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Hi guys,
I have a Nexus One purchased from Google last year. I only started using 3G this month with Vodafone Australia. My battery drains ridiculously fast on 3G compared to 2G. On HSDPA("3.5G") network with everything off (including data) it uses 5-10% per hour standby. On 2G it drains less than 1% per hour. Using a battery monitor app I can see that 2G draws less than 10mA while 3G draws 25-100mA.
Since on 2G battery life is very good this should not be a problem with any software running in the background. I also tried the following with no help:
- Dial *#*#4636#*#*, set to WCDMA only instead of WCDMA preferred, and select radio bands to AUS BANDS
- Upgrade radio to the latest Korean version
- Force the phone to use UMTS instead of HSDPA network by editing build.prop
I tried both the stock 2.3.4 ROM and the latest CM nightly, but the problem persists. I really want to take the full advantage of 3G and leave it on all the time so this is very frustrating to me. I can use Toggle2G to automatically switch to 3G when screen is on, but that's not what I really want. I know although 3G uses more battery it should not be that dramatic. After all the specified standby time on 3G/2G are 250/290h by Google. With 3G my phone won't last even a day purely on standby.
I also wonder if it can be a problem with the network. My signal strength on 3G is around 2 bars - not particularly bad. It almost never loses signal. If anyone can post a ROM/radio from Vodafone Australia for me to try out that would be greatly appreciated too.
Thanks all!
2 Bars of Signal strength might be one of the reason that battery is drained faster. As the signal is not that strong enough, it keeps searching for stronger signal and results in faster battery consumption.
Personally the radio version '5.12' wasn't satisfactory. I prefer 5.08 version. (Signal strength, speed, battery...)
I recently upgraded from CM 7.0.3 to 7.1.0 RC1 and noticed battery life is much better.
So I am going to suggest a few things you might want to try:
- Downgrade the radio to 5.08
- Full wipe and flash CM 7.1.0 RC1 (or a different custom ROM)
- Try a different kernel (I personally like Cyanogen kernel though)
- Uninstall Task Killer if you have one installed.
zephyr18 said:
2 Bars of Signal strength might be one of the reason that battery is drained faster. As the signal is not that strong enough, it keeps searching for stronger signal and results in faster battery consumption.
Personally the radio version '5.12' wasn't satisfactory. I prefer 5.08 version. (Signal strength, speed, battery...)
I recently upgraded from CM 7.0.3 to 7.1.0 RC1 and noticed battery life is much better.
So I am going to suggest a few things you might want to try:
- Downgrade the radio to 5.08
- Full wipe and flash CM 7.1.0 RC1 (or a different custom ROM)
- Try a different kernel (I personally like Cyanogen kernel though)
- Uninstall Task Killer if you have one installed.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Hi zephyr, I previously had CM 7.1.0 RC1 with radio 5.08 and the Cyanogen kernel but the problem remained. I also tried to put my phone near the window, where it has 4 bars signal, but the battery drained just as fast. Thanks for your suggestions though.
I know T-Mobile in the states screwed up something on their network a few weeks back. In doing so, it caused massive power usage on devices when using 3G/4G. I wonder if Vodaphone Australia did something to their network as well...
http://androidandme.com/2011/08/news/is-t-mobiles-network-killing-your-battery/
install current widget, and take logs of your current draw in mA during idle to see what's going on. do an overnight test, then during the day. post your logs.
So I just stumbled across this thread. I've been having the same issue on my Desire, it started suddenly a couple of weeks ago. In 3G mode my phone drains about 120mA. In 2g it drops down to 4-8. I've eliminated all the usual suspects by doing a factory reset (using the CM7.1.0RC but have also tried the latest nightly build), so no apps running in the background, and tried different versions of the radio. I am also with Vodafone in Australia. One thing that I have found is that if I go into Phone Info I can force the phone to make an EDGE connection by choosing the "AUS2" frequency band, and with an EDGE connection I get the good battery usage. But if I choose "AUS" or "AUTO", the phone makes an HSDPA connection and this drains the hell out of my battery.
Just wondering if the OP has had any joy with this?
stanleyguan said:
Hi guys,
I have a Nexus One purchased from Google last year. I only started using 3G this month with Vodafone Australia. My battery drains ridiculously fast on 3G compared to 2G. On HSDPA("3.5G") network with everything off (including data) it uses 5-10% per hour standby. On 2G it drains less than 1% per hour. Using a battery monitor app I can see that 2G draws less than 10mA while 3G draws 25-100mA.
Since on 2G battery life is very good this should not be a problem with any software running in the background. I also tried the following with no help:
- Dial *#*#4636#*#*, set to WCDMA only instead of WCDMA preferred, and select radio bands to AUS BANDS
- Upgrade radio to the latest Korean version
- Force the phone to use UMTS instead of HSDPA network by editing build.prop
I tried both the stock 2.3.4 ROM and the latest CM nightly, but the problem persists. I really want to take the full advantage of 3G and leave it on all the time so this is very frustrating to me. I can use Toggle2G to automatically switch to 3G when screen is on, but that's not what I really want. I know although 3G uses more battery it should not be that dramatic. After all the specified standby time on 3G/2G are 250/290h by Google. With 3G my phone won't last even a day purely on standby.
I also wonder if it can be a problem with the network. My signal strength on 3G is around 2 bars - not particularly bad. It almost never loses signal. If anyone can post a ROM/radio from Vodafone Australia for me to try out that would be greatly appreciated too.
Thanks all!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Try Juicedefender Ultimate, it shuts down data when not in use. I see 1-2%/hr max when used with a good kernel.
ctfrommn said:
Try Juicedefender Ultimate, it shuts down data when not in use. I see 1-2%/hr max when used with a good kernel.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Alas it's not the data, this happens even with the data turned off. It's something to do with the baseband connection.
It's not data here either.
This just started happening on my 100% stock unlocked N1 about 2 weeks ago. (ATT)
Most of the time at work I'm on WiFi, yes the signal (cell) is very bad in my office. Has been for a long time, something else is strange.
No extra tasks running, nothing new installed.
Gets piping hot when on the charger - sucks juice like crazy when off.
Checked data log - nothing unusual transmitting...
What sort of area do you operate your phone in? My phone used to drain like mad inside my house (perth- vodafone) and in areas with spotty coverage. In my house my reception would be on the very edge of 3g with no bars and EDGE, constantly switching between the two. Do you have your wifi policy set to on while sleeping? Provided you aren't out and about all day, that would help, though i assume if you've had the phone that long, youd have changed the wifi sleep policy by now.
My wifi is always on - never has changed.
It gets hot at home where there is good reception and at work where there is crap.
I've had the phone for over 1.5 years and this just cropped up.
I rooted my wifes N1 and she doesn't have any issues...
liam.lah said:
What sort of area do you operate your phone in? My phone used to drain like mad inside my house (perth- vodafone) and in areas with spotty coverage. In my house my reception would be on the very edge of 3g with no bars and EDGE, constantly switching between the two. Do you have your wifi policy set to on while sleeping? Provided you aren't out and about all day, that would help, though i assume if you've had the phone that long, youd have changed the wifi sleep policy by now.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm also in Perth, on Vodafone. I get a pretty decent signal strength at home, and it seems to be happening to me wherever I go, unless I'm "lucky" enough to get an EDGE connection. This started overnight, almost exactly two weeks ago. I've been speaking with Vodafone about this at length but not really getting anywhere. Yesterday they swapped my SIM but it didn't make any difference.
Yep, wifi is set to never sleep.
I bought a prepaid SIM card from another provider a few days ago. I only get a UMTS connection with them, but still the current drain when idle is what is considered "normal", 4-6mA.
One thought I've had is that maybe I never had an HSDPA connection before but recent network upgrades have meant that I'm suddenly getting one. Still, 125mA is way too big a drain and seems to indicate something wrong with the phone.
The last test I can think to do is to swap SIM cards with a friend who is on a third network, who gets an HSDPA connection. He has a Nexus One and gets very low current drain. At least that way I can be sure of whether it is or isn't the network. We're doing that tomorrow so stay tuned
So if we have root finally can someone tell me if there is any way to resolve the signal strenght problem?? It looks like Droid 3 has different perception of signal strenght than my Motorola Milestone... When my milestone has signal about -83dB it has all 4on4 bars of signal strenght, and on Droid 3 -80dB means 2x4 bars...
the problem is when the signal is around -90 dB... Milestone has than 2on4 bars and Droid 3 has 1on4 bars or is Out of service...
Is there any file in the system that manage D3's perception of signal???
Hope You can help me somehow...
When I got this phone I wondered about that myself. But I never had any issues with calls.
I'd say a new rom might be the answer, but hey...
This sounds like the same issue with Droid 2 Global. Try switching to 2G and see if bars "increase" so to say. On D2g it is more of a cosmetic issue, even Cyanogenmod ROM for that phone applies fix, so bar count is displayed properly.
Edit: on Motorola XT860 this works normally (compared to D2g it seems to get better reception too). For non-Verizon users, I strongly recommend this version over the US D3
To which setting do you put your "Set preferred network type" under *#*#4636#*#* ?
Mine is set to "GSM Auto (PRL)"
Also, TELUS doesn't have a 2G network, so I can't test that option.
My phone is rarely at 5x5, mostly 3x5 or 4x5. My previous Milestone almost always had 4x4.
You can also check your signal strenght over time if you check your battery stats and click on the graph at the top of your screen.
The first bar should be Green, yellow, red or gray depending on your signal strength.
mikenius said:
So if we have root finally can someone tell me if there is any way to resolve the signal strenght problem?? It looks like Droid 3 has different perception of signal strenght than my Motorola Milestone... When my milestone has signal about -83dB it has all 4on4 bars of signal strenght, and on Droid 3 -80dB means 2x4 bars...
the problem is when the signal is around -90 dB... Milestone has than 2on4 bars and Droid 3 has 1on4 bars or is Out of service...
Is there any file in the system that manage D3's perception of signal???
Hope You can help me somehow...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I've had 3 replacements, first for out of service, then also screen and vibrate issues. All had the loss of service even with lots of towers near me. Usually a reboot fixes it but it's getting very annoying . Had a high level ticket opened with them and eventually was written off as a droid 3 issue and closed. They just don't want to help.
SX86 said:
To which setting do you put your "Set preferred network type" under *#*#4636#*#* ?
Mine is set to "GSM Auto (PRL)"
Also, TELUS doesn't have a 2G network, so I can't test that option.
My phone is rarely at 5x5, mostly 3x5 or 4x5. My previous Milestone almost always had 4x4.
You can also check your signal strenght over time if you check your battery stats and click on the graph at the top of your screen.
The first bar should be Green, yellow, red or gray depending on your signal strength.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I am with Rogers and signal indicator is most of the time on 5 bars. I've seen it go down to 4, usually indoors, very seldom down to 3 or 2. I am yet to see 1 bar only or no bars at all (which wasn't at all unusual on my D2G
In that case, it must be a phone model vs cell towers (Bell/TELUS, Rogers) issue.
leobg said:
This sounds like the same issue with Droid 2 Global. Try switching to 2G and see if bars "increase" so to say. On D2g it is more of a cosmetic issue, even Cyanogenmod ROM for that phone applies fix, so bar count is displayed properly.
Edit: on Motorola XT860 this works normally (compared to D2g it seems to get better reception too). For non-Verizon users, I strongly recommend this version over the US D3
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I tried to change it to 2G only and it works and it shows 4/4 bars... however I use internet so 3G/HSPA is my preffered network and on 3G it shaws usually 1-2 bars and from time to time it drops the signal... It has to be software problem because when I change it to GSM Auto PRL from GSM only and it was at 2G showing full range it stays at 2G but shows 2 bars... so another MOTO bug... :/ but i would like to find out how to change it...
I received the update yesterday. 4G connection is better but I'm still only getting 2 bars. I live 500m from tower and the other tower is 800m or so. Camera works better and hissing is gone. However the LG and Thunderbolt both got full bars even though they weren't working as they should and Verizon swapped for the Bionic and this is my Second Bionic.
Strange thing is when I'm talking on the phone I get full 4G bars but off the phone I get 1-2 bars. Speeds are fine and when I run Open Signal it shows 86% signal strength and -69 to -71 dBm and 21asu.
Called Verizon and they turned me over to Motorola and they said the update hasn't been released yet but what up date did I get then?
It shows 5.5.893.XT875.Verizon.en.US.
So is my bar graph off or is there something else going on?
Was it pushed to your phone or did you do it manually?
OTA was avaible for download this morning so i installed.
Bars really mean nothing for 4g. Two bars is just as strong as four.
I was showing usually 3-4 bars bars before the update and had sporadic speeds when tested. Now I'm 2-3 bars and stable.
I wouldn't stress. Does your phone run fine? You said your signal strength was the same. Don't worry.
Sent from my DROID BIONIC using xda premium
Ok thanks. Phone has been better since up date and its the only thing that i noticed.
i recently unlocked, rooted and s-off my htc one, on stock i used to get around 5/4 signal bars and now i only get two/three.
im currently running trickdroid 7.5 rom 4.2.2.
so im looking for a radio which would work for orange/EE in the UK.
please can someone help, or point me into the right direction
this is the one for the 4.2.2 firmware
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showpost.php?p=42139108&postcount=18404
Are you sure that it is not the same level? Don't be fooled by the bar looking different, remember that it might show 2 bars of LTE but that could still be better than 5 bars of H+ (as an example).
So if you used to get 5 bars of 3G but your now getting 2 bars of H or H+ then you are better off even though its less bars.
Please do not take this as me treating you as if you are stupid, I am not, I have come across a lot of people recently who thought the same, and it turned out to just be a different type of signal.
fixed
okk i just flashed 1.29.401.12 Radio and it's back to normal.
i found it here http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=2245615
Lennyuk said:
Are you sure that it is not the same level? Don't be fooled by the bar looking different, remember that it might show 2 bars of LTE but that could still be better than 5 bars of H+ (as an example).
So if you used to get 5 bars of 3G but your now getting 2 bars of H or H+ then you are better off even though its less bars.
Please do not take this as me treating you as if you are stupid, I am not, I have come across a lot of people recently who thought the same, and it turned out to just be a different type of signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
thanks for the input but!
i never said i was using my data connection,
Same principle applies even with data off.
Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta
Lennyuk said:
Are you sure that it is not the same level? Don't be fooled by the bar looking different, remember that it might show 2 bars of LTE but that could still be better than 5 bars of H+ (as an example).
So if you used to get 5 bars of 3G but your now getting 2 bars of H or H+ then you are better off even though its less bars.
Please do not take this as me treating you as if you are stupid, I am not, I have come across a lot of people recently who thought the same, and it turned out to just be a different type of signal.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So if I have 5 bars when set to "GSM" only but 2-3 when set to "GSM/CDMA" .. that's as good?
I'm being serious btw, I normally set mine to just GSM as I seemed to have more signal but if there isn't any point then I won't bother lol ..I'm in the UK btw and on a network that doesn't support LTE (I think)
AllAboutTheCore said:
So if I have 5 bars when set to "GSM" only but 2-3 when set to "GSM/CDMA" .. that's as good?
I'm being serious btw, I normally set mine to just GSM as I seemed to have more signal but if there isn't any point then I won't bother lol ..I'm in the UK btw and on a network that doesn't support LTE (I think)
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You can confirm the 'type' of signal you are getting at any time in the menu > settings > about part of the phone.
Your phone will automatically switch to whatever the best signal is available at any time, you don't really need to change your GSM/WCDMA settings, unless you really want to force it away from 3G connections (again this does not mean you have to have data turned on).
Cool, I'm not too fussed about what data type it uses as I rarely have data turned on, I just naturally assumed that by switching it from GSM'CDMA Auto to just GSM, meant that I'd have better reception, being that the signal bars went from 2/5 to 5/5 ... You learn something new everyday lol
EDIT: I checked my signal, and I mean my reception, not the data connection type, when switched between GSM/WCDMA Auto and GSM Only and there is a huge difference. I found this guide:
dB Signal - A basic guide
-50 to -60 (very strong, near a cell tower)
-60 to -70 (extremely good, rare)
-80 to -85 (normal downtown)
-90 to -95 (getting on the weak side)
-95 to -98 (weak, dropping calls)
-98 to -100 (bad, hard to stay connected)
-100+ (basically no usable signal)
When I set my phone to GSM Only I hover around -70, which is good, when I switch to GSM/WCDMA Auto it is a different story. I know it changes and finds the best signal, which I might add drains more battery on an already power hungry beast, but I was hovering at -100 which is terrible and often calls were dropping or people were saying it was engaged when infact I hadn't used it.
It's clear to me that in my case, GSM Only is the far better option if I actually want to use my phone to make calls ... Data speeds I'm not arsed about so EDGE is just fine with me.
After weeks of playing around with build.props, APNs, and patches, on custom ROMs and stock, I am still attempting to get faster and more consistent data.
4G and LTE are supposed to be possible, but I can't figure it out.
I can get around 5 Mbps down using WCDMA only, but the very next moment in the same spot could be something entirely different.
My mobile data goes out quite often where it is just the outline of a triangle. I have never seen any other letters besides an E and a H.
I am currently on stable CM 10.2.1 installed on a newly created and wiped SS Slot 1, and have been for about a week and a half.
I used default network = 0 in build.prop this time around.
I finally managed to get my phone to recognize my SIM card while using the following configuration:
default network in Phone Testing = LTE/GSM/CDMA auto (PRL) and
preferred network mode in Mobile Network Settings = Global (CDMA/EVDO/LTE/GSM/WCDMA).
It acted really strange at first but the settings stayed even after a handful of reboots.
I am using Straight Talk's current APN settings (tfdata).
My dBm is constantly going from about -90 something to -108 and my asu ranges from around 3 to 14.
Before I just now rebooted, and every so often, it shows 2147483647 dBm and 255 asu; I have only just noticed this in the past few days, however. It is now back to -101 dBm and 6 asu after restarting.
I have attached screenshots of it doing that and a shot of "normalcy", as well as my last few speed tests.
Can anyone tell me what I might be doing wrong?
Should I try default network = 10 again in build.prop?
Or could anyone provide a copy of a build.prop working on all possible network modes (with the ability to edit APNs)?
Thanks in advance. I will take any and all advice or opinions.
I am so over trying to figure this out! When I really need my mobile data, it doesn't work!
I have attached a couple of graphs of my signal highs/lows etc. These results are from the Real Signal app.
I don't really know what they mean, but I am hoping they might shed some light on my issue and I'll get an answer from someone.
Sent from my XT875 using xda app-developers app
How are you getting it to get edge data? On mine I either have HSPA or nothing. Is there a way to make it default automatically to edge when the HSPA signal gets weak. I tried using liquid smooth 4.2.2 and changed it to 2g only and never could get signal. Change it to auto and get HSPA again
Sent from my Nexus S using xda app-developers app
should i take the bionic out office space style?
twfs said:
How are you getting it to get edge data? On mine I either have HSPA or nothing. Is there a way to make it default automatically to edge when the HSPA signal gets weak. I tried using liquid smooth 4.2.2 and changed it to 2g only and never could get signal. Change it to auto and get HSPA again
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not really sure how, and when it is on Edge, data hardly works anyway, so I probably can't help you there.
But I do have default network = 10. Only other thing I changed was telephony.lteOnCdmaDevice=0 to get the APN menu under mobile networks.
However, at the moment (and the majority of moments), with Wi-fi off, I have no data, -109 dBm, 5 asu, GPRS service is disconnected, and my phone number is "unknown", so I am definitely not in the position for giving suggestions.
Am going to try CM 11 again today, but I was hoping for some answers before doing anything other than installing..
I will ask more specific questions in the hopes that someone, anyone, can provide some sort of idea for at least 1 of them..
Is it even possible for the Bionic to have consistent, non-frustrating access to 2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE when unlocked for the AT&T or T-Mobile networks using Straight Talk?
Is there a way to enable the APN menu without changing the build.prop?
Does anyone have a targa build.prop (entire thing or line changes) of phone that has reliable data, etc. working on 2G, 3G, 4G, and LTE?
Could it be an issue with the SIM card itself?
Am I even approaching this from the right angle?
Should I just give up and get a new phone?
Thanks in advance.
Patch Idea
I am a novice at best and that may be a stretch.
BUT. Both of my Bionics are running on Straight Talk AT&T 4G sim cards.
One is a hardware REV-B the other is hardware REV-C.
The REV-C is rooted and running on the Jelly Bean stock rom.
The REV-B is rooted and running on a MoKee MK4.4 KitKat Release that I downloaded
from their site and opened in "Safestrap".
I do not think that I have achieved 4G yet however,
I do have fairly stable signal and data since
I installed a CDMA to GSM patch that I found searching these forums.
It includes Straight Talk and AT&T APN!
I am not aloud to post links yet. But if you search for these things here you will probably find them fairly quickly.
I would love to know if you can achieve 4G!
Good Luck!
Netzerite