2g to 3g power usage - HD2 General

2g to 3g power usage - HD2 General

Ive seen some apps that switch from 2g to 3g and vice versa in different situations such as when the phone goes to standby or when certain applications are opened. However on my g1 (i know they are different hardware and os) switching from 2g to 3g and vice Versa used more energy than simply leaving it on one of them. Is this the case on the hd2?

yes it is still the case.
I live on the edge of my 3g area, ranging from 3 bar 2g up to 3 bar 3g, and normally keep my phone on 2g only, but if I forget I lose around an extra 25% battery thought the day, say... 12 hours.

samsamuel said:
yes it is still the case.
I live on the edge of my 3g area, ranging from 3 bar 2g up to 3 bar 3g, and normally keep my phone on 2g only, but if I forget I lose around an extra 25% battery thought the day, say... 12 hours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks, i guess ill just have to stick to 2g.

i live in an area with great t-mobile coverage (both 2g and 3g) and i noticed 3g uses a lot more power than 2g, so what i do is i keep it on 2g most of the time and turn on 3g when i need it the most (gps, quick google searches etc) battery lasts a lot longer than leaving it on 3g all day.

guys.. this pertains to your discussion. there is an app developed called wmlonglife
which keeps your phone in 2g mode until you launch an app that requires 3g then it auto switches it on then off when your done. it does other stuff too like turn off 3g when your screen is off... or turn off 3g when ur using wifi... its perfect. i got at LEAST +25 % longer time between charges on ym HD2 because of this app.
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=478519
so there. hope that helps you out some
below is a snippet from that page
Code:
About
WMLongLife is an automatic 2G/3G band-switching solution. It will keep your device in 2G when you do not need to use 3G, and will switch to 3G automatically when you do need it. For most users, having your device in 2G uses much less battery, and thus your phone lasts longer on a single charge. 2G also usually generates less radiation than 3G, so it will likely be better for your gonads (if you have them) as well (see this thread for a discussion about that) - think of your hypothetical future children!
Main features
* 2G/3G (auto)/3G (only) automatic band switching based on:
- Running programs and their needs
- Availability of Wi-Fi
- Availability of USB
- Roaming [note: most roaming options have been removed, use the RoamFreely (marketplace) tool instead]
* Idle data connections disconnect based on running programs (note that unlike the registry tweak this does not break simultaneous voice/data)
* Manual band switching
* Automatically disable data when roaming (including AGPS)
* Pauses applications while switching bands (so you don't get networking errors)
* Several predefined applications supported
* Support for HTC/MSM72xx GSM devices (GSM/EDGE vs UMTS/HSDPA)
* Support for HTC/MSM75xx CDMA devices (1xRTT vs EV-DO)
* Support for various Samsung GSM devices (GSM/EDGE vs UMTS/HSDPA)

Related

htc band settings on 3 network!?

Hi.
I have an HTC Touch HD on the UK 3 Network.
It works fine with texts and calls n 3g but whenever I need data for an app etc it ignores a great 3g signal and tries to connect on HSDPA instead.
now this might not seem like a problem but it often switches from full 3G bars to one bar on HSDPA to check my email. this can take 5 to 10 seconds when it could have just done it on 3G.
what gives? am i using the right settings?
start/settings/phone/band
Network Type "Auto"
GSM/UMTS band "Auto"
when i was on Vodafone it would stay on the best choice ie HSDPA instead of all this swapping about.
I hope this is the right place to ask. not a major problem just a frustration.
thanks
don

In common with many (all?) of the five networks, 3UK has recently switched their handsets from staying on HDSPA to "only" 3g, but automatically changing to HSDPA when data traffic occurs.
HSDPA demands extra bandwidth to the cell. There might be a second or so delay while the handset re-negotiates the extra protocol, but it's done to give extra capacity on the cell, allowing more space for 3G voice calls, while ensuting your data speeds aren't affected by push-email or similar low-bandwidth devices using an always-on HSDPA protocol.
In short, it's completly normal and pretty standard nowadays. Keep your phone on Auto/3G, you can't force it to HSDPA only.

Problem with HD2, anyone else had this issue

This morning my phone stopped working. Screen went off, couldn't wake it up and couldn't charge it. None of the buttons did anything. I decided to try a soft reset as a last resort and it's working again now. HAs anyone else had this issue, and is it something that occurs a lot? I'm not happy about this

Morning,
Search is your friend. Look on here for a thread started by Beards. Has all the info and solutions you need for this.
Use this to search as XDA search is a bit hit and miss..http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=+site:http://forum.xda-developers.com&hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all
WB

wacky.banana said:
Morning,
Search is your friend. Look on here for a thread started by Beards. Has all the info and solutions you need for this.
Use this to search as XDA search is a bit hit and miss..http://www.google.com/advanced_search?q=+site:http://forum.xda-developers.com&hl=en&lr=&as_qdr=all
WB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I can't find anything on XDA search to be honest. I tried that link you sent, but I can't find it on that either, any hints as to what keywords I should be using?
I also tried searching by members list, and finding all posts by beards, but I just get this long list, any idea which one he/she is?
http://forum.xda-developers.com/memberlist.php?&order=asc&sort=username&ausername=beard

try searching the site for standy screen of death.
Its a problem that has afflicted many HTC devices and seems somehow related to the phone moving between 2G and 3G in areas of poor 3G signal

rumpleforeskin said:
try searching the site for standy screen of death.
Its a problem that has afflicted many HTC devices and seems somehow related to the phone moving between 2G and 3G in areas of poor 3G signal
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks for that hint, found lots of info on it now. This is going to show how really clueless I am, but apart from 3G being a lot faster I'm not sure what the difference is between 2G and 3G. Also, is the 2G and 3G just related to data usage/transfer, or is it calls as well?
If it's just data transfer then I may as well set it to 3G only as I'm too impatient to wait for the internet etc on 2G. If it responsible for the connection of calls as well I'm going to have to leave it on both as I quite frequently go from3G to 2G areas, and I don't want to keep losing signal for my phone.

Snerkler,
Take a look at this thread...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=596484
WB

> If it's just data transfer then I may as well set it to 3G only as I'm too impatient to wait for the internet etc on 2G. If it responsible for the connection of calls as well I'm going to have to leave it on both as I quite frequently go from3G to 2G areas, and I don't want to keep losing signal for my phone.
GSM (2G) handles all the voice traffic and SMS in UK, plus basic GPRS speed at up to 56Kbps. Where available it also includes (E)dge connections for data up to about 100Kbps (technically can go much higher, but this is the practical limit)
3G and HSDPA (Also termed UMTS and WCDMA) are data only and can allow 330Kbps and up to 7.2Mbps respectively though you'll generally see around 200Kbps and 1-1.5Mbps as usable maxima. These protocols are also used for video calling and MMS media content. However if a device is set for WCDMA only, it can still make/receive voice and SMS services.
If all you do is use email, voice, SMS and basic web page browsing, there is an advantage in constraining the connection to GSM only, as the battery life will improve by up to 25%. For occasional higher volume web browsing it may still be worth staying on GSM, but switching to Auto or WCDMA when needed.
For frequent web use, then it's best to stay on Auto and take the battery hit. Don't select WCDMA only- the 3G service in UK is still patchy and if you go out of a 3G area, you;ll get no signal at all with this selection.
You may also see a few posts on here relating to auto-disconnecting the data signal after a timeout. In general this is not a good idea with current 'connected' devices as it prevents all the 'push' updating of email, Facebook etc. The programs to allow this were originally produced to prevent unwanted data charges when data was expensive, or when roaming. A lot of users are now utilising this in an effort to improve battery life- this is a little futile as the data connection itself uses the normal phone signal service channels and therefore negligible battery power, unless the 3G service is switched off at the same time.

wacky.banana said:
Snerkler,
Take a look at this thread...http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=596484
WB
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Cheers for this, read through to page 8 so far, will read the rest later. WHy can't I find the threads I want when I search?
I may as well just PM you everytime WB lol

NeilM said:
> If it's just data transfer then I may as well set it to 3G only as I'm too impatient to wait for the internet etc on 2G. If it responsible for the connection of calls as well I'm going to have to leave it on both as I quite frequently go from3G to 2G areas, and I don't want to keep losing signal for my phone.
GSM (2G) handles all the voice traffic and SMS in UK, plus basic GPRS speed at up to 56Kbps. Where available it also includes (E)dge connections for data up to about 100Kbps (technically can go much higher, but this is the practical limit)
3G and HSDPA (Also termed UMTS and WCDMA) are data only and can allow 330Kbps and up to 7.2Mbps respectively though you'll generally see around 200Kbps and 1-1.5Mbps as usable maxima. These protocols are also used for video calling and MMS media content. However if a device is set for WCDMA only, it can still make/receive voice and SMS services.
If all you do is use email, voice, SMS and basic web page browsing, there is an advantage in constraining the connection to GSM only, as the battery life will improve by up to 25%. For occasional higher volume web browsing it may still be worth staying on GSM, but switching to Auto or WCDMA when needed.
For frequent web use, then it's best to stay on Auto and take the battery hit. Don't select WCDMA only- the 3G service in UK is still patchy and if you go out of a 3G area, you;ll get no signal at all with this selection.
You may also see a few posts on here relating to auto-disconnecting the data signal after a timeout. In general this is not a good idea with current 'connected' devices as it prevents all the 'push' updating of email, Facebook etc. The programs to allow this were originally produced to prevent unwanted data charges when data was expensive, or when roaming. A lot of users are now utilising this in an effort to improve battery life- this is a little futile as the data connection itself uses the normal phone signal service channels and therefore negligible battery power, unless the 3G service is switched off at the same time.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I fI'm reading this right, you need 2G to make and receive calls, therefore if you select 3G only then you can't make and receive calls?

snerkler said:
I fI'm reading this right, you need 2G to make and receive calls, therefore if you select 3G only then you can't make and receive calls?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No- if you select 3G only you can make/receive calls and exchange fast data- but only if you are in a 3G coverage area. Out of 3G coverage and there's nothing
GSM only: Voice, SMS, Data wherever theres a signal. Good battery life. Slow data
3G only: Voice, SMS, fast Data, but nothing at all out of 3G coverage. Higher battery drain
Auto: Switches between the 2 above, but favours 3G where available so again, higher battery drain especially in marginal 3G signals where it will continually switch between protocols, potentially using a lot of battery power.

NeilM said:
No- if you select 3G only you can make/receive calls and exchange fast data- but only if you are in a 3G coverage area. Out of 3G coverage and there's nothing
GSM only: Voice, SMS, Data wherever theres a signal. Good battery life. Slow data
3G only: Voice, SMS, fast Data, but nothing at all out of 3G coverage. Higher battery drain
Auto: Switches between the 2 above, but favours 3G where available so again, higher battery drain especially in marginal 3G signals where it will continually switch between protocols, potentially using a lot of battery power.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ok, thanks for clearing this up. If I want to improve battery life, am I best to have it set to 2G, unless I want to use internet/email, and if I want to do that then swap it to 3G for this (assuming I don't want push mail)?
Also, most of the time I'm hooked up to wifi, so I'm assuming in this case I don't need 3G at all?

snerkler said:
Ok, thanks for clearing this up. If I want to improve battery life, am I best to have it set to 2G, unless I want to use internet/email, and if I want to do that then swap it to 3G for this (assuming I don't want push mail)?
Also, most of the time I'm hooked up to wifi, so I'm assuming in this case I don't need 3G at all?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Even email (polled or push) is fine over 2G unless you are receiving large attachments.
When you are on WiFi, data should take that path so you are correct- 3G won't be needed.

Data constipation? Irregular data movements? Constant disconnects?

Symptoms
- You cannot maintain a constant data connection. The connection is often lost or dropped.
- HD2 reception indicator dances between G to 3G to H despite showing good reception, and user remaining stationary.
Counter measures - No cabs or registry tweaks needed.
Presented in the order I would try them. If the lower number levels don't work, then move up a level. These are offerred as advice from a UK based HD2 user, though may work for you elsewhere.
LEVEL 1
- Go to Comm Manager > Wireless Controls
- Turn the Data connection Off then On again.
This will usually get you back and running again faster than waiting for the HD2 to sort itself out.
LEVEL 2
- Go to Settings > All Settings > Connections > Advanced Network
- Disable HSDPA/HSUPA
This will stop your phone attempting to use '3.5G' and will mean that you only use 3G.
Remember to re-enable HSDPA/HSUPA when you are in an area with better reception.
LEVEL 3
- Go to Settings > Wireless Controls > Phone - Change phone settings
- Move down to Other Options > Band - Change baseband
- Change Network Type from Auto to GSM
- Change Band frequency from Auto to either GSM (900+1800)+UMTS or GSM (1900+850) . To make the decision, you need to know the GSM frequency your operator uses. If you don't know, you can just try both of the GSM options and see which works. No damage will be done by using the wrong frequency first time, and you can change back.
This will disable 3G and force your phone to use 2G. Most operators have decent 2G networks, so you shouldn't have the disconnects anymore, but you will have slower than 3G potential speeds.
Remember to change your phone back to Auto for both Network Type and Band Frequency when you are in an area with better reception.

Thanks for the heads up... will have to try some of these. I find it most annoying at times...!

Thanks for the advice, I do find those issues annoying. What are the benefits of using 3.5G? If they're aren't any major advantages and turning this off helps then I may as well leave it off.

CHIP STAXMAN said:
LEVEL 1
- Go to Comm Manager > Wireless Controls
- Turn the Data connection Off then On again.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem with this is that it b*llockses up your push email settings, if you use the phone to get email from an Exchange server. The better approach (assuming standard configuration) is to press and hold the power/end-call hard-button. That brings up a menu of four choices. The last of those is "terminate data connection". Click it. Anything the phone does which requires the data connection after that will automatically reactivate it.

3G 2100
These tricks may solve the issue for many but not for me because I'm in a 3G 2100 only network so I cannot switch to GSM. I will try to disable HSDPA/HSUPA to see if that works though.
The weird thing is that the issue occurs almost exclusively when I'm logged on an IM client and the phone stays in sleep mode a few minutes (say 15 min or so). After I wake up the phone the signal seems ok but the data connection is lost (IM, browsing, mail, weather update, etc.). It doesn't happen every time but very often, several times a day.
If I don't log on any instant messenger app the data connection is stable, especially with the new 1.66 ROM (I tried both Duttty's custom and official). In this case I lose data connection very rarely, in fact I din't even remember the last time I did.
Can anybody provide an explanation for this, what is happening with the connection between the IM server and the phone during sleep?

snerkler said:
Thanks for the advice, I do find those issues annoying. What are the benefits of using 3.5G? If they're aren't any major advantages and turning this off helps then I may as well leave it off.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If your network supports it, you should have higher potential data upload and download speeds through using 3.5G (HSDPA/HSUPA).
In reality and every day use, on many networks you probably wouldn't notice the difference between 3G and 3.5G.
I'm on Virgin Mobile, which piggybacks on T-Mobile's network here in the UK. My speedtests in central London, show virtually no difference between me using 2G, 3G and 3.5G!!!! Which is ridiculous. The main difference I get as a HD2 user is much more stable data connection on 2G vs 3G/3.5G.

[Q] Option to use only 3G NOT HSPDA

HI all!
Right now I am using [Build][10.12.2010][NexusHD2-FRG83D V1.8 PPP+RMNET][Kernel: hastarin r8.5.3_oldcam] and that is quite ok for me.
However I havent found anywhere on that build an option to disable HDSPA speed.
What I would like is accept 3G but disable HSPDA. Now I only have a change to disable 3G totally and only get 2G. Basicly area where I live is keeping me a situation that phone is very often trying to connect HSPDA but then changes is 3G speed. It causes me time&battery drain.
I have found a solution to force phone only use 3G but that is what I wanted. 2G and 3G are ok but I want to disable HSPDA.
Anybody could help me?

Up, Up... anybody have same kind of need?

i also need same help regarding this, reason is my data plan only use 3g (umts) and not 3.5g (hsdpa)... but my android always switch 3g to hsdpa back and forth and drain battery much faster
is there any tweak/program/widget/application that can enable 3g (umts) only?
windows doenst have this problem cause in winmo i can switch the option easily (enable/disable hspa)... but android dont have this kind of thing

I have the same problem. I don't even have HSPDA where I live, yet it tries to connect, fails, and then connects to 3G. It's a very time consuming processor to wait for the phone to do this when I am just trying to load a website.

Yes.. maybe it will not drain much memory but.. who wouldn't want a fast internet..

Afaik Hsdpa uses the same radio towers (or whatever the name is) as Umts... just different software. so there should be no battery drain caused by this.

This mite help you
1. Go to your dialer
2. Dial *#*#INFO#*#*
3. Click 'Phone information'
4. Scroll down to the first dropdown selection and set according to your preference below...
For simplicity, there are two main types of cell carriers, GSM and CDMA.
The following popular data communication technology is associated with each cell carrier type:
GSM = GPRS (2g), EDGE(2g), UMTS(3g), WCDMA(3g), HSDPA(3g) {Cell Carrier examples: AT&T and T-Mobile}
CDMA = CDMA*(2/3g) EV-DO(3g) WiMax(3/4g) {Cell Carrier examples: Verizon and Sprint}
Now that the general stuff is out of the way, here's my take on the Preferred Network types:
WCDMA preferred - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 3G is favored more.
GSM only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
WCDMA only - The GSM phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
GSM auto (PRL) - The GSM phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more. This one is a bit confusing to me since PRL is associated mostly with CDMA technology and not GSM technology.
CDMA auto (PRL) - The CDMA phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more.
CDMA only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 2G data communication. When the 2G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
EvDo only - The CDMA phone is capable of using only 3G data communication. When the 3G signal is too low you get nothing at all.
GSM/CDMA auto (PRL) - Some phones are equipped with both GSM and CDMA capabilities. This setting appears to just have the phone attempt to stay connected to the data communication type that works the best. (Maybe the Samsung Galaxy S will take advantage of this???)
Unknown - If none of the above fit or the phone is acting weird as far as connecting to the carrier, you will see your preferred network type is set to this
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Source http://www.google.ie/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=6a327a95211ac789&hl=en

domenukk said:
Afaik Hsdpa uses the same radio towers (or whatever the name is) as Umts... just different software. so there should be no battery drain caused by this.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
uhh... maybe you dont catch what us mean....
when umts change to hspda (icon change from 3g to H) then it use battery power.. in my case i use 3g (umts and not 3.5g or hspda )data plan only... but android keep searching hspda signal and THIS is when battery used the most (the process) and EVEN when my area have 3.5g covered but because i use 3g only data plan... then the back and forth process (3g<->H) will kep coming and rdrain my battery fast
so... we look for any kind of workaround so our android keep stay in 3g (umts) and not drain any unnecessary battery power searching for hspda
btw sorry for my english

agarp said:
This mite help you
1. Go to your dialer
2. Dial *#*#INFO#*#*
3. Click 'Phone information'
4. Scroll down to the first dropdown selection and set according to your preference below...
Source http://www.google.ie/support/forum/p/android/thread?tid=6a327a95211ac789&hl=en
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i use this thing before and no luck
i use "wcdma only" as the option and android still process 3g and 3.5 back and forth, maybe android "thinks" 3g/umts and 3.5/hspda as the same?? android categorize umts and hspda as one big fat 3G network
i wonder why newer os like android doesnt have this kind of feature in winmo there is an option :
disable hspa = so hspda disabled.. AKA 2G or UMTS only
enable hspa = enabled hspda, hspa, hsupa etc.. AKA 2G, UMTS and HSPDA

try this settings
CDMA auto (PRL) - The CDMA phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more.

agarp said:
try this settings
CDMA auto (PRL) - The CDMA phone is capable of using both 2G and 3G data communication and when signal strength is low 2G is favored more.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
isnt cdma auto (prl) used exclusively for cdma phones? (those phones with evdo and wimax thing) and not used for our hd2 (GSM)???

C'mon how this is impossible with newer phone software??
This feature has been in WinMo and Symbian in many years!!
It is really frustrating that almost every time my phone is trying to make HSPDA connect and then decide 3G is enough and possible. It causes some delay and sometimes also timed out errors.

agreed
my android keep going back and forth between umts 3G and hspda 3.5G like some clueless kid while 2 experienced guy (symbian & winmo) laugh at him

i know this is a old topic
i have still this issue
my phone is switching to hsdpa an back to 3g after a few seconds
when the phone is connected to my slow wifi connection everything works fine and i can use it for 3 day's
when it is connected to hsdpa my battery is empty after 15 hours and the voip connection is not working properly (i need to start a ping to some server first to keep the connection alive so i can call with voip)

I just came upon this thread, but I don't have this problem, so I can't really test it out this theory. But my thought was, what if you just went into the build.prop file and edited the ro.ril.hsxpa.category settting from ro.ril.hsxpa.category=2 to ro.ril.hsxpa.category=0. I just tested it out and it never jumped from 3g to H. My only concern is that you wouln't get the fastest speed you could be getting. Test it out and let me know though.

at this moment it is not posible to root my phone (SE Xperia pro with latest firmware)
so i am afraid we need to wait to test this
but thanks for the hint

Battery Life Improvement Tips

this is by no means a definitive list, but here are a few links to articles i have read that have helped improve my battery life drastically. if you have any other useful information, please share.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
instead of thinking, 'i need to replace the battery because it doesn't last long enough', try thinking 'how can i use my phone in a manner which doesn't unnecessarily drain its battery'.
HowToGeek.com - Complete Guide to Maximizing Your Android Phones Battery Life
Lifehacker.com - Android Task Killers Explained; What They do and Why You Shouldn't Use Them
Reddit.com - I Stopped Using a Task Killer Last Week to See if There is a Difference; There is, and its Huge
Reddit.com - Further Discussion on the Proper Use of Task Killers
Lifehacker.com - JuiceDefender Simplifies Automated Android Battery Saving
Lifehacker.com - Watchdog Monitors Your Android for Runaway Processes

Thanks for this -

Good tips. Thank you for posting.
I found a tip about reconfiguring the radio settings here:
community.htc.com/na/htc-forums/android/f/96/p/7495/34268.aspx
"I have an HTC Aria, I found out that the radio is setup completely wrong (power hungry) by default. I can now get over 48 hours of moderate use out of a phone that was barely able to make it to 12 hours before.
First of all, on AT&T, GSM (which is the 2.5G EDGE network) is much more power efficient than CDMA (which is 3G).
The default settings for 2-3G, have the phone constantly trying to find the strongest CDMA tower-signal it can find for 3G. If it can't find any 3G, it switches to 2.5G (EDGE). This eats your battery and is why your fancy new smart phone has a usable life of only 8-12 hours.
Now, the reason that your phone is always searching for the best signal is that, in area with only average coverage, the phone will always be trying to get you the best connection. This makes AT&T's 3G feel fastest and you will always get the most 'bars' available - at least while your phone's battery holds out.
Luckily, some engineer over a decade ago came up with a solution. Instead of scanning, have the phone ask the current tower for a list of nearby towers. This is called a PRL.
The way the PRL works, the phone contacts the tower to which it is connected and asks the tower for a list of nearby towers and their power outputs. Then the phone will base its decisions to switch towers based on that list.
Where I live, 3G is everywhere and making the phone constantly search for a better tower is a waste of time and energy. So instead, I switched my phone to prefer GSM (ie. EDGE) over CDMA unless there is a poor signal, then it switches to scanning for 3G (which supposedly has more range and less interference) just like it used to.
The settings to do this are normally hidden by the carrier. For AT&T on the Aria, I had to enter a USSD code:
*#*#4636#*#*
Then select Phone Information from the menu. The drop down you want is called Set preferred network type: and the option I selected was GSM/CDMA auto (PRL) and my battery life has been fantastic."
Has anyone tried this? How did it go?
Thanks.
--fnds

fnds said:
Good tips. Thank you for posting.
I found a tip about reconfiguring the radio settings here:
community.htc.com/na/htc-forums/android/f/96/p/7495/34268.aspx
"I have an HTC Aria, I found out that the radio is setup completely wrong (power hungry) by default. I can now get over 48 hours of moderate use out of a phone that was barely able to make it to 12 hours before.
First of all, on AT&T, GSM (which is the 2.5G EDGE network) is much more power efficient than CDMA (which is 3G).
The default settings for 2-3G, have the phone constantly trying to find the strongest CDMA tower-signal it can find for 3G. If it can't find any 3G, it switches to 2.5G (EDGE). This eats your battery and is why your fancy new smart phone has a usable life of only 8-12 hours.
Now, the reason that your phone is always searching for the best signal is that, in area with only average coverage, the phone will always be trying to get you the best connection. This makes AT&T's 3G feel fastest and you will always get the most 'bars' available - at least while your phone's battery holds out.
Luckily, some engineer over a decade ago came up with a solution. Instead of scanning, have the phone ask the current tower for a list of nearby towers. This is called a PRL.
The way the PRL works, the phone contacts the tower to which it is connected and asks the tower for a list of nearby towers and their power outputs. Then the phone will base its decisions to switch towers based on that list.
Where I live, 3G is everywhere and making the phone constantly search for a better tower is a waste of time and energy. So instead, I switched my phone to prefer GSM (ie. EDGE) over CDMA unless there is a poor signal, then it switches to scanning for 3G (which supposedly has more range and less interference) just like it used to.
The settings to do this are normally hidden by the carrier. For AT&T on the Aria, I had to enter a USSD code:
*#*#4636#*#*
Then select Phone Information from the menu. The drop down you want is called Set preferred network type: and the option I selected was GSM/CDMA auto (PRL) and my battery life has been fantastic."
Has anyone tried this? How did it go?
Thanks.
--fnds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm not sure about the stock rom, but on cm roms there is the option to add this option into the power widget bar and makes switching between modes a one click affair. I keep my phone on 2g (gsm) unless I'm trying to watch a video. It definitely helps.
Sent from my cm7 Aria using XDA App

fnds said:
Good tips. Thank you for posting.
I found a tip about reconfiguring the radio settings here:
community.htc.com/na/htc-forums/android/f/96/p/7495/34268.aspx
"I have an HTC Aria, I found out that the radio is setup completely wrong (power hungry) by default. I can now get over 48 hours of moderate use out of a phone that was barely able to make it to 12 hours before.
First of all, on AT&T, GSM (which is the 2.5G EDGE network) is much more power efficient than CDMA (which is 3G).
The default settings for 2-3G, have the phone constantly trying to find the strongest CDMA tower-signal it can find for 3G. If it can't find any 3G, it switches to 2.5G (EDGE). This eats your battery and is why your fancy new smart phone has a usable life of only 8-12 hours.
Now, the reason that your phone is always searching for the best signal is that, in area with only average coverage, the phone will always be trying to get you the best connection. This makes AT&T's 3G feel fastest and you will always get the most 'bars' available - at least while your phone's battery holds out.
Luckily, some engineer over a decade ago came up with a solution. Instead of scanning, have the phone ask the current tower for a list of nearby towers. This is called a PRL.
The way the PRL works, the phone contacts the tower to which it is connected and asks the tower for a list of nearby towers and their power outputs. Then the phone will base its decisions to switch towers based on that list.
Where I live, 3G is everywhere and making the phone constantly search for a better tower is a waste of time and energy. So instead, I switched my phone to prefer GSM (ie. EDGE) over CDMA unless there is a poor signal, then it switches to scanning for 3G (which supposedly has more range and less interference) just like it used to.
The settings to do this are normally hidden by the carrier. For AT&T on the Aria, I had to enter a USSD code:
*#*#4636#*#*
Then select Phone Information from the menu. The drop down you want is called Set preferred network type: and the option I selected was GSM/CDMA auto (PRL) and my battery life has been fantastic."
Has anyone tried this? How did it go?
Thanks.
--fnds
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am trying that out and using GSM (PRL), it seems to do very well, and automatically switches between HSDPA and EDGE

Just switched mine from WCDMA preferred to the CDMA/GSM Auto (PRL)
I'll see how it goes.

that battery has lasted longer than usual, even with the extreme cold of the midwest, since I was shoveling for 3 hours. 8 hours off of charger, moderate use, still at 80% with GSM (PRL) on

tried the GSM(PRL) thing, works great! thanks for this thread

Been noticing the drain, too. I've switched to CDMA/GSM Auto (PRL), but it still shows the "H" at the top? I think that's correct, but wanted to ask.

So how often is it kicking you guys to EDGE? It may give you better battery life, but your data will be slow as hell if you aren't on 3G no? Or do you guys not care?

gtg465x said:
So how often is it kicking you guys to EDGE? It may give you better battery life, but your data will be slow as hell if you aren't on 3G no? Or do you guys not care?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I switched to cdma/gsm auto (prl) about a week ago and mine hasn't switched over to Edge at all.
Sent from my cm7 Aria using XDA App

I have know idea how to do this. I dial *#*#4636#*#* and it calls it and says blah blah wrong number. Can somebody explain please. I'm a noober on this one.
"the only good bug is a dead bug"

Figured it out. I use dialer 2 app for my default phone. Apparently you have to use the stock dialer to enter ussd code.
"the only good bug is a dead bug"

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