What drains less battery, constant Bluetooth Scanning or Bluetooth Speaker Link?

[SpookDroid]

Hi guys,

Remember how some tablets have that pesky hardware issue with Bluetooth that will keep keyboards disconnecting every minute? Well, I haven't solved that haha.

But I did find a workaround: Keep Bluetooth alive. Sadly, the app with that name, didn't work. But if I connect a Bluetooth speaker, even if I'm not using audio, it will keep the connection alive and let me use my keyboard for an extended period of time. This, of course, means that I have to carry the speaker around if I want to use the keyboard.

Yesterday, a stroke of genius (or half a bottle of Merlot) hit me and searched for another way to keep the Bluetooth connection alive: Scanning. Lo and behold, there are a few apps that do just this, keep Bluetooth constantly scanning for devices. And it worked! If I let these apps run in the background, the keyboard won't disconnect. This, of course, means that I no longer need to carry around the speaker, but I can't help but thinking that the constant scanning will drain the battery much more than just having the speaker link active.

Anyone have any comments on this? I didn't notice that much of a difference over an hour of use on both 'modes', but then again, I didn't run the exact same apps with the exact same amount of typing, I just tried one method for an hour and another one for the second one while I was working on some documents.

 

[Golfdriver97]

Here is how I would go about this: Go about your day like normal for the next few days like this. If the battery lasts as long as you need it to, fine, although, I would personally allow for one extra charge per day. If you can't make it, or need to plug it in more than the one extra, I would go about finding something else.

It is odd that the Bluetooth scanning intervals can't be set.

 

[SpookDroid]

Here is how I would go about this: Go about your day like normal for the next few days like this. If the battery lasts as long as you need it to, fine, although, I would personally allow for one extra charge per day. If you can't make it, or need to plug it in more than the one extra, I would go about finding something else.

It is odd that the Bluetooth scanning intervals can't be set.

I did find an app that lets you specify scanning periods, BUT, apparently the moment the Bluetooth link is dormant, unless I'm constantly typing during that time, the keyboard disconnects. The only way to keep it connected without typing is that, having CONSTANT activity on the Bluetooth radio.

 

[Golfdriver97]

I did find an app that lets you specify scanning periods, BUT, apparently the moment the Bluetooth link is dormant, unless I'm constantly typing during that time, the keyboard disconnects. The only way to keep it connected without typing is that, having CONSTANT activity on the Bluetooth radio.

I just find it overall strange. Thanks for the heads up though. My mom is thinking of getting a Bluetooth keyboard, and I wouldn't have thought they would work like that.

 

[SpookDroid]

If she has a Note 10.1 2014, she should check a keyboard before buying one. Not all units have the issue, but many do (Mostly the first batches). Here's how to test:
1) Turn on Bluetooth (duh!)
2) Connect Bluetooth keyboard (duh again!)
3) Open a text note or something to test the typing. Start typing.
4) Now leave the tablet and keyboard alone for a couple of minutes.
5) Unlock the tablet if needed, then try to start typing again.

If the tablet has the issue, you should see the keyboard connection message as you start typing and, almost certainly, notice the missed strokes. If the device is fine, no message appears and the keyboard starts typing right away.