. they have gone down the apple rout and stopped that being possible. WHY?
anonymous 20 April, 2012 19:00
Just a small correction needed..it's not the readers but the author has some hatred towards HTC..I have been using one x for the last two weeks...phone, browsing, mails, exchange etc..still I have 35 to 40% left at the end of the day..I should stop visiting CNET, if you continue to provide these biased reviews
Ultraman1966 20 April, 2012 19:34
Ah but that's nothing compared to what you'd have left on the Razr Maxx which is hardly something you'd call fat but it has the biggest battery of all current smartphones. Fact is on the my SGS I've turned off a lot of features (mostly because I don't use them, like constant syncs) to make it last 2 to 3 days. I really wouldn't mind trading in an extra few millimetres if the battery life can mean I can use the smartphone without worrying about running out of juice and not being close to a charger.
anonymous 20 April, 2012 20:38
Its a nice phone but unfortunately you cannot change the battery. if i cannot get through the day with 1 battery with heavy use, then its totally useless as i am away from the powerpoint and a replaceable battery would have solved that !
Also you cannot use an SD card in this phone.
Totally limited if you ask me. I think i will stick to my Samsung Note !
olivierm 20 April, 2012 23:43
I've recently swapped the factory battery from my htc sensation to a 1900 Mh one (same size and thickness as original) and with the ICS update, I finally get a full day use out of the phone (it would die at around 6pm before). I bit disappointing that 1800 is all HTC could fit in the ONE X but good to read owners reporting full day use out of the battery. Might consider it in a while.
suj1 20 April, 2012 23:59
'Not improving battery life'
How can u say that when the HTC one S has a great battery..and its mega thin.
anonymous 21 April, 2012 00:52
I have a HTC Desire HD and it has been a fantastic phone, other than the poor battery life. Soon it will be time for a new phone, but I doubt I will choose HTC next time. Despite HTC’s great Sense software I need a battery that will last much longer, and the One X seems to have an even worse battery life. Also, no SD card slot and no accessible battery! As bad as an iphone.
It’s nice to have a skinny phone, but hey, if you are carrying a 4.3-7 inch screen around why not add a few extra millimeters of thickness to the phone and double the battery life? I think that HTC have misjudged this with the One X. Most people who want a smartphone already have one. New sales will slow as most are waiting for their two year contracts to expire. When they upgrade they will be pickier about the things that matter: battery life. On this showing HTC will lose out, they are in 3rd place now.
anonymous 21 April, 2012 01:09
I was going to pre-order this phone until I read about the abismal battery life.
Some other manufacturer will get my money this year.
anonymous 21 April, 2012 13:45
Rich, when a manufacturer says they are focusing less on a feature it doesn't mean they are closing up shop and moving away from it altogether. It just means they are focusing their limited resources on other features that should make them the best in a different arena. I doubt HTC has sacked its battery engineers and stopped investing in battery life. But it seems they are investing in developing ultra pocketable svelte bodies for killer fast phones loaded to the gills. As consumers we tend to weigh up the total value offering including super screen, ultra speed, quality camera, etc with adequate battery life. Can I live with this? Can I live without that? I watch videos on my HTC Desire therefore I expect juice drain, so I keep a spare battery and chargers at work and in the car. Yes, it's a trade off I'm willing to live with. You might not. The users' (not guessers') positive comments are telling me that HTC got the balance of features vs power consumption right. Lucky for me, it's time for a new phone. If HTC got it right, they will have an army of loyal customers. If they got it wrong, they'll alienate users like me and can kiss their reputation good-bye.
anonymous 21 April, 2012 15:29
I think people need to calm down. Let me help some of you...
1) You don't like this article? Ignore it and read something else.
2) You don't like the authors views? Ignore him and read another article.
3) You agree with the authors views or hate your HTC One X? Take their recommendation and get the HTC One S.
4) You believe Cnet.co.uk are bias? Go read from another site.
5) Finally, before you buy, ask yourself what you want from your phone. If you feel you need a Quad-core mobile phone, then you must understand (with current technologies) when in use, it will drain the battery hard (and so does a large screen -just check your battery usage on your phone).
So when you get a HTC One X, you are agreeing to these facts. Do not complain.
HTC One S owner.
anonymous 21 April, 2012 16:00
This person is acting like the battery life on the One series is the worst thing ever. The One S I bought last week lasts about twice as long as the Desire I had a while back, and a bit better than the 4S I owned before.. with the added bonus of being thinner and a bit lighter. I don't need a phone with that lasts more than 2 days, and it is essential that a phone with a fairly large screen be thin enough to fit in your pocket. Pointless article.
anonymous 22 April, 2012 00:32
The Apple fan boys are at it again. Nuff said.....
anonymous 22 April, 2012 07:50
My next phone choice is definitely going to be a smartphone and for me the ability to be connected for long periods of the day to the internet pretty much dictates having a good battery life. I am willing to have a phone as thick as the HTC Desire S IF the battery is decent and doesn't need the ridiculous constant iPhone recharging throughout the day. I don't want to lug my charger with me wherever I go.
anonymous 22 April, 2012 09:42
My cousin comes down to my house with his HTC Sensation and it always runs out before my tablet. I think that they should make the phones thicker and put better batteries in them!
Noir IV 22 April, 2012 10:48
I have a NRC desire hd, I too had some battery issues as I use the phone to tether my IPad.
However on E-Bay you can get a gold plated battery which has twice the power of the original. Only £22.
Now there are no issues.
New phone, I was thing of the htc one x or the new Samsung s3.
Have to wait for the reviews.
Loadit 22 April, 2012 11:44
@anonymous 20 April, 2012 10:09
What exactly is wrong with the Motorola software? I have the Razr TX910 and can find nothing to complain about. It runs gingerbread 2.3.6 which is the same software most Android phones have unless upgraded to ICS with vry little changes done by Motorola.
I find it a much better phone than the SG2 I had before.
suj1 22 April, 2012 19:15
Guys there is nothing wrong with the battery in the HTC One series. The One X owners in this thread have all said they are happy with it.
And all the reviewers INCLUDING Cnet have praised the One S battery life so stop hating on HTC for no reason!!
anonymous 22 April, 2012 22:24
I love my nexus and loved my Desire before that but I used to have an E71 and I could get 8 days usage out of a full charge... I miss those days...
I currently have a charger next to my bed, one in the car and one at work and am looking at the bigger Samsung battery just in case.... madness I tell you....
anonymous 23 April, 2012 01:43
ive had it a week now, i absolutely love mt htc one x however my battery does not last more that 3 hours on a full charge, only usint sms whatapp and twitter..its very dissapointing...reading the above comments i may take it back to be swapped as it may be a faulty handset as it gets very hot during charging also..hpwever its the best phone ive had by far
anonymous 23 April, 2012 10:55
I realized the the ones who usually complain about battery drain are the ones who buy a quad core processor with the expectation of using it as a game boy or some sort of portable video player replacement. The worst of all expectations is that they actually believe that the phone will last them several hours.
It's those same nagging people who come on here saying they need 3 batteries to go through the day.... >_>
anonymous 23 April, 2012 11:38
Ok, people do not whinge when their lap top needs plugging in, they accept the fact data use, video, movies etc take power. Now we have what are essentially mini laptops they complain about plugging them in for significantly fewer cycles than a a lappy. Ok if you want a phone that rings in , txts and receives calls it will last ages. (even so called dumb phones went flat with long talk time!
I have a One X and like (Im guessing) many new adopters have looked at the custom rom mode. There are roms there that now allow my phone to tick along all day under normal use. If I want to do extraordinary stuff (satnav or the like) then yes I plug it in to a power source.
The only time I can see a potential problem is as a tourist on foot in a strange town (or just getting around somewhere like London) when as a foot based sat nav it may be a problem after a couple or three hours. In that case I may regret non swappable batteries.
Under normal conditions though this is the friendliest sweetest phone I have ever had. That includes Iphone 4 (never went to s) and my much loved Sensation.
anonymous 24 April, 2012 07:01
Folks this is personal experience! Had my HTC one x for a week, battery run down totally and put it on charge. Has been frozen since.
Phoned network provider and they are replacing it, but this is not good news for a phone I am expected to keep for two years at least???
But this is disappointing as I upgraded from the iPhone 3gs which never gave me such problems
anonymous 24 April, 2012 13:21
Loved my Galaxy S2 but dropped it because of battery life. Using a Lumia 800 now, got to admit the apps choice is crap but with the latest update I get two straight days of full use out of it. Apps are great, but for work I need calender, mail and voice. Looking for the S3 to be better, I so want to buy it, but it has to last from wake up to bed as I am taking calls and emails across many time zones. Maybe Nokia have a point, you only need a single core processor in a phone, anything else is just a battery monster.
anonymous 1 May, 2012 23:13
I actually own a One X, I didnt just play with it at a conference and then write a tech blog about it. The battery is just great. Can stand heavy use for a day before I have to recharge. Try actually buying and using the phone for a while before writing a whole article about it.
aliward15 7 May, 2012 22:27
I am getting this phone in about 2 or 3 days. I ordered it today and really cannot wait to get it! Obviously I have not got it yet so I can't say anything about the battery life but my mate has this and he says you can get through the day easy and that's doing things like downloading apps, playing games and browsing the web. I think that's pretty impressive personally for such an advanced smartphone. If people want something that is going to last more than a day, then a smartphone is simply not for you.
anonymous 17 May, 2012 19:28
I will soon be upgrading my HTC Desire HD, which I might add has been a fantastic phone to date
As a heavy user I bought a wall charger( the ones you clip battery into) which also included 2 spare batteries, no more worries!
My problem is like all phone batteries they get worse over time, and choosing the One X with no removable battery could pose a problem in the future if I can't do as I have been doing so far? unless I am missing something?
I really want to stick with HTC and the One X is a fantastic phone as i have seen so far, but this is something for me I feel I have to consider.
Feel free to enlighten me if I have missed something
anonymous 3 June, 2012 08:35
I recently bought OneX and I am totally dissapointed in battery life.
It has battery for three hours of screen usage. No more than that.
So, if you use it frequently expect charging it two or three times a day.
I am trying solutions like Juice defender, reducing screen brightness, reducing standby time and hope to get full day of usage.
But what's the point of having smartphone if you are not using it? I could have bought a dumbphone and have a great battery life.
anonymous 8 September, 2012 21:50
It was fun reading your article, but now I must go and plug in my One X as its at 5% after 3 days use.
Bye
birdy1975 16 March, 2013 16:10
For anyone with battery issues turn of Google play services works for me every things better and you can turn on if need to.