Everybody's battery solutions: post them here!

[paperhurts]

I can't imagine NOT using the apps I want to use, or turning off data, etc. etc. when I'm at work. I want to be able to get updates throughout the day because that's what keeps me sane. I have pulse running (with widgets), groupme, beautiful widgets, music, etc. etc., as well as using it as a hotspot for my laptop on lunch breaks, and having the screen on almost constantly, especially when I'm compiling on my work computer. My battery life sucked, so I recalibrated it, which helped immensely. Keeping the screen at low light also is a HUGE help.
What I don't understand is why "Android OS" uses so much of my battery life. Is that all-inclusive name for google things?

 

[rexxman]

I understand the gist of this discussion is keeping alive while away from AC/DC chargers. My only "phone" thingy is to put it on WiFi when at home. I have the free Juice Defender installed. Otherwise, I use my phone full speed 4G all the time, and, at 100% screen brightness! I have 2 AC chargers at home, 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs, a DC charger in my car and an AC charger at work. For mobile ops, I carry an external battery (5800mah). My ThunderBolt rocks! BUT, the day I can't read a map, know my orientation, use the library, keep a tune in my head or whistle a tune, I'm junking the technology!

 

[CrazyRussian007]

I have great battery life, 12-14 hours EASY with lots of use, always on 4G (I even keep 4G at home because it's faster than my home cable connection). I did disable a few apps:
Calculator (use Real Calc)
Downloads
Email
Exchange Services
Google Search
Google+
Movie Studio
My Verizon Mobile
Sound Recorder
Tags
Talk
TalkBack
Verizon Login
Voice Dialer
VZ Backup Assistant
VZWAPNService

I also keep NFS disabled only to turn on for when I'm about to use Google Wallet. Then, I turn it off right away. Brightness is on Auto.

Not all disabled apps for battery concerns, some of them disabled just to get remove them from the launcher as I dont use them.

 

[mysterygirl]

No battery life issues here--I get through a full day with plenty of juice to spare.

I adjust all app settings for the way I actually use the phone. I don't need Yahoo to be push, nor do I need to know what's happening on Facebook every 30 minutes--so I adjust my apps accordingly. I live in an area with good 4G service. When I'm at home, I'm generally on wifi. I leave GPS on all the time (never understood why I would turn it off, since it's only really on when an app needs it). Acceptable app settings for me are Google Mail is push, Yahoo is once an hour, Facebook is once every 4 hours, Twitter is whatever the default is, any weather app is about once every 4 hours, Google+ is always on, DoggCatcher is when I open the app, SportsTap depends on the season. Lookout is always doing it's thing in the background. NO task killers!

One thing that I've always found helpful with EVERY Android phone I've owned is that I restart it daily. It's just part of my morning routine. I don't know if this really helps or not, but I like that I'm starting fresh each day and don't have a lot of stuff running in the background from the moment I unplug in the morning. I feel I accumulate a lot of open and running apps during the course of the day without also dealing with yesterday's leftovers. Again, no idea if this impacts things, but I've always had good luck with Android battery life using this approach.

The only app I've disabled is Verizon Contact Backup.

In no way am I a power user, but I do use my phone a lot, and have zero battery problems (except when I'm playing Jelly Defense!). I do own a spare that I generally have with me, but very rarely use.

 

[spacecasespiff]

I dont do anything and i get 12 to 15 easy. I use it like a smart phone. I do what i want when i want no sacrifice. I pay monthly for it so i use it the way it should be used. You want great battery life just put it down and walk way done you now will fet great batter life.

 

[davey11]

I tried the pixel rain live wallpaper and it was super nice. Then I looked at the battery usage and that thing eats battery like no ones business.
So yeah stay away from live walls.

If you're so inclined...root the thing and load a custom kernel and get setcpu and undervolt. Helps noticably and no discernable slowdown/lag at all.

 

[Brooke]

Another +1 for the "Keep Awake" bug solution (along with other common sense practices) ...

Today I did a battery pull and have been letting the screen time out, rather than using the power button (my usual routine). Wow! Whereas the Android OS used to be the #2 drain (after screen), it's now tied for 4th with Cell Standby.

GNex

 

[TabGuy]

Here's a technique I learned a long time ago on my Thunderbolt. And it works but requires REAL discipline on your part. If you're willing to do it you will have great battery life. It always works.

The premise is that you have an app eating your battery but none of the tools available tell you what's doing it. This uses the Scientific Method to determine the problem. The Scientific Method means you hold all variables constant except one.

Step 1: This is the painful part. Do a factory reset. Do NOT let Android sync your phone. It's a checkmark you'll have to turn off during setup.

Step 2. Do NOT, I repeat, do not install any apps. Period. Go at least a full day before you install any apps. This is the most important step.

Step 3. Measure your battery usage. More than one day is best. You will almost certainly find that battery usage is acceptable. If it's not, do not go to the next step until you've tweaked it enough by shutting off services like LTE or Bluetooth, etc. for satisfactory battery life. Make sure you have a full day of satisfactory battery life before going to step 4.

Step 4. Install 1 app of your choice. But ONLY 1. Do this at the beginning of the day.

Step 5. This is where the discipline and will power comes into play. Go an entire day to determine if that app is eating battery.

Step 6. If step 5 was successful and your battery is fine then go back to step 4 and install another app.

Step 7. If step 5 wasn't successful you've found a battery eating candidate. Remove it. Go a full day to make sure battery is back to normal. Do not install the battery eating app ever again. Period. Then to back to Step 4.


Using this method you'll protect your battery as much as possible.

I found out using this method that when I installed Shazam my battery usage skyrocketed. I can't prove it was Shazam but removing it returned battery usage to normal. It's possible that it was a combination of Shazam and another app so I couldn't be sure that Shazam was the culprit. But I would never have suspected Shazam via any other method.

Good luck. Managing a battery on a smart phone can be a challenge. But it can be done.

 

[jamisont]

I work alone at a lab in nightshift for 8~12hrs a day so i listen to music all the time. (+ 1~2hr internet in breaktime)
so extended battery wouldnt last whole day for me. (I am using juicedefender too)

then I found external battery. Amazon.com: Anker Astro 5600mAh External Battery Pack and Charger (Power Bank) with flashlight for iPhone 4/4S/3GS, ipod touch , ipod classic, iPod nano; Motorola: Atrix 2, Verizon Droid RAZR, Droid X2, Droid Bionic; Samsung: Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy S I

its small enough to fit in pocket and back of my portable speaker
and it came with various charging tips so i could recharge everything i have (bluetooth headphone/portable speaker/dac)

'
my final set