> Summary
>
> * Battery technology has not kept up with computer and software
> advancements, aka 'Moore's Law'
>
> * Battery life is not the primary driver in consumer purchases, per a
> recent study from Accenture.
>
> * Battery life is largely the product of user behavior, and not just the
> phone hardware and software design.
>
> * Independent tests show iPhone battery life meets and exceeds Apple's
> major competitor products.
>
> * Intel, AMD, and Android all use power saving technology in their
> products and Apple is just following suit.
>
> Apple (AAPL) has recently been stung by a so-called scandal in which
> Apple has been slowing down the processor on its phones to deal with
> aging battery issues. Apple has acknowledged it is addressing the
> battery life problem with an update to the phone software. Apple's
> choice to actively manage the phone processor (and thereby the
> corresponding performance) to reduce the incidence of power failure
> shutdowns is very responsible behavior and mirrors similar choices made
> by other hardware developers in the tech industry.
>
> In this article, I will show why Apple is responsibly helping its
> consumers manage the batteries on their iPhone product. I will show that
> this type of power management is normal and that most technology that
> consumers use already has battery management technology. And I will show
> that the issue around battery performance has little to do with phone
> manufacturers, but reflects on the current state of the battery
> industry. Therefore, this is not an Apple design flaw, as some authors
> have stated. But rather, it is an issue of the battery developments not
> keeping up with Moore's law of advancement in hardware and software.
>
> Moore's Law
>
> Moore's law is "the observation that the number of transistors in a
> dense integrated circuit doubles approximately every two years", and was
> named after Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) co-founder Gordon Moore, who wrote a
> paper in 1965 on the doubling of components on an integrated circuit.
>
> <
https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2017/12/26/410007-1514313452253769_origin.png>
>
> Image Courtesy of Wikipedia
>
> The computer industry benefited from the increased power that Moore's
> law by providing consumers with faster and smaller systems that can now
> fit in pocket. This technology is what has made smartphone technology a
> reality to the tune of over 2 billion smartphone devices in use, which
> according to Statista will continue to increase in the future.
>
>
https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2017/12/22/410007-15139639910765061.png
>
> Image courtesy of Statista
>
> Battery Technology
>
> There are limits to what batteries can do mainly because their
> development has not followed Moore's law with a doubling of power every
> 18 to 24 months. Fred Schlachter of the 'Proceedings of the National
> Academy of Sciences of the United States' [PNAS] wrote an article a few
> years ago about how battery technology has not kept up with the pace of
> electronic innovation in an article No Moore's Law for Batteries.
>
> "Sadly, such batteries do not exist. There is no Moore's Law for
> batteries."
>
> Technically speaking, batteries cannot be miniaturized in
> the same manner that computers are. Fred explains:
>
> "The reason there is a Moore's Law for computer processors is that
> electrons are small and they do not take up space on a chip. Chip
> performance is limited by the lithography technology used to fabricate
> the chips; as lithography improves ever smaller features can be made on
> processors. Batteries are not like this. Ions, which transfer charge in
> batteries, are large, and they take up space, as do anodes, cathodes,
> and electrolytes. A D-cell battery stores more energy than an AA-cell.
> Potentials in a battery are dictated by the relevant chemical reactions,
> thus limiting eventual battery performance. Significant improvement in
> battery capacity can only be made by changing to a different chemistry."
>
> Most smartphones use Lithium Ion [Li-ION] battery technology. Li-ION is
> the most advanced, commonly available batteries that are used in
> portable electronics like laptops and phones. That is because unlike
> Nickel Cadmium [NiCad], they do not develop 'charge memories'. And they
> are better for small electronics than Nickel Metal Hydride [NiMH]
> because of shorter charge time and higher energy density, both critical
> for the uses of portable phones. Li-ION batteries are also more
> environmentally safe than the other types. But Li-ION batteries
> typically fail faster than NiCad because they wear out in less charge
> cycles, which mean consumers get fewer charges before their batteries
> will need replacement.
>
> In fact, this has been documented in publications such as USA Today. In
> an article Smartphone Battery Myths That Need to Die, technical writer,
> Jennifer Jolly debunks the following myth regarding smartphone
> batteries:
>
> "The lithium-ion batteries found in most smartphones today are expected
> to maintain at least 80% of their original capacity for around 300 to
> 500 full charge cycles. That's a pretty wide range. For me, a heavy user
> and charger, that means I get about one good year before my battery
> starts to poop out. For most other people, the average is about two
> years it shows significant signs of wear and tear."
>
> The average lifespan of a typical phone battery is about 1 to 2 years.
> That is not a long time, but consumers tend to change their phones every
> 22.7 months anyway.
>
> <
https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2017/12/26/410007-1514313668770382_origin.jpg>
>
> This is because technology changes so fast that battery technology,
> while limited, has not caused consumers to stop buying smartphones but
> instead to change them fairly quickly for the features and benefits that
> new models bring. Consulting firm Accenture outlines the reasons
> consumers purchase new phones:
>
> "Among all consumers surveyed, the leading driver of purchase intent is
> the ability to access the newest and most innovative features and
> functions, cited by 51 percent of respondents in this year's survey,
> compared with only 41 percent last year. Another reason consumers are
> opting to buy new smartphones is inadequate performance of their
> existing devices, cited by 45 percent of customers this year - up from
> 33 percent last year."
>
> <
https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2017/12/26/410007-15143137644815097_origin.jpg>
>
> What improvements in battery technology are on the horizon? Several
> lithium-based derivatives that hold charges longer are in development
> but have the distinct disadvantage of much lower number of charge
> cycles. A sodium battery is in development that is good for home power
> storage, but not for mobile technology due to lower energy density
> (translates to much bigger battery size for same battery life).
> Dual-carbon batteries are in development that discharges slower than
> Li-ION and holds more charges, but are still a long way from being ready
> for market. For right now, Li-ION based batteries are still the best
> choice for mobile computing applications.
>
> Smartphone Battery Life is User-Driven
>
> While limitations on portable battery technology are known, consumers
> may not understand that they may be the main reason their smartphone
> batteries are dying early.
>
> Batteries will run down when more power is consumed, and features such
> as brightness or open apps using Wi-Fi will affect battery life. These
> can be adjusted by users. According to Tech Advisor:
>
> "Even in 2016, it's tough to go much longer than 24 hours without
> charging your smartphone. Better battery technology simply hasn't
> arrived yet, which means it's down to software and settings to eke out
> the limited power for as long as possible.
>
> Unfortunately, you're never going to get a week's use out of a
> smartphone because of those big, bright screens along with Wi-Fi,
> Bluetooth, GPS and 3G. However, by following our advice and making a few
> changes to your phone's settings (and maybe even changing the way you
> use your phone) you should be able to extend its battery life by a good
> chunk."
>
> The article makes good points - adjusting settings on the phone can make
> a big difference in everyday battery life. First, daily battery life
> will depend on how the owner uses the phone. And as Popular Mechanic
> points out, the average Lithium Ion battery can only withstand between
> 500 to 1500 charge cycles.
>
> Further, does it matter how you discharge your batteries? Yes, according
> to Popular Mechanics.
>
> "One cycle is just one bout of discharging, but how much energy you
> discharge in one go - a measure referred to as depth of discharge [DOD]
> - matters bigtime. Lithium-ions really hate a deep depth of discharge.
>
> According to Battery University, a staggeringly exhaustive resource on
> the topic, a li-ion that goes through 100 percent DoD (the user runs it
> down all the way to zero before recharging) can degrade to 70 percent of
> its original capacity in 300-500 cycles. With a DoD of 25 percent, where
> the user plugs it in as soon as it gets to 75 percent remain, that same
> battery could be charged up to 2,500 times before it starts to seriously
> degrade."
>
> Users who do not manage their phone batteries can experience degradation
> much more quickly than those who follow best practices on charging them.
>
> iPhone Batteries Are Not Inferior
>
> One of the assumptions a person has to make to accept that Apple has
> somehow made a design flaw in its phones is that the batteries are
> inferior.
>
> Paulo Santos argues the point over battery life:
>
> "Most Android phones, by luck or design, will not share the problem. This
> is so since their batteries were made larger to provide enough battery
> life and thus can also sustain peak current for a longer service life."
>
> We have established that the technology itself is limited not only to
> Apple but to all battery manufacturers. So the only question left to
> answer is whether Apple is skimping on its batteries. Here are two
> studies that examine this very question.
>
> There are plenty of formal reviews that show that Apple iPhone batteries
> last as long as their Android counterparts, despite having less size.
> Here is a quote from one of them (emphasis mine in this excerpt and all
> ensuing quotes):
>
> "iPhone X's battery is a smidgen bigger than the 2,691mAh cell that's in
> the iPhone 8 Plus, but it's still way smaller than the ones in its
> Android peers. To compare the specs, you'd think iPhone X is at a
> serious disadvantage here:
>
> * iPhone X: 2,716mAh
> * Note 8: 3,300mAh
> * V30: 3,300mAh
> * Pixel 2 XL: 3,520mAh
>
> But numbers don't tell the whole story. Case in point: The iPhone 8 Plus
> has a smaller battery than the iPhone 7 Plus (2,691mAh versus 2,900mAh),
> but there's no noticeable dip in longevity."
>
> To bring in some historical evidence, here is an article in 2015 rating
> the best battery life for smartphones, and Apple models beat their
> comparable Android models in battery life despite the size differences.
>
> "* Galaxy S6: 14.4 hours
> * LG G4: 11 hours
> * HTC One M9: 8.5 hours
> * iPhone 6: 17.5 hours
> * iPhone 6 Plus: 23 hours "
>
> From the same link in 2015, we see this was not the case in objective,
> independent testing.
>
> "Over the five hours, here's how their stamina dribbled down:"
>
> <
https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2017/12/22/410007-151396101756034.jpg>
>
> Notice how the two iPhone models are on top.
>
> "The three clear winners here are the iPhone 6, the Samsung Galaxy S6 and
> the iPhone 6 Plus, which was a way ahead."
>
> Well, that debunks the myth that iPhone batteries are historically poor.
> Let's look into a more recent study by Phonearena.
>
> "We have spent a few days with the $1,000 phone and we have run our
> battery test to get the numbers. But first, here is how the iPhone X
> battery size compares to other iPhones and Samsung Galaxy phones'
> batteries:"
>
> <
https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2017/12/22/410007-151396303131401.png>
>
> The battery sizes are different, but how did the tests come out?
>
> "In our experience, the iPhone X battery will last users even through
> those longer days, but you will still need to recharge your phone every
> night."
>
> <
https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2017/12/22/410007-15139631212707033.png>
>
> All iPhone models were rated as 'excellent' on the test, as noted above.
>
> The main negative on iPhone batteries from this testing was the longer
> recharge times. However, all would easily charge in about three hours or
> less, with only about an hour difference between the best Android model
> and the worst iPhone model.
>
> <
https://static.seekingalpha.com/uploads/2017/12/22/410007-15139632345460842.png>
>
> So, what I have just established is that battery size by itself does not
> matter. What matters is that the battery is matched to the phone
> hardware it is supporting. Historically, iPhone battery performance has
> been fine when tested. And recently, that point seems to hold up quite
> well.
>
> Portable Power Management Technology is Ubiquitous
>
> There are few remaining questions we need to answer to show that Apple
> has not designed flaws into its iPhone product with regard to battery
> management.
>
> What Apple has done is provide software that allows its iPhone users who
> want to keep their phones to manage their batteries by slowing down the
> processor during times of lower power and to keep the phones from
> turning off spontaneously. Contrary to what many have said about this
> story, what Apple is doing is not abnormal at all.
>
> There are two computer chip manufacturers that you may have heard of,
> Intel and Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), that have built advanced
> power management technology into their chipset designs.
>
> Intel proudly markets its power management technology by providing a
> separate online marketing page for it.
>
> In its power management whitepaper, Intel makes a very important point
> about power management technology for devices such as laptops that rely
> on a battery, which smartphones do.
>
> "If Intel didn't continue to create new technologies to balance that
> performance with incredible efficiency, notebook computers would not be
> nearly as easy to carry around nor would you be able to work most of the
> day on the battery."
>
> Not only does power management technology, such as the one that Apple
> has developed for its iPhones, allow more efficient use of available
> power, but it has environmental advantages, as Intel points out.
>
> "This provides a consumer with the best possible battery life for a
> mobile platform as well as an unequaled Energy Star * rating for desktop
> systems."
>
> While not a desktop, smartphones still rely on electricity to charge and
> this has an impact on the environment. Efficient use of battery power
> during the day will substantially reduce the amount of overall energy
> consumed by smartphones.
>
> What about AMD? Well, it has its own power management whitepaper.
>
> "Those with experience implementing microprocessors know the importance
> of proper power management. Whether for simple applications processors
> or high-end server processors, the ability to down-clock, clock-gate,
> power-off, or in some manner disable unused or underused hardware blocks
> is crucial in limiting power consumption.
>
> Better power management benefits range from energy savings within the
> data center to improved battery life in mobile devices."
>
> The Android OS, powering many phones that make up Apple's main
> competitors, also use power management technology. Android.com explains
> the reasons for use of power management in its OS.
>
> "Battery life is a perennial user concern. To extend battery life,
> Android continually adds new features and optimizations to help the
> platform optimize the off-charger behavior of applications and devices."
>
> Apple Made the Right Decision
>
> What Apple is doing is the right thing:
>
> "Our goal is to deliver the best experience for customers, which includes
> overall performance and prolonging the life of their devices.
> Lithium-ion batteries become less capable of supplying peak current
> demands when in cold conditions, have a low battery charge or as they
> age over time, which can result in the device unexpectedly shutting down
> to protect its electronic components.
>
> Last year we released a feature for iPhone 6, iPhone 6s and iPhone SE to
> smooth out the instantaneous peaks only when needed to prevent the
> device from unexpectedly shutting down during these conditions. We've
> now extended that feature to iPhone 7 with iOS 11.2, and plan to add
> support for other products in the future."
>
> I believe the company is being irresponsibly maligned for actively
> addressing what is a known issue for battery technology and shows no
> evidence that this is a design flaw specific to Apple iPhones. As such,
> I see no lasting effects that will hurt Apple or the company's stock. As
> the hysteria dies down regarding the recent claims made about Apple
> throttling, investors will see that no disadvantage exists to owning the
> stock as it pertains to Apple product quality. In fact, I believe that
> Apple users will stay loyal to their products despite the slanderous
> stories working their way around the Internet.
>
> <
https://seekingalpha.com/article/4134069-apple-slandered-chemistry-fix>
>
This all would not matter terribly much if I could purchase a spare
battery and swap it out with the original ... at will ... like I can do
with my camera. Sure, it would add some space to have a removable
battery, but it would certainly help in other ways.
Wilf