Battery Drain = 3G? - Dell Streak 7

One of the big complaints from all published reviews is the lack of battery power - about 4 hours maximum. I have an idea I to present.
I have the T-Mobile version, but I use my S7 at home; in fact I never activated the device on T-Mobile. I think that part of the problem with battery drain is that one cannot turn off the 3G modem. The S7 automatically disables the connection to 3G when the WiFi connects, but the modem is still working (there is still a signal strength on the task bar).
From past experience with phones, that 3G modem drains a lot of power.
Does anyone know of a way to disable the modem itself? I'm not interested in rooting at this point, but maybe there is some setting I am missing?

If you load DJ_Steve's S7 ROM, there is a hack to disable the RIL. That gave me much better battery life.

I just leave mine in airplane mode with no SIM inserted, enable and disable wifi as needed.

First off, what's RIL?
Second, I've also heard that the cellular is trying to connect on the software side. Any truth to this?
I'm wondering how this tab might fare, battery-wise, with it not pinging for a cell signal and 3G (or 4G, depending on the signal you get, or both and only 1x active) off. Can you set it so only one radio is getting play? Also, can you set profiles so that one gets used over the other? Example:
Screen off = 2G only
Screen on = 3G only
Internet apps (such as browser and YouTube) = 4G only

Z4nd4r said:
First off, what's RIL?
Second, I've also heard that the cellular is trying to connect on the software side. Any truth to this?
I'm wondering how this tab might fare, battery-wise, with it not pinging for a cell signal and 3G (or 4G, depending on the signal you get, or both and only 1x active) off. Can you set it so only one radio is getting play? Also, can you set profiles so that one gets used over the other? Example:
Screen off = 2G only
Screen on = 3G only
Internet apps (such as browser and YouTube) = 4G only
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of the posts above indicates that he is using a hacked software version, and the battery life is indeed much better without 3G.
Using airplane mode would work if I was only using the device to read books, for example, but I generally use it for online work.
I think the replies confirm my suspicion that the 3G modem is drinking the juice. Not too much of a hassle since I keep it at home next to the charge cable, but (especially with that non standard charge cable) it will not be so good outside the house (unless one is using the T-Mobile 3G, but that takes $$).

daveid said:
I just leave mine in airplane mode with no SIM inserted, enable and disable wifi as needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I use mine similar to this but I have a sim card in as well. I have a widget for airplane mode and one for wifi on my main home screen. I have airplane mode and wifi enabled most of the time but when I am out and need data (not very often) I just disable airplane mode for a short time.
This works well and the battery life is more like a minor inconvenience.
To do this same thing manually I'm sure juice defender ultimate should work since you could set up profiles for wifi, 2g and 3g (disclaimer: I haven't tested that idea but some people on this forum have juice defender ultimate and might be able to comment)

djUniversal said:
I use mine similar to this but I have a sim card in as well. I have a widget for airplane mode and one for wifi on my main home screen. I have airplane mode and wifi enabled most of the time but when I am out and need data (not very often) I just disable airplane mode for a short time.
This works well and the battery life is more like a minor inconvenience.
To do this same thing manually I'm sure juice defender ultimate should work since you could set up profiles for wifi, 2g and 3g (disclaimer: I haven't tested that idea but some people on this forum have juice defender ultimate and might be able to comment)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The problem is that when the WiFi is on, so is the 3g. I confirmed this with my battery widget; 57% of the battery drain was due to the 3g modem IIRC.

stevedebi said:
The problem is that when the WiFi is on, so is the 3g. I confirmed this with my battery widget; 57% of the battery drain was due to the 3g modem IIRC.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you activate wifi by turning airplane mode off then the 3g radio will stay on in the background while you are using wifi.
If you turn on airplane mode then wifi you will only have wifi active. Just make sure that the airplane mode symbol is on in the top right beside the wifi icon.

djUniversal said:
If you activate wifi by turning airplane mode off then the 3g radio will stay on in the background while you are using wifi.
If you turn on airplane mode then wifi you will only have wifi active. Just make sure that the airplane mode symbol is on in the top right beside the wifi icon.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, I will try it tonight! That should improve my battery life a lot. I'll report back.

Wow,
That worked great. I didn't realize that flight mode did not override all radios. Thanks for the tip!
Sent from my Streak 7 via xda app

daveid said:
I just leave mine in airplane mode with no SIM inserted, enable and disable wifi as needed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
This has also worked for me with the SIM inserted. I get great sleep times with new OTA upgrade left at default settings and keeping the S7 in airplane mode, unless charging. I only turn on wifi when I need it.
Also very important: if you're using the S7 only with wifi, turn background sync off from the power widget, when you are setting the tablet aside for some time. I believe this is where the battery drain actually occurs. If background sync is left on, the S7 continues to try to update location services and your various accounts, even though airplane mode is on.
I have "slept" the S7 (airplane mode with wifi off and background sync off) when I get to work at about 90% charge and come back to it at the end of the day at 75%, ready for the commute home.
Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

Related

[VZW] Using as WIFI only/ How to disable radio to save battery!

Im sure there are many people out there who bought their tab second hand on craigslist or ebay and ect.... thats my situation.
i have a galaxy vibrant, and am on the simple mobile unlimited plan. ($60 unlimited everything) so i dont use verizon because i tether to my tab using the vibrant. i noticed the radio taking up a good 8% of my battery after 3 hours of standby. so i wanted to disable this since i dont use it. after trying many different apps like apn on/off and others, i realized none work. then i found the solution to be ridiculously simple.
1. go to settings
2. go to wireless settings
3. Hit Airplane Mode ( But that kills wifi so damn)
4. go to wifi settings
5. Enable wifi (It enables wifi while still under airplane mode, thus killing the cdma radio)
there dilema resolved.
now im getting an extra 20% battery life over a full discharge. <3
good luck
Great Idea. THIS SHOULD BE A STICKY.
Just set up my Galaxy...
Thanks.
Good instructions for newbies, but an old topic. And you can't use bluetooth when you are in airplane mode.
Maybe switch.off mobile data. Also when not using toggle wifi off
Sent from my LG-P999 using XDA App
Or just dial *#*#4636#*#* and switch the radio off
I have to do after each reboot
Thanks guys!
You can also use the Airplane Mode Wi-Fi Tool app, I've been using it for awhile and it works perfectly. It sets it to airplane mode and allows you to use wi-fi in airplane mode. It also stays after reboot. It also allows you to use bluetooth in airplane mode, though I haven't tried this feature yet.
https://market.android.com/details?id=net.geekherd.airplanemode

3G standby battery life

I bought my N7 3G to use primarily as WIFI and only to use a 3G payg card in emergencies so I have inserted my SIM and turned off the mobile data.
However it still seems to maintain a connection to the mobile network and the standby battery life seems to be significantly shorter than my wi-fi only model.
Anyone had comparable experience or know how to resolve this (I have thought of removing the SIM to see if that makes a difference but a configuration setting/app would be nicer).
Did you turn on Airplane mode AND then turn on WiFi?
Seems as if you just turned of data mode but the cellular radio is still on. Might be worth looking into.
LordLugard said:
Did you turn on Airplane mode AND then turn on WiFi?
Seems as if you just turned of data mode but the cellular radio is still on. Might be worth looking into.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That'll probably be the reason

Toggle between WiFi and mobile data with tasker

Hello. Does anyone knows how to make a script for tasker which switch mobile data off if WiFi is connected and mobile data back on if there's no WiFi connection? For the last 3 or 4 hours I'm searching for this and can't find nothing.
Also, I want if there's no WiFi network, to switch WiFi off (so mobile data will be turned on).
I managed to do something, but it didn't worked. When I enabled the profiles with WiFi and mobile data both turned on, the mobile data turned off, then WiFi off, then mobile data on and so on, in a loop.
Wouldn't that be redundant? The os already does that.
Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk
Thanks for the response. I know that if WiFi is connected, I'm using the internet from it, but mobile data is still active, right? Even if there's no traffic from mobile data, that's still on. Wouldn't that be a source of battery drain?
I set my data to turn off if my phone is connected for 5 minutes to a wifi. Important: set collision handling to 'abort existing task'.
Here you got pictures.
Edit:
if you are further interested in battery savings, you can read my thread "[BATTERY LIFE] How to get up to 7+h of screen-on-time"
This is absolutely redundant and unnecesary, when the phone connects to a wifi, it disables 3g/LTE data connection by itself. When you connect to a wifi you can see how the 3g/H/H+ icon above radio signal dissapears. The radio chip inside this phones can be used in Wifi mode or 3g/4g mode for data connection, but not both at a time. It is technically not possible.
Accidentally sent from my Xperia Z using Tapatalk
RoberM said:
This is absolutely redundant and unnecesary, when the phone connects to a wifi, it disables 3g/LTE data connection by itself. When you connect to a wifi you can see how the 3g/H/H+ icon above radio signal dissapears. The radio chip inside this phones can be used in Wifi mode or 3g/4g mode for data connection, but not both at a time. It is technically not possible.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The moment you don't have wifi anylonger, the phone starts a fullburst search for wifi and 3G/4G networks (even if I don't want wifi/data at the moment). and this drains a hell of a lot of battery. then (if you go out e.g.) it finds a 3g/4g-connection which it tries to keep up (drains a lot battery) and in the same time searches for wifi-networks (also drains battery)... very inefficient use of battery
So I deactivate data after 5 mins automatically via tasker and turn it on manually when I need it (could also automate that, but I'm lazy). This way I circumvent all these battery drains
Additionally:
Under normal circumstances I'd also set wifi to "turn off if not connected" (in settings) and "optimize wifi for battery life", but I use a custom stock kernel that has issues with these settings so I need to leave wifi on all day
sea2605 said:
The moment you don't have wifi anylonger, the phone starts a fullburst search for wifi and 3G/4G networks (even if I don't want wifi/data at the moment). and this drains a hell of a lot of battery. then (if you go out e.g.) it finds a 3g/4g-connection which it tries to keep up (drains a lot battery) and in the same time searches for wifi-networks (also drains battery)... very inefficient use of battery
So I deactivate data after 5 mins automatically via tasker and turn it on manually when I need it (could also automate that, but I'm lazy). This way I circumvent all these battery drains
Additionally:
Under normal circumstances I'd also set wifi to "turn off if not connected" (in settings) and "optimize wifi for battery life", but I use a custom stock kernel that has issues with these settings so I need to leave wifi on all day
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Umm, ok... But this has nothing to do with what the OP asked, or what I said.
You may try e-robot from play store.
I have a command for that, after wifi disconnects, wait for 30 sec. If still wifi is not connected, automaticcaly disables wifi.
Same as for bluetooth. When i leave my phone in my desk and gone for a while, 60 sec later disable bt.
You can do what ever you want.
Sent from my C6603 using Tapatalk

[Q] Why am seeing network signal strength & Cellular Radios on in Airplane Mode?

So I am using a Nexus 6 on the Latest Tmo build (28E?) of Stock Rom and Stock Kernel Rooted, Encrypted.
Since the update that enabled wifi-calling for the N6 I have taken to setting my phone to airplane mode and turning on Wifi only to save battery since the signal at my house bounces back and forth from LTE to 3G and that murders my battery. Most of the time the signal strength graph shows blank and battery app correctly shows the cellular radios as having no on time. However, after being idle for a while (it would seem) the graph begins to show the signal strength as Red (no signal) and the cellular standby shows up in battery usage with the radios as being on (with no signal) and "active for a few seconds". Toggling airplane mode on and off usually restores them to showing up as off. Other times I never notice and it stays on for a few hours and goes back off on it's own. My main concern is that it seems to be activating the radio on it's own, my minor concern would be that my battery monitor app shows that it's using the battery. What could be causing this? I don't think it's a reporting glitch, because it shows up in both the system battery panel and a 3rd party one. If anyone has any thoughts or could point me towards a tool that could help me figure out what's turning on the radio when it's supposed to be off, please let me know. I've included photos from today showing what I'm talking about, the phone has been in airplane mode the whole time in these photos.
Thanks so much!
Kev
I think your issue is one of the reason why I cannot get Wifi Calling working at all. No matter what I do, my phone is holding onto a cellular network. Still trying to figure this out.
nautec said:
I think your issue is one of the reason why I cannot get Wifi Calling working at all. No matter what I do, my phone is holding onto a cellular network. Still trying to figure this out.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The best I can tell, "Android OS" is the only thing that shows any mobile packets sent or received so it's got to be a system thing.
If you have the myT-mobile app installed try uninstalling it I found that app totally screwed with my Nexus 6, turning WiFi on when I had no desire to use it.
stevemw said:
If you have the myT-mobile app installed try uninstalling it I found that app totally screwed with my Nexus 6, turning WiFi on when I had no desire to use it.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Unfortunately that's not the fix. I don't have that app installed. Tmo is sending me a new SIM as I am also randomly having Wifi calling drop in and out even while my wifi is connected.
Does anyone know any app that would let me see specifically what app is engaging the mobile radio?
Airplane mode disables all outbound communications however inbound ones are still discoverable.
I can receive calls in airplane mode...
Samg381 said:
Airplane mode disables all outbound communications however inbound ones are still discoverable.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
... I just joined to see why is my Nexus 6 receiving calls in airplane mode (and Wifi off...). It's a recurrent problem... everytime there's an update I have this issue...

Aggressive WiFi to cellular handover

Does anyone else experience their pixel 5 deciding that a perfectly good wifi connection is "low quality" and using cellular instead?
I have this happen very often. Have at least 50% of the wifi symbol full on my fast home network (that nothing else struggles on) and my pixel 5 just labels it as "low quality" and switches to cellular. I normally just have to go to airplane mode and turn wifi on. Toggling wifi (without airplane mode) will get it to reconnect but it'll quickly do it again on occasion.
I remember in the past there was a setting for aggressive WiFi to cellular handover but that's gone now. Not sure if that would solve this anyway.
What are your actual wifi stats? Just because the icon shows 50% doesn't mean you actually have a good signal.
Gibsonflyingv said:
Does anyone else experience their pixel 5 deciding that a perfectly good wifi connection is "low quality" and using cellular instead?
I have this happen very often. Have at least 50% of the wifi symbol full on my fast home network (that nothing else struggles on) and my pixel 5 just labels it as "low quality" and switches to cellular. I normally just have to go to airplane mode and turn wifi on. Toggling wifi (without airplane mode) will get it to reconnect but it'll quickly do it again on occasion.
I remember in the past there was a setting for aggressive WiFi to cellular handover but that's gone now. Not sure if that would solve this anyway.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
count your blessings. in my experiences, android tends to hang onto bad wifi connections for faaaarrrrrrr too long. i'll be a half mile from the house before it finally switches over.
WaxysDargle said:
count your blessings. in my experiences, android tends to hang onto bad wifi connections for faaaarrrrrrr too long. i'll be a half mile from the house before it finally switches over.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I wish that was the case for me. Mine will pick a single bar of LTE over my near full wifi signal. I've never had another phone do something like that. I basically have to use my phone with airplane mode on at home.
Unlock the developer settings and turn on verbose wifi. It should give you better wifi signal and band information to work with.

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