Does the T5 really have a 1300 mah Battery?

[Superhob]

Based on the reviews I've read so far I'm starting to get the impression that the T5 DOES NOT have a 1300 mah battery.

Palmone makes no mention of this rating anywhere on their website or in the pdf documentation. They don't even make any claims about the expected battery life.

In the manual from the FCC website, palm tells the user to charge the battery at least 1/2 an hour each day just as they do in the TE manual (I own a TE)

In the infosync review, for some unknown reason they neglected to test the T5's battery life using their standard Atom Smash battery rundown test. They instead do a continous mp3 loop test with the screen OFF and then they claim a shocking 7 hr 15 minute result. Well, I ran a similar test on my TE (840 mah battery) yesterday and I got 7 hrs 25 minutes playing mp3 looped with the screen off. I was shocked.

Same with the Gadgeteer review where she says that the T5 shows 95% after 1 hr mp3 and 1/2 hr movies and pictures. Well I did the same with my TE and I was at 93%. Again this is inconclusive.

Other reviews have given very generalized statements about battery life.

I'm starting to think that palmone is trying to pull a fast one on us by allowing this 1300 mah myth to spread while never actually confirming the true battery rating.

I hope I'm proven wrong, maybe with a picture of the T5's battery showing mah rating or with an acutal battery rundown comparison between a T5 and a TE/T3. Until it's proven otherwise, I am going to assume that the T5 does not have a 1300 mah battery.

[Alitheia]

I am going to assume that the T5 does not have a 1300 mah battery.

Good for you. :)

By the way, it does indeed have a 1300 maH battery. At lease the "review" versions do. To lazy to disassemble and send you a picture.

[Superhob]

Then why would a 1300 mah battery T5 get the same results as an 840 mah TE? Both are playing mp3 in a loop with the screen off. It just doesn't make sense to me.

If you want to prove it to me then go ahead and take off the back cover and snap a picture. It shouldn't be that difficult or time consuming.

[Alitheia]

I haven't the desire, nor time.

[tanker_bob]

Then why would a 1300 mah battery T5 get the same results as an 840 mah TE? Both are playing mp3 in a loop with the screen off. It just doesn't make sense to me.
How about 416 MHz vs. 126 MHz CPU, both operating continuously (i.e., no opportunity for power saving) and different subsystems?

[bryus]

Also, screen off makes a difference because there is more screen to power with a T5 than a TE.

I would like to see the standard AtomSmash benchmark myself. I consider it a bit of an industry standard for Palm OS battery life.

[TMann]

I'm starting to think that palmone is trying to pull a fast one on us by allowing this 1300 mah myth to spread while never actually confirming the true battery rating.

Come on, do you really think that Palm is conspiring to mislead the public? I think we're taking our mistrust of PalmOne a little far. :D

Having said that, I would be interested in hearing in objective terms how much the larger battery in the T5 helps in terms of increased running time. My T3 usually needs its PTG sled at least once a day.

TMann

[Sad]

Actually to me the real point is that the T5 is supposed to have a much better battery life than the T3. This is one of it's precious few saving graces. If it gives only marginally better battery life than my T3 then it's another big disappointment.
Take the battery benchmark for the new Ipaq Rz3715...7-8 hours with FULL backlight and screen on! That is with a 1440Mhz battery. I would have expected the T5 to equal that at least.

[lalalalala]

And also depens on the quality of the mp3, programs running in background, processor speed, screen size and much, much more...

[Antoine]

Actually to me the real point is that the T5 is supposed to have a much better battery life than the T3. This is one of it's precious few saving graces. If it gives only marginally better battery life than my T3 then it's another big disappointment.
Take the battery benchmark for the new Ipaq Rz3715...7-8 hours with FULL backlight and screen on! That is with a 1440Mhz battery. I would have expected the T5 to equal that at least.

Just a note. I have the rx3715 and if it could last that long on full backlight while using it would be great. I get 3-4 hours of continous use when I am just reading the bible. I will say that it is incredibly efficient in that it can last 7-8 hours on a charge, but that is not logical to think that it will last that long. Yes, I know what your benchmarks say, but that isnt so.

EDIT:
WinMobile has a power saving feature to it that will speed down the processor when not doing processor intensive tasks. Though the SPb benchmark does give you as fair assessment of what you can expect on battery life, it does not take into account heavy processor usage, then low procesor usage. Measuring the performance of a PDA over a continous steady program's use is not an accurate measure of battery performance. Using differnt aspects of it then getting the nubmers is more accurate. The reason my rx does not match teh benchmarks, and neither does yours, is because you do not use one program all the time in one fell swoop. For that reason and a processor upgrade, the T5 should be better than the T3 and TE before it. But if it is not 2x better, one should not have a cow, but should just go buy a Zire21 and be happy.

As for the T5 to get back on topic, it should have much better battery life than the T3. It is not illigoical to think that it will not. Unless PS/P1 has closed the abilty to have variable speeds, the T5 will be a better battery user than the T3. It will NOT be much better than the TE, but it will be better. The TE is much slower, and its display does not take as much power, it should be nearly as good as teh T5, if not an hour-ish worse.

[jjesusfreak01]

Alitheia, if you have a T5, then could you perform this benchmark that everyone talks about.

[Sleuth255]

use batterytime available here (http://www.palmgear.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=software.showsoftware&SID=8B2FB21B-CF18-AC2E-700AE530362FFCD6&PartnerREF=&prodID=45712). Put the backlight on it's dimmest setting and turn bluetooth/beam receive off. Post the results please. A T3 does 3.4 hours.

[Sad]

Yes please do the battery benchmark, you would probably be the first to do so and be very famous! Anyway I do hope it lasts for at least 5-6 hours. I only get about 3-4 hours on my T3 and Clie Ux50.

[Wizard_Prang]

I recently acquired a T5, and have performed the AtomSmash benchmark on it several times. With screen at full brightness, no SD card and sound off, the system goes for about 3:10 (three hours and ten minutes) before the low battery warning, with another 5-10 minutes of use before the system powers down.

I bought this used, so it is possible that the battery might be bad. If so, how would I be able to tell?

[The WB]

I remember a post earlier about someone taking a T|T5 apart. They confirmed the battery size at 1300 mah. I also remember pictures of it.

Particular attention was paid to confirm the size palmOne claimed it was . All since the T|T3 battery was so small and gassed out so quickly.