[tvmatt]

My phone burns less than 2% per hour in Airplane mode. If you're seeing
worse than that with nothing else running, then it's broken. Get at
least the battery replaced, if not the whole phone.

ian

Agreed - anything over 2% while idle in airplane mode means something is wrong. I burn anywhere between 8-14%/hour idle with good reception (ahhh!) - I'll screenshot when I get a chance. However, once I turn off EVDO data (during work during the day - if I'm in my office, I don't need internet on my phone), my battery burn drops to less than 1%/hr! I can't believe that EVDO data takes so much battery when just keeping an idle IMAP connection for Gmail.

At least I know that if I won't be near a charger, I can turn off data & keep my phone working for 1-3 days without charging (and still get calls & texts, unlike airplane mode).

[lakaw]

I use the battery saver patch (turns on airplane mode for a user defined time period). I tested this last night, and was running under 1.8%.

I was going to post some battery stats once I get enough posts. I'm running the 1350 mAh Seidio battery. Are you running stats for after market batteries as well, or should I even bother?

[StoneRyno]

I use my pre far too much and decided to get the 2600 extended battery. However prior to that, basically over 2 months since release, I have gathered info related to battery drain from posts discussing the topic. I'm curious to see how this study compares to what I have concluded. Here are some know use drain rates:

Talk time: 4 hours 25% / hr (1% / 2.4 minutes)
Pandora: 7 hours ~14.25% / hr ( 1% / 4.2 minutes)

Heavy data or CPU use tasks with screen on drains the battery about the same as talk time. Other streaming audio should be about the same as pandora. Video playback should be somewhere between talk time and pandora, nobody seems to have tested how much video playback on a full charge to depleted. I've also came up with an average drain per hour idle range from abnormally good to abnormally bad with what I believe the average or normal range to be. Knowing the drain rates of the various tasks being performed allows for calculating the idle drain rate without having to not use the device. But of course that requires recording the usage time for each thing on top of the data you get from the battery monitor.

Anyways my point of this post other than sharing my interest in the study and the fact I have also been interested in the topic is to share the know drain rates of those tasks so that users understand how much those things drain the battery when considering how good or bad their battery drain is. I have read posts where someone complains their battery is garbage but has a daily talk time use of like 2+ hours and/or other heavy use patterns like web browsing for their whole 1 hour lunch break etc.

[Daemon]

I can't believe that EVDO data takes so much battery when just keeping an idle IMAP connection for Gmail.

That IMAP connection is eating your Pre alive. I check 3 pop accounts
(including gmail) every 30 minutes, and only burn 3-4%/hr or less, on standby with
data on all the time.

ian

[Daemon]

Other streaming audio should be about the same as pandora.
Pandora: 7 hours ~14.25% / hr ( 1% / 4.2 minutes)

Your Pandora stats are consistent with mine (about 130-140mA continuous draw).

I've been doing extensive tests on other streaming apps like Shoutcast, and Ampache
Mobile and they both use about twice as much cpu/battery while
streaming than Pandora (Pandora's got some trick up its sleeve).
They all burn about the same when paused though (Pandora actually
uses about twice as much while paused as it does while streaming, which I had
long suspected, but finally confirmed).
Palm's got a bug in the streaming API they really need to get fixed.

ian

[StoneRyno]

Your Pandora stats are consistent with mine (about 130-140mA continuous draw).

I've been doing extensive tests on other streaming apps like Shoutcast, and Ampache
Mobile and they both use about twice as much cpu/battery while
streaming than Pandora (Pandora's got some trick up its sleeve).
They all burn about the same when paused though (Pandora actually
uses about twice as much while paused as it does while streaming, which I had
long suspected, but finally confirmed).
Palm's got a bug in the streaming API they really need to get fixed.

ian

Because of the incosistency from streaming app to steaming app I would suspect the bug to be more on the 3rd party end. The problem I believe with pandora while paused is it keeps a constant open data connection like calling home the paused status or something like that. As far as shoutcasr and ampache is there anything specificly different in the audio being streamed in comparison to pandora? For example bitrates or other attributes of the audio?

[Daemon]

No, they're all consistent with each other when they're paused. That's where the bug is.
It's only when streaming that they're different, and Pandora is the
only one that seems to have a big advantage, probably because
they have access to deeper APIs.

The Shoutcast author has gone as far as trying to outright close the
whole Audio object when you hit the stop button, but it continues
to idle away burning 300+mA. Only way to stop it, is to kill the app.

ian

[StoneRyno]

No, they're all consistent with each other when they're paused. That's where the bug is.
It's only when streaming that they're different, and Pandora is the
only one that seems to have a big advantage, probably because
they have access to deeper APIs.

The Shoutcast author has gone as far as trying to outright close the
whole Audio object when you hit the stop button, but it continues
to idle away burning 300+mA. Only way to stop it, is to kill the app.

ian

I hope this side topic is ok to continue discussion. I guess I'd be inclined to think the paused issue goes deeper. Do any other media apps like youtube or the mp3 apps burn at the same rate paused? I also wonder how pandora streams differently to use less of the battery. I'm assuming it might have to do with the stream itself? Like bitrates or something?

[ronnienyc]

I have a couple questions about this. 1. What is IMAP and how does one turn it off while keeping email and web connections alive? 2. I read many times that having email delivered as it arrives consumes less battery than for example checking every 15 minutes. Any truth to that? Thanks.

[wantafastz28]

This is why i cant take my phone anywhere without a charger.

This is my day so far with just texting...


bluetooth, wireless, backup, updates, all off....i dont get it.

[Tcub]

This is why i cant take my phone anywhere without a charger.

This is my day so far with just texting...


bluetooth, wireless, backup, updates, all off....i dont get it.

I see you have installed some homebrew tweaks.. While I'm not saying you did something wrong, have you tried restoring webOS and only running the stock OS? ie no mods. The reason I ask this is because I've noticed over time a section of my touchscreen stops responding/acts weirds and requires me to restart Luna. This is ONLY if I have some homebrew hacks installed like landscape e-mail, etc.

I'd try backing everything up then reinstalling webOS and see what happens without tweaks. If it still acts up then take it to Sprint and request a new battery or replacement Pre. Good luck!

BTW - Thanks everyone who's submitting numbers! We only need 17 more users to turn in their results before I'll show off the numbers!

[StoneRyno]

I have a couple questions about this. 1. What is IMAP and how does one turn it off while keeping email and web connections alive? 2. I read many times that having email delivered as it arrives consumes less battery than for example checking every 15 minutes. Any truth to that? Thanks.

IMAP is basically in two words push email. As items arrive means each email is pushed to your device when it arrives at the server. If you get a high volume of email each day it might be better to download email at a specified interval such as 30 minutes or 1 hour. However id you hardly get any email then as items arrive is better because it would connect less than by setting a small interval like 15 minutes.

This is why i cant take my phone anywhere without a charger.

This is my day so far with just texting...


bluetooth, wireless, backup, updates, all off....i dont get it.

I really only have two questions: How many text messages do you send in a day? And how much is the drain per hour if you let it go a whole day of not using it (not in airplane mode)? My gut reaction is woh insane drain but how many texts you send and receive in a day will tell the whole story.

[Speedo]

This is a pretty light day for me. Using FitTrack on a jog before work along with a bit of texting and a couple short calls before work. Some web/email/text usage at work, but nothing major.

[Tcub]

16 more!! Almost there! Thanks again to everyone for the data! The more the merrier!

[ayman86]

my pre also cant survive for 12 hours. at least not with my settings

[joetemp75]

how do i take a screenshot of my pre so i can post the results with a picture on here

[Tcub]

If your Pre isn't lasting longer than 12 hours and you are getting good - decent reception and not using it heavily, you may have something wrong with your battery/Pre. Take it back to Sprint and request a replacement phone and/or battery.

To take a screen shot on your Pre just press Orange Key + Sym + P. The screenshot will be saved in a section of the Photo App called "Screen Captures".

[joetemp75]

cool thanks ill upload some info later

[Tcub]

Excellent! Thanks joe!

[stung]

Nice survey. FWIW, I say you increase your n dramatically and turn this into something more about determining variables most likely to decrease drain/hour and by how much, rather than about simply finding an average battery life. That will be much more useful. Average battery life is going to be a garbage number anyways. Maybe start by explicitly listing variables under investigation you would like each person to report on.

Just a suggestion. Good luck with this.