Explain the 3G Icon at the Top

[Barats]

Ok I'm asking this in regards to my battery life. There is a 3G icon at the top. Next to it has an up and down arrow. Next to that is the bars. I'm new to all this because I've never had a smartphone so no flaming, lol.

Sometimes the 3G icon will go from lit up to dark. Does that mean it is connected, gets disconnected and tries to find a signal again? And sometimes one the arrows are lit up and the other isn't, sometimes they both are lit and sometimes neither. Is this something to do with data being downloaded and uploaded by the phone through the network?

Thanks.

 

[mapan83]

I could look through the manual for exact descriptions. Maybe I should. But to answer your question quickly: As long as the 3G is there with bars to the right, you're connected. I think it will light up and you'll see the arrows lighting up while it's sending or receiving data.

 

[laredo7mm]

Page 114 of the manual...

 

[Howie]

when it's dim it's "idle" and when it's bold it's active. The up/down arrows are the data flow (upload/download)

 

[Barats]

Oh ok. Thanks. I figured it was in the manual but thought I'd get an answer here quicker without me having to dig it out, lol.

Well then the 3G is always up there with bars so I guess it is not disconnecting and re-connecting then. But sometimes the signal is not so strong. Can a weak signal drain battery if the phone needs to retrieve data?

 

[revelry]

And your major concern with this is battery life? As far as that goes you can turn data connection off and still make phone calls, play with apps, music (on the SD card), and so on and this will preserve power; as so many things use your data connection to refresh their status in the background without you being notified of it.

Someone correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[revelry]

Your phone searching for a signal will drain battery faster.

 

[Dutch54]

Your phone searching for a signal will drain battery faster.

 

[IPvFletch]

Your phone searching for a signal will drain battery faster.

So the fact that mine keeps going from 3G to non-3G, means I am draining my battery faster??

 

[Howie]

So the fact that mine keeps going from 3G to non-3G, means I am draining my battery faster??

If it's going from 3G to 1X then yes. If it's going from dim to bold 3G then no - that is just the data.

 

[Barats]

But what if the 3g signal is weak? Does that have any impact on the battery?

 

[Howie]

But what if the 3g signal is weak? Does that have any impact on the battery?

yes because it has to transmit harder to be heard by the tower.

 

[Barats]

Gotcha. I had a feeling that was the case.

 

[IPvFletch]

If it's going from 3G to 1X then yes. If it's going from dim to bold 3G then no - that is just the data.

I've never seen 1x but sometimes I don't see 3G. Does that mean I'm always getting 3G but just not actively transferring data at times?

 

[mapan83]

I've never seen 1x but sometimes I don't see 3G. Does that mean I'm always getting 3G but just not actively transferring data at times?

I would think that not seeing 3G or 1X would indicate that you have no signal at all.

 

[highwayman1224]

I would think that not seeing 3G or 1X would indicate that you have no signal at all.

There is no 1x symbol on the Evo , just 3g or 4g. I drive a truck, & I know where I get 1x or evdo, & It's NEVER gone to 1x on this phone.

 

[laredo7mm]

There is no 1x symbol on the Evo , just 3g or 4g. I drive a truck, & I know where I get 1x or evdo, & It's NEVER gone to 1x on this phone.

So all the pictures and descriptions on page 10 of the manual showing 1x data icons were printed in error?

 

[Meltz014]

So all the pictures and descriptions on page 10 of the manual showing 1x data icons were printed in error?

I dunno, I kind of agree with HighwayMan. I used to see my blackberry switch from EV-DO to 1x and back all the time (on Sprint), and i haven't seen 1x on my EVO yet. I noticed on my friend's Droid, you could look at the network status and see the signal type (somewhere in the settings), but i haven't found this on my EVO. Anyone?

 

[GripnRip]

The phone does show 1X coverage. I seem to get 1X at my office so i see it every day.

 

[highwayman1224]

So all the pictures and descriptions on page 10 of the manual showing 1x data icons were printed in error?

I haven't opened the manual, but if they're showing a symbol for 1x, then I must have a defective phone, & so do a bunch of other people on different forums. Lots of people ain't seeing a 1x on the Evo.

 

[laredo7mm]

I haven't opened the manual, but if they're showing a symbol for 1x, then I must have a defective phone, & so do a bunch of other people on different forums. Lots of people ain't seeing a 1x on the Evo.

I guess GripnRip has the only phone that is operating correctly then.

The phone does show 1X coverage. I seem to get 1X at my office so i see it every day.

 

[highwayman1224]

Apparently.

 

[Howie]

lol I wonder if they just built these EVOs to work much better at holding on to the 3G signal and not dropping to 1X as quickly as they used to. I know the Sprint and Verizon towers are at the same location here for me and my Verizon HTC Incredible usually has one bar while the Sprint HTC EVO has full bars sitting next to each other. Wish I could get into the menu and see the db like on the Incredible (funny that they hid that)!

 

[mapan83]

I came from a Verizon HTC TP2 and used to get 1X all of the time at work. I'll admit that I have not seen 1X on my Evo as of yet. I think I would agree that maybe the phone is capable of displaying a 1X but maybe it is manufatured to hold on to a 3G signal better. And, I looked through the small manual that came in the box with my phone, plus I went to the HTC site and looked through the manual there and could not find the info on the signal indicators, at leats on page 114. I'll admit I didn't look through the rest of the manual.