I figured since battery life seems to be the #1 complaint of my fellow Eris owners I would pop a thread in here that lists out loud and clear how to try and get the most juice for your squeeze.
1. KNOWN ISSUES - Native SMS app will not let the phone sleep. This has been posted and reposted, but it can't hurt to have it here again.
to check go to settings>about phone>status and at the bottom awake time. if it is 100% you more then likely have this bug
to fix it go into your messages app, menu>setting> and turn off notifications.
go to the android market and download handcent sms or chomp sms, and install. then pick a contact and press send sms, pick your new sms app as default, and send any message. then do a reboot.
once that is all done, power on your phone, let is sleep for a minute after reboot and go back to settings>about phone>status and at the bottom wake time. if it is around 50% or so the fix has worked and you should be able to charge faster and hold a charge longer.
Along with this tip, the stock verizon visual voicemail app, if active it known to keep your phone "awake" there is no way to uninstall this app, just don't use it.
For the below 4 settings (tips 2, 3, 4, and 5) you can easyily set toggles on your home screen to flip these on and off with one touch. Simply hold a open spot on your home screen to add widget, pick htc widgets, pick settings, then add whatever widget you want to control.
2. Turn wifi off when not using it (settings>wireless controls>wifi on or off)
3. Turn GPS off when not using it (settings>location>turn gps on or off)
4. Turn Bluetooth off when not using it (settings>wireless controls>turn bluetooth on or off)
5. Turn Mobile Network off when not using it (settings>wireless controls>turn mobile network on or off)(if both this and wifi are disabled you will not be connected at all to the internet. the only thing you will be able to do is make/recieve phone calls and send/recieve sms mesages, this will give you tremendous battery savings though)
6. Turn off audible touchtones (settings>sounds and display> audible selection)
7. Turn off haptic feedback for typing and touchscreen inputs (with keyboard up press the gear for settings>sound feedback and vib when typing OFF)
8. also turn off screen animations.(settings>sounds and display> animations)
9. Turn screen brightness down to a moderate level.
10. Turn on disable auto backlight. (settings>sounds and display> disable auto backlight)
11. You can set screen time out to 30 second, i leave mine at a minute, thing is just to remember to hit your red call end button when putting the phone down.
12. Turn off auto-sync for your google account features (setting>data synchronization>Google)
13. Conditioning the battery by letting it run all the way down and then charging it up seems to help alot. For best results, do this three days in a row.
14. It is reported that using wifi rather then 3g service from verizon uses less battery...so if you are in a area for a extended period of time with wifi avaialbe use it and see.
feel free to suggest more options, i can add them to the list. hope this helps.
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Last edited by Caddyman; June 7th, 2010 at 11:09 AM.
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I figured since battery life seems to be the #1 complaint of my fellow Eris owners I would pop a thread in here that lists out loud and clear how to try and get the most juice for your squeeze.
1. KNOWN ISSUES - Native SMS app will not let the phone sleep. This has been posted and reposted, but it can't hurt to have it here again.
.
This isn't true for all handsets. This only applies if you see that your phone awake time is 100%. Mine is not - it stays in the low 20s, so using an alternative messaging app won't save on battery in this case.
Great thread. Hey, Caddyman....I asked this ? in another thread but got no replies so I'll ask you. My wife's Eris doesn't have the waketime issue and the default sms app works fine but do you recommend handcent anyway or should she stick w the default? What are the major differences between the 2?
I've done all of this except the vibration for keypresses. In my opinion, the vibration helps immensely in giving the illusion that you're actually pressing a button.
I saw the biggest increase in battery life after turning off WiFi and adjusting the backlight brightness.
Thanks for all the suggestions--extremely helpful.
Last edited by Grizzld; November 18th, 2009 at 11:32 AM.
Great thread. Hey, Caddyman....I asked this ? in another thread but got no replies so I'll ask you. My wife's Eris doesn't have the waketime issue and the default sms app works fine but do you recommend handcent anyway or should she stick w the default? What are the major differences between the 2?
I did have the sms issue. So i have no choice. But if you don't have the issue, i would probably still use handcent, it is a great looking program, works well, give the sms popup which is convenient, and it very customizable.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Grizzld
I've done all of this except the vibration for keypresses. In my opinion, the vibration helps immensely in giving the illusion that you're actually pressing a button.
I saw the biggest increase in battery life after turning off WiFi and adjusting the backlight brightness.
I thought so too Grizz, and I may turn it back on to see if it really affect the battery that much.
I did have the sms issue. So i have no choice. But if you don't have the issue, i would probably still use handcent, it is a great looking program, works well, give the sms popup which is convenient, and it very customizable.
Caddy,
Do you know if you install handcent, and for some reason don't like it, can you uninstall it and go back to the regular sms? For some reason, I thought I read in another thread that you cannot, and have to stick with your installed one forever. Just wanted to confirm. My awake time is between 18-25%, so its not a necessity for me.
you can always go back to the original SMS app. When you install a new one on the phone the old keeps working too. So if you ever have to go back its no big deal. I switched two things and have doubled my battery life. First I got ChompSMS, I liked the options a litle bit more then Handcent. I also downloaded Advanced Task Manager, its different then the Advanced Taskkiller you see talked about more often. This one does the same kill funtion but it has a auto kill app that are not in use feature that I have set to run every hour. It also has a widget that kills apps, its a nice feature to only have to click once instead of twice. Also it has the kill by shaking, kills apps when you shake the phone hard enough. Silly but it really does. The app costs .99 but totally worth it to make it more then a full day off one charge.
Been screwing around with this issue for several days. One thing to note for all those folks experiencing the dreaded 100% even after doing the SMS fix: the Verizon visual voicemail app triggers the messaging app to alert you of new visual voicemails.
That wakes up the dreaded "Messaging" Beast from the bowels of the phone which triggers the 100% problem all over again. Took me a long time to figure this one out...
12. Use internet on demand. Turn "mobile network" off when the phone is not in use. This will save battery tremendously for people who can use this option.
12. Use internet on demand. Turn "mobile network" off when the phone is not in use. This will save battery tremendously for people who can use this option.
This should be number 1. in this list. Mobile Network turned off when not needed saves MORE battery than ALL those 12 options COMBINED.
I apparently have the dreaded battery bug. Will "reboot" return my Eris to the state it was when I bought it (removing all applications, etc)? And do I have to remove the battery?
Make sure you delete any messaging widgets/shortcuts from your homescreen. Also i found that if you switched to other home screens that triggered it all over again.
I just spent some time customizing the one homescreen/layout and never switch to others.
Do not reload verizon visual voicemail
Quite frankly - i cannot believe verizon would put out phones withthis issue. it drained two batteries for me in about 8 hours.
Would someone like to explain what exactly the "mobile network" setting covers?
It turns off your phone's internet access, like unplugging your dsl model. Your phone can make and receive voice calls and sms messages.
On the Droid Eris, hold down the "power" button, a pop up will appear, tap the last option, "mobile network", to toggle mobile network on/off. It's trivial, and takes no more time than launching an app on the phone.
With mobile network on, you'll see "3G" on the top status bar between the location (circle with cross) and signal strength. With mobile network off, you won't see 3G, just the location and signal strength.
Apparently being on the 3G network drains battery much faster than just being on the voice network. My guess is the voice network has been highly optimized for battery life, after all, it's been out for years and you'll get a lot of pissed off customers if they all need to charge their phone every day. But internet access is relatively new, so it's not as optimized, and people on the data plan right now generally don't mind charge their phone every day for the benefit.
Last edited by wildgoose; November 19th, 2009 at 01:47 PM.
Yeah when I am not going to use the phone for a while I have a widget on my homepage that turns on/off the "mobile network" When I am not using the phone the battery meter never moves.
I have found that from Battery meter gauge 100-90 will drain super fast....then it seems to drain normally....but when I get down to about 15 it drains super slow....not sure how accurate this Battery Meter is to be honest.
Last edited by jms493; November 19th, 2009 at 02:34 PM.
This is just on one charge. I posted my suggestions on how to save your battery life on one of the earlier Stickies on Eris battery life. I'm still using my native SMS app, my awake time hovers between 18%-21%. I don't turn on Wi-Fi unless I need it. My Background Data is turned off in Data Synchronization>Google>Background Data. My screen timeout is 30 seconds. Hopefully this helps.
P.S. During the workday, I only make a few calls on the cell, and surf the web on my computer, so that could contribute to keeping up my battery's life. Your mileage may vary.
Can overcharging have a negative affect on battery life, short or long term?
We all have read and probably experienced the limitations of the Eris battery. With that in mind I usually leave my phone charging in my office most of the day. Just curious if this will have any lasting affects on the battery.
Yeah when I am not going to use the phone for a while I have a widget on my homepage that turns on/off the "mobile network" When I am not using the phone the battery meter never moves.
I wonder if it's possible to write an app that do this automatically. Basically if the phone goes to stand by, turn OFF mobile network. If the phone awakes from user action, turn it back on. This can be tweaked further. If the phone is in sleep for longer than an hour, turn it off. Or if the phone is awake for more than X seconds, turn it on...
I've downloaded the SDK but haven't really played with it, just wondering if it's technically possible to do so.
People just need to be patient, the Eris has been out for 13 days, right? Let's wait until the updates come. Every smartphone I have ever had issues with the battery, including my Storm, which when I first received it I got just hours out of it, after updates I could go for days...
My advice, utilize the tips others have suggested and be patient and I bet they fix these issues quickly, you can bet that they read these forums.
Last edited by CalifJewls; November 19th, 2009 at 04:27 PM.
Yeah when I am not going to use the phone for a while I have a widget on my homepage that turns on/off the "mobile network" When I am not using the phone the battery meter never moves.
I have found that from Battery meter gauge 100-90 will drain super fast....then it seems to drain normally....but when I get down to about 15 it drains super slow....not sure how accurate this Battery Meter is to be honest.
What widget turns off the mobile network? I've looked for that and haven't found it...
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The Semi-Experience????
Quote:
Originally Posted by wildgoose
It turns off your phone's internet access, like unplugging your dsl model. Your phone can make and receive voice calls and sms messages.
Quote:
Originally Posted by wildgoose
My guess is the voice network has been highly optimized for battery life, after all, it's been out for years and you'll get a lot of pissed off customers if they all need to charge their phone every day. But internet access is relatively new, so it's not as optimized, and people on the data plan right now generally don't mind charge their phone every day for the benefit.
OK. While I get your point here, this is ridiculous to me...if I wanted a "dumb" phone that "sometimes" had the capabilities of a smart phone, I would buy one of those - whatever the heck that would be called. A later posting, someone suggests to calm down, and the battery issue will be worked out with updates, etc....additionally, over the 10 days I have had the phone, the battery time and awake time have improved drastically. I went from 4-6 hours, to just about 13 hrs and still at 40% today. Why the heck would I want to buy a phone that only works "On-Demand", why dont I just get a cell phone and carry an HP iPaq for Christ's sake. (The battery sucked on that too).
I also found that once I stopped fuddling around with battery settings and task killers all day that the battery was much improved.
Again at 15% Battery Life the phone stayed like that for a while. I finally just played xbox and had a continuous loop of you-tube videos playing for 45 minutes till the phone died. The phone lasts me all day. I expect the life to improve after I do 3-4 full battery charge cycles.
OK. While I get your point here, this is ridiculous to me...if I wanted a "dumb" phone that "sometimes" had the capabilities of a smart phone, I would buy one of those - whatever the heck that would be called. A later posting, someone suggests to calm down, and the battery issue will be worked out with updates, etc....additionally, over the 10 days I have had the phone, the battery time and awake time have improved drastically. I went from 4-6 hours, to just about 13 hrs and still at 40% today. Why the heck would I want to buy a phone that only works "On-Demand", why dont I just get a cell phone and carry an HP iPaq for Christ's sake. (The battery sucked on that too).
I also found that once I stopped fuddling around with battery settings and task killers all day that the battery was much improved.
Very true. I have found my battery life has increased over time. The battery probably needs a little conditioning and after a few charges it gets better.
This is one of the best phones I have ever had. Plus the Android OS is so much better than the Windows Mobile OS. I came from a Verizon XV6800.
Just turn off notifications in the regular sms app and only use handcent. First time you get a text it will ask you what program to open it in, handcent or messaging, pick handcent and tick the default box and hit ok.
Last edited by Caddyman; November 21st, 2009 at 10:06 AM.
just want to thank all of you eris guys for your input. you just saved me a trip to the verizon store which would've taken hours and likely produced enough frustration to fill a football stadium.
your tips are appreciated. i've tweaked some settings and hope to see some improvements over the coming days. luckily, i did not have the 100% usage bug thingy.
i know that holding down the power button is pretty easy, but i really liked the idea of a widget on the homescreen to toggle on/off the mobile network. CalifJewls, you mention HTC widgets. I don't see this in settings; should i be looking elsewhere?
btw, waiting until dec. 11th for the patch is annyong! since it's beyond the 30 day return period, we are forced to roll the dice on our faith in the patch.
finally, i might've read somewhere that this phone will be able to support android2 soon. is that true? any further info?
I tried unchecking "Enable always-on mobile network" and it did make a huge improvement in battery usage but as expected it does kill Activesync. So here I am left with a smart phone with no push email OR leave mobile always-on and get terrible battery life. Definitely a deal breaker for me and not a choice I am willing to make. This is clearly not ready for prime time yet. Maybe there will be better options in 6 months. It's too bad because I really like it otherwise.
I found that my Youmail app was the holdup on my Eris that was keeping my device from sleeping. My up time is down to ONLY 36% from a constant 100%. Hoping Youmail developers are able to update this bug since I absolutely LOVE their free VM service!
EDIT: Had to delete the app for any success in the phone actually sleeping, and the battery lasts all day for me now too!
Last edited by JerseyFF; November 21st, 2009 at 09:59 PM.
This may have been asked before, but is there a way to slave mobile networking on/off to putting the phone in standby mode? I would love to have mobile networking automatically shut off when I press the off button, rather than have to remember to always toggle it before I put the phone to sleep.
This may have been asked before, but is there a way to slave mobile networking on/off to putting the phone in standby mode? I would love to have mobile networking automatically shut off when I press the off button, rather than have to remember to always toggle it before I put the phone to sleep.
Automatic Task Killer will shut down whatever programs you choose, automatically, every time it goes to sleep. Look for it in the Market.
Is there an app that isn't a battery killer once you run it the first time since the last boot? All of these memory management programs run full time, which is going to have an impact on battery life and processor overhead. Unless you're inferring ATK doesn't allow the Eris to go to sleep properly, which would present a problem.
I'm still uncertain about the repercussions associated with Disabling Mobile Always On. Due to the inadequacy of the security of the Eris, I am not connected through exchange. I do synchronize with Google (gmail, calendar, contacts). I also am connected through my work e-mail via a POP server.
Disabling mobile connectivity overall is not an option for those who receive work e-mails.
Therefore, what are the ramifications for Disabling Mobile Always On? Thanks for your feedback.
I think disabling mobiles always on stops you from getting emails and what not instantly. Any pushed data notifications you have to manually "get" or "refresh" for....like a iPhone
I applied all the tips from this thread, yet my Eris will not sleep. Any ideas why this is still happening? Should I do a master reset and then do it all again?
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