Ionic battery short life

[SunsetRunner]

I bought my Ionic during the first week it has been available, and up until now, it has been working just fine.  I have been taking it off and charging it when I have gone into the bathroom to take a shower, every morning before I head out for the day and every evening before I head to bed.  Usually, after a charge to 100% in the evening, it has been down to the mid-90's in the morning -- 94 or so.  During the day, after a charge to 100% in the morning, it may be down to around 90% or so in the evening.  Bottom line, it was always quick and easy to get it back to 100% while I was in the shower.

But just a few days ago, I started seeing the battery percentages in the low 80's.  Then the low 70's.  Yesterday, after a 100% charge in the morning, the battery was DOWN TO 51%.  If this keeps it up, my Ionic will not last a full day without needing to be charged.  At which time I might as well toss it in the trash and move on to some other company's technology.  I am NOT happy to see this three-hundred-dollar purchase utterly die as I watch it over the course of one week.

I have NOT been doing anything strange that seemingly made this happen.  It didn't happen "right after a firmware update" or anything like that -- I have been updating things as they have happened, but the last one was months ago.  I did NOT install any new apps or anything like that.  It was just functioning normally, and then it went to hell in a handbasket one day, and it just keeps on getting worse, every day.

I have been doing daily "reboots" with the Ionic.  I have uninstalled every app that I could uninstall.  I am using a very simple watch face.  I have fully uninstalled the Fitbit app on my phone, and reinstalled that.  Nothing has helped.  It simply appears that my Ionic's battery is going to die within the next week or so.  By all means, if you can suggest anything else I could do, I would appreciate it, but I think I've gone through the gamut of what can be done with the thing, already.  I can tell you one thing, though -- if this thing dies on me, I sure won't be buying a new Ionic, given how this thing hasn't lasted much more than about six months.

Moderator edit: Updated subject for clarity 

[Colinm39]

@N8teGee Thanks for confirming that. Your findings agree with mine and I will use the 30% rule as well. I have also noticed the charge rate on a certified wall adapter is about 1%/minute.

---

@N8teGeewrote:

@Colinm39 I've also noticed the battery percentage reading decreases in a non linear way. Like you, the lower percentages seem to drop very quickly. I tend not to let it drop below 30% because of the unpredictability. 

---

[JeffInNC]

Since the OS2 update, I am seeing horrible battery life. Prior to the update, it would last easily 4 days. I fully charged it last night around 9PM. When I got up this morning around 7AM, it was down to 84% already. I did a reset on the device around 7:45AM. Since then it has dropped to 77% (it is now 7:30PM).

Any ideas on what is killing the battery? I have All Day Sync turned OFF.

[Tony.r]

@N8teGee @Colinm39 i agree too definatley decreases faster as the battery charge falls.

l am definatley getring a day less on a full charge though, was getting 4 days but now 3. I last fully charged Saturday evening and as I am typing this now down to 29% I have changed no settings still on all day sync and auto brightness too backlight 10 seconds and I use GPS daily.

[N8teGee]

@Tony.r I know you said you haven't changed any settings, does that include no new apps or a change of watch face? Is it possible a 3rd party app may have been updated but the update has caused it to miss behave?

I'm running my Ionic completely stock (I'm boring), I don't have any 3rd party apps on it and the clock face I'm using is a fitbit oem one. Maybe this will explain why I'm getting slightly better battery life then most? 

[Tony.r]

@N8teGee i have added no 3rd party apps since the firmware update.

The only 3rd pary apps I have are RHR report, HR pacing, Cardio Doc, World Clock and Calender. Had them since the the App stire opened last December and was getring 4 days no probs before the update, so it cant be connected to those.

Unless its something to do with Deezer which pre-installed with the OS 2 update, perhaps I need to see if it is possible to remove that as I dont need it.

[N8teGee]

@Tony.r Yes you can remove Deezer as I've done that myself.

I know it's a bit of a nightmare but I would be tempted to do a factory reset if I was having the same experience as yourself. Like you say, it's since the update, but can't be the update itself as I'm still getting the same battery life post update. Maybe a corruption in your installation of the OS? Something a factory reset would hopefully fix. Obviously it's upto you if you think it's worth going through the hassle though. 

[Tony.r]

@N8teGee Will look at taking Deezer off later on.

I am very dubious of doing a factory reset tbh but understand what you say about there could have been some corrupted code at the time of update, Neverless I am going to solider on without the factory reset, hopefully not too long and we may see another firmware update.

[N8teGee]

I can understand that, four days still isn't too bad. Who knows, it might even sort itself out after a few charge cycles.

[Colinm39]

My battery dilemmas are continuing..no GPS or exercises just using the Ionic 24/7, no All day sync and Notifications on..  Just day to day steps accumulating and the occasional sync. This Ionic is 5 months old and 5 Fitbit Pays today...

Since the 100% charge here are the results.

Now after the1st 24 hours.   88%  - Drop 12%

  "       "     "   2nd 24 hours   73%.....Drop 15%

Now another........12 hours   37%.....Drop 36%..in .. 1/2 a day.  and this is what happened last charge.

So at this rate I may get 3 days...

I'm going to do 3 restarts now to see if that arrests the sudden decline. Done.. battery still 37%.

[Tony.r]

@Colinm39 i have noticed my battery is draining out quicker than before the update was explaining earlier on in this thread I was getring 4 days on a full charge no probs but now 3 days at push.

I had made no changes to Apps or clock faces at all since the update

I  have now removed Deezer and Fitbit Tips which installed with the firmware update to see if that makes any difference.

I fully Charged my Ionic to 100 % yesterday morning and 30 hours in I am currently at 73%

[Colinm39]

@Tony.rI have only dropped 1% in the last 3 hours after my 3 restarts..

I have always used the Nautical watch face. Deleted Deezer and the Tips etc are switched off.. So I'm faring slightly better 73% after 48 hours and no GPS.. or exercise activities.  Just letting the Ionic do what it does Records my activity and sleep.

---

@Tony.rwrote:

@Colinm39 i have noticed my battery is draining out quicker than before the update was explaining earlier on in this thread I was getring 4 days on a full charge no probs but now 3 days at push.

I had made no changes to Apps or clock faces at all since the update

I  have now removed Deezer and Fitbit Tips which installed with the firmware update to see if that makes any difference.

I fully Charged my Ionic to 100 % yesterday morning and 30 hours in I am currently at 73%

---

[Tony.r]

@Colinm39 I have had my Ionic since release in UK last October.

 I  use Fitbit's Arc watch face and use GPS pretty much daily. Sync wise all day sync and always connected.

I always reboot my Ionic after every charge. I have never used Fitbit pay so have no idea how using that relates to battery drain.

[sk8erchic925]

I've been having the EXACT same problem for the past week & I just bought mine about a month ago. About 24 hours ago I charged my Ionic to 100% and 30 minutes ago it died. Same situation, working fine for the past month up until about a week ago dying more quickly until now battery life is less than 24 hours!!

[Thewahlrus]

Me too, I don't even get 24 hours with one charge. This is bs. Before the update I would get several days. I have restarted, factory reset several times, let the battery run completely out then let it stay plugged in for hours after it was 100% and every other suggestion I've found nothing works. If I have to charge it every day I might as well switch to a real smart watch.

[Tony.r]

@MattFitbit We have more reports of battery drains any suggestions?

[Colinm39]

Since doing the 3 restarts yesterday the Ionic has only lost 1%/hr and if that continues I will get through the night and have 4 completed days in the morning.

Sadly all the Ionic is doing is counting steps, giving me HR and recording sleep.  No activated exercise or GPS. Before this update I could enjoy  just over 4 days with a mixture of Workouts and Walking exercise activated.

[Tony.r]

@Colinm39 Thanks for keeping us updated  I am now at 48% 51 hours into my current charge, will see how it goes on. I will try what you have done on my next charge and reboot 3 times after charging. Keep us posted.

[Colinm39]

@Tony.rThis morning 11%, so I achieved 4 days and as I said, no real activity, a watch pedometer with HR...It dropped 1%/hr while asleep...

Today I will try the GPS which hasn't been connecting since the update.. My Android phone connects and tracks perfectly.  So with a fully charged Ionic we will see..

---

@Tony.rwrote:

@Colinm39 Thanks for keeping us updated  I am now at 48% 51 hours into my current charge, will see how it goes on. I will try what you have done on my next charge and reboot 3 times after charging. Keep us posted.

---

[driver111]

Ok,

So I went to bed with 29% slept for 8hrs and it was flat when I woke up.

Sort it out please!!!!

[Colinm39]

@driver111@That's what happened to me a couple of weeks ago.. Went to bed @ 21% and 0% when I awoke.. After recharging and syncing I found the HR stopped 2 hours into my sleep. Therefore 21% in 2 hours.  Crazy, because I switch my phone off every night so no auto syncing..

This week I had the 39% in a day, where before the update my Ionic used to dissipate at about 1%/hour.. with a mix of activities and all notifications..

So this weeks test is the 3 restarts from the shutdown screen and after the current charge it's dissipate rate is 1%/hr..  now 99%..just doing domestics.

---

@driver111wrote:

Ok,

So I went to bed with 29% slept for 8hrs and it was flat when I woke up.

Sort it out please!!!!

---