Database Users

Battery Life Testing - Kernel + Rom Combo's

Iv always considered battery life a very important factor in my purchasing of a phone and was one of the big reasons i moved from my Desire HD to the Nexus S (amongst many others). However having been on the android scene for a while im used to tinkering with kernels and roms etc and due to the new battery graph in gingerbread im now able to make direct comparisons rom by rom and kernel by kernel to see how they all differ. This is all shown + explained below.
First id like to explain my method;
I install the rom and kernel with the same apps I always use and charge the phone fully until i am about to go to sleep. I then unplug the phone and leave it in the exactly the same place on my desk with exactly the same settings (sync intervals etc) and i kill all apps before i leave it just to make sure the test is fair.
In the morning i then take a screen shot of the battery life over the period of usually 8 hours and will upload this for you to see. I then look at the over-night battery drain as a comparison on how good battery life is on specific roms and kernels.
Justification - Many of you may be thinking who cares about standby battery life? I care about the battery when im using it!?
Well although that's valid there are many reasons i have taken this approach;
1. It is completely fair i.e. no individual differences such as 'im a heavy user' but we all have different definitions of a 'heavy user'. This is eliminated by the fact the phone is not used and thus the same every time (no individual differences)
2. If a phone has severe battery drain during sleep general knowledge should dictate that battery drain should increase when the screen is on, cpu is working and your syncing your facebook wall, thus a direct correlation with sleep battery drain and usage drain should be apparent.
Therefore i have decided over the next few days/weeks etc i will upload on a regular basis a screenshot of the battery drain over night, along with the battery use details and screen on time etc etc. In addition to the rom and kernel info and i hope that over time this proves to be a very useful thread.
I have been doing this over the last few days on a less strict system and there have been some VERY interesting results which i will upload over the next few days.
(Just a final note iv never really done anything like this on xda before so if its a stupid idea then please tell me now so i dont waste my time doing it, however if people are really interested please let me know and il make sure i do my best!!)
Thanks for reading my extremely long post!
Bratfink
SCREENSHOT 1: This was using modacos custom rom r10 and the kernel that comes with it, i had quite a short sleep (about 6 hours) but the curve pretty much shows what the point im trying to make is. The battery life is great!!
SCREENSHOT 2: This is CM7 Nightly build 27# with Netarchy's latest 1.2.1 kernel and although i didnt use the screen once of charge for a few minutes as you can see once the screen was off battery life barely decreased and was over a long period of time.
If anyone wants me to test specific combos please let me know.

I'm actually looking forward to reading your results.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Yep, this would actually be pretty useful. Good luck and good work!

i'm a sucker for these types of tests, always love doing them and seeing the results. post soon!

I like others will be keeping an interested eye on your findings.

Uploading pictures of modaco r10 with it's own original kernel today. Its an interesting result!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Uploaded to OP

I'm interested too.

Can u try modaco r10 with Netarchy 1.2.1 kernel.
bratfink said:
Iv always considered battery life a very important factor in my purchasing of a phone and was one of the big reasons i moved from my Desire HD to the Nexus S (amongst many others). However having been on the android scene for a while im used to tinkering with kernels and roms etc and due to the new battery graph in gingerbread im now able to make direct comparisons rom by rom and kernel by kernel to see how they all differ. This is all shown + explained below.
First id like to explain my method;
I install the rom and kernel with the same apps I always use and charge the phone fully until i am about to go to sleep. I then unplug the phone and leave it in the exactly the same place on my desk with exactly the same settings (sync intervals etc) and i kill all apps before i leave it just to make sure the test is fair.
In the morning i then take a screen shot of the battery life over the period of usually 8 hours and will upload this for you to see. I then look at the over-night battery drain as a comparison on how good battery life is on specific roms and kernels.
Justification - Many of you may be thinking who cares about standby battery life? I care about the battery when im using it!?
Well although that's valid there are many reasons i have taken this approach;
1. It is completely fair i.e. no individual differences such as 'im a heavy user' but we all have different definitions of a 'heavy user'. This is eliminated by the fact the phone is not used and thus the same every time (no individual differences)
2. If a phone has severe battery drain during sleep general knowledge should dictate that battery drain should increase when the screen is on, cpu is working and your syncing your facebook wall, thus a direct correlation with sleep battery drain and usage drain should be apparent.
Therefore i have decided over the next few days/weeks etc i will upload on a regular basis a screenshot of the battery drain over night, along with the battery use details and screen on time etc etc. In addition to the rom and kernel info and i hope that over time this proves to be a very useful thread.
I have been doing this over the last few days on a less strict system and there have been some VERY interesting results which i will upload over the next few days.
(Just a final note iv never really done anything like this on xda before so if its a stupid idea then please tell me now so i dont waste my time doing it, however if people are really interested please let me know and il make sure i do my best!!)
Thanks for reading my extremely long post!
Bratfink
SCREENSHOT 1: This was using modacos custom rom r10 and the kernel that comes with it, i had quite a short sleep (about 6 hours) but the curve pretty much shows what the point im trying to make is. The battery life is great!!
If anyone wants me to test specific combos please let me know.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Sent from my Dell Streak using XDA App

I'd be interested in seeing CM7, just whatever nightly build you manage to catch.

I don't think that result will give you precise result.
I found that statistic is wrong sometimes.
It is better to measure using "play video loop".
So, find a movie, set to the same brightness and play in loop?

gogol said:
I don't think that result will give you precise result.
I found that statistic is wrong sometimes.
It is better to measure using "play video loop".
So, find a movie, set to the same brightness and play in loop?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately that will not give you how well the rom does while it is idle.

I'm really looking forward to your results. My only issue with this phone is the battery life is terrible. I ordered an extended battery off Ebay 3 weeks ago and have yet to receive it. Never ordering anything from Hong Kong again!

Fuse8499 said:
I'm really looking forward to your results. My only issue with this phone is the battery life is terrible. I ordered an extended battery off Ebay 3 weeks ago and have yet to receive it. Never ordering anything from Hong Kong again!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
What were you using before that you consider this phone to have bad battery life? By far this phone has the best battery life of any Android device I've owned. If you want bad battery life, get an Evo. That is horrific battery life.

bratfink said:
Uploading pictures of modaco r10 with it's own original kernel today. Its an interesting result!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Uploaded to OP
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am looking forward to the rest of these, however just a quick question. What was your battery use like in that situation with the stock ROM? Just for reference, because I'm thinking I might switch to modaco soon. Thanks!

More soon
Iv got a few more screenies but it seems i may have to end this thread prematurely. Its the SNS or 2.3 but idle battery usage for me is pretty much identical no matter what the kernel or rom (il upload a CM7 + Netarchy 1.2.1 shot top op). This was unexpected on my behalf because with my DHD kernels and roms had a big impact on idle battery consumption. I have noticed however that without a full wipe when changing some kernels such as with M r10 idle battery life can increase drastically. I will continue for the next few days and if i dont see any big changes i may move method to a video loop or something of the sort.

Interesting find
I found out something today that may interest may of you. I was messing around with the sleep profiles on SetCpu with netarchys kernel and i found that its better to leave the range from 100-800 than 100-400 or less. This i believe is because when the phone is asleep and carries out a process it will be forced to clock to the maximum of 400mhz and then stay at that speed for 10 seconds, instead of say going up to 800mhz for 1-2 seconds to complete the same process. So a tip to you would be set your profile to 100-800mhz conservative and see what you get!

bratfink said:
I found out something today that may interest may of you. I was messing around with the sleep profiles on SetCpu with netarchys kernel and i found that its better to leave the range from 100-800 than 100-400 or less. This i believe is because when the phone is asleep and carries out a process it will be forced to clock to the maximum of 400mhz and then stay at that speed for 10 seconds, instead of say going up to 800mhz for 1-2 seconds to complete the same process. So a tip to you would be set your profile to 100-800mhz conservative and see what you get!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This kinda enforces the point that SetCPU is useless for the NS unless you really want to overclock...
Any battery saving tactics used buy lowering screen off profiles are counteracted by the system process;( So i think in the context of battery life you are probably better to not use SetCPU
JD

bratfink said:
Iv got a few more screenies but it seems i may have to end this thread prematurely. Its the SNS or 2.3 but idle battery usage for me is pretty much identical no matter what the kernel or rom (il upload a CM7 + Netarchy 1.2.1 shot top op). This was unexpected on my behalf because with my DHD kernels and roms had a big impact on idle battery consumption. I have noticed however that without a full wipe when changing some kernels such as with M r10 idle battery life can increase drastically. I will continue for the next few days and if i dont see any big changes i may move method to a video loop or something of the sort.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I would definitely move to a video loop or some other 'heavy use' task because when you think about it, not too much can really be changed when almost no power is being used in the first place.
You could also just mention your general feeling for the battery life of each rom, because quite often that is what I go by as my usage varies depending on a range of things (school day or weekend etc) .
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App

Could you please test modaco r10 with Netarchy's latest 1.2.1 kernel ?
I would love to see the difference between modaco's default kernel vs netarchy's kernel.

On CM nightly 13, I just went 11 hours and I'm at 90%. That's 1/2% an hour. Not bad. That is with stock kernel.
Sent from my Nexus S using Tapatalk

Starburst ROM + Pershoot's 1.4ghz Kernel Stats

Hello, Just thought I would post my stats using the new Starburst rom with Pershoot's Kernel. Getting great speed and the system runs very smooth but it feels like my battery is draining quite abit faster...
I have setcpu set as "OnDemand" 300mhz-1400, 256mhz when screen is off. Is this battery drain normal? Ran for 4 hours idle while working, then during break i used my tablet for about 15 min, idle another 4 hours and then after work I only got about 2 1/2 hours of use from my tablet before getting the 15% battery warning (79% to 15% in two and a half hours).
Before installing any TW rom and using Pershoot's older (non-TW) kernel with same settings I was getting atleast 4 hours after having the system idle all day while i work (10 hrs), this was with about 40%+ battery left to spare. Please take a look at my stats and feel free to give any suggestions to help me get more battery
The performance now is very good, but before TW i was getting about 150 less points in quadrant (2950ish)with the extra battery life. Also i dont let any apps run wild while idle and have gps,bluetooth,wifi turned off during working hours.
Quadrant Score, Starburst TW + Pershoot's Kernel Aug/9/2011 builds (score:3100).
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/842/sc20110810234001.jpg/
Battery Stats, notice the steep drop at the end? Thats the only time I really used my tablet... about 2 1/2 hours, web surfing (14 hours 35min total on battery).
http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/707/sc20110811003248.jpg/

why is your screen on and awake bar completely full if you only used it for the last 2:30?
In GENERAL
Screen on time 8-10 hours
Standby time ~100-500 hours depending on whats on/apps installed.

No idea why it says the screen was on, it was not... And I had the unit on but as far as i know there isn't a sleep option so the unit was awake but not being used.
If you know of a sleep option please let me know, thanks for your reply

Yeah I'm still testing this exact rom/kernel combo and there is something up with it.
On a reboot, does the battery level go up? Does it stay up for a little while then drop back down?
Also have you done a battery calibration? If so, how?
I'm just trying to narrow down what could be causing the problem. I'm no dev by any stretch of the imagination, but for some reason I really want to find out what is causing this. It doesnt seem to affect all machines so in finding the simularities of those that are having this issue, we can squash this bug....

I was using this combo and my google music kept force closing.
Sent from my ADR6400L using XDA Premium App

it should goto sleep automatically, and if screen was off it should be indicated as off. maybe something is wrong. im currently on pershoot's kernel as well and have had some issues with battery calibration (reporting bogus stats).
i think pershoot is looking into the issues on his thread.
im using 10.1-Wifi, Touchwiz UX (OTA, GT-P7510)

It's a kernel problem. Try going back to stock or an older version of pershoots.

It'll be fixed today from what I've read.

Late last night reinstalled Starburst with its original rom, after my 10 hour work day it still has 95% battery left (after some galaxy on fire 2 during my break), hella lot better than it was yesterday.
I will wait for Pershoot's revised kernel and test it out again. And thanks again for all the devs making custom roms and kernels! Much love to ya! <3
*Stock Starburst kernel is showing my screen being off (when it is off) and my system as not awake when screen is off under battery usage in settings

Kayak83 said:
It'll be fixed today from what I've read.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I've read, he claims there is no problem with the kernel, the problem is with the user. We havent calibrated the battery correctly according to pershoot himself. Problem is, I cant figure out the secret to a correct calibration process....

texasredrider said:
From what I've read, he claims there is no problem with the kernel, the problem is with the user. We havent calibrated the battery correctly according to pershoot himself. Problem is, I cant figure out the secret to a correct calibration process....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Flash Starburst or stock rom then charge your tablet 100%, once your battery is fully charged flash Pershoot's kernel.
I have not tried this myself but from what I have read it works, right now im happy with the performance on stock Starburst kernel, quadrant is at 2300 compared to Pershoot's 3100 but its running so smooth I cannot notice the difference. Going to wait for Pershoot's reworked kernel and then flash it, I gots to have my voodoo!
Update:
Today I reset my battery, and installed Pershoot's kernel. I'm still getting battery drain, used for 5 min this morning and its down to 80% (just browsing web)... Also my clock got stuck at around 5:08am and my alarm did not work this morning until i turned my screen on. After I installed Pershoots kernel alot of apps were acting up and not running properly but after a reboot my clock and apps started working as normal.
And I have to hit/hold the power button like 5 times to turn on the unit now. Going back to original Starburst for now.

jzen said:
Flash Starburst or stock rom then charge your tablet 100%, once your battery is fully charged flash Pershoot's kernel.
I have not tried this myself but from what I have read it works, right now im happy with the performance on stock Starburst kernel, quadrant is at 2300 compared to Pershoot's 3100 but its running so smooth I cannot notice the difference. Going to wait for Pershoot's reworked kernel and then flash it, I gots to have my voodoo!
Update:
Today I reset my battery, and installed Pershoot's kernel. I'm still getting battery drain, used for 5 min this morning and its down to 80% (just browsing web)... Also my clock got stuck at around 5:08am and my alarm did not work this morning until i turned my screen on. After I installed Pershoots kernel alot of apps were acting up and not running properly but after a reboot my clock and apps started working as normal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Darn. I was just about to give this a try. Oh well I'll try it anyways, nothing to lose. Just remember all the issues that may or may not be caused by the kernel is actually user error

Did anyone try the newest version of the kernel? Posted 19/aug/2011.

bambam82 said:
Did anyone try the newest version of the kernel? Posted 19/aug/2011.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using it now & it's a very good finish product. His last version gave me battery issues like no other. I believe he withdrew it after numerous complaints over battery issues.

Working great.
I always wipe Dalvik and Cache before flashing the new kernel.

Silenus21 said:
Working great.
I always wipe Dalvik and Cache before flashing the new kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
sorry for the noob question but what does dalvik and cache contain?
Edit: Nvrmind. Found out my answer. I shall do this the next round of installing kernel

Siyah vs. CM9 Remix | for Resurrection

Hey this is a thread for all the Resurrection lovers out there to discuss what Kernel goes best with Resurrection ROM
I've tried several Kernels by myself but couldn't come to a conclusion which is better in which aspects.
So lets discuss openly the pros and cons of each Kernel
If you have tried any other kernel other than CM9 and Siyah please put your opinions as well.​

Nice post! I'd be interested to see the results from ppl as I just updated to latest 1.7 remix and this time have left the CM9 kernal. I did think about flashing siyah straight after 1.7 package but decided to give CM9 a trial first
Will report in a few days!

deckio007 said:
Nice post! I'd be interested to see the results from ppl as I just updated to latest 1.7 remix and this time have left the CM9 kernal. I did think about flashing siyah straight after 1.7 package but decided to give CM9 a trial first
Will report in a few days!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm a Siyah fan too but after reading few reviews considered to give a try with CM9 will see how it goes

I'm currently using the stock CM9 with 1.7 and found it to feel pretty good so far, messed up a little yesterday when the phone froze while playing a video.
Before freezing the phone had 50% battery after removing the battery and restarting, the battery had dropped to 15%
I'm still a bit of a noob to all this so go easy
When flashing a new kernel, do I just put the zip on the card and flash?
Or do I need to wipe anything first?

This is my personal opinion, not trying to put anyone down.
Okay tried CM9 Remix kernel for few hours and already fedup :\
I see no better battery life compared to Siyah kernel, in fact CM9 Remix Kernel had lesser support than Siyah.
Lets see;
Siyah -
CWM touch recovery (and full support)
additional cpu governors (lulzactive,smartassV2,etc..)
Overclocking upto 1.6
support for BLN(Back light notifications)
CM9 Remix -
NO CWM touch recover and some of the CWM features are not available
NO additional CPU governors
NO overclocking
NO support for BLN
So for me CM9 Remix kernel isn't the one.
as i have tried Siyah kernel already im going to give Abyss or some other Kernel a try and will update on how it goes

This is a really difficult conversation because there are so many variables.
1) Kernels - each one has configurations so you need to mention what governor you are using and any other mods that you have done to the basic kernal config. Or if you are using it stock without changes you could state that.
2) Apps - all of us have different apps installed and some apps make demands on the system when it is supposed to be "sleeping". Dedicated battery enthusiasts use CPU Spy and Better Battery Stats to try to figure out what is eating the battery all the time. Then they freeze those apps until they are needed.
3) Usage - I'm retired, so I play with my phone a lot....spend an hour a day just reading XDA. I must turn it on at least 30 times between charges. Others have to work, so they put it in their pockets and leave it alone for a while. Some folks play 3D games which consume power like crazy. Using phone data eats more power than wifi. A black background on your screen eats less than a white background... and so on.
So this is not a simple conversation. The more you tell about your situation, the more others can see if it applies to them.
(PS - I´m not talking much about my setup because I'm still on RR 1.1 with Siyah 3.0.1+. I´m trying various governors to see which works best - currently on lutzactive. I'm usually down to around 45% at bedtime which is fine with me.....If I leave the phone alone and just use it as a phone, I can probably go 24 hours.

Siyah: Feature packed, lots of fluff, but very nice options as mentionned earlier.
CM9: Basic, VERY BASIC kernel. Gets the job done and most people sync their base with it.
I personally use CM9 with Siyah, works great.

karendar said:
Siyah: Feature packed, lots of fluff, but very nice options as mentionned earlier.
CM9: Basic, VERY BASIC kernel. Gets the job done and most people sync their base with it.
I personally use CM9 with Siyah, works great.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yeaaa, I agree with You
Siyah Kernel works great with My S2

quijote1 said:
This is a really difficult conversation because there are so many variables.
1) Kernels - each one has configurations so you need to mention what governor you are using and any other mods that you have done to the basic kernal config. Or if you are using it stock without changes you could state that.
2) Apps - all of us have different apps installed and some apps make demands on the system when it is supposed to be "sleeping". Dedicated battery enthusiasts use CPU Spy and Better Battery Stats to try to figure out what is eating the battery all the time. Then they freeze those apps until they are needed.
3) Usage - I'm retired, so I play with my phone a lot....spend an hour a day just reading XDA. I must turn it on at least 30 times between charges. Others have to work, so they put it in their pockets and leave it alone for a while. Some folks play 3D games which consume power like crazy. Using phone data eats more power than wifi. A black background on your screen eats less than a white background... and so on.
So this is not a simple conversation. The more you tell about your situation, the more others can see if it applies to them.
(PS - I´m not talking much about my setup because I'm still on RR 1.1 with Siyah 3.0.1+. I´m trying various governors to see which works best - currently on lutzactive. I'm usually down to around 45% at bedtime which is fine with me.....If I leave the phone alone and just use it as a phone, I can probably go 24 hours.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I totally agree with you.
I use my phone very often too. not to play games but to text, listen to music, and i leave the phone data connected always to use IM services.
I'm sure it must be same with any regular user.
I love to play around with my phone as in trying out new stuff on it
This time its the Kernels and OSs that im testing on currently checking Abyss Kernel and already noticed that the soft key lights should be turned on time to time by going to settings :\
will see how well it does in other aspects

melakamc said:
I totally agree with you.
Im use my very often too. not to play games but to text, listen to music, and i leave the phone data connected always to use IM services.
I'm sure it must be same with any regular user.
I love to play around with my phone as in trying out new stuff on it
This time its the Kernels and OSs that im testing on currently checking Abyss Kernel and already noticed that the soft key lights should be turned on time to time by going to settings :\
will see how well it does in other aspects
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Did you try Siyah with RR 1.7 before going to Abyss? What were your impressions of the usual kernels that you tried? Apparently 1.7 is working well for you?

quijote1 said:
Did you try Siyah with RR 1.7 before going to Abyss? What were your impressions of the usual kernels that you tried? Apparently 1.7 is working well for you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've been using Siyah with RR 1.2 and 1.5 and battery life came upto 8-10hrs
wanted to try a different kernel and chose CM9 Remix which was in the download section of the RR thread and it was an utter disappointment for ME (others might like it)
refer to my earlier post for results.
currently im testing Abyss and will update on how it goes tonight

which one is the best?

meatlover said:
which one is the best?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It depends on user. Im a heavy user and a need freak so CM9 Remix didnt do much good to me trying Abyss at the moment. Await for results

This is very useful and im waiting for updates

AbyssICS (2.6b)
Okay lets see how Abyss worked out for me.
After the utter dissatisfaction over CM9 Remix kernel Abyss was quite impressive with battery consumption.
there's always a BUT
1. the softykey lights were never on even though i change settings, it stays on till the phone display sleeps and even of you turn the screen on again the lights never come back :\
2. Settings -> Storage always keeps force closing and you cant see the stuff in the external SD card even by using a file explorer (root explorer)
3. I didnt like the screen which comes saying some official italian bla bla when you restart the phone that got a very bad design
soooooooo im switching to Siyah-v3.2b4 after seeing its all new cool features and i found a great article on how to get the best out of the kernel
ill share it here : http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1369817

using cm kernel
got 54 hours earlier with moderate use
haven't had any issue so far been using for 4 or 5 days.

hassanal said:
using cm kernel
got 54 hours earlier with moderate use
haven't had any issue so far been using for 4 or 5 days.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
WHAT? 54hrs? NOWAY IN HELL
used any tweaks?

melakamc said:
WHAT? 54hrs? NOWAY IN HELL
used any tweaks?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No tweaks, but the screen on time suggests that the phone has been on standby most of the time, with no Data.
I always tend to have a fantastic battery performance too when I leave the phone on standby, with no Wifi or Data use.
Regards.

buzzboy said:
No tweaks, but the screen on time suggests that the phone has been on standby most of the time, with no Data.
I always tend to have a fantastic battery performance too when I leave the phone on standby, with no Wifi or Data use.
Regards.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That must be it, i use Data connection all the time and my screen is on most of the time

I used the stock cm9 for a while on v1.7 RR and found the battery to last quite well, decided to try siyah 3.1.2 a couple of days ago and day by day it is getting better but not sure its as good as the cm9 yet....gonna stick with it for now and see as it has more options.
Sent from my GT-I9100 using XDA

[Q] How to flash the Franco Kernel?

Hello,
I have done nothing to my Nexus 4 so far but I recently noticed that the battery isn't that good. I heard that the Franco Kernel might give more battery life. I don't play any games I just use it for texting, surfing and listening to music. Is the Franco Kernel good for my usage then or would you suggest another kernel?
I found the thread where I can download the Kernel but what is OP, Milestone and Nightlies? How do I flash this Kernel? Do I have to root? I couldn't find any HOW TOs.
Hope you guys can help!
Thanks!

easygoingx said:
Hello,
I have done nothing to my Nexus 4 so far but I recently noticed that the battery isn't that good. I heard that the Franco Kernel might give more battery life. I don't play any games I just use it for texting, surfing and listening to music. Is the Franco Kernel good for my usage then or would you suggest another kernel?
I found the thread where I can download the Kernel but what is OP, Milestone and Nightlies? How do I flash this Kernel? Do I have to root? I couldn't find any HOW TOs.
Hope you guys can help!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes you will need to unlock your bootloader, install a custom recovery, and root. Then you download the franco kernel zip and flash it through recovery.
OP = original post
Nightly = means the latest build (they are compiled every night, and may have bugs)
Milestone = usually means a complete version (stable releases)

Milestone = stable version
Nightly = newer version may contain bugs
U first need to root your device and download the Franco kernel zip and place it in your extSdCard. Once rooted goto recovery (volume up + home + power) select install zip from external card. Browse to file select then install... And enjoy...
Make sure u know wot you doing. Read first n read alot before any action else you may brick your device.
:*: Neebi :*:

also you can buy the app and it install the flash by itself,
i guess you still need to root
since you don´t game it`s weird to have bad battery, try greenify

easygoingx said:
Hello,
I have done nothing to my Nexus 4 so far but I recently noticed that the battery isn't that good. I heard that the Franco Kernel might give more battery life. I don't play any games I just use it for texting, surfing and listening to music. Is the Franco Kernel good for my usage then or would you suggest another kernel?
I found the thread where I can download the Kernel but what is OP, Milestone and Nightlies? How do I flash this Kernel? Do I have to root? I couldn't find any HOW TOs.
Hope you guys can help!
Thanks!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Please search first
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2266654
Nexus 4 Guide-Unlock Bootloader, Root, Install Custom Recoveries & Custom ROMs/Kernel
Sent from my Nexus 4

okay I see thanks!
Well I don't play games but I often use 3G Service and that usually drains A LOT of battery. I just want some more screen time when using 3g or WiFi. Does the Franco kernel change that?

easygoingx said:
okay I see thanks!
Well I don't play games but I often use 3G Service and that usually drains A LOT of battery. I just want some more screen time when using 3g or WiFi. Does the Franco kernel change that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kernels don't do that.
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

easygoingx said:
okay I see thanks!
Well I don't play games but I often use 3G Service and that usually drains A LOT of battery. I just want some more screen time when using 3g or WiFi. Does the Franco kernel change that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Your apps will make the biggest difference. Stop apps causing wake locks such as Facebook and anything with auto refreshing/push alerts.
The biggest benefit for me of using Franco is adjusting color profiles. Once you try other settings, you'll never go back to stock colors.
Sent from my iPad 4

easygoingx said:
okay I see thanks!
Well I don't play games but I often use 3G Service and that usually drains A LOT of battery. I just want some more screen time when using 3g or WiFi. Does the Franco kernel change that?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Kernels don't change this I'm afraid, and 3G will always use pretty much battery. Wifi on the other hand uses nearly nothing.
If you say you're not a heavy user then Franco's Kernel will be a good one for ya. As it contains hotplugging (meaning it will make the device slower if it's not used but fast when you want it to be)
Slower = more battery conservation.
Also let's you underclock your device. As for example you don't play games so you don't want it at 1512Mhz, you can run it at 1ghz and the time your screen is off lock it to 384Mhz (or a bit higher) which again makes your battery last longer.
It comes to a small downside, that kernel comes with its own app which costs a bit of money. But it's very much worth it as you can tweak it just as you want.
---
"unfortunatly" you need root before you can flash this. But there have been very useful links in previous posts, try those!
Then if you've done all that, look into Greenify. You'll notice a difference when using it, trust me
enjoy

Hi easygoingx! i wouldnt recommend you flash franco for now. I have been using franco for 2 months , i purchased the app and everything but lately it's comsuming a lot of battery! it drained my battery a lot with last updates i was getting crazy!
if i were you i'll flash trinity!
i've turned on my phone 30 min ago and my battery is in 98%, with franco it would be by 92%
but if you wanna flash ,first root your phone and put a custom recovery (cwm or trwp) and download the zip to your nexus 4 and flash it from custom recovery.

alvin182 said:
Hi easygoingx! i wouldnt recommend you flash franco for now. I have been using franco for 2 months , i purchased the app and everything but lately it's comsuming a lot of battery! it drained my battery a lot with last updates i was getting crazy!
if i were you i'll flash trinity!
i've turned on my phone 30 min ago and my battery is in 98%, with franco it would be by 92%
but if you wanna flash ,first root your phone and put a custom recovery (cwm or trwp) and download the zip to your nexus 4 and flash it from custom recovery.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That's definatly not the cause of Franco, but most propably some other apps rogueing. Try Greenify.
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It's maybe the case with nightlies on particular devices.
I'm not the one to judge on that but on Milestones (Milestone 2 aka latest) there is nearly no battery consumption in idle and I've used Franco since r102 (newest is r136)
In the including pic I had flashed Milestone 2 from Franco, then afterwards changed some values in the app to my liking (aka max freq 1350, min freq 384 etc...) and then left it be for a couple hours and look at the result. Lost maybe 1% over nearly 4 hours. If I leave it on generally over night on wifi + data sync enabled, I lose about 2-3% (depending on the sync times ofc). I sleep approx 6h a night btw
Also feel free looking here and see all the positive comments of people and their battery! (also one of the most active and responsive forum topics around)
Therefore I highly recommend Franco!

Oh now I understand these terms. Thank you guys! I'm considering flashing my phone and change the color settings. I'm really annoyed by those washed out colors!
You know what really annoys me? That when I am on 3g and my screen is locked IT DRAINS my battery SO MUCH. Isn't there any ROM/Kernel that fixes that? I mean the S3 has this even on Stock and unrooted....
Hmm... Somehow my phone gets so warm lately.... I'm kinda worried.

easygoingx said:
Oh now I understand these terms. Thank you guys! I'm considering flashing my phone and change the color settings. I'm really annoyed by those washed out colors!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
They sure are.. but you can take a pick from like 30-35 presets (using Franco's preset myself). Trust me, the result is just... awesome! (if you prefer AMOLED (cause you refered to an S3, you can also change colors to that, it's in the spreadsheet here (check kernel column to see for your chosen kernel))
easygoingx said:
You know what really annoys me? That when I am on 3g and my screen is locked IT DRAINS my battery SO MUCH. Isn't there any ROM/Kernel that fixes that? I mean the S3 has this even on Stock and unrooted....
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I doubt that there is a way around the battery drain with 2G/3G/3G+ but just having a different kernel will do miracles concerning battery life. Always feel free to ask this in the thread, maybe someone has a "solution" to your issue.
I don't know how often you're without wifi. But just make a tasker task like I have:
- "if wifi connected (=state)-> Data off"
- "if not wifi connected -> Data on"
easygoingx said:
Hmm... Somehow my phone gets so warm lately.... I'm kinda worried.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Don't worry about it too much. The nexus 4 is known for having bad thermal handling inside the phone (read this) but it won't harm your phone in any way.
If however you are still worried just download the kernel and go to "Voltages", just press-25mV a couple times (I recommend 3 or 4x). This will reduce the heat generated from your device. (Yes your device can handle this, even more but I'm not responsible )
Another thing is what is getting hot inside your device, battery or CPU? Franco Kernel Updater (app) has Device Monitor which let's you check the CPU temps. If the CPU gets warm/hot too often or too fast, just reducing the max CPU frequency can help you out (1.5Ghz is "too" much anyway, you'll be fine with a couple steps less )
Hope this helped If you have more questions that I could answer, just quote me

Kernel &battery saving Q's...

בס"ד
Hey. So I wanted to buy the nexus 4 , and then I've heard that the battery life is suck.
I found out that it could be fixed by installing a custom kernel.
I'd like to apply a cusom kernel
that saves -Alot- of battery , doesnt change anyting specific but the battery usage.
and to still stay with the Original Rom.
Any suggestions? Thanks.

TunneIVision said:
בס"ד
Hey. So I wanted to buy the nexus 4 , and then I've heard that the battery life is suck.
I found out that it could be fixed by installing a custom kernel.
I'd like to apply a cusom kernel
that saves -Alot- of battery , doesnt change anyting specific but the battery usage.
and to still stay with the Original Rom.
Any suggestions? Thanks.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
try them all out, they are all good. the thing is, all our devices react differently, and all our usages vary with as many users as there are. so the only way that you would find YOUR perfect kernel that YOUR device likes the best is to try them all out. it takes seconds to flash, so time isnt an issue. try one every few days, youll find the one thats for you.

simms22 said:
try them all out, they are all good. the thing is, all our devices react differently, and all our usages vary with as many users as there are. so the only way that you would find YOUR perfect kernel that YOUR device likes the best is to try them all out. it takes seconds to flash, so time isnt an issue. try one every few days, youll find the one thats for you.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
OK... but all the kernel changes something in the rom. I would like to keep my rom exactly the way it is , exept from the battery usage.

TunneIVision said:
OK... but all the kernel changes something in the rom. I would like to keep my rom exactly the way it is , exept from the battery usage.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can flash any kernel you want, and the ROM will stay the same. The kernel operates "under the hood" (the engine), while the ROM is what you see (rest of the car, to use that analogy). You can use an app called Trickster Mod to tweak kernel settings. Be sure to know what you're doing though, and keep a backup just in case.
Also, be sure if you flash faux or trinity kernel (that I know of), that you flash on top of a stock kernel/reset kernel. If you flash any of those on top of another custom kernel, you could get in trouble (because of the way the kernels are installed).

And the stock kernel is really not as bad as people make it out to be.
Sure custom will usually be better. But stock is not that bad. All those reports of horrid battery life I really don't know what the heck they are doing to be honest.
I used it for a while. And the other nexus 4 in the house is bone stock. It gets off the charger at 530am and needs to be charged around 4pm with around 4 hrs of screen time and 45 mins or so of candy crush.

ameinild said:
You can flash any kernel you want, and the ROM will stay the same. The kernel operates "under the hood" (the engine), while the ROM is what you see (rest of the car, to use that analogy). You can use an app called Trickster Mod to tweak kernel settings. Be sure to know what you're doing though, and keep a backup just in case.
Also, be sure if you flash faux or trinity kernel (that I know of), that you flash on top of a stock kernel/reset kernel. If you flash any of those on top of another custom kernel, you could get in trouble (because of the way the kernels are installed).
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
albundy2010 said:
And the stock kernel is really not as bad as people make it out to be.
Sure custom will usually be better. But stock is not that bad. All those reports of horrid battery life I really don't know what the heck they are doing to be honest.
I used it for a while. And the other nexus 4 in the house is bone stock. It gets off the charger at 530am and needs to be charged around 4pm with around 4 hrs of screen time and 45 mins or so of candy crush.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now that the battery life is improved on 4.3 JB version , I wont be needed to a custom kernel. Thanks alot.