3G and Battery Life

[NCSULuLu]

Last night I was toying with the quick settings app and accidently left my mobile data setting off. Today I've seen a drastic increase in battery life (90% still after 7 hours unplugged) but I haven't seen any loss in functionality. Email/gmail still synced and the market still seemed to download at full speed. Can anyone explain this to me? I just figured out that mobile data was turned off this evening yet still had full functionality all day long.

 

[Martin030908]

Have you received an E-mail or MMS with the data disabled?

 

[NCSULuLu]

I received a couple gmails. Nothing from the email app.

 

[Martin030908]

Do you have wi-fi enabled by any chance? while you've had data disabled?
This is the only way I can see e-mail and what not getting through with data disabled on the network.

 

[NCSULuLu]

No I didn't. My work has no wifi internet. Also mms didn't work but the mobile internet did.

 

[iPirate]

your phone probably enabled internet for a few seconds to sync

 

[hookbill]

I assumed (yes I know) you were talking about the power widget. If that's the case there is no setting for mobil data on there. There is a sync email/calendar on/off but that's about as close as it comes.

What other "quick" setting are you referring to?

 

[KZIWarrior]

Sounds like you turned "3G" off while still keeping 2G on (Curvefish and others make apps specifically for this). Aside from marketplace have you browsed any sites (like this one) to see if there is a difference. You should d/l Speedtest.net (from the marketplace) and test your speed with the phone as it is now and then with whatever settings you have reversed. You will be able to see a marked difference between 2G and 3G if this is the case. If not you might be on to something.

What program/app were you using to make these changes? I've seen some 'advanced power' managers on the marketplace but haven't messed with any of them.

 

[tu3218]

yeah I'm curious as to where you changed these settings. Just in case I ever need battery for a long time, it'd be nice to just switch into this mode to really save battery.

 

[NCSULuLu]

The app is called "quick settings." Just ran a speed test with and "without" 3g on.

The difference between the setting being on and off was only about 100kbps. Can anyone else try this app and verify?

The only difference I saw throughout the day was that pictures in mms wouldn't download. All else remained the same. This would be an easy fix as the settings with this app are relatively quick to switch on and off.

However if this continues to save my battery I might not need to wait for that seidio extended slim battery.

 

[seloewy]

What exactly does "mobile networks" settings control?

I, too, have the Quicksettings app and love it. I cannot for the life of me figure out what changes with the en/dis-abling of "mobile networks" - other than battery life. Gmail, web browsing, facebook updates all work w/out mobile networks enabled. Even went to Verizon store and couldn't get a good answer. They kept insisting that this is the same as "airplane mode", but airplane mode doesn't allow text/calls to go through, right?

Verizon rep also told us (in a Droid user class) to use the Wifi setting whenever we're in a location without Verizon coverage, like when driving through parts of western maryland. Hmmm... don't we need to be in a building w/wifi access to do that? I'm confused...

 

[STIDRIVER]

I wish you could turn 3G off completely in areas with poor coverage. My apartment and my work both suck for 3G and my battery gets killed because the phone is allways searching for the signal. I use/enable WiFi at home and it seems to help a little but... I thought wifi turned 3G off which it doesn't. I still see the 3G icon come up every once in a while searching. A few nights ago, 3G was down completely in my work area, and my battery lasted all night barely using any juice because it wasn't even trying to search for the signal...

 

[brianjcohen]

I ran Speedtest with both Wifi and Mobile Data disabled and data pulled in at about 370kbps. With Mobile Data enabled (and wifi off), it seemed to pull in the same speeds. I'm going to leave Mobile Data off for a couple days and see if I get the improved battery life.

 

[yyhh94]

When u disable mobile date, is the 3g sign not supposed to show? And how can you tell how much signal of3g you have since it only has the up and down arrows?

 

[kodiak799]

When WiFi is connected, I believe 3G automatically shuts off. Your 3G shouldn't burn much juice (and less than WiFi) unless it is constantly searching for a signal, which is a possibility. WiFi really only saves battery over 3G in the sense that it can get the job done quicker, but when idle WiFi eats more battery vs. 3G.

There are a few apps that can toggle 3G on/off.

The mobile network settings apply only to roaming outside of VZW network (and I think only outside the US). This should have nothing to do with your battery life (besides roaming on another network might drain a little more juice, especially, again, if it's constantly searching for an intermittent signal). The real reason to disable mobile networks is because the data charges are steep - $2 per mg which is nothing.