when i try to charge the battery of my phone it doesn`t charge it what is the problem

[Martin]

Hi @srlawren,

You're quite right about draining the battery.

Since both 2013 units lack a SIM card, I use them exclusively in the community. When brand-new, each battery supplied about 13.5 hours of power. Now, I get about 5.5 hours before recharging is necessary.

The Achilles heel of most smartphones: A battery that cannot be replaced by the user. Do I hear the sound of profit being produced?

[srlawren]

Yeah a 1.5-2 years of constantly charging and draining a battery will definitely take its toll!  @Martin

[Martin]

Hi @angloo and @srlawren,

I have two 2013 Moto G units, and each required a new battery as of June 2015. I live in a mid-sized city near Toronto, but far enough that people don't commute from here to the GTA. Prices are therefore not influenced by those in the Toronto region. There was only one repair shop that Staples and Best Buy were willing to recommend. I spoke with the owner, and informed me that a battery, from a Motorola supplier, would cost me between $30 and $40, parts and labour included, depending who the supplier was. Unfortunately, after contacting his suppliers, none had a battery for a 2013 unit. Your luck may vary. If you go to motorola.ca, there is a page dedicated to how to obtain the exact cost of repair, and how much it would cost if the cost of repair is rejected. Even though I have no doubt that servicing by Motorola would be far more what the local shop would have charged, the cost would not even be in the ballpark of the cost of a 2015 device. Frankly, if I had to make a choice between a 2013 running 4.4.4, or a 2015 on 5.1.1, I would opt for the former.

FYI.

[srlawren]

@angloo sorry I don't live in Toronto so can't recommend somewhere to go, but just about any phone repair shop should be able to replace your battery for you (I don't believe they are user-replaceable on any generation of Moto G).  You may want to get a quote including the part (new battery) and labour first, and decide if it's worth it to you vs. buying, say, a brand new 3rd gen Moto G from Telus or Koodo for around $230-$240 or so.  You could always keep your current one as a spare or give it to a friend or family member.  Just a thought.

[mounagaon]

@angloo, do you know which generation of Moto G you have? Given that you said you've had it for 18 months, my guess would be the 2nd generation? (http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_g_%282nd_gen%29-pictures-6647.php)?

Otherwise it might be the 1st generation? (http://www.gsmarena.com/motorola_moto_g-pictures-5831.php)

[angloo]

I have no IPhone. I have a Moto G.

Where can I go?

[angloo]

Is there any way to test to see whether the battery is, in fact, dying?
And where in North Toronto can I buy said battery?

[srlawren]

@angloo what is the make and model of your phone?  That age, they definitely start losing battery capacity.  It also depends on how heavily you use the phone, what areas you frequent (weak signal strength means the phone has to transmit with more power, for example), what things you have turned on (WiFi, Bluetooth, gps/location features), how bright you keep the screen and the screen timeout length before it turns off, what services and data sync you have enabled in the background, what version of your operating system you are on, etc.  It's a complicated topic.  But seeing your capacity diminish over time is normal.  My phone is now about 16 months old and I often have to charge it 2 or 3 times per day--but I am a fairly heavy user, too.

[clogan2]

@angloo It's rather common for a smartphone not to last a full day, many of them don't. The iPhone 5, and Samsung Galaxy S3 come to my mind immedietly as phones that sometimes don't last a full day.

Perhaps you might be able to get a battery case (available at many electronics stores) to supplement the capacity you lack.

[7789849803]

@angloo This is a phone/hardware problem that is totally unrelated to Telus/PM. PM provides phone service and doesn't actually manufacture phones, so the question of going to a kiosk or store for technical help does not arise.

As far as your particular problem goes, I can confirm that the symptoms you describe are indeed that of an aging battery. As Lithium Ion cells degrade they progressively lose their capacity to hold charge. Once they have lost a significant percentage of their original capacity (when new), the "fuel gauge" in the phone that estimates how much juice is left in the battery, becomes increasingly unreliable. This is why sometimes when your phone thinks you have 12% battery capacity remaining, in reality you may have 0% left.

The only way to remedy your situation is to buy a brand new battery.

[angloo]

I am starting to have the same problem. Not exactly but similar.

I have had my phone only about 18 months. Shouldn't a full charge (100% battery listed) last the whole day at least? Sometimes it doesn't.

In addition, it has occasionally been shutting off even when I have as much as 10-12% power left when I check, and I don't mean in very cold weather.

I do not want to get a new battery if I don't have to. I DO want to know if there is something wrong with my old one. With no PM kiosks to go to, what do I do? Will Telus advise me for free?

[Martin · Accepted solution]

Hello,

That means that the battery is almost or is dead, or the phone needs replacement. I highly doubt that the charger is at fault.

In order to save money, buy a charger from Staples. Use it to try to charge your battery. If full charging does not occur, the problem is not with the charger, in which case return it to Staples for a full refund. Ensure that you have all the packing material and your sales slip and that you have not torn the box in the process of opening it.

If the battery is removable, buy a new battery and see if it can be fully charged. If it cannot be fully charged, return it for a full refund.

That means that your phone requires replacement. If you require a new phone, ensure that it is WCDMA / UMTS / HSDPA compatible. The 3G frequencies are 850 MHz and 1900 MHz. The 4G frequencies are 1700 MHz and 2100 MHz. The 4G LTE -Advanced frequency is 700 MHz, which is yet to be deployed in Canada considering how new it is to the Canadian market. Most phones are not configured for it.

Your phone must be either unlocked, or locked to Telus. If you need a reputable unlocking service, there is one located at www.cellunlocker.net

Reputable sellers are Best Buy, Staples, Costco, Walmart, the online Google store, the online Nexus store, the online Apple store, Telus online, the Microsoft online Store, the online BlackBerry store and the online Alcatel store.

If you don't mind, would you please return to this forum and inform us as to what the ultimate problem was with your phone being charged? Thank you.

[comptable826]

 i tried what you have suggested , the phone lights up for a couple of minutes , the blue light on the phone lit up  meaning it is giving energy to the battery , gradually the blue light on the phone dims out

[Martin]

Hello,

Further to my previous post, the problem may be rust in your USB charging port. This is a somewhat common problem if you have kept your cell phone in the bathroom while you were taking a shower or bath. If possible, shine a very bright light into the port to see if there is any rust. If present, bring the phone to a cell phone store with personnel experienced with rust removal. If the rust is removed, you will have saved the money involved in purchasing a new phone and/or charger.

I hope that this answer has helped.

[Martin]

Hello,

If you want to know if there is an electrical current between the wall outlet and phone, turn the phone off. Then, plug the charger into the outlet. If your phone comes on, there is a connection, and the battery is the problem. If there is no connection, either the phone or charger is defective.

[chukdefatey]

@comptable826, its hard to say what is wrong. Maybe it's time to get a new battery or Perhaps a charger or a new Phone

[Cyber]

@comptable826,

Your charger could be defective or you have no current at the outlet.