Database Users

Batterylife, 3G vs. 4G

Okay, so WiFi is usually better than 3G when it comes to battery life; but what about WiMax? I don't have a stable signal yet so I can't reliably test the two. What are ya'll experiences (for those within a reliable 4G area)? Better, the same, worse, or a lot worse?

Award Tour said:
Okay, so WiFi is usually better than 3G when it comes to battery life; but what about WiMax? I don't have a stable signal yet so I can't reliably test the two. What are ya'll experiences (for those within a reliable 4G area)? Better, the same, worse, or a lot worse?
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I don't have reliable 4G in my area, but I notice that even turning on the wimax 4G radio dramatically drains my battery. Don't know if its becasue its constantly searching for signal or just becasue the radio is turned on. My 2 cents, but I know it's not very thorough..

Any time you have a radio turned on and do not have a signal it will drain the battery trying to find a signal.
If you go to an area with poor 3g service, your battery will drain crazy.
They are testing 4g in my area, so it is up and down a lot, so I cannot test.
From reading other posts, I believe 4g may take slightly more battery.

Since Froyo has been released, the 4G battery drain isn't nearly as bad as it was on 2.1. I've noticed that the speeds have substantially increased as well as better battery management as well.

infamousjax said:
Since Froyo has been released, the 4G battery drain isn't nearly as bad as it was on 2.1. I've noticed that the speeds have substantially increased as well as better battery management as well.
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Yeah, that's why I wanted to see how things are now. We all know how 4G got slammed by reviewers for killing the battery, but the new radio might have changed that. I'm just curious at how it compares to 3G now under ideal conditions (good signal).

I have full 4G coverage where I live and to be honest when 4G is on, the battery drainage difference is not much, when compared to 3G.

I have 4G in my area as well, but I leave it off because it goes back and forth from being connected to not being connected. I did notice last night that my battery went from 70% to 5% over night... Anyone know what could cause that?

pscalett said:
I have 4G in my area as well, but I leave it off because it goes back and forth from being connected to not being connected. I did notice last night that my battery went from 70% to 5% over night... Anyone know what could cause that?
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I have the same problem. I'm in the Baltimore area and the 3G/4G switches back and forth. I figured out that when the phone isn't in 4G, it searches for a 4G connection, but you can put it to 3G only (with an app called Phone Info) until Verizon is done with their 4G coverage.

4G uses more power than 3g, which uses more power than wifi.
4g<3g<wifi.

it's significantly worse on 4G, so much so that I have an extended battery and I still don't use it.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

AvatarOfFrost said:
I have full 4G coverage where I live and to be honest when 4G is on, the battery drainage difference is not much, when compared to 3G.
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there is something wrong with your phone then, maybe it's not sleeping. you should be noticing a huge difference.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA Premium App

Theory as to why there is such a difference in some people's battery life times

I live in Idaho. Sprint advertises that they have 'mammoth coverage' around here, but they're wrong. They don't. Well, they have coverage (except for my house and office) and the 3G/4G speeds are usually complete **** unless you're within sight of a tower.
Data from the towers out in Caldwell haven't worked for over 2 months and Sprint claims that they're working just fine and have recently been updated - apparently they updated to dial-up. I really wonder how they're even selling phones over there right now.
Idaho = Battery life is usually 5 to 10 hours with normal usage.
2 weekends ago I was in Omaha and used my evo a little bit less than normal, but I could get through the whole day and still have 50%+ battery life left. The 3G speeds were also 2x better, as well as service in general.
I think it depends on where you're located and if sprint has maintained/updated their towers. I also think that most of the towers in Nampa/Caldwell (20 mi. out of Boise) are older nextel towers, which are probably complete ****/half working.
Just my theory.

Sounds plausible, but I have no idea scientifically speaking. I could guess but I don't think it would be productive.
My honest suggestion? Post this over at the dslreports.com forums; there were some really knowledgeable people lurking there.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

I agree. In addition to rogue apps/processes, it seems that weak network is #2 on my list of things to check when my batt life is draining too much.

This isn't really a theory, it is fact. If you have bad coverage you can basically watch your battery drain. I could drain mine dead overnight by leaving my phone unplugged and in the basement.. I had 1 bar of roaming service. I now hqve an airave and battery life drains much less overnight.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

teamgreen02 said:
This isn't really a theory, it is fact. If you have bad coverage you can basically watch your battery drain. I could drain mine dead overnight by leaving my phone unplugged and in the basement.. I had 1 bar of roaming service. I now hqve an airave and battery life drains much less overnight.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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Click to collapse
ive had my batter die in 3 hours because of no service. I watched my battery go from 70% to 30% in 1 hour because of no signal. Since I'm not running CM6 the roam control app has been well worth the couple of bucks. No more missed calls and far less battery drain when im in low signal areas.

Poor 3G low signal is the biggest battery problem for Android!
Android (not the Evo but the entire OS) has a very poor system for dealing with Low Signal for 3G and it does NOT automatically switch over to 2G when it's supposed to which CAN and DOES result in greatly increased battery life.
Other phone OS's do this or are supposed to do this but for some reason Google has just not implemented a good system for dealing with this COMMON issue.
I use a program called JuiceDefender (Paid version is best but the free version will prove to you how useful it is) and it is literally the best app I run on my Evo. Overnight I went from my phone dying by 4pm when working at a location with low signal to having it last multiple days in some cases depending on my usage.
Do yourselves a favor, Get this application and if you have your phone rooted you get many extra features out of the full version. Can't speak highly enough of this application.
Tim

teamgreen02 said:
This isn't really a theory, it is fact. If you have bad coverage you can basically watch your battery drain. I could drain mine dead overnight by leaving my phone unplugged and in the basement.. I had 1 bar of roaming service. I now hqve an airave and battery life drains much less overnight.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
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I agree with that and know that when you have 0/1/2 bars it really drains your battery life, however, I get the same battery life if I'm at home all day using it (0/1/2 bars), or if I'm at college and have 5 bars all day and I'm not using it quite as much.
I have fresh 3.3 with the htc kernel 53 fps (and all the latest radios/pri/prl/ect.) and have seen much improved battery life, but it's still the exact same.
I also have an airave at the office (which is out in Caldwell where the data doesn't even work) for the other two people on my plan, and while they have seen slightly less battery drain since we got the airave (for free), it's not a mind-blowing difference, other than the data actually works. They're also running the 2.1 stock, but rooted with unrevoked.
I guess I'm wondering if staying connected to a tower with older tech/Nextel uses more power than if it's connected to a sprint tower.

Hrshycro said:
I think it depends on where you're located and if sprint has maintained/updated their towers. I also think that most of the towers in Nampa/Caldwell (20 mi. out of Boise) are older nextel towers, which are probably complete ****/half working.
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There's no way your Evo is working off of any Nextel towers. Those are IDEN and your Evo is CDMA...not happening. It's been known for years now that if you have poor/no signal, your battery will drain rapidly as the device will constantly search for a better signal.

anthony67 said:
There's no way your Evo is working off of any Nextel towers. Those are IDEN and your Evo is CDMA...not happening. It's been known for years now that if you have poor/no signal, your battery will drain rapidly as the device will constantly search for a better signal.
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Good to know - How do people get Sprint Phones to work on Boost mobile then? Boost is using nextel towers, or that's what I've read several times.
I agree with that and know that when you have 0/1/2 bars it really drains your battery life, however, I get the same battery life if I'm at home all day using it (0/1/2 bars), or if I'm at college and have 5 bars all day and I'm not using it quite as much.
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Hrshycro said:
Boost is using nextel towers, or that's what I've read several times.
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You're half right. Boost does use nextel towers--For iDen phones. They do use the Sprint network for CDMA phones. Basically boost carries both CDMA and iDen phones.
As for how people get Sprint phones to work with Boost(CDMA)... Hm... Let's just say they do something shady and possibly illegal...They clone ESNs.

Battery life is GREAT, until you use it?!

This is not another thread about battery life obsession. It's more about a curiosity.
I have my Evo tuned so that it has great battery life on standby. When I use it for anything--SMS, data, local apps--the battery drains very fast.
I know that data, CPU, and display are the major consumers, but...
I have a Nexus One, with also a 1Ghz Snapdragon, and almost exactly the same loaded apps. Same screen resolution, both on 2.2. Both have 1500mAh battery. The only difference is the display technology and radio (GSM/EDGE/HSPA vs. CDMA/1xRTT/EVDO).
When used equally, the N1's battery does not drain nearly as fast as the Evo. How come? I know AMOLED is supposed be more power efficient, but by that much? I know CDMA can be less efficient, but again, by that much?
- - -
Duh! Edited from Hummingbird to Snapdragon (got confused-I just picked up an Epic which has Hummingbird). Thanks for correcting.

They both use Snapdragon, Hummingbird is Samsungs CPU codename, it's based on the same architecture but uses a smaller process.
What software are you running?

Same exact problem as OP...this baffles me.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Systemfraud said:
Same exact problem as OP...this baffles me.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App
Click to expand...
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Is it something new, or has this always been happening?
Was it after the new update or kernel WHATEVER, that you flashed?

If you’re running the stock kernel, do you think the fact that the screen is physically bigger may have something to do with the difference? I’ve always accounted the difference in the battery drain speed (between screen on and screen off) to the fact that most of us are running tweaked kernels that are overclocked when the screen on (with 5 point multi-touch, etc), and underclocked with the screen off.

The problem with battery life issues is that most of the time it can be just a perception and not scientific evidence at all.
Personally, I had an iPhone 3GS prior to getting an EVO and I would say the same exact thing happened with my iPhone. Especially when I was playing games. It doesn't seem to happen with my EVO.
Even seemingly silly things like the Battery Icon can help with the perception that battery life on the phone is bad. Since it only has 4 levels, it kind of tricks your mind into thinking your battery is draining really fast. Try flashing this.
Scientifically, The difference in battery life running the same exact apps under the same exact conditions would be almost negligible between an Evo and a Nexus one. You could even test them side by side and see for yourself.
Also, some facts:
- CDMA 3G is LESS power hungry than HSDPA when actually using it. Heck, EV-DO even uses less power than CDMA 2G(1xRTT)! Wi-Fi uses even less, so use it whenever you can.
- There's a huge misconception that AMOLED Screens use a lot less battery than regular LCDs, but in fact, that's only when the screen is showing LOTS of black color. During a web browser session with lots of white webpage viewing, AMOLED has no Power consumption advantage over LCD.

Signal is a HUGE contributor. I get about 12 hours out of my battery 3-4 out of 5 bars. I went to the sand dunes and had 5 bars and my phone lasted 28 hours.

zeuzinn said:
Also, some facts:
- CDMA 3G is LESS power hungry than HSDPA when actually using it. Heck, EV-DO even uses less power than CDMA 2G(1xRTT)! Wi-Fi uses even less, so use it whenever you can.
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Click to collapse
there are some variables here - my router at home sucks, so I actually get better signal (and battery) with 3g and not wifi unless I'm in the same room as the router. Like the guy above me said, signal plays a huge part in it.
btw, were you really one of the few people that had an n-gage?

fachadick said:
btw, were you really one of the few people that had an n-gage?
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hahaha yeah. Still have it shoved in my closet, actually. I LOVED it.

zeuzinn said:
hahaha yeah. Still have it shoved in my closet, actually. I LOVED it.
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Man that's a lot of phones...

Plancy said:
Is it something new, or has this always been happening?
Was it after the new update or kernel WHATEVER, that you flashed?
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Click to collapse
Seems like it's always been problem for me..
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Plancy said:
What software are you running?
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When I run Handcent, N1 uses about 20% less battery over ~400 messages. Browsing sees similar results. No exotic apps and I keep close eye of what is running/syncing in the background.
Plancy said:
Is it something new, or has this always been happening?
Was it after the new update or kernel WHATEVER, that you flashed?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I too, have seen this from day one, running all stock ROMs.
zeuzinn said:
The problem with battery life issues is that most of the time it can be just a perception and not scientific evidence at all.
Even seemingly silly things like the Battery Icon can help with the perception that battery life on the phone is bad. Since it only has 4 levels, it kind of tricks your mind into thinking your battery is draining really fast.
Scientifically, The difference in battery life running the same exact apps under the same exact conditions would be almost negligible between an Evo and a Nexus one. You could even test them side by side and see for yourself.
Also, some facts:
- CDMA 3G is LESS power hungry than HSDPA when actually using it. Heck, EV-DO even uses less power than CDMA 2G(1xRTT)! Wi-Fi uses even less, so use it whenever you can.
- There's a huge misconception that AMOLED Screens use a lot less battery than regular LCDs, but in fact, that's only when the screen is showing LOTS of black color. During a web browser session with lots of white webpage viewing, AMOLED has no Power consumption advantage over LCD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
On both phones, I have a % battery gauge. I use both phones in good coverage area and have observed them over weeks of use. I would use one phone for the day, do the exact same thing, use the other phone the next, and consistently see the N1 having 20-30% more battery at the end of the day. I'm thinking of loading "current widget" to see the drain rate between the two phones.
On the subject of radios: I have seen manufatures list longer battery life for EDGE vs. HSPA and the same for 1x over EVDO. Also I [think] usually see longer standby times for a comparable GSM/UTMS phone over CDMA (e.g., Touch Pro2 on GSM/UMTS vs. Touch Pro2 on CDMA).
When one says that EV is less power hungry than 1x, are we talking about a time-use comparison or efficiency? Example: 1Mb download, 1x takes, say, 1 minute, while EV takes 10 seconds. Yes, for that download, EV took less power. But if one were to have 1x & EV both running for one minute, which takes more power? I ask because I remember seeing EV transmitting at higher power than 1x.

Evo Shift vs. evo 4g

I'm thinking of switching to sprint, which means a new phone (yay) and as I browse my phone options I hear a lot of good things about the Evo. My question for you guys is, is the evo shift pretty much the same as the evo just with the slide out keyboard? is one somehow "better" in some aspects then the other? I would love to have the keyboard but to be honest I usually use the on screen one anyways on my current phone (Tmobile G2).
My second question is, which other phones would you say are worth considering as well?
Lastly, I'm also thinking of switching to Verizon when the Thunderbolt comes out. The main reason I'm switching is because I'm pissed off that Tmobile is cutting my internet speed after I reach 5 GB bandwidth and I know that Sprint and Verizon are the two providers that don't do that. However It appears that Verizon will charge you a higher fee once you go over 10gb bandwidth, which would be ok if the Thunderbolt is really cool

HTC EVO & HTC EVO Shift 4G
Here's everything you'll need for comparing and contrasting the HTC EVO along side the HTC EVO Shift 4G.
http://developer.sprint.com/site/global/devices/handsets/handsets.jsp

Wicked1ab said:
I'm thinking of switching to sprint, which means a new phone (yay) and as I browse my phone options I hear a lot of good things about the Evo. My question for you guys is, is the evo shift pretty much the same as the evo just with the slide out keyboard? is one somehow "better" in some aspects then the other? I would love to have the keyboard but to be honest I usually use the on screen one anyways on my current phone (Tmobile G2).
My second question is, which other phones would you say are worth considering as well?
Lastly, I'm also thinking of switching to Verizon when the Thunderbolt comes out. The main reason I'm switching is because I'm pissed off that Tmobile is cutting my internet speed after I reach 5 GB bandwidth and I know that Sprint and Verizon are the two providers that don't do that. However It appears that Verizon will charge you a higher fee once you go over 10gb bandwidth, which would be ok if the Thunderbolt is really cool
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Might want to hold off until CTIA and Sprints announcements there to see if you want one of those phones.
http://goo.gl/xwHrG

I agree with the post above, you may want to wait as Sprint will be announcing 2 new phones. The EVO 3D does sound interesting.
If you can't wait, I looked at both the EVO and EVO Shift and decided on the EVO Shift. The extra battery life alone is what sells me on this device. I also prefer the size of the Shift. As as added bonus the Shift has benchmarked higher than the EVO, and the keyboard has come in handy on many occasion.
There are many selling points to the EVO as well, primarily the larger screen, but pound for pound the Shift was and still is the better choice IMHO.

Try and buy a phone outright from bb and you will pay significantly more than a corporate store.
My 2 cents...
The evo with the sprint branded extended life battery makes up for the evo's biggest con, battery life. Only bad thing so far is I can't find a case for the fatter evo. My eyesight is getting worse so smaller screens and fonts aren't fun to deal with. I do have a shift and it's a nice little phone. I thought I wanted a keyboard phone but I'm growing out of that. Now, the thing I find the keyboard good for is playing emulator games. It's too frustrating with on screen controls with console games, for me.
Another feature to consider with the evo is it is supposedly one of the few phones that with wireless tether, it runs in infrastructure mode and not ad hoc like most the rest. You could, theoretically, run a xoom or other android phones on wifi with the evo as the access point. From what I've been reading, the xoom can't see ad hoc. Once again I digress.

I am willing to wager some money that the new Evo will be a much better phone then the Thunderbolt. I went with the shift because by the time the device comes out my 1 year upgrade will be rolling around again. Also I remember seeing something about Sprint having a cap on 3G speeds after 5 GB of data usage, but 4G is all you can eat. All phones can be run as Wifi Tether when Rooted, or you can pay Sprint for the unrooted version, which the Evo and Evo Shift both do.

Evo shift.. has much better battery life!!!

herbthehammer said:
Another feature to consider with the evo is it is supposedly one of the few phones that with wireless tether, it runs in infrastructure mode and not ad hoc like most the rest. You could, theoretically, run a xoom or other android phones on wifi with the evo as the access point. From what I've been reading, the xoom can't see ad hoc. Once again I digress.
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really? The Xoom won't be able to see the shift's WiFi signal? I know the iPad can, because I use it all the time through my phone. That'd be yet another shortcoming of the Xoom.

Double 0 said:
Evo shift.. has much better battery life!!!
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Click to collapse
did you use an evo extensively before using the shift?
anyone else perhaps switch from an evo to a shift? Im looking for battery life, i use my device all the time and recharging in my 10a class is getting annoying.(I leave my house at 6.30a)
I need better battery life without adding bulk so i dont want an aftermarket battery. been thinking heading to the blackberry camp because i loved the battery life on my tour.
is the shift significantly better on battery consumption than the evo? advise please.thank you!

tailsthecat3 said:
did you use an evo extensively before using the shift?
anyone else perhaps switch from an evo to a shift? Im looking for battery life, i use my device all the time and recharging in my 10a class is getting annoying.(I leave my house at 6.30a)
I need better battery life without adding bulk so i dont want an aftermarket battery. been thinking heading to the blackberry camp because i loved the battery life on my tour.
is the shift significantly better on battery consumption than the evo? advise please.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I picked up the Shift last week, came from the Evo which I've had since last June. The Shift has much better battery life while in use compared to the Evo. With the Shift, if i use the xda app for an hour, I'll see the battery drop 13%-16%. With the Evo it was closer to 20% battery drop. Doing web browsing on the Evo sometimes the battery will drop almost 25% per hour, where as the same usage on the Shift will be less than 20%. Keep in mind battery usage will vary depending on location, signal strength, whether you're using wifi or 3g, etc. In my regular usage I do notice an improvement with the Shift.
I tried pretty much every ROM available for the Evo and had no issues getting through the day without needing to recharge with my regular usage. Battery life was great while the phone was sleeping - charge the phone to 100% at night, unplug and go to bed, wake up and the battery was at 95%. This was using some of the custom kernels available. With the stock rooted ROM on the Shift, I wake up and the battery is at 93%. I'm sure changing to an undervolted kernel will at least match the Evo when it comes to battery life while sleeping.
Bottomline is with heavy or moderate usage, battery life with the Shift is noticeably better. If you barely use your phone both phones can easily go over 24 hours.
Sent from my PG06100 using XDA App

Hey abanh... is it bad to keep ur phone on the plug? Does it wear out the battery?

lilgrass71 said:
Hey abanh... is it bad to keep ur phone on the plug? Does it wear out the battery?
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Click to collapse
No - HTC designed it so when your battery reaches 100% it will stop charging. So that means even though your phone is still sitting on the charger and the battery meter indicates 100%, it's actually not charging until the battery drops below a certain threshhold (I'm thinking 90%). The battery meter will still be at 100% even though it actually dropped somewhere into the 90 percent range. Thats why when you take your phone off the charger the battery drops down close to 90% so quick.
I take my phone off the charger every night, but when i wake up in the morning i put it back on the charger while i get ready for work. 15 minutes on the charger in the morning will put the battery closer to 100% to start the day versus leaving it charging all night.
Sent from my PG06100 using XDA App

I see. Makes sense... thanks

Concerns about Xoom 4G upgrade (Verizon)

I have read some disturbing reviews about the Thunderbolt which is a 4G LTE Verizon phone. Although the phone itself sounds great, what concerns me are reports that the battery life is around 4-5 hours with 4G turned on.
So my question and concern is, once we upgrade the Xoom to 4G when available, are we going to be victims of the same poor battery life with 4G?

You're not required to have data connection on all the time. A toggle switch widget can fix the problem. Just turns it on when needed. But yeah I do agree that 4g and 3g will drain the battery.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App

I already keep my Xoom on airplane mode to disable all radios that I don't specifically activate. Seems to help with battery life. I downloaded some toggle Widgets to shortcut all the steps.
[sent with Xooming Android technology]

wang1404 said:
You're not required to have data connection on all the time. A toggle switch widget can fix the problem. Just turns it on when needed. But yeah I do agree that 4g and 3g will drain the battery.
Sent from my Nexus One using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That is not really a solution. Currently with my Xoom, I can be on Wifi at home and when I am out, 3G kicks in. I do not want to toggle a widget when I need data (which is always) as I am sure most other people will not want to do. My battery life is totally acceptable currently with 3G and no toggling on/off. So will the 4G upgrade cause the battery life to be cut in half or worse?

keitht said:
That is not really a solution. Currently with my Xoom, I can be on Wifi at home and when I am out, 3G kicks in. I do not want to toggle a widget when I need data (which is always) as I am sure most other people will not want to do. My battery life is totally acceptable currently with 3G and no toggling on/off. So will the 4G upgrade cause the battery life to be cut in half or worse?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I seriously doubt 4g will be much (if any) worse than 3g is now. The only way would be that you are on it more and keeping the screen on for longer times because it will RULE! lol

ghoticov said:
I seriously doubt 4g will be much (if any) worse than 3g is now. The only way would be that you are on it more and keeping the screen on for longer times because it will RULE! lol
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Just debating here but why do you think that? Why would Thunderbolt have a 4-5 hour battery life using 4G? You think that poor life is not 4G LTE related? And they have the luxury of swapping batteries which we cannot do with the Xoom.

I don't know how closely it is to sprint's 4g, but enabling 4g on my evo is a battery killer too. the good thing is that you can toggle 4g off and run in 3G mode. no need to disable data completely

madsquabbles said:
I don't know how closely it is to sprint's 4g, but enabling 4g on my evo is a battery killer too. the good thing is that you can toggle 4g off and run in 3G mode. no need to disable data completely
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Click to collapse
That begs the question,why get 4g if you have to manage it manually like that?

keitht said:
That begs the question,why get 4g if you have to manage it manually like that?
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Click to collapse
Keep in mind, that the 4g upgrade will be OPTIONAL and if you are seriously debating whether the upgrade will be worth it or not, then simply don't send it in for the upgrade! The less people to send it in (like you), would in turn mean faster return time for my upgrade! I personally don't give a damn about having to click a toggle switch when I want to download at crazy fast speeds!
Just my .02
I can also guarantee you that 4g will have a pretty noticeable impact on battery life. And to be perfectly honest with you, the HTC Thunderbolt (stock), even with 4g turned off, still has absolutely horrible battery life.

Instien said:
Keep in mind, that the 4g upgrade will be OPTIONAL and if you are seriously debating whether the upgrade will be worth it or not, then simply don't send it in for the upgrade! The less people to send it in (like you), would in turn mean faster return time for my upgrade! I personally don't give a damn about having to click a toggle switch when I want to download at crazy fast speeds!
Just my .02
I can also guarantee you that 4g will have a pretty noticeable impact on battery life. And to be perfectly honest with you, the HTC Thunderbolt (stock), even with 4g turned off, still has absolutely horrible battery life.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your response is very defensive and that is not the purpose of my questions. I am looking for meaningful conversation regarding the possibity that a 4g upgrade will significanty reduce battery life on the Xoom. All speculation but something to talk about.

So what I can gather is more or less around what everyone says. Get your 4g upgrade but don't turn it on and stick to 3g unless you feel you need the speed bump. So nothing will change except you know you have your turbo button-widget (yes old school) available.
That is unless it will be stuck on 4g at all times but looks like that is a feature that is toggled by today's hardware not permanent yet due to battery capacities.
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App

foreverinpanama said:
So what I can gather is more or less around what everyone says. Get your 4g upgrade but don't turn it on and stick to 3g unless you feel you need the speed bump. So nothing will change except you know you have your turbo button-widget (yes old school) available.
That is unless it will be stuck on 4g at all times but looks like that is a feature that is toggled by today's hardware not permanent yet due to battery capacities.
Sent from my DROID2 GLOBAL using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not one to complain without reason but I certainly hope this is not the case.

MY plan is to remove the dummy card right before shipping it out so I can put it back if I am unhappy with the battery life.

In theory, 4g should use less battery, not more. 3g chipset firmware is highly optimized, though, due to the technology having been around for a while.
It may be a few firmware revisions to hit minimum use for 4g, but it shouldn't use dramatically more than 3g.

The answer for this thread is simple. Yes 4G will use more battery power, that's the short end of the stick. If you live in a 4G area and don't need the speed boost and would rather save battery there will be a way to disable 4G and use 3G just like with the thunderbolt or evo
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It isn't speculation. The evo has a long track record with 4g of a very similar type. 4g will be a battery hog. But I never use it on my evo unless I'm tethered or streaming. Otherwise I find 3g more than enough for most tasks. I will send my xoom in for the upgrade. But I don't activate it. I tether it to my evo. But yes it will be a battery hog. Whenever you use cutting edge technology they tends to develop the speed and reliability first and worry about power consumption last.

I work for Verizon and honestly rarely hear many complaints about the battery life on the Thunderbolt. Many of my customers get awesome battery life and we have 4g in my area. The LTE radio does consume more battery than 3g especially if you are downloading a large file or something. Another thing to consider is the Thunderbolt is like a big brother to the Incredible and that phone had HORRIBLE battery life. The Thunderbolt has a much larger screen, 4g, and does not have a very large battery. I don't see 4g having a huge impact for most people but for those that feel it helps there will always be a toggle widget or “turbo button” like someone said earlier. I will definitely be sending mine in right away...
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Ferradinho said:
I work for Verizon and honestly rarely hear many complaints about the battery life on the Thunderbolt. Many of my customers get awesome battery life and we have 4g in my area. The LTE radio does consume more battery than 3g especially if you are downloading a large file or something. Another thing to consider is the Thunderbolt is like a big brother to the Incredible and that phone had HORRIBLE battery life. The Thunderbolt has a much larger screen, 4g, and does not have a very large battery. I don't see 4g having a huge impact for most people but for those that feel it helps there will always be a toggle widget or “turbo button” like someone said earlier. I will definitely be sending mine in right away...
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Sorry but you either live in a nice vacuum or a bubble or a cocoon because EVERYONE I know with this phone (friends, foes and customers too) loves it to death but hates the battery life with 4g on, and by default there's no way to turn off 4g when not needed.
Had to root for some friends and show them the 4g LTE off widget that came out the other day. At least that helps.
As for the Xoom, even if you might not want to use 4g or sign up, still send it in to be done. Definitely will help with resale value down the road.

my friend has the thunderbolt and the battery sucks, and he isn't in a 4g area. Mr verizon rep is on a feel good drug, or something.

keitht said:
I have read some disturbing reviews about the Thunderbolt which is a 4G LTE Verizon phone. Although the phone itself sounds great, what concerns me are reports that the battery life is around 4-5 hours with 4G turned on.
So my question and concern is, once we upgrade the Xoom to 4G when available, are we going to be victims of the same poor battery life with 4G?
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It's going to drain more then the cdma radio does, at least until the technology and the software support behind it is more mature. But that is to be expected with bleeding technology.
Also remember that part of the battery issues on the TB comes from the fact that people use it alot more then previous phones. Streaming data is alot more power intensive then just the comparable occasional usage their previous device saw. I have a TB and if I use the snot out of it then yeah I can kill the battery in a couple of hours. However if I am busy and use it like I used my D2 or DX then I can get through the day without having to recharge.
Also you can turn just the LTE radio off when you are not using it if you are that concerned
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