Help Phone discharges when plugged in while listening to Pandora

[Musichead4444]

Ever since a system update my droid bionic did last month. My phone battery discharges when I listen to Pandora when it is plugged in. It even says charging but it is not. Is there a setting set wrong or something. The same issue happens when I use another radio app. But when I am not using any radio apps it charges.

 

[johnlgalt]

I'd try a Factory Data Reset - you're still using apps that were configured to be used on GB but you're now on ICS. It makes a huge difference.

See this great thread started by Thom on why: http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid-bionic/631700-ics-ota-fdr.html

 

[Musichead4444]

I tried a factory reset before and that did not fix it.

 

[johnlgalt]

I bet it is because 1) your phone was one of the lucky ones that that got bumped up to 1.2 GHz and 2) you have a lot of other stuff running in the background, and 3) you're streaming that music on a high speed (4G) account.

ICS makes true use of the dual cores in the CPU of your phone, so all that stuff running in the background can run even while foreground apps (like your music program of choice) runs as well. This means faster battery drain.

For a test, try a FDR and only reinstall Pandora, not other apps, and see if it still kills your battery while playing. If it does, you might need to consider rooting your phone so you can control processor clocks (I had to do the same with my OG DROID - Pandora + Nav = massive power drain, one that even that 1.0 A car charger could not keep up with). Or else invest in a battery saving app from the market to see if it helps.

I'd also spend the money on an extended battery (buy new, not used off of eBay).

 

[Musichead4444]

I bet it is because 1) your phone was one of the lucky ones that that got bumped up to nd 2) you have a lot of other stuff running in the background, and 3) you're streaming that music on a high speed (4G) account.

ICS makes true use of the dual cores in the CPU of your phone, so all that stuff running in the background can run even while foreground apps (like your music program of choice) runs as well. This means faster battery drain.

For a test, try a FDR and only reinstall Pandora, not other apps, and see if it still kills your battery while playing. If it does, you might need to consider rooting your phone so you can control processor clocks (I had to do the same with my OG DROID - Pandora + Nav = massive power drain, one that even that 1.0 A car charger could not keep up with). Or else invest in a battery saving app from the market to see if it helps.

I'd also spend the money on an extended battery (buy new, not used off of eBay).

What is the nd 2 and how does it effect my phone. Also My battery has been draining quicker during the day too since the update. Is the update the nd 2 you were talking about.

 

[johnlgalt]

That should have read "...bumped up to 1.2 GHz and 2) you ..."

 

[stridermt2k]

Are you using the stock charger or a different one?

I noticed the same thing at work after the update and then realized I was using a charger that was rated less than the Motorola one.

I now use the Motorola charger at work and no longer have this issue.

The short answer is to use the Motorola charger, but the long answer is to use any charger that puts out 850ma or more.
It will be listed on a teeny tiny label, but it's there on any charger worth spending any money on.

 

[Thom]

I'd also spend the money on an extended battery (buy new, not used off of eBay).

If you do get an extended battery I recommend that it be an OEM from Verizon (to prevent a new set of problems).

... Thom

 

[Musichead4444]

Are you using the stock charger or a different one?

I noticed the same thing at work after the update and then realized I was using a charger that was rated less than the Motorola one.

I now use the Motorola charger at work and no longer have this issue.

The short answer is to use the Motorola charger, but the long answer is to use any charger that puts out 850ma or more.
It will be listed on a teeny tiny label, but it's there on any charger worth spending any money on.

I use a Motorola charger

 

[PowerBomb]

I don't think anything is really "wrong", your battery is just draining faster than it can charge. Only option would be to get a more powerful charger but I've always heard that can damage the battery and shorten their lifespan. I know I always hook my Bionic up to the charger from my Nexus 7 though which has a higher output and charges faster. Try to hold down the home key and see which apps pop up as recently used and swipe them left or right to clear out whichever ones you aren't using. I'm not sure if this actually closes the apps and frees up memory but it seems to work when I do it. If you long press the home button and a big long list of recent apps pops up that you need to scroll through to see them all, try to close as many as possible.

 

[Thom]

I use a Motorola charger

So ... you are using the OEM battery, OEM charger, and OEM cable that came with your Bionic ... correct?

... Thom