4G drains my battery like mad; I can easily last a whole day + more on 3G/Wifi, but 4G practically kills my battery in a matter of hours?
OP, is there a point to having Ferraris and Hummers? I mean, they all drink fuel like a drunk drinking booze! I mean, I can easily last for the whole 3 weeks using a Civic or a Prius but Ferraris and Hummers basically kill my fuel tank in like a couple of days?
jerryparid said:
4G drains my battery like mad; I can easily last a whole day + more on 3G/Wifi, but 4G practically kills my battery in a matter of hours?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think the real point of 4G is to use the phone as a hotspot for your laptop WHILE tethered to some power source, whether it's an AC outlet or the USB port of the laptop.
Even with the large battery drain, I still see 4G as useful if you're looking to download a lot of data quickly to the phone intermittently. You just have to be careful about turning on/off 4G as needed for those downloads. If 4G were available in my area, I'd be turning it on as I left the office to download updated podcasts for my ride home, then turning it off once the downloads were complete.
good point PoisonWolf.
I have been using 4G when watching the World Cup live on Sprint TV. So much smoother and better quality image over 4G.
I leave my phone plugged in when doing that though. I did a test once and it lasted almost 2 hours watching TV over 4G (very intensive and battery draining activity)
4G is nice to have for those times you need a speed boost.
I'm agreeing with the situational use. I've actually been really impressed with Sprint's 3G service. I'd have gotten this phone even without 4G.
I really on turn it on when im tethering
Properly managed, you should turn off anything you are not using. Especially 4G.
halorin said:
I'm agreeing with the situational use. I've actually been really impressed with Sprint's 3G service. I'd have gotten this phone even without 4G.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am not at all impressed with Sprint's 3G. I'm currently averaging 0.5mb/s download speeds on my EVO via 3G. This is both near my home, and near my office, which are far enough apart that they're not using the same tower. (edit: I'm in the suburbs of Los Angeles - San Fernando Valley.)
There's nothing wrong with the phone, as I did manage a 1.2mb/s test on Friday evening. Maybe this suggests that there's just too much congestion during the day? Though at 5:30 AM this morning I was only pulling 0.6mb/s.
For comparison, side-by-side tests with my other devices gave these results:
Sprint EVO = 0.5mb/s
AT&T iPhone 4 = 1.6mb/s
TMobile Nexus One = 2.5mb/s
There's a whole thread on here someplace about how slow people all over the country are getting with 3G from Sprint. It's very disappointing, and I'm considering canceling my service over this. Paying $10/mo extra for 4G, when I don't get 4G or even acceptable 3G speeds just doesn't sit right.
I used to have a Sprint datacard for my old MacBook Pro, and Sprint rocked. Faster than AT&T on average with about 1.6mb/s as I recall, but I gave it up a year ago when I got a new MacBook Pro that doesn't have the datacard slot. Based on my experience with Sprint datacard, I had no reservations about getting the EVO even though there's no 4G in my area, but unless they fix this issue quickly, I'm history. I wonder if I could get Verizon to let me use the EVO on their network.
To get back on topic - 3G speeds aside, if you can actually get 4G service with the EVO, and can use it responsibly, the EVO must really rock your mobile data world. I got the Seidio extended battery for mine, and it does add a noticeable amount of battery life to the phone, so if you're a heavy 4G user and aren't hooked to a power supply, it might be a wise investment.
distortedloop said:
I am not at all impressed with Sprint's 3G. I'm currently averaging 0.5mb/s download speeds on my EVO via 3G. This is both near my home, and near my office, which are far enough apart that they're not using the same tower. (edit: I'm in the suburbs of Los Angeles - San Fernando Valley.)
There's nothing wrong with the phone, as I did manage a 1.2mb/s test on Friday evening. Maybe this suggests that there's just too much congestion during the day? Though at 5:30 AM this morning I was only pulling 0.6mb/s.
For comparison, side-by-side tests with my other devices gave these results:
Sprint EVO = 0.5mb/s
AT&T iPhone 4 = 1.6mb/s
TMobile Nexus One = 2.5mb/s
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's funny...because I live and work all around the San Fernando Valley as well. From Balboa near the 118 and 405 all the way to Calabasas near the 101; and I get 100-200 kilobytes per second on average... ? Never slow for me.. and consistant 150kb/s seem pretty damn good to me.
I hope we get our 4G coverage soon. :/
distortedloop said:
I think the real point of 4G is to use the phone as a hotspot for your laptop WHILE tethered to some power source, whether it's an AC outlet or the USB port of the laptop.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
damn, that's gonna take one long power cord for my evo to reach to the end of my street, at the intersection with no trees. and at that point, i'm pretty sure i'd need another extra long power cord for my laptop as well.
i really wanted to use 4G as a cable internet replacement, but since i can't even get a connection outside of my house, muchtheless inside my house, i guess it doesn't matter that i'm in a "covered area".
I live outside of DC, and I routinely get over 2000kbps using the speed test app on 3g with a latency around 90. With 4g, I've gotten 4900kbps outside my house with 1 bar.
healthpellets said:
damn, that's gonna take one long power cord for my evo to reach to the end of my street, at the intersection with no trees. and at that point, i'm pretty sure i'd need another extra long power cord for my laptop as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't be ridiculous. "I'd need a long extension cord." LOL. How droll.
If you're at home or in the office, you have an AC outlet for both your laptop and your phone.
If you're in the car you have the DC outlet (ever hear of a car adapter/charger) for your phone - and if you need it, get an inverter for the car to get laptop AC out of the cigarette lighter.
If you're in Starbucks or the like, use the USB cable to tether the EVO to laptop. A modern laptop should be able to power both the EVO and itself for at least a couple of hours. If you're away from an AC or alternate power source for more than couple of hours, you're just gonna have to live without 4G. Big deal, get over it, or get a different device like perhaps Sprints MiFi or whatever they call it on their network.
distortedloop said:
Don't be ridiculous. "I'd need a long extension cord." LOL. How droll.
If you're at home or in the office, you have an AC outlet for both your laptop and your phone.
If you're in the car you have the DC outlet (ever hear of a car adapter/charger) for your phone - and if you need it, get an inverter for the car to get laptop AC out of the cigarette lighter.
If you're in Starbucks or the like, use the USB cable to tether the EVO to laptop. A modern laptop should be able to power both the EVO and itself for at least a couple of hours. If you're away from an AC or alternate power source for more than couple of hours, you're just gonna have to live without 4G. Big deal, get over it, or get a different device like perhaps Sprints MiFi or whatever they call it on their network.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
the point is, i spend 75% of my time at home or in my office (located, conveniently or not) in the same structure. and i have no 4G service in my home or outside in my yard, even though Sprint swears i have coverage. but like i said, i can get 4G at the end of my street at the intersection where there are no trees.
kyelerner said:
That's funny...because I live and work all around the San Fernando Valley as well. From Balboa near the 118 and 405 all the way to Calabasas near the 101; and I get 100-200 kilobytes per second on average... ? Never slow for me.. and consistant 150kb/s seem pretty damn good to me.
I hope we get our 4G coverage soon. :/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Actually, those are EXACTLY the areas I'm talking about. Along the 118 out to Porter Ranch, and the 405 as far south as Sherman Way (Van Nuys Airport).
Also, did you make a typo with your speeds? 100kb/s is pretty damn slow, so is 150kb/s. I'm guessing you mean 1000 and 1500 kb/s, aka 1.0 and 1.5mb/s. I was reporting in mb/s as the app I'm running defaults to them.
Those are common speeds for me on AT&T and TMobile (higher actually, usually 1400 - 2000 kb/s), with Sprint EVO, since I started testing last week, only a couple of times over 1000kb/s, and almost always just in the 400-600 range. Pretty unacceptable when a different networks device right next to it is pulling 2-4x the speed at the same time.
Maybe we should hook up someplace and compare the two phones side-by-side to see if we get similar results. ;-)
healthpellets said:
the point is, i spend 75% of my time at home or in my office (located, conveniently or not) in the same structure. and i have no 4G service in my home or outside in my yard, even though Sprint swears i have coverage. but like i said, i can get 4G at the end of my street at the intersection where there are no trees.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Ah, okay, fair enough, but that wasn't clear from your post, and it wasn't addressing the issue I was in the post you quoted.
Your issue is that you can't get 4G at all where you're at (regardless of Sprint's map), whereas I was pointing out that, as the OP of the thread said, 4G eats battery life like there's no tomorrow. Unless you're tethered to an AC or DC power source for your EVO, you just need to be intelligent about when and how often you use the 4G service, since it clearly eats battery life rapidly.
I turned on 4G to see if there was a signal where I was at the other day and forgot to turn it off. Two hours later my unused phone was down to <50% battery charge. With the 4G radio off, I can go a full day and then some without a recharge with my normal use - which is pretty amazing compared to the other iPhones and Android phones I've used.
WiMax is going to be a frustrating thing for many until it's fully built out, sadly, especially with Sprint using it as a selling point on one of the best phones on the market right now. :-(
distortedloop said:
Actually, those are EXACTLY the areas I'm talking about. Along the 118 out to Porter Ranch, and the 405 as far south as Sherman Way (Van Nuys Airport).
Also, did you make a typo with your speeds? 100kb/s is pretty damn slow, so is 150kb/s. I'm guessing you mean 1000 and 1500 kb/s, aka 1.0 and 1.5mb/s. I was reporting in mb/s as the app I'm running defaults to them.
Those are common speeds for me on AT&T and TMobile (higher actually, usually 1400 - 2000 kb/s), with Sprint EVO, since I started testing last week, only a couple of times over 1000kb/s, and almost always just in the 400-600 range. Pretty unacceptable when a different networks device right next to it is pulling 2-4x the speed at the same time.
Maybe we should hook up someplace and compare the two phones side-by-side to see if we get similar results. ;-)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I get 100-200 kilobytes per SECOND. That's very normal for a 3G connection on any network? Correct me if I'm wrong. My buddies usually get around 70-120 kilobytes per second on their networks...AT&T and Verizon when we compare. They are usually jealous of my speeds [;
If you test results give you .5 megbits per second, then youre getting 62.5 kilobytes per second.
I think you have your data screwed up... .
The term mb/s means megabytes per second. (kb/s is kilobytes per second)
The term "mbps" refers to megabits per second. (kbps is kilobits per second)
You divide you're mega/kilobits per second by 8 to get your mega/kilobytes per second.
So if I'm getting about 150 kilobytes per second, then my speed would be 150x8= 1.2mbps....which definetely ain't bad on a 3G connection...
4G is nice, yes it does drain a lot of power but that doesn't bother me.
when i'm out and about 3G is powerful enough for my phone, i get good speeds on sprints 3G to be fine on the phone. When I tether i'd want more speed, so I turn on 4G but then it drains my battery. Magical solution, i'm tethering so i'll just plug my phone in to charge on my laptop, now i get 4G without the power drain, WOW!
kyelerner said:
I get 100-200 kilobytes per SECOND. That's very normal for a 3G connection on any network? Correct me if I'm wrong. My buddies usually get around 70-120 kilobytes per second on their networks...AT&T and Verizon when we compare. They are usually jealous of my speeds [;
If you test results give you .5 megbits per second, then youre getting 62.5 kilobytes per second.
I think you have your data screwed up... .
The term mb/s means megabytes per second. (kb/s is kilobytes per second)
The term "mbps" refers to megabits per second. (kbps is kilobits per second)
You divide you're mega/kilobits per second by 8 to get your mega/kilobytes per second.
So if I'm getting about 150 kilobytes per second, then my speed would be 150x8= 1.2mbps....which definetely ain't bad on a 3G connection...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not that many people use Megabytes and Kilobytes for network transfer speeds they use Kilobits and Megabits for identifying network transfer speeds.
kyelerner said:
I get 100-200 kilobytes per SECOND. That's very normal for a 3G connection on any network? Correct me if I'm wrong. My buddies usually get around 70-120 kilobytes per second on their networks...AT&T and Verizon when we compare. They are usually jealous of my speeds [;
If you test results give you .5 megbits per second, then youre getting 62.5 kilobytes per second.
I think you have your data screwed up... .
The term mb/s means megabytes per second. (kb/s is kilobytes per second)
The term "mbps" refers to megabits per second. (kbps is kilobits per second)
You divide you're mega/kilobits per second by 8 to get your mega/kilobytes per second.
So if I'm getting about 150 kilobytes per second, then my speed would be 150x8= 1.2mbps....which definetely ain't bad on a 3G connection...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Okay, I'll correct you, since you're wrong. At least in terms of correcting my use of kb/s and mb/s.
I'm not sure how you're getting your speeds. Are you downloading files and timing them by hand, then doing the math to get the speed? Your results may be accurate, but your terms are incorrect.
All I do is use either Speedtest.net or Xtreme labs Speedtest apps, or hit one of the various speedtest websites. I'm just reporting the numbers that are displayed in the applications and websites I am using to check my speed.
Since I am just parroting the numbers off the tools I use, if I am doing it wrong, then the various speedtest apps and websites are as well. I doubt they're all doing it wrong after all these years.
It's always been my understanding that BITS are expressed with a small case b and BYTES are expressed with a large case B - a kb is kilobit, and kB is a kiloByte. Traditionally, also, if it's a "k" its 1000 (decimal) and if it's a "K" its 1028 (binary).
Also, there is no difference between the terms kbits/sec, kb/s, and kbps in terms of data rate transfers. They are all interchangeable. In this context, the "ps" is the same as "/s" - both are read as "per second". The small "k" stands for 1000 in decimal and the small "b" stands for "bits" as in a binary 1 or 0 (1/8th of a byte).
My understandings of all the above seem to be confirmed by Wikipedia's use of the terms in the same manner as I am: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_rate_units#Kilobit_per_second
which explains the following:
Kilobit per second
A kilobit per second (kbit/s or kb/s or kbps) is a unit of data transfer rate equal to:
1,000 bits per second or
125 bytes per second.
and further in the article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_rate_units#Kilobyte_per_second
Kilobyte per second
A kilobyte per second (kB/s or kBps) is a unit of data transfer rate equal to:
8,000 bits per second, or
1,000 bytes per second, or
8 kilobits per second.
Anyways, I think you confused me when you used the terms kilobytes per second and kb/s interchangeably and stated you thought 150kb/s was great for 3G service in this post:
kyelerner said:
...and I get 100-200 kilobytes per second on average... ? Never slow for me.. and consistant 150kb/s seem pretty damn good to me./
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
and I focused on the 150kb/s part, which trust me, is not good for 3G, it's more like EDGE.
kyelerner said:
So if I'm getting about 150 kilobytes per second, then my speed would be 150x8= 1.2mbps....which definetely ain't bad on a 3G connection...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think we're really hijacking the original thread here and getting way off topic, and it might be better to move to another thread for future responses re: 3G speeds, such as this one: http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=707751&page=3 , but while I won't argue that 1.2mb/s isn't bad, it's not that stellar for a modern 3G network, either.
I routinely get 1.4 to 1.9mb/s on AT&T iPhones, and 1.8 to 2.2mb/s on T-Mobile Nexus One here in the San Fernando Valley...and I got comparable speeds to that on my EVDO datacard from Sprint before I canceled it last year. 1.2mb/s in the big city here is the minimum I would allow as acceptable performance, I know that Sprint has done much better in the past, and that the competition is doing much better in the present.
FYI - Since you mentioned speeds along the 118/405 earlier, I tested after getting off the 118 at Woodley Avenue from the 118 Fwy all the way down to Sherman Way this morning, I did speedtests at every other major intersection. The results:
Devonshire = 1534kb/s, Lassen = 696kb/s, Nordhoff = 941kb/s, Roscoe = 457kb/s, Sherman Way = 806kb/s. I didn't dual test the whole way, but at Sherman Way the iPhone 4 pulled 1871kb/s. In my office just now it's averaging LESS than 300kb/s. There is definitely something wrong with Sprint's 3G in this area.
Back on topic:
If they'd hurry their butts up and get 4G to Los Angeles and the valley, I wouldn't give a rat's a$$ what 3G was like. I bought the EVO for two reasons - the large screen, and the gamble that 4G would be in LA pretty quickly and that I could live with 3G until it got here. I can't live with 3G if it's 400kb/s - I might as well go back to tethering my old Motorola Razr for that kind of speed!
I wish I had the problem that the original poster did: the ability to wonder if 4G is worth the battery life it costs you!
http://www.jasoncohenitservices.com/IMG_0022.MOV
posted this in another thread cause someone didn't believe the speeds I was getting in the same town they were. As you can see there is No WiFi turned on.
Enjoy
its general knowledge that that testing website is just not accurate at all. try using some other speed tests for comparison, and you will see the difference.
Well, I'm sure you're on HSPA+ but 12Mbps is impossible.
Sooooo the last I checked the Nexus was limited to a 7.2 mbps MAX by hardware...
Thats pretty ****ed up, I was wondering why when I changed the DL size speed seemed to increase each time.
At Speakeasy and Speedtest I hit 3.5 but even that is much after then the 1 I get with Clear.
jcohenlv said:
Thats pretty ****ed up, I was wondering why when I changed the DL size speed seemed to increase each time.
At Speakeasy and Speedtest I hit 3.5 but even that is much after then the 1 I get with Clear.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Clear is pretty lame here. It gets especially slow during 5-8pm
Ya heavily considering telling them to GTFO and just stick to tethering my Nexus
If you really want to test the phone's speed use the phone thetered to the PC and use dumeter to monitor 3 or 4 parallel downloads.
The maximum you can reach on a 7.2 network is 6.7 megabit.
If you have a 10 Mbit modem (like the N900 or the milestone) and your network is updated you can expect 8Mpbs as maximum.
If you can manage the 5 or 10GB soft cap (T-Mobile throttles after 10GB of usage on phones, but older plans are capped at 5GB (total internet is 5GB)) go for it. The only good thing Clear has going for themselves is unlimited usage for the time being.
I am getting 12mb/s on that site (mobilespeedtest.com) also. In the same location SpeedTest shows me 1,4mb/s which is more accurate
gerikss said:
I am getting 12mb/s on that site (mobilespeedtest.com) also. In the same location SpeedTest shows me 1,4mb/s which is more accurate
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Click to collapse
Hahaha my real speed is about 8Mbps, that site has calculated 550kbps.
Very accurate !!
mobilespeedtest is wroooong
Hey guys,
I've used Speedtest religiously to test both OTA data and WIFI since I bought my Epic. Recently (I believe since I went to a GB ROM) Speedtest comes up with bogus results (proven).
In fact, I get different results depending upon the ANIMATION QUALITY setting!!
ANIMATION QUALITY @ default: 12Mbit WIFI
ANIMATION QUALITY @ minimum: 18Mbit WIFI
speakeasy.net/speedtest result : 22Mbit (my fiber cap)
The 3g and 4g results have been equally hampered. I register on average 1/2 the BW with speedtest than I do with any other method, like speakeasy.net.
I've been rackin my brain for a couple of weeks regarding my crappy 3g speeds, and it turns out its actually Speedtest - no real change other than that program not functioning properly since changing ROMs/Kernels.
Just in case I might save someone a massive headache like I've been having ... there you have it.
Running Marcusant's Revival V1 and Samurai 3.3.0 60hz/250mhz GPU.
(It's a GREAT combo!)
Cheers, everyone. Happy holidays!
I always run it at minimum quality. It says in the settings section that it loses accuracy with higher quality.
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
I think you're right, I turned the animation all the way to and my 3g readings are 7 times faster!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
zman0900 said:
I think you're right, I turned the animation all the way to and my 3g readings are 7 times faster!
Sent from my SPH-D700 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
About a 50% improvement on mine with animation slider all the way to the right. Strange, as I'd hope one would have no effect on the other.
I think this problem started when I switched to a GB ROM. Hopefully an update will address this.
In the meantime, just browse to speakeasy.net/speedtest to check your BW.
You guys who chimed in also on GB?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Tirregius said:
I think this problem started when I switched to a GB ROM. Hopefully an update will address this.
In the meantime, just browse to speakeasy.net/speedtest to check your BW.
You guys who chimed in also on GB?
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I think you can assume just about everyone is. But I seem to remember this being an issue with the app on all versions, actually.
Checking Http://www.SpeedMatters.org from both my phone and computer gave me accurate results. I know it's not as handy as an app, but it works!
Guys, keep in mind that numerous factors affect your bandwidth:
Bandwidth cap provided by ISP
Shared connection
Quality of connection to speedtest server
Number of hops to speed test server ("internet distance")
Occasionally the weather
Time of day (peak internet usage hours)
1. While some ISPs allow subscribers to exceed their rate plans, you will still be limited at some point by your ISP.
2. Cable broadband "shares" your connection to the ISP--more people in your area served by your cable ISP = less bandwidth for you, to a degree. Also, if someone else on your local network is streaming Netflix or downloading the latest patch for BF3 they will be hogging bandwidth.
3. "Quality of connection" can mean a myriad of things, including #4.
4. A "hop" refers to a router, gateway, switch, etc. that your data must be routed through. Each hop adds roughly a millisecond to your overall ping. The higher your ping, the lower your maximum achievable bandwidth will be.
5. Weather can adversely affect connections, especially wireless connections.
6. While the time of day in and of itself is not a factor, this affects when the peak loads on the internet will be. Generally, you will see higher, more stable test results during off-peak times, such as the early morning hours.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, nor did I go very in-depth with any of my explanations. For more, check the Broadband Reports FAQs. You'll have to dig around a little (check the DSL FAQs, there's a lot of general bandwidth stuff in there), but the place is a goldmine of broadband knowledge.
Thanks for that, however, in this case specifically, speedtest consistently falls short exactly the same amount. That is very good evidence that the issue is not due to "other" factors. My bandwidth as measured in browser has been super consistent also - always nailing my fiber bandwidth cap without fail.
AmericanJedi001 said:
Guys, keep in mind that numerous factors affect your bandwidth:
Bandwidth cap provided by ISP
Shared connection
Quality of connection to speedtest server
Number of hops to speed test server ("internet distance")
Occasionally the weather
Time of day (peak internet usage hours)
1. While some ISPs allow subscribers to exceed their rate plans, you will still be limited at some point by your ISP.
2. Cable broadband "shares" your connection to the ISP--more people in your area served by your cable ISP = less bandwidth for you, to a degree. Also, if someone else on your local network is streaming Netflix or downloading the latest patch for BF3 they will be hogging bandwidth.
3. "Quality of connection" can mean a myriad of things, including #4.
4. A "hop" refers to a router, gateway, switch, etc. that your data must be routed through. Each hop adds roughly a millisecond to your overall ping. The higher your ping, the lower your maximum achievable bandwidth will be.
5. Weather can adversely affect connections, especially wireless connections.
6. While the time of day in and of itself is not a factor, this affects when the peak loads on the internet will be. Generally, you will see higher, more stable test results during off-peak times, such as the early morning hours.
This is by no means an exhaustive list, nor did I go very in-depth with any of my explanations. For more, check the Broadband Reports FAQs. You'll have to dig around a little (check the DSL FAQs, there's a lot of general bandwidth stuff in there), but the place is a goldmine of broadband knowledge.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my SPH-D700 using XDA App