Develop Bugs

[Q] 4G or WiFi drains more battery?

what wastes more energy? having 4g on or having wifi on? i read the other threads but it had to do with 3g.. they said 3g wastes more power. is this the case with 4g as well?
thanks!

WiFi drains more battery always
that's from personal observation on all the phones i've owned in the past to now
as soon as you use WiFi the battery drains like there's no tomorrow
however this phone seems to handle it quite well

Yeah, 4G is a big battery hog. Wifi doesn't drain as much so long as you are connected to the same one for a while.
EDIT: just saw AllGamer's reply. Wifi really drains that much? I remember seeing the Droid Razr review saying that 4G eats batteries for breakfast. I might be wrong then!
Sent from my SGH-T989D using xda premium

They both drain battery about the same in my opinion.
When ever I can I turn both of them off to save battery.
It's really easy with the toggles that a couple roms have.
This phone is a BEAST!

From my personal experience wifi doesn't drain as much as 4g.
Sent from my SGH-T989 using xda premium

WiFi is far more efficient than the cellular network, and any usage will count against your allocated full speed GB's.. not a good thing.

don't have a sgsII yet but my experience with my vibrant is that wifi if connected uses less battery than hspa. If I'm not connected to a wifi network it drains the battery looking for one.
Sent from my SGH-T959 using xda premium

heygrl said:
WiFi is far more efficient than the cellular network, and any usage will count against your allocated full speed GB's.. not a good thing.
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Click to collapse
Forgive my ignorance but how come the usage of Wifi will count against your allocated full speed? My personal experience has been different .

knut150 said:
Forgive my ignorance but how come the usage of Wifi will count against your allocated full speed? My personal experience has been different .
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I meant not using it will count against your data allotment

lol so there's no unanimous answer. i guess i'll just try to experiment a little and see which one uses more. thanks everyone.

4G uses more battery than WiFi

Definitely 4G... I sit on wifi all day and do not use much battery at all.

skadude66 said:
Yeah, 4G is a big battery hog. Wifi doesn't drain as much so long as you are connected to the same one for a while.
EDIT: just saw AllGamer's reply. Wifi really drains that much? I remember seeing the Droid Razr review saying that 4G eats batteries for breakfast. I might be wrong then!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
From what I understand, LTE is a bigger battery hog than HSPA+.

jasnmb said:
From what I understand, LTE is a bigger battery hog than HSPA+.
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Click to collapse
For sure. And after that I'd say HSPA+ > WiFi in terms of battery draining.

Wait, our phone runs off energy. Please tell me its kinetic?!
Sent from my Juggernaut SGSII or Galaxy Tab 10.1 now "In Paris"

bhowanidin said:
Wait, our phone runs off energy. Please tell me its kinetic?!
Sent from my Juggernaut SGSII or Galaxy Tab 10.1 now "In Paris"
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Solar backpack maybe ?

ok guys lets keep this topic sane, yeah it's funny, but lets go back on topic
it's a very valid & informative question
my personal experience shows me WiFi is worst, but others here says 3G/4G is even worse, but from personal experience 3G/4G is less than WiFi
so even i find that contradiction very interesting
the thing that could make a difference is the signal strength, perhaps better 3G/4G reception requires less power to maintain the connection?
possibly the same reason why WiFi always seems to do worse for me, because all the Starbucks, Airport, Hotel, Library, and other coffe/restaurant places that offer WiFi it's horrible, very slow, and hard to maintain signal, probably because tooooooooo many people are hogging it or maybe just because too many devices are bumping each other off the Router/WiFi AP on those establishments

Whenever I use wifi I turn my data off and gst better battery that way. If you have a bad data signal or wifi it'll take more battery to try to keep a connection.
In my Bio class I have terrible data signal and my battery will drain really fast with heavy use but if I turn on my wifi and turn off the data my battery iis way better
Sent from my SGH-T989 using XDA App

So after doing testing of my own I have come to the conclusion that 4G drains more battery than wifi. With wifi I can get about 14 hrs, but with 4G I only get 6-8 hrs.
This phone is a BEAST!

AllGamer, makes sense. If you have slower networks, your screen will be on for longer as you wait inbetween pages and downloads. Fast downloads => less screen time.
My personal experience with wifi vs THREE-g is that wifi eats my battery quickly (on all previous phones and there have been many, including present BB Torch for work). An d 3G doesn't drain as quickly.
However I agree wifi seems pretty sippy and efficient on the SGH-T989. My battery is learning. I am now getting 1 day and 13 hours of discharge time. Very moderate use. 4G. So yes there well may be a difference between 3 and 4G.
I will test wifi-only as soon as I can in the next few days.
AllGamer said:
ok guys lets keep this topic sane, yeah it's funny, but lets go back on topic
it's a very valid & informative question
my personal experience shows me WiFi is worst, but others here says 3G/4G is even worse, but from personal experience 3G/4G is less than WiFi
so even i find that contradiction very interesting
the thing that could make a difference is the signal strength, perhaps better 3G/4G reception requires less power to maintain the connection?
possibly the same reason why WiFi always seems to do worse for me, because all the Starbucks, Airport, Hotel, Library, and other coffe/restaurant places that offer WiFi it's horrible, very slow, and hard to maintain signal, probably because tooooooooo many people are hogging it or maybe just because too many devices are bumping each other off the Router/WiFi AP on those establishments
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

Constant 4G and battery life

So, I'm fairly certain it's a well-established fact that the constant switching from 4G to 3G drains a lot of battery on our phones since 4G isn't a widespread service yet. I have also heard that 4G is a more efficient antenna and if you have a constant 4G connection, the battery life isn't impacted much. I was wondering how much of this is true- I live in Atlanta, which was one of the first cities to get Verizon's LTE service, and as a result, I have a sold 3-4 bar signal of 4G at all times. I go to school downtown, work in the metro area, and live in the metro area. Since I got the phone, I've just left it on CDMA, as the speeds are fine for me and I typically get 30 hours or so of battery life with data and sync on (and WiFi, when available). Would switching to 4G change that number drastically?
Thanks!
Also, a side question: I leave GPS turned on as that only polls when an application calls for it, but I've left Google's Location Services off. Is there a real need to leave that on? With GPS only, I tend to get an immediate reading with wonderful accuracy.

I'm calling bs. Please post a screenshot of your battery life of 30+ with gps and 3g all day.

rabaker07 said:
I'm calling bs. Please post a screenshot of your battery life of 30+ with gps and 3g all day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'd be happy to post a screenshot the next time I run my phone down. As I said, GPS doesn't drain your battery at all unless you're using Maps constantly, so that isn't really a major factor for me. Also, I DO have the extended battery.
Also, I can't help but note how this doesn't really relate to the content of the thread at all.

rabaker07 said:
I'm calling bs. Please post a screenshot of your battery life of 30+ with gps and 3g all day.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not at all what the topic was about but it's easily possible. I've gotten 30 hours on 3G no problem. Right now I'm at 20% after 20 hours with moderately heavy usage. Close to 4 hours of screen on time.
As for the topic, best way to find out is to try it. Couldn't tell you for certain one way or the other.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

hotleadsingerguy said:
Not at all what the topic was about but it's easily possible. I've gotten 30 hours on 3G no problem. Right now I'm at 20% after 20 hours with moderately heavy usage. Close to 4 hours of screen on time.
As for the topic, best way to find out is to try it. Couldn't tell you for certain one way or the other.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Right, I suppose that would be the easiest approach. I just fear starting my day out on 4G and then realizing that my battery is shot when I really need it. Though, I could always just turn data off if I see my battery draining super quick.

Battery drains extremely fast because of mobile data

Hi My Friends ,
when I use mobile data networking ( GSM & HSPA ) it drains so fast , cant i just go for edge , there is function for it in iphone , you can turn off or on 3g , is there any function in nexus ?
Because it drains so fast , it drains one percentile per a min , it means that battery drains in 2 hours
Google are you kidding us ?

Its not the data. Its probably what you're doing all together. Actively using data means that 1) the screen is on, which is the biggest drain and 2) the processor is actively running, which is the 2nd biggest drain.
If you want to switch to EDGE only, go to Settings > More... > Mobile networks > "Use only 2G networks"
You'll still get about the same battery drain because the screen will still be on, and the processor will still be working. Any savings you get from slower data will probably be wasted by keeping the screen on longer to complete the task.
I'm assuming you just got the phone? Use it regularly for a few days and stop watching your battery % and you'll be fine. Checking your battery just drains more battery...

Believe me i have been doing nothing , and it drains so much fast compared to HTC Sensation , my gf has a htc sensation and it also use 4g and we dont use it , and the result is HTC drains 2 % and mine ( galaxy nexus ) drains 17 % , we dont have any app under working , believe me this phone is the worst second thing ive ever had ( first one is Iphone 4s )
martonikaj said:
Its not the data. Its probably what you're doing all together. Actively using data means that 1) the screen is on, which is the biggest drain and 2) the processor is actively running, which is the 2nd biggest drain.
If you want to switch to EDGE only, go to Settings > More... > Mobile networks > "Use only 2G networks"
You'll still get about the same battery drain because the screen will still be on, and the processor will still be working. Any savings you get from slower data will probably be wasted by keeping the screen on longer to complete the task.
I'm assuming you just got the phone? Use it regularly for a few days and stop watching your battery % and you'll be fine. Checking your battery just drains more battery...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

martonikaj said:
Its not the data. Its probably what you're doing all together. Actively using data means that 1) the screen is on, which is the biggest drain and 2) the processor is actively running, which is the 2nd biggest drain.
If you want to switch to EDGE only, go to Settings > More... > Mobile networks > "Use only 2G networks"
You'll still get about the same battery drain because the screen will still be on, and the processor will still be working. Any savings you get from slower data will probably be wasted by keeping the screen on longer to complete the task.
I'm assuming you just got the phone? Use it regularly for a few days and stop watching your battery % and you'll be fine. Checking your battery just drains more battery...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I feel like this phone is subject to trolls, man. Trolls and people who don't know how to use it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

my LTE nexus battery drains very fast when im at class, and im assuming that because i have a very very weak data signal, to where it doesnt really work at all

Sell it and get the sensation then
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using XDA App

Why so resigned? maybe you have an app not playing nice and/or draining more on ICS than in a previous phone. I use my phone for heavy use and sometimes drop about 10-15% in an hour.

jonathan3579 said:
I feel like this phone is subject to trolls, man. Trolls and people who don't know how to use it...
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
u know what , ive been using android for two years ( htc , samsung , lg ) and dont judge me as using this phone efficient , I have knowladge about computer and smartphone almost your age

uninstall all your apps.
check all settings of apps still on the phone.
and see if the battery is better.
often its an app that is using a lot of CPU or Data in the background causing it to never really sleep.
Maybe use CPUSpy to see if its the cpu which is causing the drain.

Therollingstone said:
u know what , ive been using android for two years ( htc , samsung , lg ) and dont judge me as using this phone efficient , I have knowladge about computer and smartphone almost your age
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
So with all that knowledge, you wrote this?
Therollingstone said:
Hi My Friends ,
when I use mobile data networking ( GSM & HSPA ) it drains so fast , cant i just go for edge , there is function for it in iphone , you can turn off or on 3g , is there any function in nexus ?
Because it drains so fast , it drains one percentile per a min , it means that battery drains in 2 hours
Google are you kidding us ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Is that even possible?
Tone down the attitude, especially the you know more than his age stuff... it ain't doing you any favours.

martonikaj said:
Its not the data. Its probably what you're doing all together. Actively using data means that 1) the screen is on, which is the biggest drain and 2) the processor is actively running, which is the 2nd biggest drain.
If you want to switch to EDGE only, go to Settings > More... > Mobile networks > "Use only 2G networks"
You'll still get about the same battery drain because the screen will still be on, and the processor will still be working. Any savings you get from slower data will probably be wasted by keeping the screen on longer to complete the task.
I'm assuming you just got the phone? Use it regularly for a few days and stop watching your battery % and you'll be fine. Checking your battery just drains more battery...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I have the same problem as therollingstone - I get about 6hrs of screen-on time on Wifi and 2-2.5 hours on data, nothing showing up in Battery stats tho, must have something to do with the network...

Usually its some rouge app running in the background. Management people!
Sent using axne1's
Beastly Galaxy Nexus Prime!

Use wifi whenever possible guys. It's a lot more stable and battery efficient than using mobile data.

Therollingstone said:
u know what , ive been using android for two years ( htc , samsung , lg ) and dont judge me as using this phone efficient , I have knowladge about computer and smartphone almost your age
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Looks like you might want to go back to the drawing board and spend another 2 years trying to learn Android. Surely with your vast knowledge of smartphones and computers you would have figured out the problem by now. Hint: It's you. Damn, well I gave you the answer.
In all seriousness, you are the reason for the problem. You control the apps installed. You control the permissions these apps are allowed to have. It is your job to monitor activity and make sure none are misbehaving. Don't blame Samsung, Google, or anyone else.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Antennas
Wifi
Consumes more energy per time when trasmitting than mobile data, BUT...
Takes less time to transmit data, espescially large files, so it consumes overall less energy.
Wifi scans for a connection and pings the router less often than mobile data, thus consuming less energy at idle
Bluetooth
Consumes a small amount of power at idle to connect to new devices
Scanning for deveices consumes more energy
While connected, very little energy is consumed unless data is transmitted.
GPS
Unless an application specifically invokes the GPS antenna, it will not consume power
Using constant GPS updates (as in Navigation apps) will consume a large amount of power
Some apps will have bugs in them which will keep GPS on indefinitely. Try reinstalling those applications first, then remove if necessary.
Mobile Data
2G antennas consume the LEAST amount of energy at idle, but because they take so long to trasmit data, they can kill your battery.
3G antennas are Ok at idle, but take less time to transmit data, so are the best all around for traveling around metropilitan areas.
4G Antennas are FAST, but consume the most power. Best to leave these off when in transit, and used for stationary, stable connections
All Antennas consume much more power idling in areas of bad reception. So if you know you're going somewhere with poor reception, and don't need data, turn it off until needed (Settings->Wireless&Networks ->More ->Mobile Networks-> "Data Enabled"; "Data Roming" OFF; "Use Only 2G Networks"
This is from the guide to galaxy nexus battery life

waiaung1 said:
Use wifi whenever possible guys. It's a lot more stable and battery efficient than using mobile data.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Of course, but should I just use my phone only at home? -.-

3ddyz said:
Of course, but should I just use my phone only at home? -.-
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Poor troll attempt..... He said whenever possible, not all the time....
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Therollingstone said:
Hi My Friends ,
when I use mobile data networking ( GSM & HSPA ) it drains so fast , cant i just go for edge , there is function for it in iphone , you can turn off or on 3g , is there any function in nexus ?
Because it drains so fast , it drains one percentile per a min , it means that battery drains in 2 hours
Google are you kidding us ?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I never turn off Wifi, H+, 3G or GPS. Sometimes I forget to turn off Bluetooth after I get out of my car and just leave it on for the heck of it, that while a blue LED is blinking on all the time to notify me Bluetooth is on. It would still last me the 6-8 hours i'm away from home with regular usage of browsing, checking mail, messaging and stuff until I get back, and even then it would still have some power in it. Lasting only two hours means something is wrong and I doubt it's the data networking. Check background services and widgets refresh intervals.

Rem3Dy said:
Poor troll attempt..... He said whenever possible, not all the time....
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wasn't trolling, only saying that I think that the data connection is draining battery as I'm getting 6hrs screen time browsing with 50% brightness against 2-2.5hours of data browsing with 25% brightness. So, I think there IS a problem other than the screen that maybe someone has the answer to...

3ddyz said:
Wasn't trolling, only saying that I think that the data connection is draining battery as I'm getting 6hrs screen time browsing with 50% brightness against 2-2.5hours of data browsing with 25% brightness. So, I think there IS a problem other than the screen that maybe someone has the answer to...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You're getting 6 hours of screen time? I'm calling bull****.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Battery life without data on?

Hello there I'm looking for a reasonably priced unlocked Android phone to take abroad with me this coming fall. I won't be using data services so that being said, how long would the battery be expected to last with moderate to high usage? (good bit of texting, some calls/pictures, and some wifi Web browsing). Thanks! Searched around and couldn't find this bit of information.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

How are you expecting to make calls? If you literally only have a voice-only SIM when you're there and you'll be using the phone heavily on WiFi, the battery life won't be drastically better than if you were on mobile data. The screen is the largest drain on the phone, and if you're still using data over WiFi you'll maybe get to 2 days of usage on a stock phone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

martonikaj said:
How are you expecting to make calls? If you literally only have a voice-only SIM when you're there and you'll be using the phone heavily on WiFi, the battery life won't be drastically better than if you were on mobile data. The screen is the largest drain on the phone, and if you're still using data over WiFi you'll maybe get to 2 days of usage on a stock phone.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's an option in settings to turn off data. You still get voice, you don't need to turn on airplane mode or get a voice-only sim.
But I agree, battery won't be drastically better, I have data turned off and my batt times have been similar to the average times posted here

harveydent said:
There's an option in settings to turn off data. You still get voice, you don't need to turn on airplane mode or get a voice-only sim.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I know you can turn off data . I asked how he intends to make calls because if he will actually have a SIM in and connecting to towers for calls, battery life will not be drastically better than if he had data turned on. If, however, he was making VOIP calls over WiFi with airplane mode on, he'd likely see a large improvement in battery life.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using xda premium

Yeah I realize keeping the antenna on will consume battery...I would probably be surfing the Web on wifi for 30 minutes to an hour max each day. Should I look at getting the extended battery? As long as I can get a full day (18-24 hours) with moderate to high usage I'm fine.
Sent from my SPH-D710 using Tapatalk 2

[Q] 3G Battery Drain

I have noticed that when I am on 3G, my battery drains very rapidly. Usually like 3% a minute. Is there anyway to fix this, if this is abnormal?

ra9b said:
I have noticed that when I am on 3G, my battery drains very rapidly. Usually like 3% a minute. Is there anyway to fix this, if this is abnormal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
There's no fix to signal related drain. There are only two things that can be fixed really:
1. drain related to apps including unwanted prevention of deep sleep - wakelocks are normal
2. drain related to screen - lower brightness
3g drain is related to signal strength which there is no fix and 3g drains faster than wifi. Also, the older the battery, the less of a charge it can handle. If you're in an exceptionally poor signal area sometimes Verizon can get a signal extender. I haven't dealt with that but I've heard that sometimes happens if signal is bad.

ra9b said:
I have noticed that when I am on 3G, my battery drains very rapidly. Usually like 3% a minute. Is there anyway to fix this, if this is abnormal?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
More than likley means that the phone isnt getting a good signal, and is using more battery trying to stay connected. You can try updating to the latest radio, and prl. Has it always done this, or did it just start recently?

Though 3% a minute is really fast. I usually am closer to 1% every minute of two of screen on time depending on signal. Keep in mind battery drain is not linear meaning it may seem to drop off faster at different percentages. I don't know the details of this but this may help:
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/charging_lithium_ion_batteries

Thanks tiny and cmlusco. And no cmlusco, it has always done this. I did update my radio to yours (I don't remember which one exactly) and that helped. I'll search how to update prl. And thanks tiny. I'll look into that link.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda app-developers app

And yeah, I have weak signal where I live (-92 dB usually) but I experience this multiple places.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda app-developers app

ra9b said:
Thanks tiny and cmlusco. And no cmlusco, it has always done this. I did update my radio to yours (I don't remember which one exactly) and that helped. I'll search how to update prl. And thanks tiny. I'll look into that link.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda app-developers app
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
To update the prl just dial *228 and select option 2.

I feel your pain. I work in an area of Tampa that has zero service and I mean ZERO. My phone tries desperately to cling to a signal and the battery drain is mind blowing. I usually have my phone in airplane mode and switch it off now and then to check for missed calls and what not. One of the roms I was using completely lost 3G and this was while I was at work. I had to change to a different rom after messing around with **778* I couldn't get it back.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium

MagnaCore said:
I feel your pain. I work in an area of Tampa that has zero service and I mean ZERO. My phone tries desperately to cling to a signal and the battery drain is mind blowing. I usually have my phone in airplane mode and switch it off now and then to check for missed calls and what not. One of the roms I was using completely lost 3G and this was while I was at work. I had to change to a different rom after messing around with **778* I couldn't get it back.
Sent from my ADR6300 using xda premium
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
That sucks. You need to switch carriers.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

tiny4579 said:
That sucks. You need to switch carriers.
9
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
It certainly sucks. But i dont really think its Verizons fault. I work on an AirForce Base. Cell phone service is scarce within the whole base. It does seem to be worse for Verizon and Sprint users from the people i had asked about it
Alot of the times my weather app will show totally different locations then where i am, I will pickup the weather forecast for Apollo Beach or Gibsonton(i dont even know where this is)

might be my imagination but i noticed this battery drain using 3G more when i switched to CM10.1(4.21) versus CM10(4.12).
but when on Wifi, my battery usage seems adequate to very good

It is your imagination. ROM has no bearing on 3g drain.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2