Battery drain with new update

[Lawrence of a Labia]

AFAIK, the bootloader isn't locked.

 

[Entropy]

How do I unlock the bootloader? I've been searching around the forums. My phone is already rooted since I had to get rid of Tethering Manager 2. I'm not going to pay them money to allow me to burn through my data plan quickly. I pay for 2 GB if I want to let a co-worker put his iPod Touch on the web through my phone, or connect a device to wifi that I can't use WPA2 on, then they can bite me. Not paying 40 dollars a month for a feature I use 5 times a year. >_> If I use more than 2 GB they'll get THAT money and nothing more data related.

So... ya sorry for the rant. How do I unlock the boot loader. Searching isnt' helping me much.

You can't unlock something that was never locked to begin with.

The closest thing to bootloader locking we have is that if you flash a custom kernel with Odin, it puts up a big yellow triangle warning screen when you boot. If you flash a custom system image (including a prerooted one) it doesn't trigger the warning, same for if you flash a custom kernel using Mobile Odin or a similar approach on a rooted device.

To the person considering getting a GS2 - It depends. Out of the box, there are SEVERE flaws with both AT&T firmware releases. The AP Mobile widget eats data in the original UCKH7 firmware, and there are major issues with wifi in the UCKK6 update, some of which cause major battery drain issues.

If you're willing to root, you can nuke the AP Mobile widget and the OTA updater from the UCKH7 base to get a pretty good base, and if you're willing to go for more aggressive customization, there's a tool over on the XDA forums called Hellraiser that allows you to run I9100 Gingerbread firmwares. (You MUST use Hellraiser or a similar approach, and it only works for Gingerbread) My personal recommendation right now is the international XWKL1 base - it's very solid and has none of the problems UCKK6 had.

 

[johnf440]

I'm relatively new to this, having my phone for a week and all... but I found another fix that has worked for me for battery life issues. Somewhere else on the net, I found an explanation for 2.3.6 battery drain that involves wireless advanced settings and wifi sleep policy. When set to screen off, apparently, the phone continues to search for off and on states to the point that it drains the battery down. I simply set that to sleep never and downloaded a free app, Battery Defender, to shut wifi and data off when the screen is off.

I've gone from barely 7 hours of battery life to going on 32 hours and still the phone is at 16% battery. Previously, my biggest battery user was Android OS, at usually 70% or higher and now it is where it should be for my usage patterns at around 18%.

I don't claim to be a genius on this one, but that is what has worked for me and I have no complaints now, off the charger yesterday morning and it's 3:00 pm today and it's still going.

 

[Strawdawg]

Strange, I had Juice Defender on my phone and when I upgraded to 2.3.6, I saw virtually no difference in battery performance. Then it got worse. After reading your post last night, I went to check JD and discovered that it was missing. I don't know what happened, but, I reinstalled and changed the phone setting for wifi on at all times so that it was under the control of JD instead.

Seems to be working well so far...thanks for the tip

 

[Docjeep]

My personal recommendation right now is the international XWKL1 base - it's very solid and has none of the problems UCKK6 had.

Entropy,

Been wanting to ask this question (reading up on xda also, and lots I still don't follow) and hoping you can help. I'm considering rooting and going to another ROM. I don't like the 2.3.6 (UCKK6? as you say a steaming pile) and would like to go with something else (stock 2.3.4, can't remember the samsung version number sorry, or something similar). Seems like from reading that unamed 1.3.x is a possibility, or I might consider XWKL1 as you recommend. But I will say I like the Touchwhiz interface (yea, I'm wierd) and was wondering if any of the ROMs retain that or do they get rid of it?

Thanks

 

[Entropy]

Entropy,

Been wanting to ask this question (reading up on xda also, and lots I still don't follow) and hoping you can help. I'm considering rooting and going to another ROM. I don't like the 2.3.6 (UCKK6? as you say a steaming pile) and would like to go with something else (stock 2.3.4, can't remember the samsung version number sorry, or something similar). Seems like from reading that unamed 1.3.x is a possibility, or I might consider XWKL1 as you recommend. But I will say I like the Touchwhiz interface (yea, I'm wierd) and was wondering if any of the ROMs retain that or do they get rid of it?

Thanks

Everything but AOSP-based firmwares (primarily Cyanogenmod 7) retain Touchwiz.

 

[Trip64]

this is BS. so how long has it been since it was clear that the .6 update has a wifi code problem that kills battery life?

8 hrs of limited use and i was at 17% when i was getting 17hrs of moderate to heavy use and still plugging in at night with +30% left.

this is my first android/samsung phone so based on the time that .6 came out does anyone have a feeling on when att will have a fix?

 

[Entropy]

this is BS. so how long has it been since it was clear that the .6 update has a wifi code problem that kills battery life?

8 hrs of limited use and i was at 17% when i was getting 17hrs of moderate to heavy use and still plugging in at night with +30% left.

this is my first android/samsung phone so based on the time that .6 came out does anyone have a feeling on when att will have a fix?

No one has a clue - this is AT&T we're talking about. Without a doubt, blame AT&T - Samsung had already fixed these problems in international builds for the GT-I9100 (such as XWKL1) by the time AT&T started pushing UCKK6 out to users. AT&T is notorious for doing an awful job with updates. For example, Gingerbread for the Captivate didn't get released until 9 months after it was released for the I9000, even though the devices are nearly identical and people on XDA had Gingerbread firmwares ported within weeks, if not days. Similarly, I wouldn't expect to see ICS on the I777 officially until early 2013, even though I'll likely have it working unofficially within hours of the I9100 release (which is probably later this month).

(Since you're new - the I9100 is the I777's international sibling. They're almost identical, to the point where only minor changes are needed to run I9100 firmware on the I777.)

 

[JChapa13]

I've been using Battery Defender and I went from a 70% battery drain overnight to about 7-8%. I highly recommend using it until they fix the issue. Push notifications from chat apps, sports widegets and emails may be delayed, but at least your battery is usable after sleeping. :-\

 

[Trip64]

No one has a clue - this is AT&T we're talking about. Without a doubt, blame AT&T - Samsung had already fixed these problems in international builds for the GT-I9100 (such as XWKL1) by the time AT&T started pushing UCKK6 out to users. AT&T is notorious for doing an awful job with updates. For example, Gingerbread for the Captivate didn't get released until 9 months after it was released for the I9000, even though the devices are nearly identical and people on XDA had Gingerbread firmwares ported within weeks, if not days. Similarly, I wouldn't expect to see ICS on the I777 officially until early 2013, even though I'll likely have it working unofficially within hours of the I9100 release (which is probably later this month).

(Since you're new - the I9100 is the I777's international sibling. They're almost identical, to the point where only minor changes are needed to run I9100 firmware on the I777.)

i agree that it is att. im new android but did start fallowing the gs2 3 months before release and got mine 5 mins after the store opened on the first day. so im debating if i can live with this for xx days or just root.

 

[Trip64]

I've been using Battery Defender and I went from a 70% battery drain overnight to about 7-8%. I highly recommend using it until they fix the issue. Push notifications from chat apps, sports widegets and emails may be delayed, but at least your battery is usable after sleeping. :-\

i did try a number of battery apps. and wifi control apps to keep the android OS from running in awake mode when i dont even have the screen on.

i would seem to work for a few days but the problem comes and goes even then. im on day 4 of the problem with out it clearing. ( i have cleared it by pulling the battery for 2 in) it stays gone for a few days before returning.

pain in the ( | ) is what this bug is.

 

[Strawdawg]

as suggested by someone a few posts back, I set the wifi to be "never off" and then put JD in the "Balanced mode" and it has gone back to its normal performance before the update...been quite a few days now.

 

[Entropy]

i agree that it is att. im new android but did start fallowing the gs2 3 months before release and got mine 5 mins after the store opened on the first day. so im debating if i can live with this for xx days or just root.

Thanks to someone with a prerelease device doing a system dump before release, for me it was:
Go to store
Take phone and laptop to my favorite restaurant (which has wifi access) and buy lunch and a beer
Build prerooted system image from the dump
Flash it with Heimdall
Dump stock kernel
Go home

On some devices, it seems like it takes days or weeks for someone to dump the stock kernel - I777 had it in hours.

Unfortunately, rooting alone won't fix UCKK6. You need to either revert to UCKH7 (and then use root to nuke the AP Mobile widget and the OTA updater services) or install a ported international firmware.

 

[datastar]

Before the update, I would stream my favorite radio station before lunch and sometimes watch a Netflix movie during lunch. I then stream the radio the rest of the afternoon and would have about 10% battery left of my typical 9 hour day. Now I'm lucky if I make it to lunch time. SAMMY; PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give us ICS with better battery lafe and manage.

 

[MakaiOokami]

You can't unlock something that was never locked to begin with.

The closest thing to bootloader locking we have is that if you flash a custom kernel with Odin, it puts up a big yellow triangle warning screen when you boot. If you flash a custom system image (including a prerooted one) it doesn't trigger the warning, same for if you flash a custom kernel using Mobile Odin or a similar approach on a rooted device.

To the person considering getting a GS2 - It depends. Out of the box, there are SEVERE flaws with both AT&T firmware releases. The AP Mobile widget eats data in the original UCKH7 firmware, and there are major issues with wifi in the UCKK6 update, some of which cause major battery drain issues.

If you're willing to root, you can nuke the AP Mobile widget and the OTA updater from the UCKH7 base to get a pretty good base, and if you're willing to go for more aggressive customization, there's a tool over on the XDA forums called Hellraiser that allows you to run I9100 Gingerbread firmwares. (You MUST use Hellraiser or a similar approach, and it only works for Gingerbread) My personal recommendation right now is the international XWKL1 base - it's very solid and has none of the problems UCKK6 had.

I've actually been rooted since like 2 weeks after I got the phone. I wanted to get rid of some craptastic programs crapware.

My baseband version is i777uckk6

my kernel is 2.6.35.7

Build is Gingerbread.uckk6

How do I do a full backup of my current set up just in case, and where do I get the kernel or R.O.M. that I need to flash.

I just care about getting my battery life to what it was like pre-update. Where my battery never once died on me unless I intentionally drained it to get a full fresh charge.

The stock stuff is fine, but at this point I might rather just get Cyanogen mod. I read a couple posts in the XDA developers but there's so many different topics under the Developmental and Ported sections that I just don't have the patience to sort through. I just want something that is reliable. I'd really like to have something that functions like ICS however. You know something that can use fragments from the tablet optimized stuff for example? I'm just tired of waiting for updates from American Carriers, and after ATT zapped my battery I don't want anything to do with an official firmware notice again.

The only reason I ended up, updating was because I had a long day, was really tired, and figured I'd let it update while I took a nap. I wake up not finding any new features, still being on gingerbread, and then the next day my battery life was crap. I don't ever want to see ATT nag me for an update because every time I turned on the screen it was nagging me.

 

[scottwood2]

I tried the battery app that was talked about here and it did work but now I think it is even worse that before. I get maybe 6 hours if I don't use it.

Does anyone think that ICS will come out soon from AT&T? I think I can hear people laughing already. :'(

I don't want to root but I think I am close to going that route. I am tired of finding my phone is almost dead when I need it.

 

[webbie2]

I am having the same issue. I will go to bed at night and my battery will be at about 70% when I wake up 7-8 hours later with no use whats so ever its asking me to recharge my phone. can some one please help!

 

[TxAndroidGuy]

Hi everyone. I have changed a few settings and have noticed much better battery life using the same stock system. Here is what I did.

1. Turn off Wi-Fi unless you are using the internet and will be downloading large files. We all know that it is an issue. If you have a tiered plan, you may want to install an app like 'My Data Manager' to make sure you don't go over.
2. Turn off auto-sync. From the main screen, Menu key -> Settings -> Accounts and sync -> Uncheck auto-sync. You can still sync Google calendar, Music, etc in their apps.
3. If you have Facebook, turn off Notifications. In the app, tap your Menu key -> Settings -> Uncheck Notifications.
4. Find out what else is keeping your phone awake. I downloaded Better Battery Stats and CPU Spy so see what apps were sending data and using battery power.
5. Download Timeriffic. You can use this app to turn items off and on at specific times. I leave GPS on all the time but am able to turn off bluetooth while I am at work. I also have it set to turn wifi off at night before bed and before work in the morning.

With these 5, I can now use my phone normally, off the charger around 7:30 AM to 6:00 PM with around 70% left. And this is while checking Facebook, emails, small internet surfing, etc. On some games, I notice that it will drain faster but the same thing happens while using Netflix. This may not work for everyone but has helped me a LOT!

BTW, special thanks to Entropy512 for the "[REF] Known identified battery drainers" thread over on XDA!!

 

[anon(522161)]

5. Download Timeriffic. You can use this app to turn items off and on at specific times. I leave GPS on all the time but am able to turn off bluetooth while I am at work. I also have it set to turn wifi off at night before bed and before work in the morning.

2nd Timeriffic, love it. Like it so much that I've actually added a couple of missing features and posted a clone called Timeriffic Ex. Recommend you guys using Timeriffic check it out. You can find it under:

Timeriffic Clones

HTH.

 

[stevemedes]

Unfortunately, rooting alone won't fix UCKK6. You need to either revert to UCKH7 (and then use root to nuke the AP Mobile widget and the OTA updater services) or install a ported international firmware.

I777 here. Did OTA upgrade to UCKK6 right after getting the phone. Had the battery drain issue, was a lot worse at work than at home when on Wi-Fi, possibly more proof of the "dirty network" issue? Anyway, I followed the How to Prepare Your Phone to Return to the Store or for Warranty Replacement guide over on XDA to return my phone to UCKH7. Battery drain issue has thankfully gone away.

I haven't seen the AP Mobile Widget problems others have had on UCKH7. In fact, it doesn't show up under my list of running services, and it hasn't effected my data usage at all. How does this issue manifest itself for others? I seem to have dodged the AP Mobile issue somehow.

Also, I don't see a need to stop the OTA updater service from running, because it hasn't prompted me to update to the newer version. Does it automatically update without asking you? Or simply keep prompting you?

I've been back on UCKH7 for about a week now, everything's back to normal. On UCKK6 I could almost watch the battery life indicator slowly drain away.