[EFats]

Maybe, just maybe, RIM wasn't full of hot air when they said existing chipsets chewed up too much power. Check out this little tidbit:

Report: poor battery life in 4G smartphones makes for unhappy customers

So yes, apparently battery life sucks, battery life matters and customer loyalty is at stake. Let's hope RIM did make the right call!

[SCrid2000]

I think RIM made the right decision for customers, but not for profits. That being said, there is something you can do to remedy awful battery life: DROID RAZR MAXX - Extended Battery Life - Android Smartphone - Overview - Motorola Mobility, Inc. USA - a stock 3300mAh battery. I hear it'll last a whole 5 hours

[JNM]

No, I don't believe RIM is right about it as much as they may state publicly. LTE isn't burning through the battery on my Galaxy Nexus much faster, if any faster, than the battery on my Galaxy S II with T-Mobile on HSPA+. Both have the same battery aside from the NFC chip. They need to focus on power management on their end of things...

[E92Vancouver]

Maybe, just maybe, RIM wasn't full of hot air when they said existing chipsets chewed up too much power. Check out this little tidbit:

Report: poor battery life in 4G smartphones makes for unhappy customers

So yes, apparently battery life sucks, battery life matters and customer loyalty is at stake. Let's hope RIM did make the right call!

You can always turn LTE off. I have an HSPA+ Android and browsing is 10 times faster than my Torch 9810. Why does anyone need LTE? I hear network coverage on LTE sucks and it mostly goes down to HSPA+ anyway.

[patelmehul1111]

i am not sure

[SMocek]

You can always turn LTE off.

Yep - when I had an EVO 4G, I rarely used 4G at all. Then I went to an HTC Incredible 2, which was 3G only. In both cases, I found browsing and other network related activities to be more than fast enough.

Stan M.

[Tre Lawrence]

I use an EVO 4G now. I have used 4G 3 or 4 times in the last 12 months. 3G and wi-fi are pretty zippy. LTE does burn battery, and RIM is gonna have to figure out how to tame that animal.

[anon(3896606)]

I guess it just nice to say "I have 4G..."?

[Tre Lawrence]

I guess it just nice to say "I have 4G..."?

I coulda done without it, to be honest. The 4G was not a selling point for me then, and it wouldn't be now.

[OniBerry]

I think RIM made the right decision for customers, but not for profits. That being said, there is something you can do to remedy awful battery life: DROID RAZR MAXX - Extended Battery Life - Android Smartphone - Overview - Motorola Mobility, Inc. USA - a stock 3300mAh battery. I hear it'll last a whole 5 hours

Oh yeah, RAZR owners loved shelling out for a new phone with mediocre battery life, only to have Motorola come out with a super capacity battery 2 weeks later...LoL

[anthogag]

The article also stated 4G users tend to use the network more. They're browsing more, streaming more music,...

I would definitely prefer 4G or LTE and RIM was smart to hold-off for a powerful chipset that is more efficient for their next-gen phone.

[manofice1]

every person I talk to that has a true 4G/LTE phone says the battery life blows

[lnichols]

I think that RIM was right to wait for better LTE chips, but dumb not to get HSPA+ BB10 devices out before that. I'm very happy with HSPA+ and LTE chips, networks, roaming, etc. still have a lot of issues to work out. Hopefully whatever chip they use in the first BB10 device is worth the wait from both a power and performance perspective.

[ubizmo]

I think that RIM was right to wait for better LTE chips, but dumb not to get HSPA+ BB10 devices out before that. I'm very happy with HSPA+ and LTE chips, networks, roaming, etc. still have a lot of issues to work out. Hopefully whatever chip they use in the first BB10 device is worth the wait from both a power and performance perspective.

They could even offer a choice of models. Why do they all have to be LTE?

[undone]

I think the Paratek acquisition is an indicator that RIM is committed to having better battery life and fewer 'models' of devices.

[sleepngbear]

I think that RIM was right to wait for better LTE chips, but dumb not to get HSPA+ BB10 devices out before that. I'm very happy with HSPA+ and LTE chips, networks, roaming, etc. still have a lot of issues to work out. Hopefully whatever chip they use in the first BB10 device is worth the wait from both a power and performance perspective.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here and guess that they wanted to really differentiate BB10 from BB7, since BB7 already has HSPA+, combined with the fact that LTE availability is still relatively thin across all carriers. Because you know there would be no end to the screaming if they did introduce BB10 without LTE.

And also but not only ... customers are not exactly breaking the doors down for LTE even where it is available:

Verizon Looking to Fill Empty LTE Network, Says DJ - Tech Trader Daily - Barrons.com

Just more fuel for the argument that it maybe wasn't such a bad idea for RIM to hold off on LTE.

[Tre Lawrence]

They could even offer a choice of models. Why do they all have to be LTE?

Exactly.

Plus... as noted earlier: it can be turned off.

[sleepngbear]

Exactly.

Plus... as noted earlier: it can be turned off.

Doesn't change the OP's point: LTE, with few exceptions, is a pig on today's tech.

[howarmat]

personally i get better battery life out of my nexus than any other smartphone i have used. Including the blackberries. On LTE my battery does drain considerably more than on wfi but not at an alarming rate. I have noticed mine drains more if bad coverage than anything. It can kill it real fast at work where it struggles to maintain the 4g connection in the "bomb shelter" that we work in

[Tre Lawrence]

Doesn't change the OP's point: LTE, with few exceptions, is a pig on today's tech.

A pig that sells devices. Even I, who admittedly doesn't really use it for battery concerns, readily acknowledge that it seems to sell devices, and that RIM, IMHO, needs to leverage.

Give people the option. Let them turn it off if they don't want it.

[undone]

personally i get better battery life out of my nexus than any other smartphone i have used. Including the blackberries. On LTE my battery does drain considerably more than on wfi but not at an alarming rate. I have noticed mine drains more if bad coverage than anything. It can kill it real fast at work where it struggles to maintain the 4g connection in the "bomb shelter" that we work in

That would make sense if the device is switch between the 4g and 3g transmitter. Thats the biggest short fall today, having two vs just a single chip.

I can recall the same when my old phones would get into a dead spot, searching for a signal would eat the battery.

[howarmat]

That would make sense if the device is switch between the 4g and 3g transmitter. Thats the biggest short fall today, having two vs just a single chip.

I can recall the same when my old phones would get into a dead spot, searching for a signal would eat the battery.

yep, i think once they can make the this problem better then alot of battery issues will go away. The next gen chips should go a long way for all companies. RIM 'excuse' about the chips not being ready has some merit but we can also see by where OS 2 currently is that the software is not ready either.

[sleepngbear]

A pig that sells devices. Even I, who admittedly doesn't really use it for battery concerns, readily acknowledge that it seems to sell devices, and that RIM, IMHO, needs to leverage.

Give people the option. Let them turn it off if they don't want it.

Let me repeat:
Verizon Looking to Fill Empty LTE Network, Says DJ - Tech Trader Daily - Barrons.com

The figures aren't exactly explosive; and those who do have LTE are generally less satisfied than they were with their 3G counterparts. The technology has a way to go yet, and there was nothing to be gained by RIM rushing an LTE device to market.

[E92Vancouver]

personally i get better battery life out of my nexus than any other smartphone i have used. Including the blackberries. On LTE my battery does drain considerably more than on wfi but not at an alarming rate. I have noticed mine drains more if bad coverage than anything. It can kill it real fast at work where it struggles to maintain the 4g connection in the "bomb shelter" that we work in

I can't believe the battery life on my Nexus. It beats my Torch 9810 6 ways to Sunday.

[brucep1]

RIM didn't recieve criticism because they said the current LTE chips have terrible battery life. They do. They drew skepticism because they said the primary reason Blackberry 10 isn't launching in the near future is because they are waiting on better chips, implying that Blackberry 10 was near completeness and waiting on chips.

Most people saw through the smoke and know that Blackberry 10 isn't complete yet.