Audiovox SMT5600 Battery Issues

[Guest chris_k]

Having a weird problem with my 5600. I've had the phone only a few weeks and I've never been able to get the battery to last more than 16 hours. I even got a 2nd battery, thinking the first was bad, from Cingular. I had read that with some batteries you still need to condition them even though I've never had to do that with any other phones (I've owned a Samsung i500 and Treo 600 and never had this issue), but this is what I did when the new battery came.

Turned off the phone, put the new battery in, plugged it in to the wall charger to charge it. Once it was fully charged it lasted about 14 hours. Sent and received maybe a 1/2 dozen txt messages and made a few phone calls lasting less than 30 minutes during that time. Put it back on the wall charger once the battery completely drained itself and shut the phone off. I left the phone off while the battery charged. Once it was fully charged it lasted about 14-16 hours again with the same usage. Followed the same charging pattern and then again lasted no more than 16 hours with the same usage.

OK, what's wrong with my phone / batteries? No programs are running while its in standby - verified with the task manager. GPRS is not active. I'm not playing games, accessing programs or anything. The phone just is sitting on the table.

I had read that sometimes you need to do a hard reset after you charge / discharge it a few times. Did that and that didn't help. What else could it be? Before I bought the phone I read personal and professional reviews and everyone said the battery life is great and its the worst battery I've ever dealt with. With my Treo I could take it out of the cradle late Friday, send / receive a few dozen txt messages over the weekend and talk a fair amount of time on it and it would still have a charge Monday morning. I would kill for that kind of battery life now.

Any insight into this would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Chris

[Guest bradmatejo]

It does seem strange that you're still having the problem after a hard reset. I was going to suggest a hard reset for this reason: The Photo Contacts program that comes on the phone from Cingular runs all the time (but doesn't appear in Task Manager) thus draining the battery. Hard reset removes that program.

But if you've already done that, and if you're having the same problem with multiple batteries, sounds like you might have a disfunctional handset. If it's still an option for you, I'd take it back to Cingular and switch it for another one.

[Guest chris_k]

It does seem strange that you're still having the problem after a hard reset.  I was going to suggest a hard reset for this reason:  The Photo Contacts program that comes on the phone from Cingular runs all the time (but doesn't appear in Task Manager) thus draining the battery.  Hard reset removes that program.

But if you've already done that, and if you're having the same problem with multiple batteries, sounds like you might have a disfunctional handset.  If it's still an option for you, I'd take it back to Cingular and switch it for another one.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Hmmm. I went through my list of programs and Photo Contacts is there after I did the hard reset. At least I think I did a hard reset, everything got wiped. Went to Start, Accessories, Clear Storage and entered 1,2,3,4. I had read about using the soft keys and power button but that doesn't seem to work. Maybe one of the differences between the SMT5600 and others. Anyway, in photo contacts, it was there after whatever reset I did. There was a box checked that says Display photo during incoming or waiting call. I unchecked that box.

1) Did I do the reset correctly and 2) Could the photo contacts be the issue?

Thanks!

[Guest bradmatejo]

Hrm...

Yes, you did the hard reset correctly. I coulda sworn that the caller id app was removed last time I did a hard reset, but I could be wrong.

I do know that the caller id app uses up your battery faster than normal. I used it for just a short time on my old e100 and mpx200, and on both it made the battery life ridiculously short. Uninstalled it and battery life was back to normal.

Now in this case, using a c500, I don't think this program is the only problem. The program is installed on my smt5600 (not being used, but it is there) and my battery lasts a couple days on light useage. IA Caller ID certainly isn't helping matters but there must be something else causing the issue.

Here are 2 things to try:

1) Make sure Bluetooth is off. Start>Settings>Bluetooth>Bluetooth. Select Off.

2) There seems to be a "virtual limit" to battery capacity which is determined by how full the battery is when the phone is hard reset. So turn the phone off and leave it charging overnight or longer if you can. Once you've done that, do another hard reset.

Give it a try, let us know how it works out.

[Guest chris_k]

I'll try that (fully charge overnight and hard reset in the morning) and see what happens. Someone on another site suggested that it may be a physical problem with the phone and not the battery. I contacted Amazon, who I bought it through, and they are going to send me a new phone. Wow... that is great customer service.

I'll report how the charge & reset works and if I have the same problem w/ the new phone.

Thanks!

Chris

Hrm...

Yes, you did the hard reset correctly.  I coulda sworn that the caller id app was removed last time I did a hard reset, but I could be wrong.

I do know that the caller id app uses up your battery faster than normal.  I used it for just a short time on my old e100 and mpx200, and on both it made the battery life ridiculously short.  Uninstalled it and battery life was back to normal. 

Now in this case, using a c500, I don't think this program is the only problem.  The program is installed on my smt5600 (not being used, but it is there) and my battery lasts a couple days on light useage.  IA Caller ID certainly isn't helping matters but there must be something else causing the issue. 

Here are 2 things to try:

1)  Make sure Bluetooth is off.  Start>Settings>Bluetooth>Bluetooth.  Select Off.

2)  There seems to be a "virtual limit" to battery capacity which is determined by how full the battery is when the phone is hard reset.  So turn the phone off and leave it charging overnight or longer if you can.  Once you've done that, do another hard reset. 

Give it a try, let us know how it works out.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

[Guest chris_k]

I'll try that (fully charge overnight and hard reset in the morning) and see what happens.  Someone on another site suggested that it may be a physical problem with the phone and not the battery.  I contacted Amazon, who I bought it through, and they are going to send me a new phone.  Wow... that is great customer service. 

I'll report how the charge & reset works and if I have the same problem w/ the new phone.

Thanks!

Chris

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Got the new phone and having the same problems. I've very frustrated with it at this point. The phone is great but if I can only get 14-16 hours of battery out of the phone it doesn't fit my needs.