Database Users

Battery with 3g

Has anyone experienced the drain on the battery with 3g, as my Battery does not last a night when using 3g, but I was in the 3g free zone (gsm only) during the weekend and the battery lasted the whole weekend.

My battery will drain 50% quicker when in a 3G area, Somtimes I set the device to use standard GSM frequencies to keep the battery alive.

I'd guess it is the switching that causes the battery drain (at least this is the case with most 3G phones ) if you spend a lot of time (i.e. your workplace or home) on a "borderline" area your battery will get sapped pretty quickly
Setting the phone to use one band and stick to it (practically , this has to be GSM / 2g for a constant signal ) is the best soloution , until such time as blanket 3G coverage
Pain in the neck really

shark1 said:
Has anyone experienced the drain on the battery with 3g, as my Battery does not last a night when using 3g, but I was in the 3g free zone (gsm only) during the weekend and the battery lasted the whole weekend.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
same with me, i need to plug in the charger every ~40 hours. i live i 3G area, also using web'n'walk often...

I get way less than this. I have push email enabled, which keeps the internet connected constantly. However in my house I only get one-bar of 3g - often flipping to full four-bar GPRS
I only get about 24 hours between charges!

I have got serious 3G battery draining problems too.
How do I set up the TyTN to only use 2G ??
Thanks,
Martin

- Tap the phone icon on the top menu bar;
- Select settings;
- Select band;
- For select your network type: select GSM
- For select your GSM/UMTS band: select Auto
This setting works great for me on Cingular on an old AT&T SIM in and around Washington, DC. THe battery life is also very good. Also remember as posted on another thread in this forum that even if you do not have 3G yet in your area, if you get EDGE, you will see faster speeds on the TyTN. The TyTN has a new feature called Extended TBF Release which improves the overall throuput.

Battery life on GPRS vs UMTS/HSDPA

Hi all,
Could anyone clarify that running on UMTS/HSDPA data drains the battery faster than on GPRS/EDGE?
Personally, I do feel the difference. Pls correct me if I am wrong about this.
Cheers,
Mark

Hi Mark,
Although the manual says there is a difference and on paper UMTS does require more processing power and therefore battery usage than 2G (HSPDA more so again but it's only active when browsing on an HSDPA network) in real life use you will probably not be majorly effected.
It can also be down to the location you use the phone. If it's a weak UMTS signal then the phone will be working harder to 'decode' the UMTS signal or if you are near a location area boundry your phone might be switching between location area A and B and transmitting location update massages alot which in turn will use more battery again.
I tend to charge my phone overnight and not once have I ran out of battery - infact I don't think I've seen it bellow 60% and I'm connected to UMTS most of the time.
Gav.

4G and WiFi Not Compatible?

I had been having problems getting 4G at home and just noticed that if I turn off WiFi, 4G pops right up and as soon as I re-enable WiFi (which connects to my home network) 4G disconnects. Has anyone seen this behavior? When you think about it, it makes perfect sense, and since both are enabled to connect when the other one isn't, the flip-flop is automatic. But it surprised me.

its probably because sprints 4G is based on WIFI. or it just cuts off 4G cus you dont need it anymore

I believe it works the same way as WiFi and EVDO works on older phones. When you turn on WiFi it will use that as your data connection instead of EVDO regardless if it is a crappy WiFi connection.
-------------------------------------
Sent via the Sprint HTC EVO

Yeah, it's actually pretty cool, but if you don't know about it, it gets frustrating. I called Sprint customer service and he had me go through the battery out/in routine and go outside and try, etc. So maybe they don't know about it either!
But it makes sense for Sprint, since their data plan is unlimited and they want to avoid network overloading (are you listening AT&T? LOL). The only thing you miss on WiFi are location-based sevices that rely on GPS (navigation, some weather products, etc.).

dkdontforget said:
its probably because sprints 4G is based on WIFI. or it just cuts off 4G cus you dont need it anymore
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WiFi and 802.16e aren't all that similar. LOTS of differences between the protocols.
Maybe there's some isolation problems on your device as Sprint is using their 2.5 GHz spectrum holdings for their 4G network.

4g network and 3g network both will shut off when enabling wifi. Why have 2 forms of data going at the same time? Its not gunna use both to double your speeds.
You wont lose any GPS features. Turn on wifi and load up Google Maps, it will find your location exact.
When making calls and sending text it uses 1x so you will still receive everything except for MMS. Maybe they fixed it to where you can receive them even when on wifi with the Evo, not 100% sure.

4g and WiFi are both data only connections. You don't need two data connections simultaneously so it is smart enough to auto disable one to save battery. It would also cause routing problems.

Every phone does this LOL When you switch on Wifi they turn off 2g,3g,4g etc because you can't use 2 data connections at the same time.
I'm curious why you would want 4g and wifi on at the same time?

I thought this was pretty common knowledge (on any Android phone)... And I also thought it was done for battery conservation reasons as much as anything else. WiFi's a simpler point to point connection and from what I understand it sucks less power than 3G or 4G which is constantly checking for additional cell towers in case you've moved, etc.
If you're at home or at work w/a stable WiFi connection you should be able to preserve more battery power by using it, within the settings you can even set it so the phone doesn't revert to 3G when it goes to sleep (the default setting IIRC), otherwise it does this and only jumps back to WiFi when you wake it ('till you're out of range anyway).

I agree with all the comments. And if the Sprint Customer Service guys had said, "Hey, you idiot...it's supposed to do that," then I wouldn't have posted. But the fact that he was as stumped as I was prompted me to post (we all know that Sprint gets all it's info from reading these forums...LOL).

3G instead of HSDPA while sleeping?

As we all know, Galaxy S has major issues with the battery life, one of the biggest hogs being the HSDPA data connection. From my experience, HSDPA drains 5-10% per hour in standby on my Galaxy S, while the WiFi connection drains almost nothing during a 3 hours standby. So I was wondering why doesn't Samsung thought of replacing the HSDPA with 3G or even 2G (GPRS/EDGE) while the display is off? HSDPA should be active only when the connection is used by the user and not the background services like gmail sync. Push mail notifications work with slow connections like GPRS so why not give the battery a rest? Do I have a point and if I do, is there a solution?

on my phone HSPA is only on when I use data. It switches to UMTS (3G) when idle. My provider doesn't have any legacy GSM/EDGE network.

Yeah it would have to be a bit more configured than that, with screen off and data idle - for example I stream internet radio and constantly have the screen off, with 3G only speed there wouldn't be enough overhead for it to stream consistently.

Just turn data network mode off on the power menu? Puts the phone to 2g for voice and text....
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

Install superpower or juicedefender
Elvis is alive and working at Apple

zorxd said:
on my phone HSPA is only on when I use data. It switches to UMTS (3G) when idle. My provider doesn't have any legacy GSM/EDGE network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Mine doesn't work this way. After leaving the phone idle for at least 30 min, when I turn it on, the H is already active. I dont think it switches so fast from 3G to HSDPA. I'll monitor it for a couple of days to see if it falls back to 3G in sleep mode.
Turning the data connection off isn't a solution, at least for me. I want the background sync to work, but not on high speed, because it drains the battery faster.

That's a nice idea indeed. Practically, however, I have 2g all the time and a widget to enable 3g/h when required for browsing etc.

Thats a really good idea. I have tried looking for a widget that switches 2g 3g but can only find widgets that provide a shortcut. Maybe some day...
Sent from my GT-I9000 using XDA App

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

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
Sent from my HTC Liberty 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"