Oh no...ANOTHER battery drain question...

[garry1bowie]

If I'm using my cellular network only is it likely to drain my battery faster than say, if I was on wifi? Basically, were I work, my office is inside a large tin shed....don't ask, and my reception is terrible! Constantly switching between 3G to H to H+ then back to 3G....you grt the picture. So, Will that drain my battery quicker? Thanks.

 

[Eric Kane]

If I'm using my cellular network only is it likely to drain my battery faster than say, if I was on wifi? Basically, were I work, my office is inside a large tin shed....don't ask, and my reception is terrible! Constantly switching between 3G to H to H+ then back to 3G....you grt the picture. So, Will that drain my battery quicker? Thanks.

What your phone is doing is constantly searching for a signal which can definitely deplete your battery. If you have the ability to use WiFi, you can turn mobile data off, but your phone will still be searching for reception so you can receive phone calls and messages.

 

[garry1bowie]

Ah, right! Thanks for the reply Eric.

What your phone is doing is constantly searching for a signal which can definitely deplete your battery. If you have the ability to use WiFi, you can turn mobile data off, but your phone will still be searching for reception so you can receive phone calls and messages.

 

[Omer San Gabriel]

try switching it to GSM ONLY. I think it will save more battery because it only searches for 2g signal, and not switching to search for 3g and 4g. (I guess)

 

[SpookDroid]

Like Eric said, the quality of the signal is what might impact your battery. WiFi is NOT necessarily better than mobile data, it's just usually that way, but if you router is too far away, it'll actually struggle more than mobile data and therefore, deplete your battery faster. 3G and H+ usually run in the same band, so your phone switching from 3G to H is usually just optimizing data transfer when it's doing something in the background. If you see it switch from 3G/H/H+ to Edge to 4G, then THAT does cause a higher drain as it jumps bands back and forth, and as usual, Edge is lighter on the battery than 3G/H+ and even more than 4G.

In some models you can go to Mobile Networks settings and select 3G-only if you want to save battery if you're in a crappy 4G area and don't really need the speed, but I believe some other models, like AT&T's, disabled this option for some reason.

 

[archer75]

I keep my phone in my locker at work which usually blocks the signal. This is the biggest battery killer i've ever encountered as the phone wants to scan for signal. I am on my 3rd android phone and even had a windows phone and the same thing happened to all of them.

 

[SpookDroid]

Yup, that'll happen to pretty much anything with a smart radio in it. The more you block the signal, the more the phone will struggle to get a signal and therefore, deplete the battery in the process.

If you do leave your phone in your locker, then I'd recommend you set it to Airplane mode. That way you'll turn off all radios and spare your battery all that useless strain (useless because being in your locker I doubt you need to get all push notifications instantly )

 

[archer75]

Oh I do.

 

[SpookDroid]

Umm... Does you phone drain battery IN AIRPLANE MODE?! Now THAT shouldn't happen...