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Keep or Take Back?

DCritter

Newbie
May 24, 2011
25
2
Picked up my Charge on Saturday from Costco. I seem to be adapting to the new phone from my BB, with the expected difficulties, but that's not the issue. The battery life is killing me. :(

First day was a disaster what with spending all the time setting stuff up. OK, that's a good excuse. Monday it was great, but used very light, lasted 11 hours, which is OK. Most days that would work with a top up sometime, somewhere. Figured I coudl live with that, esepcially if someone comes out with a 1800 mAH battery.

However, today it was dead by noon, just 5 hours with fairly moderate use, a typical day for me. I mostly do email, some text and calls. Modest web browsing. Have configured according to all the suggestions and using Task Manager, no apps left running.

The extended battery is problematic because it is bulky and nobody makes any holsters or cases. I note that even as long as the TB has been out, still none for it either, so not thinking there's much hope.

Carrying a spare battery and changing it out is a PITA. And even then, on a long day, I could be SOL.

I am open to suggestions. Love the screen and generally like the phone. The LTE doesn't seem to be any quicker for what I do than my Wife's DX2. Am I wasting my time with this?

TIA,
 
Lose the task manager. That is probably the main issue for battery drain. Task managers are bad for battery life. The charge has a built in one which you should use only if you get a rogue app. Other than that also check how you are pullin/pushing data. That can kill any device if set up incorrectly.

I am only using the one that is built in.

Do not understand what you mean by "check how you are pullin/pushing data"
 
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I am only using the one that is built in.

Do not understand what you mean by "check how you are pullin/pushing data"

If i'm not mistaken, he's talking about how often the phone checks for new emails, tweets, facebook updates, apps with "push" notifications, etc. The more frequently it checks those, the more of a drain on battery you will have. Also check the screen brightness settings.

Btw, I'll have my droid charge tomorrow, yay. My first android phone, and my first smartphone. Two firsts. Yippee.
 
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If i'm not mistaken, he's talking about how often the phone checks for new emails, tweets, facebook updates, apps with "push" notifications, etc. The more frequently it checks those, the more of a drain on battery you will have. Also check the screen brightness settings.

Btw, I'll have my droid charge tomorrow, yay. My first android phone, and my first smartphone. Two firsts. Yippee.

Don't do tweets, facebook, stuff like that. Email, yes. Auto sync is off. Not sure on push/pull, Email set to poll freqeuncy Never, Poll and Push folders set to Only 1st calls, whatever that means
 
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Don't do tweets, facebook, stuff like that. Email, yes. Auto sync is off. Not sure on push/pull, Email set to poll freqeuncy Never, Poll and Push folders set to Only 1st calls, whatever that means

Hmmmm. Are you in a poor signal area? Also try uninstalling your apps and go a day and see if that makes a difference. Then load your apps back a few a day and see if some app was causing the drain.
 
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Hmmmm. Are you in a poor signal area? Also try uninstalling your apps and go a day and see if that makes a difference. Then load your apps back a few a day and see if some app was causing the drain.

3 bars on 4G LTE most time, sometimes 4 bars.

Don't really have any apps except for K9, GO SMS Pro, Dolphin Browser and Launcher Pro, All seem to be acting properly.
 
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3 bars on 4G LTE most time, sometimes 4 bars.

Don't really have any apps except for K9, GO SMS Pro, Dolphin Browser and Launcher Pro, All seem to be acting properly.
The bars are not for the 4g/3g strength. Go to settings, about phone, status. there you will see a number. The lower the better. I am at 96dBm, and my battery life is fine.
 
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Give it a full week....the battery needs to get conditioned. After say 7-10 days you should be getting anywhere from 8-12 hours depending on days where your usage is either moderate or heavy. Don't expect to get blackberry usage numbers with this phone, actually you most likely won't see that with any Android phone. Just give some time, battery should be just fine in a few days.
 
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Give it a full week....the battery needs to get conditioned. After say 7-10 days you should be getting anywhere from 8-12 hours depending on days where your usage is either moderate or heavy. Don't expect to get blackberry usage numbers with this phone, actually you most likely won't see that with any Android phone. Just give some time, battery should be just fine in a few days.

Well, It will get to Sunday, one week. At that point I either have to keep it or trade as I am leaving Wednesday for a week and won't be able to rerun it within the 14 days as I will be gone and need a couple days to get whatever new phone set up and working.
 
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Give it a full week....the battery needs to get conditioned. After say 7-10 days you should be getting anywhere from 8-12 hours depending on days where your usage is either moderate or heavy. Don't expect to get blackberry usage numbers with this phone, actually you most likely won't see that with any Android phone. Just give some time, battery should be just fine in a few days.


So Sean....you made the switch to the charge from the tb? What,are your thoughts?
 
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So Sean....you made the switch to the charge from the tb? What,are your thoughts?


Well as of right now I have both of them, and have been switching back and fourth. But the more I use the Charge, the more I like it and see it being my everyday day phone for a while. At least until VZW brings a serious dual core contender, with 4G bands and a kick ass screen. My reasoning is fairly simple for even entertaining a switch in devices.

A- Battery life...
The TB was just becoming a real pain to get through a day with heavy use. I have 2 batteries and was going through both in a day, and even still by night fall both would be drained. I'm not into having to swap all day, taking the case off, battery cover, restarting the phone crap. Its an annoying thing to do on a supposedly flag ship phone! Battery life is the nail in the TB's coffin.

B- Camera...
I take alot of pictures, and honestly my Samsung Fascinate was one of the best camera phones that I have ever used. So I figured the charge would be the same, if not even better. I was right, the camera is Great! Even the front facing camera is awesome. TB's camera is OK, but just OK, pics are sometimes blurry and pick up alot of noise.

3- The Screen...
Anyone who says an LCD is better then a Super Amoled Plus screen, is just not being truthful! I'm a realist, an LCD screen is very nice, but when you hold them side by side, its like putting a Honda next to an Audi A8. Both are going to get you from point A-B, but there is just no compairing the 2. Some will argue, about both the screen, and the cars...lol! But like I said, not truthful. The Super Amoled Plus screen is great out doors, beautiful and colorful all the time, and saves on battery life because of the deep dark blacks. Can't say the same for an LCD.

There are some draw backs for the Charge...Touch Wiz being the biggest, Launcher pro solves that hands down! The speed is a tiny bit better on the TB, however the Charge is no slouch, and is plenty fast for me. Samsungs update schedule, at this point there are hardly any phones shipping with Gingerbread, so 2.2 is OK for now. Honestly its a Droid Branded phone, so updates should be light years better then how the Fascinate fared. And the heavyness of the TB was really good, I like a good solid phone! And the TB was probably the best as far as feeling like a tank. But I have to say, the light weight feeling of the Charge is a welcome one...yes it is much lighter and won't take a drop as well as the TB will, but that's what cases are for I guess...

That's my 2cents...hope it helps!
 
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Well as of right now I have both of them, and have been switching back and fourth. But the more I use the Charge, the more I like it and see it being my everyday day phone for a while. At least until VZW brings a serious dual core contender, with 4G bands and a kick ass screen. My reasoning is fairly simple for even entertaining a switch in devices.

A- Battery life...
The TB was just becoming a real pain to get through a day with heavy use. I have 2 batteries and was going through both in a day, and even still by night fall both would be drained. I'm not into having to swap all day, taking the case off, battery cover, restarting the phone crap. Its an annoying thing to do on a supposedly flag ship phone! Battery life is the nail in the TB's coffin.

B- Camera...
I take alot of pictures, and honestly my Samsung Fascinate was one of the best camera phones that I have ever used. So I figured the charge would be the same, if not even better. I was right, the camera is Great! Even the front facing camera is awesome. TB's camera is OK, but just OK, pics are sometimes blurry and pick up alot of noise.

3- The Screen...
Anyone who says an LCD is better then a Super Amoled Plus screen, is just not being truthful! I'm a realist, an LCD screen is very nice, but when you hold them side by side, its like putting a Honda next to an Audi A8. Both are going to get you from point A-B, but there is just no compairing the 2. Some will argue, about both the screen, and the cars...lol! But like I said, not truthful. The Super Amoled Plus screen is great out doors, beautiful and colorful all the time, and saves on battery life because of the deep dark blacks. Can't say the same for an LCD.

There are some draw backs for the Charge...Touch Wiz being the biggest, Launcher pro solves that hands down! The speed is a tiny bit better on the TB, however the Charge is no slouch, and is plenty fast for me. Samsungs update schedule, at this point there are hardly any phones shipping with Gingerbread, so 2.2 is OK for now. Honestly its a Droid Branded phone, so updates should be light years better then how the Fascinate fared. And the heavyness of the TB was really good, I like a good solid phone! And the TB was probably the best as far as feeling like a tank. But I have to say, the light weight feeling of the Charge is a welcome one...yes it is much lighter and won't take a drop as well as the TB will, but that's what cases are for I guess...

That's my 2cents...hope it helps!


I've been considering a change as well....out of curiosity are you able to make a full day use on the charge without having to charge it all the time?
 
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What are your settings?
I have GPS on at all times. I turn wifi on whenever I have a connection. Screen is at 100%. Leave Bluetooth on most of the time. I have a solid 3G connection pretty much everywhere I go, but no 4G. Got my facebook to update hourly, and weatherbug to update hourly. I also use LPP, and City at Night live wallpaper. That time was from fairly lite usage. I normally get about 20 hours, with more moderate usage.
 
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How is signal reception on Charge? I saw some users complaining Charge drops 4G often and even drops 3G connections sometimes where other phones wouldn't lose 3G.


About the same as the Thunderbolt! Which is OK, yes sometimes 3G is as if the phone has no service...but that hardly happens ever, seen it about 3 times with the TB, and only once with the Charge so far.
 
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Has anyone tried turning off 4G LTE either by setting or app on Charge?
There is "LTE switch" that requires rebooting and "LTE onoff" that works only for Tbolt now. LTE onoff seems to do seamless switch between 4G auto and 3G only mode. I hope it makes newer version supporting Charge, Revo as well.

We have the same thing under the Wireless Network settings. You have the option for LTE/CDMA or CDMA only. Ours come built in (LG Revo does also.) The TB's setting had to be added by the Dev community.
 
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I have GPS on at all times. I turn wifi on whenever I have a connection. Screen is at 100%. Leave Bluetooth on most of the time. I have a solid 3G connection pretty much everywhere I go, but no 4G. Got my facebook to update hourly, and weatherbug to update hourly. I also use LPP, and City at Night live wallpaper. That time was from fairly lite usage. I normally get about 20 hours, with more moderate usage.

I have 4g here. I also have WiFi turned off since I am usually not around one and postings here had indicated it would suck battery down looking for WiFi.

I wonder if 4g or WiFi turned off that's the difference? Be interested in what battery life you get with WiFi off, because about 8 is what I got with moderate usage and everything turned off yesterday. Since my day averages 14-16 hours, that's just a half days' life.

Is there an app that provides a list of settings that I can post for comment?
 
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