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Posts tagged "battery"

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New Windows 11 energy-saving option could save money and extend your laptop’s battery life
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Windows 11 laptops could soon benefit from improved battery life thanks to a change in the works currently in testing.

The new feature called ‘Energy Saver’ is in the freshly released preview build 26002 of Windows 11 in the Canary channel (the earliest testing avenue).

Microsoft describes it as an extension of battery saver, and it reins in system performance to give you more battery life. The blurb for the feature notes it will limit some background activities, so apps and the system may run a bit slower, or be a touch less responsive when you return to them, but your laptop will last longer.

Energy Saver can be set to kick in when your battery percentage drops to a certain level, or you can manually select it. In the latter case, the option is present in the quick settings accessed via the system tray (far right on the taskbar).

Speaking of the quick settings panel, in build 26002 Microsoft has applied some other work here, including experimenting with a tweak that makes it pop up faster and act more responsively, which will be a useful addition to the mix.

Furthermore, dealing with VPNs has been improved in quick settings, with the introduction of the ability to turn your VPN on or off with just a single click.

For all the gory details of the changes made in build 26002, check out Microsoft’s blog post (spoiler alert – they’re not all that gory).

Analysis: Energy Saver – and Money Saver, too

What we don’t know yet is how much effect this new Energy Saver will have in extending battery life, but Microsoft is certainly billing it as a more heavy-duty method of eking out greater longevity than battery saver, so that’s promising.

What’s also interesting with this feature is that while it’s designed for laptops, Microsoft is also allowing it to be used for desktop PCs (or notebooks plugged into the mains and not running on battery, for that matter).

In short, this allows you to save a bit of money when running your desktop PC all day – maybe you work from home and do so, like us – if you’re happy with somewhat constrained performance levels, of course. With power bills being what they are, though, and the cost-of-living crisis still very much around, it’s a useful option to have. Not to mention an environmentally-friendly choice, to boot.

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Meta Quest 3 Elite Strap with Battery sales are paused due to a charging fault
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If you've bought a Meta Quest 3 and are thinking of buying the Elite Strap with Battery, you can't – at least for the time being. Meta has paused sales of the accessory while it investigates issues with device charging.

The Elite Strap add-on offers a more ergonomic fit that's easier to adjust, and it's also available with a battery pack for longer gaming sessions between charges. It's that latter version that's been pulled, as Road to VR reports.

This hasn't come out of nowhere, either. Complaints of reliability issues have been rumbling for weeks, with users reporting that after an initial period during which everything is fine, the strap suddenly stops charging the Meta Quest 3 completely.

Meta has confirmed to Road to VR that it's manufacturing a new version of the Elite Strap with Battery that won't have this fault. Sadly, this has happened before – there were issues with the accessory straps for the Meta Quest 2 as well.

What you can do

As for what you can do as a Meta Quest 3 owner, clearly not buying an Elite Strap with Battery is a good start. Meta won't sell you one right now, but these straps still seem to be available from third-party retailers at the time of writing.

If you've already got one that's faulty, you can try returning it to Meta for a replacement, though Meta admits that this “may not necessarily resolve the problem”. It seems to be a bit hit and miss as to whether you're going to end up with a working unit.

It's not a great look for an accessory that costs $ 130 / £130 / AU$ 220, although Meta does at least now seem to be working on the problem. In our Meta Quest 3 review, we were hugely impressed with the headset itself, so it's a shame that accessories are letting it down.

Apparently there's an issue with the firmware on certain units, so hopefully new and improved versions of the strap should be out soon. Meta hasn't put a timescale on it, but it told Road to VR that these would be available “as soon as possible”.

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Google Chrome won’t drain your Macbook battery as much anymore
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Up until now, MacBook users seeking the ultimate browser for top battery life have often used Safari, Apple’s own offering, which has been optimized specifically to work in harmony with the company’s other hardware and software.

However this could all be about to change, with the latest version of Google Chrome promising to match Safari’s level of energy efficiency for simple web browsing tasks.

What’s more, opting to use the recently introduced Energy Saver mode will allow Chrome to even exceed Apple’s battery life predictions.

Chrome laptop battery life

Currently, Apple claims a typical battery life of 17 hours under “wireless web” usage on a 13-inch M2 MacBook Pro, its best performer in terms of battery life. Google’s testing on that same device (without Energy Save mode enabled), and using Chrome 110.0.5481.100, produced an equal prediction.

Additionally, those tests indicate that a user may be able to stream YouTube content for 18 hours, though this doesn’t quite match Apple’s 20-hour prediction for streaming on the Apple TV app.

Google said that to improve Chrome’s power usage, it tuned iframes to reduce short-term memory usage, reduced how often Javascript timers wake as developers turn to more efficient APIs, streamlined data structures, and eliminated unnecessary redraws to avoid wasting energy.

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While testing was carried out on the latest Mac hardware, the developers also suggest that similar benefits will be seen on older models. It’s unclear whether this affects previous Intel-based models, or whether it’s a change primarily focused on devices running Apple Silicon. TechRadar Pro has asked Google to confirm this.

Users looking to eke out the most battery life – on any device – can also choose to enable Energy Saver mode which disables some background activity and visual effects, though the most profound effects are likely to be seen on lower-performance models.

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iOS 15.4 update prompting reports of battery drain problems
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If you own a compatible iPhone then the iOS 15.4 update should now be available to you, complete with new emojis, the ability to use Face ID with a mask, and a host of bug fixes. However, there might be a problem with the latest software upgrade too: battery drain.

As reported by Phone Arena and others, a certain subsection of users on Twitter and Reddit are saying that their handsets have been losing battery life much more quickly since the iOS 15.4 update was applied.

One Reddit thread seems to be split more or less half and half with users reporting better or worse battery life, while another describes “horrible battery drain” in recent days. In a separate thread on Reddit a user reports the battery “draining more than usual”.

Not universal

There are similar messages cropping up on Twitter too, with one tweet reporting “absolutely ridiculous” battery drain, another suggesting it's “really bad” and a third tweet saying iOS 15.4 is “killing the battery” of an iPhone 13 Pro Max model.

At the moment there's no clear pattern in terms of which particular iPhones are affected: though we have seen quite a few posts mentioning the latest iPhone 13 models, others refer to older editions of Apple's flagship smartphone.

This is by no means a universal problem, with other Reddit threads and Twitter posts reporting better battery life since the iOS 15.4 patch was applied. It seems fair to say that there's a mixed bag of responses to the latest iOS update so far.

Analysis: don't panic just yet

There are a few certainties in life, including death, taxes, and reports of excessive battery drain after a new iOS update. At this stage we would have been more surprised if there hadn't been complaints about iOS 15.4 and battery life in the first few days.

So far the only official response from Apple has been to tell users to sit tight, and to assure them that variations in battery life are normal for up to 48 hours after a new version of the operating system is installed. A lot of the time, these issues will then settle down.

Not only does an iOS update need time to evaluate what it's working with on a particular iPhone – and how to optimize the battery accordingly – third-party developers also need time to make sure their apps are working with rather than against the latest iOS.

With that in mind, we'd expect most of these issues to clear up within the next few days. It's not clear just how widespread the issue is, but if you are affected then keep a close eye on battery usage in the coming week.

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Windows 11’s new feature is good news for your laptop battery
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Windows 11 has just given the Task Manager a smart new feature to tame apps which are being resource hogs, something that could help, well, everyone of course, but especially laptop users thanks to ensuing battery life benefits.

Note that this change is just in preview right now, with the new Build 22557 deployed to testers earlier this week, which comes complete with a host of useful moves, including a revamp of the Task Manager.

You may recall that the Task Manager has been given a makeover to bring its appearance more in line with Windows 11’s sleeker and modern look, plus a honed interface, but there’s another big introduction in Build 22557 and that’s Efficiency mode.

The idea with this feature is that when you spot an app which is using a ton of system resources (CPU, GPU, memory, or maybe all of them!) in the Task Manager, rather than killing it to free resources – which you may not want to do, or could have unfortunate consequences – you can switch it to operate in Efficiency mode.

As Microsoft makes clear, this will push the application in question right down the priority list when it comes to system resource allocation, thereby taming its resource usage, making your PC more responsive – if it was chugging under the weight of that particular workload – and providing better energy-efficiency.

Windows 11 Task Manager Efficiency Mode

(Image credit: Microsoft)

Apps or services which are in Efficiency mode will be marked with a small leaf icon, with suspended apps having a pause icon (as seen in the above screenshot).

Note that some processes may not be eligible for Efficiency mode, like core Windows services for example, where deprioritizing them could actually affect system performance negatively and slow your machine down. In these cases, the option to turn on Efficiency mode will be greyed out, ensuring you can’t do any harm when playing with this new tool.

Analysis: Microsoft is taking it slowly with Efficiency mode

Efficiency mode will doubtless prove a useful ability for Windows 11 users whose machines are running sluggishly thanks to an app which is dominating resource usage, as it makes it easy to tame such a process without having to entirely dump it.

As we mentioned at the outset, it’ll likely be a particularly valuable asset for those running Windows 11 on a laptop, where overly demanding applications don’t just slow down the system, but spike power usage and therefore drain more battery. With these kinds of programs tamed via Efficiency mode, users can expect to have more overall battery life, one of the prime concerns for mobile computing.

As noted, this is just in testing right now, but it’s not available to all testers just yet, and is rolling out to a small number of Windows Insiders to begin with. Microsoft sounds like it’s taking this one cautiously and is going to “monitor feedback and see how it lands before pushing it out to everyone.”

We can expect Efficiency mode to debut with Windows 11 22H2 when it arrives in the second half of this year.

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Microsoft Teams will no longer suck up so much of your battery life
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Using Microsoft Teams may no longer be such a drain on your laptop battery life thanks to a series of updates to the platform.

The video conferencing software will now require up to 50% less power to run during “energy-intensive” scenarios such as multi-person meetings than it did 18 months ago, Microsoft has revealed.

This is thanks to a series of changes and optimizations that should mean an end to battery-sapping video calls that can leave remote workers scrambling for their charger, or being forced to go on mute as their work laptop fans kick into overdrive.

Microsoft Teams battery life

“One of the challenges brought on by the ubiquity of Teams is the need to create equitable experiences across an incredibly diverse Windows device ecosystem,” Microsoft's Robert Aichner wrote in a blog post outlining a series of improvements made since June 2020.

Aichner noted that the moves should also allow users on low-end devices to have a much better experience running Microsoft Teams, meaning no one should suddenly drop out on calls, and ensure Teams meetings are as energy-efficient as possible, regardless of setup.

This has been a long process, with Microsoft continuing to optimize Teams as user numbers boomed during the pandemic amid work from home orders.

This has included camera optimization tools to reduce the demands on using video in meetings, with tweaks such as improving configurations, reducing code complexity for auto-exposure, auto-white balance, auto-aliasing, resulting in power draw reduction from the onboard camera and stability enhancements, and face detection processes.

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Microsoft has also consolidated and improved video rendering, particularly in multi-person video meetings where different participants may join with wildly different video streams due to variations in hardware. This initially meant that a nine-person call using a 3×3 video grid required nine distinct rendering operations, but Microsoft combined the streams and composed them into a single video, significantly reducing the power requirements for each device used.

More recently, Microsoft Teams has also been allowed to tap into a device’s GPU to support improved rendering performance, which has recently been expanded to the user's video preview as well.

Aichner adds that this is not the end for Teams optimization, and the company hopes to continue to release new features and improvements for some time to come.

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MacBook battery problems? macOS Monterey 12.2 could be to blame
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The macOS Monterey 12.2 update was released on January 26, and some users are already reporting issues, with reports that BlueTooth accessories connected to the device are seemingly causing it to wake from sleep mode, draining battery life that would have otherwise been preserved.

As reported by MacRumors, it's unclear how widespread the issue currently is, but there have been several posts across social media sites like Twitter and Reddit during the last few days that would indicate this isn't an isolated incident.

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While no official statement has been made from Apple, those affected have claimed that their Mac's battery life drops from 100% to 0% while left in sleep mode overnight, something that wasn't occurring prior to updating to macOS 12.2. 

After some investigation, users like @Jpavao found that Bluetooth accessories are apparently causing the Macs to repeatedly wake from sleep mode, which drains the battery over the course of several hours. All fingers point to the latest update being responsible as both older Intel-based Macs and newer M1-powered devices appear to be affected. 

Disabling the Bluetooth on the device or disconnecting all accessories connected via Bluetooth prior to placing the Mac into sleep mode seems to work as a quick fix, though this obviously isn't ideal if you have to set up your mouse, keyboard and headset every morning, especially if you use the MacBook for work.

Apple also made the beta version of Monterey 12.3 available to developers last week, though no mentions were made that refer to a fix within the notes, so it's unclear if the issue will be resolved when this update is pushed live for all macOS users or if another solution is in the works. We've reached out to Apple for clarification.

Analysis: keep calm and carry on

It's understandable that you might feel wary regarding upgrades when you see stories like this circulating, but we would always recommend that you keep your device up to date with the latest patches to help with security and app compatibility. Any problems that arise after an update, regardless of a system being Windows or macOS, are usually swiftly corrected.

It's important to remember though, that updates are likely never going to be a universal 'fix-all' for every user. In fact, the patch to fix this Bluetooth issue could just as likely cause problems for a handful of users who were not previously experiencing any. The risks of using an outdated operating system also far outweigh the risks that come with updating to the latest version though, so it isn't worth avoiding the upgrade to Monterey 12.2 if you've been putting it off.

It's not unusual for software updates and patches to cause additional issues that require additional work down the line. It's certainly a nuisance for those affected by the problem, but there are several workarounds that will help tide things over, such as leaving your MacBook charging overnight or disconnecting any Bluetooth accessories, until Apple can officially patch out the battery drain.

Make sure you check out our macOS Monterey problems guide for more advice on fixing issues with Apple's latest operating system.

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This rugged smartphone has a massive 10,000mAh battery and it’s on sale right now
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The presence of a large battery in a modern smartphone often means you'll have to compromise on other features; but not so with the Oukitel WP6. You've probably never heard of the brand, but we reviewed one of its rugged smartphones back in 2018 (the WP2) if you want to get a feel for the devices.

The WP6 is available in both orange and black for $ 213.59 (£243.99/AU$ 443.78) at AliExpress. Despite its entry-level status, it sports some rather high-end features, such as 6GB of RAM and 128GB onboard storage.

It also boasts a 6.3-inch display with a 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, which is higher than most laptops.

Another notable feature is its massive 10,000mAh battery – one of the largest we’ve seen in a rugged smartphone. With an 18W charger, you should be able to fill it up fairly quickly, and you can also use the WP6 as an emergency portable battery charger if you get caught short.

It also features an eight-core Mediatek Helio P70 CPU, 48-megapixel Sony camera sensor, IP68 rating, 16-megapixel front facing camera and Android 9.0.

It's worth noting, the device doesn't support wireless charging nor NFC, and we wouldn’t count on Oukitel to provide more than one Android update. 

If you're after an alternative, the Blackview BV9100 has an even bigger battery (13000mAh) and NFC, but costs more and has a significantly inferior set of components (slower CPU, a third less memory, half the storage, and a lesser camera sensor).

Bear in mind

  • If this product comes from mainland China, it will take at least a month to reach either the US or UK (and potentially more). You may be levied a tax either directly or through the courier.
  • If you've managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.

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